Lottery Leaders to Address COVID-19 Crisis at SBC Digital Summit

High-profile figures from major European lotteries and US state lotteries are set to participate in the SBC Digital Summit to share their experiences of adapting to the new market conditions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event’s Lottery track, delivered in partnership with GLMS, takes place on 29 April, the third day of the largest ever online conference and exhibition for the betting and gaming industry.

It opens with ‘How lotteries are adapting to the outbreak’, featuring Sami Kauhanen (VP, Betting, Veikkaus) and Arno de Jong (CMO, Nederlandse Loterij), with Harmen Brenninkmeijer (CEO, Quanta) moderating. The panel will examine how the lockdown conditions have altered the role lotteries play in society and whether the change is likely to have a lasting impact.

Kauhanen said: “I am proud to participate in the SBC Digital Summit, which shows the strength that we have as an industry during these difficult times. I’m looking forward to the panel and to sharing what steps Veikkaus has taken and why we took them, especially on betting and also as a lottery.”

The day’s second session is ‘COVID-19: implications for sporting integrity’, which looks at how to control the risks associated with offering markets on the lower level competitions that many sportsbooks have turned to following the cancellation of major events. The panel of integrity experts offering advice includes Gilles Maillet (Director of Sport Integrity, La Française des Jeux) and Rupert Bolingbroke (Head of Trading, Hong Kong Jockey Club).

It will be followed by ‘Lottery in society - post-corona positioning’, which will see a panel including Marko Stokuca (Deputy Director of the Gaming and Game Development Division, Hrvatska Lutrija) address how lotteries plan to serve players who have had their retail behaviour transformed during the disruption and whether there may need to be more cooperation between lottery operators to boost liquidity.

The ‘Being mobile - how lottery can still reach its players’ session will evaluate how effective mobile can be as a channel for driving sales at a time when retail outlets are largely shut. The panel, which includes Peter-Paul de Goeij (Managing Director, Stichting Speel Verantwoord) and Fabian Garcia (Sport Betting Manager, LaBanca Uruguay), will also assess what a safe mobile communication strategy should look like.

Timed to take place during the business day in North America, the concluding session of the track is ‘State of play - US lotteries during the coronavirus’, which will take an in-depth look at how the disruption to society has impacted on state lotteries and the funds they generate for local communities. Barry Pack (CEO, Oregon State Lottery) and Gordon Medenica (CEO, Maryland Lottery) are among those who will reveal the extent to which the pandemic hit their operations, how they have dealt with the disruption and what the future holds for cross-state cooperation in the US as they look to bounce back.

The day will also feature ‘Strategic navigation in extraordinary times’, an exclusive presentation by Vanessa Borg (Director of Strategy, KPMG Malta) outlining key initiatives to address the evolving landscape and how they could impact an organisation’s business model.

The SBC Digital Summit runs from 27 April to 1 May 2020 and features six other conference tracks focused on Leadership in Betting, Leadership in Gaming, the Latin American market, payments, the US market, and digital marketing.

The thousands of delegates logging in from around the world can also take in a virtual exhibition featuring the latest offerings from the betting and gaming industry’s most innovative suppliers, attend the numerous product demos and special webinars at the exhibition booths, and make valuable new contacts in the virtual networking lounges.

Find full details of the SBC Digital Summit, including information about how to register and discounts available on company group passes at the event’s official website: GO HERE

To enquire about the last remaining sponsorship or exhibition opportunities at the event, please contact sales@sbcgaming.com.