SBC Summit 2026 Returns to Lisbon With Six Conference Stages and a Global Speaker Line-Up in September

SBC Summit 2026 is set to return to Lisbon from 29 September to 1 October, held across the Feira Internacional de Lisboa and the MEO Arena. The organiser, SBC Events, has confirmed the dates, venue and headline speakers, and the line-up once again reaches well beyond the sector’s usual roster of executives.

For operators, suppliers and regulators mapping out the year, this is a fixed point in the calendar. SBC bills it as “the Greatest Show in Gaming,” and the 2026 edition leans hard into that claim, putting a basketball icon on the same bill as some of the industry’s most recognisable CEOs.

How big is SBC Summit 2026?

Big enough that operators plan their year around it. According to SBC, the event pulls a global audience from more than 150 countries, and the organiser’s projected numbers give a sense of the scale:

• 40,000+ delegates
• 11,000+ operators
• 6,000+ affiliates
• 800+ exhibitors and sponsors
• 600+ speakers

These are SBC’s own projections rather than independently verified counts. But they frame the size of the room operators are walking into.

Inside the SBC Summit 2026 speaker line-up

The headline draw this year is the speaker mix. SBC has listed basketball icon, investor and philanthropist Michael Jordan among its headline speakers, on the Super Stage at the MEO Arena on Tuesday 29 September from 12:00 to 13:00 BST. In the same slot he is joined by Sportradar CEO and founder Carsten Koerl and DraftKings CEO and co-founder Jason Robins. UFC lightweight fighter and Aviator brand ambassador Charles Oliveira takes the same midday slot the next day, Wednesday 30 September.

Behind the headliners, SBC has previewed a deep bench of operator, supplier and lottery leadership, including names from:

• Operators: Betsson Group, Kaizen Gaming, Evoke plc, Flutter International, Flutter CEE, DraftKings, Kingmakers, Boylesports, Novibet, PlayOJO, Sportium, SunBet, Apuesta Total, Elephant Bet and Momentum
• Suppliers and tech: Spribe, Softconstruct, Super Technologies and GLI
• Lotteries and state operators: Allwyn, Allwyn Digital, Norsk Tipping, Danske Licens Spil, Loteria Română and La Tinka

Why regulators are all over the 2026 agenda

The regulatory weight of this line-up stands out. SBC has listed the UK Gambling Commission and the IAGR, alongside a strong African contingent: Kenya’s Gaming Regulatory Authority, the National Gambling Board of South Africa, the Gambling Authority of Botswana and the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority. Portugal’s Instituto do Turismo de Portugal rounds out the regulatory presence, with compliance leadership from operators such as Colombia’s Wplay also on the bill.

That is backed by SBC’s strategic partners, listed as GamingMalta, IMGL, IAGR, European Lotteries, the GBGA, Women in Gaming Africa, IBIA, the EGBA and the Canadian Gaming Association. For a B2B crowd, the message is clear. Regulated-market strategy sits at the centre of the agenda, not the edge.

Who is sponsoring SBC Summit 2026?

The commercial line-up is stacked across several tiers, and SBC’s sponsor roster runs deep. Among the headline sponsors, BetConstruct AI leads at platinum, with SmartSoft and Gigadat at gold, Fast Track, Algosport and Konami at silver, and Paysafe and Galaxy Gaming at bronze.

The premium tier features names including EGT Digital, Amusnet, Smartico, CallsU, 3 Oaks Gaming, Vegangster, 1xBet, Betby, St8 and Kambi. The wider sponsor list is broader still, with brands such as ICS-Digital, Alea, Hub88, Stats Perform, Logifuture, Stake, Sportradar, Optimove, Neosurf, Betano, CQ9 Gaming, RubyPlay, Wazdan and many more spanning platform suppliers, payment providers and game studios. A long roll call. And the spread alone shows how much of the sector’s supply chain treats the show as a fixture.

What’s happening across the SBC Summit show floor

The programme is split into focused zones rather than one undifferentiated hall. SBC’s show floor takes in a dedicated Casino & iGaming area and a Sports Betting & iGaming area, alongside a Payment Expert Summit, a Player Protection zone, VIP Business Lounges, a Start-up Hub, Festival Square and a Food Festival. Two co-located events sit within the wider summit as well: the African Gaming Forum and the Global Prediction Markets Forum, both running under the same roof.

On the education side, SBC has built out a set of academies covering AI, Digital Marketing & CRM, Web3 and Player Experience, backed by hands-on masterclasses in sportsbook trading, responsible gaming marketing and electronic gaming. It is a structure aimed at every type of attendee, from those chasing deals on the floor to those there to upskill.

What the star power really tells operators

Here is the part operators care about. Putting a name of Jordan’s stature next to sector CEOs is a deliberate move. The flagship show is chasing mainstream attention and crossover coverage, not just industry footfall, and that lift tends to reach everyone exhibiting under the same roof. Read alongside the heavy regulator turnout, the 2026 edition is trying to be two things at once. A serious compliance and strategy forum. And a show with enough star power to break into wider headlines.

Why Lisbon, again?

Lisbon’s return is more than a venue pick. Splitting the show between the Feira Internacional de Lisboa and the MEO Arena gives SBC room for a large expo floor and a multi-stage conference under one banner. The city also brings its own pull. SBC points to coverage from industry media plus traditional print, TV and radio, framing Lisbon as a place where exhibitors can chase headlines outside the trade press. The presence of Portugal’s tourism institute on the speaker list ties the event tightly to its host market.

What to expect from SBC Summit 2026

Registration is open. SBC says qualifying operators, affiliates and regulators can apply for complimentary passes, reviewed within three to five working days. Everyone else picks from five paid tiers, running from a free Expo Only Pass up to a full VIP experience. Attendees can plan their week through the SBC Connect app on the App Store, Google Play and web, with social events bookending the show at the Pavilhão Carlos Lopes on 29 September and the MEO Arena on 1 October. With Lisbon locked in again, SBC’s scale and its reach for mainstream names suggest the sector’s flagship gathering has no plans to stop widening its audience.

Source: SBC Events