SiGMA Balkans & CIS Summit opens its doors in first-ever Belgrade event to discuss new industry developments

SiGMA Balkans & CIS Summit in Belgrade, Serbia opened its doors on Tuesday, August 23. The conference, set to run until August 25, provides new perspectives on gaming industry tactics and procedures. The first day of the event, held yesterday, saw delegates gather and take part in a variety of conferences, networking events, as well as visiting the exhibition floor.

💫 SiGMA Balkans & CIS Summit 💫
Check out some snapshots of the pre-registration for SiGMA, AIBC and AGS Summit yesterday. Great time and a full house! It's only just day 1 of this SUPER Conference#SiGMA #AGS #Balkans #CIS #Casino #iGaming #SportsBetting #Betting #Gambling pic.twitter.com/qrVlxAxi8u

— SiGMA - World's Gaming Festival (@iGamingSummit) August 23, 2022

Prior to the first day of the event, the SiGMA Awards Night took place on Monday. The evening generated the sum of about €19,000 ($18,851) for charity in an auction held by Rick Goddard. Kelly Kellner, a poker champion, and SiGMA’s Marie Reyal hosted the gala awards ceremony, where notable figures from the gaming, tech, and affiliation industries were honored for their services to the industry.

SiGMA Balkans Awards raises €19,000 for charity! 🌟💸https://t.co/JS41sPx0yo

— SiGMA - World's Gaming Festival (@iGamingSummit) August 23, 2022

Speakers discussed many topics that are of relevance to the gaming world on Tuesday and the panels were divided into two different categories. The first cohort focused on the importance of regulation, compliance, and AML, where speakers dived deep into a broad discussion on the Balkans as the next iGaming hotspot.

The Balkans have seen a hotbed of activity when it comes to iGaming regulation in recent years. During this discussion, panelists gave a regulation overview of the Balkans region as well as put forward what advancements should be in the pipeline in order to make the Balkans a new gaming hub.

Jan Kretschmer, Senior Manager Public Policy - LOTTO24 AG was present at the SiGMA Balkans/CIS Summit!#SiGMA #AGS #Balkans #Belgrade #Serbia #Casino #iGaming #SportsBetting #DigitalMarketing #AffiliateMarketing pic.twitter.com/p1Wa0YglMo

— SiGMA - World's Gaming Festival (@iGamingSummit) August 23, 2022

Senior Manager Public Policy at LOTTO24 AG Jan Kretschmer brought up the point that operators should be making more of an effort when it comes to shortcomings in AML and social responsibility and expressed that "operators should be the ones to approach customers when it comes to responsible gaming."

Renel Dobre, Central Eastern Europe Country Manager - OKTO was present at the SiGMA Balkans/CIS Summit!#SiGMA #AGS #Balkans #Belgrade #Serbia #Casino #iGaming #SportsBetting #DigitalMarketing #AffiliateMarketing pic.twitter.com/ul98VpeJPp

— SiGMA - World's Gaming Festival (@iGamingSummit) August 23, 2022

On the same topic of discussion, Renel Dobre, Country Manager of Central Eastern Europe at OKTO, stated that "people do not indulge in self-exclusion themselves, they need help to do it right."

The event also sought to provide starters with a launchpad and the opportunity to gain attention during the Startup Pitch. 9tales was the chosen winner, a Trading Card Game that introduces a shift in the in-game economy. This startup uses NFT technology to allow true assets ownership and "to unlock a new era for competitive gaming."

9Tales crowned SiGMA Balkans first ever Startup Pitch winner https://t.co/42BzwDGIEi

— SiGMA - World's Gaming Festival (@iGamingSummit) August 24, 2022

Othmane Safsafi, CEO of 9tales, said: "Our use of NFT and Blockchain tech was not just based on buzzwords but on a realistic way of using them to improve the gamer experience. In the next year, the big thing will be the launch of the game. So we are going to push it to as many gamers as possible, whilst trying to retain them. This will be our biggest challenge but also our biggest accomplishment."

Between conference discussions, 9 bouts with 18 fighters took the stage for the weigh-ins in preparation for the much-awaited event's Centurion MMA fight. Top competitors included Vlastislav “El Chapo” Cepo, "a name known to all Balkan MMA fans;" Jovan Marjanovic, a local MMA hero defending his 6-2 record; and Nikolay Grozdey, an up-and-coming fighter "who is sure to soon be in the top 10 in Europe." Taking place this week at KSC Pinki Zemun, the LEO Rudit tournament promises to bring "the best of MMA to Belgrade."

🎪 The first SiGMA Summit held in the Balkan region provided encouraging new perspectives on gaming industry tactics and procedures. 👉 https://t.co/65kXnTRg0e#SiGMA #Belgrade #2022 #Gaming #Sportsbook #EventCompany

— SiGMA - World's Gaming Festival (@iGamingSummit) August 24, 2022

With SEO emerging as an integral part of digital marketing, the MMA weigh-in was later followed by the second part of the conference where the agenda focused on SEO and Digital Marketing. This set of panels provided delegates with a window into what’s in store for the SEO and Marketing worlds alike.