This week we are excited to cover the annual SiGMA Europe event, often known as “the world’s gaming festival”. Taking place in Malta from 15th-19th November, and hosted by SiGMA Group, SiGMA Europe will feature a range of in-person panels, sessions and award ceremonies.
SiGMA Europe has been a physical event taking place every year since 2014. Whilst the Covid-19 pandemic forced the event to be online-only, this was only a one-off, with the week of in-person events returning for this year.
SiGMA likes to speak of itself as “the biggest in-person event in the gaming industry.” And, given the scale of this event, it’s hard to argue with them, with thousands of gaming and tech-savvy executives in attendance at SiGMA Europe, alongside operators, suppliers, affiliates, regulators, tech companies, and other industry stakeholders.
This year also features a bit of a twist on the usual format – this year SiGMA Group is bringing four different shows together in Malta – and this includes the Gaming Conference, the Affiliate Grand Slam, the Al, and Blockchain Summit, and Med-Tech world.
When it comes to the gaming-focused SiGMA Europe event, the agenda features a range of panel discussions and talks hosted by experts in the gaming industry, such as Betsson Group Affiliates, iGaming Colombia, FBMDS, GG Poker, Play’n Go, soft2bet, platform, and Utraplay.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into the key highlights and company announcements from the first day of SiGMA Europe.
Tuesday’s Highlight: Europe Gaming Awards
This awards ceremony was one of the key events happening on Day One of SiGMA Europe. In attendance at the evening gala were some of the most notable brands in the gaming sector, including William Hill, Bet365, Pinnacle, LeoVegas and PokerStars.
Esports Technologies was one of a selection of companies recognised for its groundbreaking achievements in 2021, winning the 2021 Esport Product of the Year at SiGMA Europe’s prestigious Europe Gaming Awards.
2021 highlights for Esports Technologies included a patent-pending real-time odds modelling and simulation system that instantly generates odds and betting markets for esports betting use, and a patent-pending live streaming wagering technology, which allows sports and esports fans to wager in real-time across streaming platforms.
Joining Esports Technologies as finalists in the Esport Product of the Year category were Betfair, GGBet, and other top brands.
Aaron Speach, CEO, Esports Technologies, said, “We are so honoured to accept the award for Esport Product of the Year. This is a testament to the relentless efforts of our entire team. On behalf of everyone at Esports Technologies, I want to thank the organisers of SiGMA Europe and the Europe Gaming Awards. It’s been an unbelievable year, and we are just getting started.”
Another company receiving some serious praise at the SiGMA awards was gaming and sports betting platform provider BetConstruct, who received the title of the “Platform of the Year”.
Taking the chance, the software provider let its Winning Formula campaign truly shine during the event; the inviting stand welcomed every visitor offering the most personalised approach in igaming.
Sportsbook, Data Feed Solutions, Slots, Casino games, Live Casino, Skill Games and every imaginable sports betting and gaming services – BetConstruct provides it all for an operator of any size and scale to mix and match and achieve the ultimate success in this industry.
All this assortment sits on Spring Platform, an all-rounder backbone of BetConstruct that caters to all of its 300+ partners.
Major Company Announcements at SiGMA Europe
MiFinity, the secure iGaming eWallet, today announced record 2021 growth figures and plans for 2022 at SiGMA Europe 2021 (stand B24). In the last 12 months, the company has grown transactions by 1,300%, gone live with more than 200 iGaming operators, developed several new services and launched into multiple new regions.
MiFinity’s new eVoucher product, launched earlier this year, has been key to this international success. It is a secure e-money product powered by Funanga, that can take the form of a barcode, alpha-numerical code, QR code or customised token – enabling instant online deposits in multiple currencies and denominations across Europe, APAC, Africa and the Americas. Shortly, MiFinity’s unique iFrame eVoucher redemption process will even enable customers to top up merchant accounts without opening the MiFnity app or leaving the checkout page – offering the ultimate user experience and a great way for operators to improve transaction rates. Indeed, MiFinity now has among the best acceptance rates among all iGaming wallets.
MiFinity plans to integrate numerous high profile iGaming operators in 2022 and is currently projected to exceed its 2021 1,300% transaction growth. During the next 12 months, it will be taking a greater share of the iGaming market and will continue to expand its service offering to further improve the user experience and acceptance rates. It will shortly expand its eVoucher currency options from 11 to 16. Its eVoucher has already gone live in 170+ countries, and has over 40 integrated payment methods. Furthermore, its ‘PayAnyBank’ service, a dedicated payment gateway, should be available in 78 countries including China, by the end of this year.
“Prior to 2021 we might have flown slightly under the radar, but we are a serious threat to the incumbent iGaming payments market,” said MiFinity CEO Paul Kavanagh. “We have grown significantly by every conceivable metric this year – in terms of users, transactions, operators, services and geographic reach. MiFinity now has the biggest geographic reach of any iGaming wallet, and we are poised to take a greater market share. We believe that the future for MiFinity is incredibly bright and that we are aptly named. There are no limits on the possibilities for this company.
There was also an announcement from leading gaming operator ComeOn Group, who shared the news that they had added three new C-Level hires to its Executive Team. The group has appointed Cristiano Blanco as Chief Product Officer, Mikael Ångman as Chief Information Officer, and Efi Peleg as Chief Marketing Officer. ComeOn, with more than 500 employees across multiple offices in Europe, is following a growth strategy implemented during 2021 that is set to accelerate in 2022 and beyond. The new hires are a strategic move to further strengthen the Executive leadership team at ComeOn Group as a part of their growth strategy.
Juergen Reutter, Chief Executive Officer at ComeOn Group said “We are excited to have Mikael, Cristiano and Efi joining ComeOn’s diverse and experienced Executive Team. Product, Technology and Marketing are a key part in our growth acceleration moving forward and we are thrilled to have their leadership within ComeOn to drive the business to new heights.
“Our leadership team is now complete with both new and existing Executive team members, adding on to that we have our Hybrid Office approach that is pioneering and will set us apart making sure to keep and attract talent in our industry. ComeOn has a history of innovating in this exciting industry for more than 12 years and we have a solid growth strategy in place, in which Product, Tech, and Marketing play a key role. The recent launch of WeSpin is one of many examples where our organisation keeps innovating with Product, Tech and Marketing coming together and driving our differentiating edge.”
An Action-Packed Week Ahead
SiGMA Europe got off to a cracking start this year, largely thanks to the success of the Europe Gaming Awards. The rest of the week at this event is also set to feature a variety of panel discussions, insightful talks, company announcements, and high-profile awards ceremonies.
In terms of topics to look out for tomorrow and Thursday, SiGMA will approach everything from the current state of the e-sports/virtual market, to crypto-powered gaming and renewable energy tech.
