Inaugural SPiCE Sri Lanka kicks off next week as country moves to establish its own gaming industry

The inaugural edition of gaming industry event SPiCE Sri Lanka 2023 is nearing its launch, set to kick off in Colombo next week. Coming at a key point in time in which the country is on the verge of establishing its gaming industry, through the adoption of a
Gambling Regulatory Authority, the event has revealed a stacked lineup of speakers.

According to the organizers, with influential C-level representatives, government officials, and legal experts in attendance, the event will serve as a hub for gaming innovation and networking, "setting the stage for industry development for years to come."

Topics that will be discussed during the three-day event include Sri Lanka's Gambling Regulatory Authority; responsible gaming from a legal perspective; growth potential for new entrants in the market; esports partnerships in Sri Lanka and South Asia; capitalizing on the international sporting scene and live sports betting popularity; among other pressing matters.

Speakers on the agenda include: 

• Anutosh Chatterjee, CEO, Revenue Street

• Asmita Gupta, Chief Commercial Officer, Spectatr

• Deepanshul Rana, Gaming Consultant

• Dmitry Belianin, Chief Commercial Officer, PM International

• Erin Varghese, iGaming Consultant

• Gaurav Subhash Sawant, Founder, HypeSquad & The Nestling Network

• Gnana Shekar, CMO, Skyesports

• Gursimran Brar, Director - Sales (South Asia), Sportradar

• Jaydeep Chakravartty, iGaming Consultant

• Joe Pisano, Founder and CEO, Jade Entertainment & Gaming Technologies Inc.

• Johanne Bertinus, Product Owner, LOCL Technologies

• Krishna Shukla, Head of Partnership, STAN

• Manmohan Kohli, Manager - Govt Relations & Business Development, GLI India

• Mahesh Madan Bhat, Founder, MMB Legal

• Nauman Mulla, Co-Founder & COO, STAN

• Nishant Sheokand, Associate Professor and Assistant Dean, Vinayaka Mission's Law School

• Navneeth Srinivas, Founder, Metamine Gaming

• Parimalam Suppiah, Consultant Gaming, Pari Consultant Pte Ltd

• Pranati Pandit, Advocate, MMB Legal

• Rakesh Eligapalli, Co-Founder and CEO, Primecraft Games

• Samer Vikramaditya Talwar, Managing Partner, TKC Partners LLP

• Satya Mahapatra - iGaming Consultant - ROI Internet Marketing

• Shiva Nandy, Founder and CEO, Skyesports

• Shweta Dubey, CEO, Aadhya Digital Marketing and Chat Support Agency

• Sid Gupta, Co-founder and CMO, SilverAce Media

• Sumon Chandra, Chief Growth Officer, Loco

The event comes as Sri Lanka moves toward establishing its legal gaming industry through the adoption of a Gambling Regulatory Authority. The Cabinet of Ministers of Sri Lanka recently initiated the process of introducing a bill to officially recognize and regulate gaming in the country, responding to the industry's substantial growth in recent years. 

Currently, Sri Lankan customers freely play online casino games on international platforms. However, local operators are hindered from entering the market, giving foreign companies an advantage.

Establishing a Regulatory Authority seeks to formalize the gaming industry, providing business opportunities for Sri Lankan companies and localized games suited to player preferences, point out event organizers.