Drawing delegates from all over Europe and as far away as the US, the eSummit featured 48 speakers in total covering a wide range of topics from social responsibility and artificial intelligence to market insights and employee engagement.
Attendees also heard about developments in Germany, Netherlands and Spain – key markets for Malta-based online gaming operators – and enjoyed a fascinating look into the future with advisor Reinhold Karner and his “seven game-changing disruptive forces” that are forecast to impact all businesses in the next decade. Jeremy Harding Roberts focused on how current sector approaches taken to tackle crime in gambling and further problem gambling are flawed, together with a way the sector can properly address these issues. Richard Schuetz and Tom DiEnno’s insight on the U.S. markets, specifically surrounding the repeal of PASPA and online expansion where they discussed the vast opportunity and further globalization of the gaming markets, and provided insights on the various aspects on regulation and market entry points to consider
Aside from the main conference timetable, there were also a number of breakout sessions with the eSummit’s five legal partners – Wiggin, Asseni, Hambach & Hambach, Tonucci and Klaff, Katz and Franssen – focusing on key regulatory issues.
The Hon. Silvio Schembri, Junior Minister of the Government of Malta, and Heathcliff Farrugia, CEO of the Malta Gaming Authority, both gave welcoming addresses.
Speaking after the event, KPMG Malta Associate Director Russell Mifsud said it had been an excellent day full of challenge and shared experience that would help business operators plan for success.
“The gaming sphere is becoming increasingly more complex and the need to anticipate the emerging trends and obligations of the industry have grown tremendously over recent years. Events such as the eSummit keep us all on our toes as one’s brand and reputation is often what determines the winners from the losers,” he said.
This year the eSummit, the third to be held in Malta and the 20th to be held in the KPMG series across Malta, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man, was held as a standalone event ahead of SiGMA.
“With such a fantastic line-up of keynote speakers and such in-depth knowledge to hand, the eSummit demanded its own day and we were delighted to make it a highlight of Malta Gaming Week, helping ensure that any Malta was the place to be for any leader in the online gaming industry,” said Mr Mifsud.
“I would like to thank all our speakers and eSummit partners for their involvement and also our four main sponsors – Continent 8 Technologies, Microgaming, GiG and Gaming Malta– for their support at the eSummit. Finally a big thank you goes out to Microgaming, GiG, L&L Europe & SiGMA for assisting us to raise €9000 for ALS Malta, a charity improving the lives of those with motor neurone disease and other neurological conditions.”
The next KPMG eSummit takes place in Gibraltar on 9th May 2019.
