Rasmus Sojmark could be said to cut something of an imposing figure. A fairly big dude, bearded with long tied-back hair, there is certainly an air of ‘Viking’ about him.
This is underpinned by a penchant for dominating across Europe and the world in the manner of others from his homeland who bore the ‘Great Dane’ moniker; the likes of Morten Andersen (NFL), Tom Kristensen (motorsport) and Peter Schmeichel. That Ras served time as a Sergeant in the Danish army comes as no surprise.
But this Dane is brains not brawn. An International Marketing graduate (BA & MSc) from the University of Southern Denmark with a lifelong passion for sports and sports betting, Sojmark built his reputation at BetBrain, OddsMatrix and EveryMatrix before founding SBC in 2009.
His ambition was simple: to create a platform where the betting and gaming industries could share knowledge, build relationships and do business.
What began as informal networking gatherings evolved into SBC’s first conference in 2014. Since then, the business has grown into one of the industry’s leading global event organisers, with major summits spanning Europe, the Americas, Latin America, Africa and beyond, supported by a substantial international media operation.
Unlike many exhibition-led events that later introduced conference programmes, SBC’s foundations were built on content and discussion first, later adding exhibition elements, enabling them to remain faithful to the core initial values established in smoky London bars 17 years ago.
As momentum builds towards SBC Summit 2026 in Lisbon, we spoke to Sojmark about the evolution of this year’s conference agenda and how it reflects the industry’s changing priorities.
Six dedicated conference stages
“The structure is entirely audience-driven,” he explains. “We want delegates to find the conversations most relevant to them as easily as possible. Whether their interests lie in global markets, technology, payments, affiliates or regulation, every area of the industry has its own dedicated stage.”
Each stage follows a thematic structure across the three days. The Global & Emerging Markets Stage, for example, focuses on Africa on one day, Western Europe on another and Latin America on the third, enabling delegates to plan their schedules around regions most relevant to their business.
“The agenda is shaped by three factors,” he says. “First, years of observing our events. We analyse feedback, monitor attendance, speak to delegates and exhibitors, and identify the themes that genuinely matter.
“Second, we look carefully at who is attending. What businesses do they represent? What are their roles? Which markets are they targeting and what challenges are they trying to solve? The programme must reflect the people in the room rather than what we think they should hear.
“Finally, we balance today’s priorities with tomorrow’s opportunities. Topics such as prediction markets, Google Search changes and regulatory developments deserve attention now, while emerging themes help delegates prepare for what’s next.”
Tighter budgets, greater pressure
With businesses under increasing pressure to justify event expenditure, Sojmark believes ROI has become more important than ever.
“We recognise that every marketing pound or dollar is scrutinised, which is why we’ve created different ways to experience SBC Summit. ROI means different things to different people, so our ticketing reflects different business objectives.”
Operators and affiliates continue to benefit from complimentary passes, including free access to the Affiliate Leaders’ Summit, while flexible ticket options help accommodate varying budgets. However, Sojmark acknowledges that the investment extends well beyond the cost of admission.
“People are travelling, booking hotels and committing valuable time. Our responsibility is to ensure that investment delivers meaningful business value.”
He sees this value being delivered through five core pillars: “The first is the exhibition. With more than 800 exhibitors and sponsors, delegates gain access to one of the industry’s largest collections of products, technology and service providers.
“The second is the conference programme. Across six stages, attendees hear from leading executives, innovators and internationally recognised speakers. The return here is knowledge – ideas and insights that influence business decisions long after the event ends.
“The third pillar is education. Our Masterclasses and Tech Academies focus on practical skills, from sportsbook trading and AI to gamification, marketing and Web3, giving delegates knowledge they can immediately apply.”
“The fourth pillar is networking, an area where we’ve invested heavily this year. We know the best business relationships don’t always happen by chance, so we’ve introduced more structured opportunities to connect.”
Among the new initiatives are more than 20 Regulatory Gaming Meetups, bringing together regulators, legal specialists and businesses focused on specific jurisdictions. Speed Networking, successfully launched at SBC Americas, also returns, while Show Floor Tours help buyers identify relevant exhibitors more efficiently. Throughout the event, the SBC Connect app enables delegates to arrange meetings before, during and after the Summit.
“Our aim is simple: to help attendees leave Lisbon with meaningful new relationships.”
The fifth pillar focuses on hospitality and the environment in which business gets done.
“Whether it’s airport badge collection, the Food Festival, networking lounges across the venue or finishing the week together at INFINITY Lisbon with Tiësto, these shared experiences create natural opportunities for conversations that can become valuable business relationships.”
Rasmus Sojmark believes success is ultimately measured by what delegates take home: “If attendees leave having learned something valuable, met the right people, found new partners and gained ideas that improve their business, we’ve achieved our objective.”
Navigating a fragmented regulatory landscape
Regulation continues to shape virtually every aspect of the global gaming industry, making compliance one of the most pressing concerns for operators and suppliers alike. For Sojmark, this reality is reflected throughout this year’s SBC Summit and Affiliate Leaders’ Summit.
“Regulation is front of mind for almost every gaming business today, which is why it features so prominently across the programme. One initiative I am particularly excited about is our new Regulatory Gaming Meetups.”
More than 20 market-specific sessions will cover jurisdictions including Italy, the Balkans, UAE, Africa, Latin America and Brazil, giving delegates the opportunity to engage directly with those shaping local regulatory frameworks.
“What makes these sessions especially valuable is that many are hosted by regulators or senior officials with first-hand knowledge of their markets.”
Examples include Charles Mizzi, CEO of the Malta Gaming Authority, leading the Malta Regulatory Gaming Breakfast, while Alexander Popov, Director of Supervision of Gambling Activities at Bulgaria’s National Revenue Agency, will host the Central and Eastern Europe Regulatory Gaming Meetup.
“There are few better ways to understand a market than hearing directly from the people responsible for regulating it, while also exchanging experiences with businesses already operating there.”
The programme has been developed in partnership with the International Association of Gaming Regulators and the International Masters of Gaming Law, reinforcing SBC’s commitment to meaningful regulatory dialogue.
Alongside these networking opportunities, the dedicated Regulation & Compliance Stage features an extensive Global Regulations track covering markets including Romania, Poland, Finland, Canada and many others.
“Every jurisdiction presents different challenges and opportunities, so our objective is to provide practical insights that delegates can apply wherever they operate.”
For Sojmark, however, the conversation extends beyond understanding legislation: “We are not simply explaining regulations. The discussion is about how businesses can continue to grow within them. Compliance and commercial success shouldn’t be viewed as competing priorities. The strongest businesses are those that build sustainable growth while adapting to an evolving regulatory environment.”
The exhibition reinforces this message, with exhibitors showcasing solutions spanning identity verification, KYC, AML, fraud prevention, payments and player protection.
“Delegates aren’t just discussing regulatory challenges; they’re discovering technologies that can help solve them.”
Prominence of payments
Payments have evolved far beyond a back-office function to become a strategic differentiator for gaming businesses, making their prominent place within this year’s conference programme a natural progression for SBC.
“If deposits fail, withdrawals are slow or onboarding creates unnecessary friction, players notice,” says Sojmark. “This is why payments have become one of the most important conversations in gaming.”
This thinking underpins SBC’s year-round commitment to the sector through its Payment Expert brand.
“We’ve built an entire ecosystem around Payment Expert because payments now sit at the heart of customer experience, regulation and operational efficiency.”
Beyond the conference stage, the dedicated Payment Expert Summit Zone brings together payment providers, fintech companies, AML and compliance specialists, KYC providers, fraud prevention platforms and blockchain innovators.
Dedicated networking also plays a central role, including the Fintech VIP Dinner, where operators and suppliers can exchange ideas in a more informal setting.
“The conference itself is structured around three specialist tracks. Fintech examines the technologies transforming payments, AML & Compliance focuses on navigating an increasingly complex regulatory landscape, while Crypto & Blockchain explores one of financial technology’s fastest-moving sectors.”
Supporting the event is Payment Expert’s year-round media platform, providing news, analysis and thought leadership that helps shape the conference programme.
“Payments touch almost every major trend affecting gaming today. If you want to understand where the industry is heading, you have to understand where payments are heading too.”
Making connections more valuable
Networking has always been central to SBC events, but this year’s focus is on making every connection more purposeful.
“We continually ask ourselves how we can make it easier for the right people to find one another,” says Sojmark.
Alongside structured networking initiatives, delegates can continue conversations throughout the week at the Food Festival, Festival Square, Piano Bar, Cocktail Bar, Wine Bar and Shisha Lounge after the exhibition closes each day.
Evening events, including the Closing Party, INFINITY Lisbon featuring Tiësto, complement VIP Dinners, Awards Ceremonies, Business Lounges and numerous informal meeting opportunities.
“Our objective is simple: to help people leave Lisbon having met the individuals who can genuinely move their business forward.”
Growing while maintaining focus
As SBC continues to expand globally, Sojmark rejects any suggestion that growth inevitably comes at the expense of a personal experience.
“People often assume bigger means less personal, but that’s only true if growth isn’t managed properly.”
For him, the challenge is not the size of the audience, but ensuring delegates can easily identify the conversations, contacts and opportunities most relevant to them.
“Growth has never been the objective, it’s been the by-product of continually improving the experience. If people find value, they return, recommend the event to colleagues and the community grows naturally.”
A larger event brings more operators, suppliers, affiliates, regulators, investors and technology providers together. The key, he says, is making these opportunities easy to discover rather than overwhelming.
“This is why we’ve invested so heavily in audience segmentation this year. We constantly ask ourselves one question: how do we help delegates spend less time searching and more time having valuable conversations?”
Ultimately, success is measured not by attendance figures, but by the business outcomes the event creates.
The final word
Asked for the single piece of advice he would give delegates to maximise the commercial value of attending SBC Summit, Sojmark answers without hesitation.
“Prepare before you arrive.”
“It sounds obvious, but it’s the difference between someone leaving saying, ‘That was interesting,’ and someone saying, ‘That trip paid for itself.'”
He encourages delegates to use the SBC Connect app before travelling to identify the people they want to meet, schedule appointments, review the conference agenda and register for relevant networking events: “If there are exhibitors you want to speak to, arrange meetings in advance rather than hoping to catch them on the stand.”
Equally important, however, is leaving room for spontaneity.
“Some of the best conversations happen unexpectedly. Accept the invitation for a coffee. Spend an extra half hour talking to someone you didn’t plan to meet.”
He also encourages delegates to venture beyond their own areas of expertise.: “If you’re an operator, spend time on the Technology Stage. If you work in payments, attend a session on marketing or regulation. The industry is becoming increasingly interconnected, and some of the best ideas come from conversations outside your own discipline.”
His closing message encapsulates SBC’s philosophy: “The more intentional you are before arriving, the more valuable your time in Lisbon will be.
“The opportunities are here. Our job is to create them; your job is to make the most of them.”
