There are multiple events happening all across Europe that are specifically dedicated to discussing gambling – new casinos that are opening in the region, the future of casino in general, responsible gambling and, yes, various strategies that should be known by both casino owners and especially casino players. Some of these events are free, while others require the purchase of a ticket in order to attend. Below I have compiled a list of all events that I am aware of that happen in Europe between September 2015 and January 2016. By all means, please e-mail me at admin@euglobalstrategy.com and let me know if I’ve missed anything!
WrB London
Location: London
Date: 10.09.15
WrB stands for World Regulatory Briefing, which is the first-ever event in Europe dedicated specifically to responsible gambling. The main thing that will be discussed at the briefing is the adoption of responsible gambling methods. In layman’s terms, what this means is that the presenters will be talking about possible ways in which casinos can encourage their gamblers to be responsible in order to stave off gambling addiction. The methods could be subtle (such as placing more clocks in obvious places inside the casino in order to let gamblers know exactly how long they’d been there) or not so subtle (like encouraging dealers to remind players that they’ve been gambling for a while, and that perhaps it’s time to take a break). Keep in mind that I don’t actually know if these particular methods will be discussed or not, I’m just speculating. This might not seem like the most exciting gambling event, but as someone who has struggled with very serious gambling addiction I can tell you that such a conference is way overdue, and it’s about time this problem was addressed by casinos themselves.
Betting on Football
Location: London
Date: 10.09.15
Have you ever wanted to get into football betting, but you simply never managed to discover how? You’ve tried books, but they can only present dry knowledge and general strategies, which might help in something like casino games where the same games have been played for the last 150 years, but not for something that changes all the time, such as football betting (with new teams, events, betting conditions, etc). Well, search no further – the Betting on Footbal conference is for you! In this one day event you’ll learn all there is to know about how to properly place bets, and you’ll be learning it directly from the people in charge of UK’s betting scene. You can expect press conferences from various football clubs and operators such as Metric Gaming and Sportradar. Even if you’re an experienced bettor, just by looking at the various events (which you can do as well by visiting their site) I can see that you’ll still find plenty to love.
The BIG Sports Dinner 2015
Location: London
Date: 17.09.15
Wow, lots of gambling events are happening in London this month, aren’t they? Still, The BIG Sports Dinner isn’t like the others. I know, I know, nobody really likes press conferences, but they’re a necessary evil – the quickest, most effective way to narrate a whole lot of information in the shortest time possible, but that doesn’t make them any more interesting. You know what IS interesting, though? A dinner filled with celebrity athletes, big names in the betting business and dozens of bettors that you can make contacts with and share valuable info! The BIG Sports Dinner is exactly that! Happening for the second year in a roll, its primary purpose is to act as a fundraiser for the BIG Foundation, which aims to improve the living conditions of injured, sick and terminally ill people across the world by providing them with proper equipment and access to professional care and sports facilities that they might need for physiotherapy. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a cause I’d like to support – and besides, the dinner itself sounds unbelievably fun, too! Just keep in mind that the dress code is formal, so put on your best suit or dress and go party with the stars!
EGR Online Gambling Briefing
Location: Rome
Date: 12.10.15
I’m not going to spend too much time talking about this event because it’s by invitation only. Sure, you can register at the Gambling Briefing website, but let’s face it – unless you’re a big operator with an interest in the Italian market you’re not getting in that press conference, and you don’t need to, either. After all, it’s just going to be an exploration of the possibilities of the Italian market – a pitch to operators to convince them just how much money they’re going to make if they translate their websites into Italian and deal with all the legal stuff. While the place where it’ll happen does look unbelievably cozy, by all account this appears to be one of those boring events that just have to happen for business purposes even though nobody (guest or presenter) really wants to attend. You probably won’t get in, but you shouldn’t want to, either.
EGR Italy Awards
Location: Rome
Date: 12.10.15
Now there’s an Italian event that might be pretty fun! The EGR Italy Awards recognize the best online casinos and bookmakers in the Italian market with a trophy and a round of applause, as they should. I really don’t see this as an event worthy of a plane ticket, but if you’re Italian with an interest in online gambling, if only a passing one, then I believe this event is definitely worth attending. Sure, you can go and support your favourite sites hoping they’d win, but you can also take note of the sites that win – it goes without saying that there’s a reason why they won. In a way, even if you know absolutely nothing about Italian e-gaming, the awards can be a handy-dandy “who’s who” guide that you can use. Thinking of joining an online casino, but aren’t sure exactly which one is the best? Go with the one that wins “Best Online Casino 2015” award! Since a new winner is picked every year, you can be absolutely sure that the casino which wins isn’t just riding on old fame – it’s good right now, in the present. So attending is definitely worth a shot! And besides, award ceremonies always tend to be a spectacle, even if this isn’t exactly the Oscars.
EIG 2015
Location: Berlin
Date: 20.10.15
The first, and, as far as I could tell, biggest iGaming convention on our list, EIG 2015 promises to deliver an experience unlike anything before. Located in the gigantic Arena Halle in Berlin, the convention will allow you to explore the booths of some of the biggest names and trend-setters currently on the market, such as Playtech or Microgaming. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, iGaming refers to online gambling and betting (mostly gambling) used in sites such as William Hill and 888 Casino and bookmakers such as Betfair and Ladbrokes. I understand that not all of us are really all that interested in iGaming – after all, there’s nothing like holding a bunch of chips in your hand as you wonder whether or not you’re going to lose them all or double their numbers. But we can’t ignore online gaming’s growing presence, and from its constant development it appears to be shaping up to become the future of gambling in general, with new technologies able to bridge the gap between physical and online casinos. So, in the grand scheme of things, this convention might be the most important one out of all of them.
Affiliate Conference
Location: Berlin
Date: 22.10.15 – 25.10.15
Wow, two iGaming events in Berlin in the span of a week? If you’re a Berliner with a healthy interest in online gambling you might want to take a few days off work in October, because things appear to be getting pretty crazy! It wasn’t always intended to be that way, though – the Affiliate Conference used to take place in Barcelona, but this year it’s going to happen in Barcelona. The website doesn’t list the reason, at least not that I could find, but I am 99.9% sure it’s the beer. Anyway, unlike the EIG this event isn’t actually a convention, despite definitely looking like one – it’s actually a series of conferences by some of iGaming’s leaders, who will be giving advice based on their own experience to both players and business owners alike, so if you’re thinking of starting your own iGaming business or are a hardcore player who spends two hours playing video slots online every day or you haven’t even heard the term “online casino” before, I’m sure you’re going to find the event rather enlightening. And besides, since it’s got 3 days instead of the usual one (or less) you’re going to have plenty of time to visit all the conferences you’d like without having to pick and choose or pack your schedule with more stuff than you can handle.