The popular iGaming event of the year, iGB, took place at the RAI in Amsterdam, from July 16-19. The event moved forward with its remodeled look – iGB Live! and brought together professionals and companies of the gambling industry all under one roof.
Along with a series of conferences, presentations, and a range of additional features from the iGaming world, this was a key gathering of the year. Keep reading to learn about some of the highlights of iGB Live! 2019.
News Highlights
- Blockchain technology and affiliate marketing were the main focus during the first day of the event.
- Sustainability of the industry and regional differences were highlighted during day two of the event.
- iGB Live! 2019 was marked as the greatest event in the ten-year history of the gathering.
Highlights of Day One at iGB Live!
The 2019 edition of this event met all expectations. It managed to merge and address both the interests of the iGB Live! HQ community and those of the affiliate marketing industry.
The former addressed the matter of blockchain and gaming, emphasizing Bitcoin SV’s key advantages. Panelists on the topic moderated by Eric Benz of Changelly.com included the following speakers:
- Tony Ure, head of e-gaming at Isle of Man
- Adriaan Brink, BETR
- Andrey Kuznetsox, KamaGames
- Simit Naik, nChain
Naik, director of business services at nChain stated the following regarding how Bitcoin SV stands out from other cryptocurrency methods:
The fact that nChain is at the forefront of the research into how we can do this on-chain, you’re reducing the need for people to develop off-chain or solutions or services that need to sit outside of the gaming operator. You then get a way of having regulators who come in and certify your pure random number generating systems. Everything is on-chain, everything is independently verifiable, and that’s a key thing for the next evolution in gaming.Simit Naik
Affiliate Marketing Trends
In terms of the iGB Affiliate Amsterdam Conference, Andy Taylor from the agency On the Tools made the greatest impression through his opinions on advancements in the industry segment. When asked about how the iGaming industry can best take advantage of instant video content tools like Facebook Live, Taylor stated the following:
People that follow them have obviously got an interest in what they are doing and I see an opportunity there to talk about strategies, to talk about their opinions on bets and things like that. I think there’s an opportunity to have things like tipsters and maybe that’s the value there. I would still have an element of competition because that’s the real hook for people but while you’ve got them on that hook you can deliver them more commercial messages.Andy Taylor
Highlights of Day Two at iGB Live!
The second day of the iGaming event went on in much the same manner, addressing both segments as well as saving time for game and company releases. Special attention was also given to innovations in technology, with the emphasis on IT outsourcing.
Stav Zilbershtein, co-founder and CEO of Hyperion, spoke of the misbalance between competent staff and wages in different job markets around the world:
The turnover rates of a good developer in London are insane. They can move workplaces quite often just for a slight change in money which makes it one big problem. This is the same problem in Malta.Stav Zilbershtein
New Affiliate Marketing Model
Innovations in affiliate marketing have also been proposed, primarily prompted by specific policies taken up by DraftKings and FanDuel. The specifics of the new model are yet to be distinguished, but the general idea is to stop rewarding affiliates just for player acquisition. They will need to get more up close and personal, or as David Gzesh from Gzesh Law Ltd. put it, “a lot more touchy-feely”.
iGB Live! 2019 Recap
Praises regarding this year’s iGB event are coming from all sides. Philip Canavan from SEM Global highlighted the events ability to reach out to multiple important figures in the iGaming world at a single location.
Haydn Williams from Clarion Gaming, the company behind the event’s organization, confirmed the positive impressions from the other side.
I think visitor wise, both on the affiliate and the operator side, have really embraced Amsterdam again and enjoyed that it’s the second year of iGB Live and the new branding on the Affiliate Amsterdam side. Exhibitor wise, we’ve actually had some wicked feedback about exhibitors seeing this as their most successful event so far, which for us is amazing.Haydn Williams
