iGaming NEXT Valletta is returning for its fourth edition in Malta, running from June 21st to 22nd, with a packed agenda focusing on “marketing, technology, HR, investment and future trends”.
Speaking to AGB, iGaming NEXT’s Head of Commercial, Rory Credland, laid out some of the key attractions at this year’s expo.
“This year, we have expanded Valletta to encapsulate more of the iGaming sector. We have worked hard at securing more operators than in previous years,” notes Credland, pointing in particular to its partnership with iGaming affiliate and operator directory AffPappa which is also hosting their awards and iGaming Club in the city.
Taking place in the Mediterranean Conference Center (MCC), the event will host a wide variety of talks, focusing on “future predictions, CEO insights, aggregation, live casino operator vs illegal markets, investment headwinds, ChatGPT and interation vs innovation,” notes the executive.
One particular area of interest will be Latin America, “which has vast potential to become one of the focuses in 2024 for sure,” states Credland.
However, other regions are not to be ignored, as “each geographic area presents itself with its own opportunity,” he notes.
AI in focus at this year’s event
A hot topic sweeping the entire industry, and impossible to ignore at this year’s event, is artificial intelligence and its impact on both sides of the coin.
“We have seen a lot of this discussion interwoven within all our content across the two days,” notes Credland. “I think for both players and operators it [artificial intelligence] will be a challenge, and for some this will mean bad news, but for others I think it will be an opportunity and become a competitive advantage.”
Just exactly how this will play out depends on each organization’s approach.
“I see that AI will play a big part of the outline of companies strategies in 2024 and beyond,” notes Credland – pointing to physical products such as Apple’s new VR headset, indicating “something is cooking in a lot of these corporations.”
But how exactly AI-based offerings are marketed will have a massive impact and who gets that first-mover advantage: “key is how it will take off for the consumer in the mainstream and the one who can match that will have a significant competitive market when things take off.”While the expo side of the event takes place on June 21st and 22nd, the group has planned an entire iGaming Festival Week, including Golf and Padel Tournaments, a Running Club and culminating with the 10 year anniversary party of Showers on Saturday.
