The 2026 edition of SBC Summit Americas is underway!
Below, we’ll bring you the biggest stories live from the floor at Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, including plenty of updates from a packed conference agenda that dives into a range of topics hitting the headlines in North American and Latin American gaming.
The SBC team on site today includes:
- SBC Americas Editor Adam Candee
- SBC Americas Senior Business Journalist Justin Byers
- SBC Media Director Martyn Elliott
- SBC Media Manager Fernando Noodt
- SBC Media Researcher Ana Maria Menezes
- SBC Noticias Editor Lucia Gando
- SBC Noticias Business Journalist Pedro Occhiuzzi
- Affiliate Leaders Editor Jyoti Rambhai
Keep checking here through the days for the latest insights, the best quotes, and breaking news from SBC Summit Americas 2026.
5:45 p.m. — That’s a wrap for Day 1, so we’ll see you tomorrow!
There we go, then. As the last panels wrap up for day, we’re signing off for the evening.
What a day it’s been! We’ve heard from leading voices including ex-Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy, bet365 Chief Marketing Officer Stephanie de Flora, DraftKings Predictions Senior Vice President and General Manager Jeanine Hightower-Sellitto, Sporttrade CEO Alex Kane, Responsible Online Gaming Association Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Shatley, Responsible Gaming Council CEO Sarah McCarthy, NCAA Managing Director Mark Hicks, and so many more.
We’ll soon be making our way to the SBC Awards Americas at Pier Sixty Six Coral Ballroom, ready to celebrate the excellence, innovation and excitement from across our industry. If you want a refresher on that front, here’s a look at some of the names on the shortlist. To all of those who are nominated for an award, we wish you the best of good luck!
Come back to SBC Americas for more breaking news tomorrow. Let’s do it all over again!
5:10 p.m. — Are tribes becoming too corporate?
With reporting from SBC Americas Editor Adam Candee and Senior Business Journalist Justin Byers
In a fascinating discussion entitled “From Regulation to Representation: Giving Tribes a Voice in the Future of U.S. Gaming“, Tribal Council VP and Advisor Jacob Coin laid out the concerns he has developed over the past 10 to 15 years that tribes could become more like corporations than sovereign nations in how they approach representing their interests.
“Inevitably, your interests change from protecting rights, protecting sovereignty to protecting your market,” Coin reflected.
Coin also assessed how online sports betting and emerging verticals have created competition within federally recognized tribes.
“We have huge operators in Indian facilities and now suddenly their priorities have changed. Instead of focusing on protecting tribal government gaming rights and tribal gaming exclusivity in their respective states, we are now talking about how I offer a better game than my neighboring tribe.”
5:00 p.m. — bet365 CMO chats with SBC Americas
Another featured speaker today was bet365 Chief Marketing Officer Stephanie de Flora, who went one-on-one with SBC Americas Editor Adam Candee in a fireside chat (but without the fire).
It’s been a big year for the British sportsbook, which has continued to spread its tentacles across U.S. gambling, including its dual-vertical entry into Michigan. De Flora divulged how she has helped to build the global giant in North America, shone a spotlight on the brand’s “Winning Is Everything” brand refresh campaign, and plenty more.
She was also candid and clear: bet365 has its eyes on third place in the sports betting market across the continent, behind leaders FanDuel and DraftKings.
4:45 p.m. — Business is busy-ness
If you think it’s been busy on the conference agenda front (and it certainly has, with the last panel sessions just about to start), things have been just as bustling on the exhibition floor all day long!
4:05 p.m. — There’s soccer happening, if you hadn’t heard
With reporting from SBC Americas Editor Adam Candee
Naturally, the impending FIFA World Cup 2026 also came up during Wednesday’s conference sessions, as kickoff in the North America-hosted soccer tournament and betting bonanza approaches.
On Thursday, attendees will be able to watch the opening game, Mexico vs. South Africa, in certain areas of the show floor when it kicks off at 3 p.m. In the meantime, during Wednesday’s “World Cup 2026: Turning the Global Stage into Long-Term Growth” panel, moderator Philip Canavan put panelists on the spot with the hardest possible question to answer: Who will win the World Cup this year?
Here’s who they went for:
- Codere CEO Aviv Sher: Spain
- Xtremepush Chief Revenue Officer Rob Pryce: France
- Kambi VP of Sales for Americas David Bretnitz: United States
- SEM and Ascend Global Director Canavan: Spain
We think Bretnitz may have gotten a little carried away with the Americanism of it all, there. We’ll be tracking their guesses for the next few weeks, of course.
3:20 p.m. — Not all lottery players are created equal
With reporting from SBC Americas Editor Adam Candee
We’ve had prediction markets, sweepstakes, tech and AI, and more (and there’s plenty more to come, to say the least!), and another topic spotlighted on Wednesday focused on what lottery gaming looks like in the modern world.
In “Lotto Couriers Under Review: Where Do States Draw The Line?“, Lotto.com Chief Legal Officer Rob Porter said that when he worked for the Iowa Lottery Authority, their information showed their retail customers averaged as 57 years old and with an annual income between $45,000 and $55,000. In contrast, he said, lottery couriers have more affluent, more tech-savvy customers overall.
“Those are the people that lotteries need to reach if they are going to continue to fulfill their promises, not only today but 10 or 15 years down the line,” Porter said, sitting alongside fellow panelists Jackpot.com Chief of Staff Mike Silveira and Lottofy CEO Fernando Ortega.
2:55 p.m. — The responsible gambling squad assembles
As always at SBC events, responsible gambling and player protection are top of mind down in Florida today, with a dedicated Player Protection Symposium.
First, a “Smarter Engagement, Safer Play: Rethinking Responsible Gaming” session assessed how gaming companies are moving beyond outdated messaging and compliance checklists and increasingly focusing on personalized tools and outreach and behavioral data to make a more lasting, real-time impact as and where players need it. Panelists including Underdog’s VP of Responsible Gambling Adam Warrington and Colorado Division of Gaming Director Christopher Schroder gave their thoughts on what truly impactful engagement looks like in 2026 across every stage of the customer journey.
Then, in an all-star meeting of minds, “Clearer Messages, Safer Players” hosted a chat between:
- Sports Betting Regulators Association EVP Tom Sage
- International Center for Responsible Gaming President Michael Soll
- Responsible Online Gaming Association Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Shatley
- Responsible Gaming Council CEO Sarah McCarthy
- Dabble Head of US Government Affairs Shane Saum
- Louisiana Gaming Control Board Chairman Christopher Hebert
2:15 p.m. — Should operators be allowed to offer both sports bets and sports contracts?
After lunch came one of the most hotly anticipated panels of day one, a dive into all things prediction markets. On the day that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) released its proposed rules for prediction markets regulation, it feels all the more timely and relevant.
Moderated by SBC Americas Editor Adam Candee, the “The Current State of Prediction Markets in the US” panel brought together:
- DraftKings Predictions Senior Vice President and General Manager Jeanine Hightower-Sellitto
- Sporttrade Founder and CEO Alex Kane
- Optimove U.S. Lead Jeff Laniado
- Sidley Austin LLP Partner Ian Mcginley
Panelists discussed numerous topics, such as whether prediction markets’ sports event contracts are competitors with regulated sports wagers or a complementary product, and whether the current regulatory setup fosters or hinders innovation. Of course, the looming shadow over the debate was the ongoing litigation across the U.S. about whether sports event contracts should be allowed at a federal level.
In one interesting tidbit, Kane said that he had appealed to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, asking the prominent state regulator to allow sportsbook operators that offer prediction market products (such as Hightower-Sellitto’s DraftKings) to offer both products, arguing it would expand the player base and ultimately generate more tax revenue for the state.
1:10 p.m. — Allyship to advocacy: How can gaming be more inclusive?
What does it really take to build a gaming industry in which everyone feels welcome, represented, and supported?
A thought-provoking and resonant session assessed how gaming can be inclusive, explored the difference between allyship and advocacy, and examined practical ways that organizations can foster inclusivity, create safer environments, and strengthen opportunities for diverse voices across the gaming ecosystem.
Defy The Odds Co-Founder, Sports Betting Hall of Famer, and all-around industry icon Sue Schneider chatted with Seminole Hard Rock Vice President of People, Equity & Inclusion Brooke Thomas and Lotto.com Director of External Affairs Kweku Sapara-Grant about how gaming companies must look within to answer tough questions about where they stand and what they do.
12:50 p.m. — ‘You aren’t a leader anymore’ without AI
With reporting from SBC Americas Editor Adam Candee
On the “Land-Based Leaders: Navigating Shifting Demand in a Changing Gaming Landscape” panel on the Leaders Stage, Sun Gaming and Hospitality CEO Bobby Soper discussed how using AI tools to best utilize your own data is far more important than it ever has been before.
“That’s the necessity now,” Soper told the room. “You aren’t a leader anymore [if you can’t]. You have to be able to optimize your data.”
Soper was speaking alongside Soaring Eagle Gaming CEO Joe Nayquonabe and Desert Diamond Casino Director of Sportsbook Laurel Pittman on the panel, which was moderated by iGaming Capital Founder and Director Melissa Blau.
12:25 p.m. — NCAA talks tech and sporting integrity
With reporting from SBC Americas Senior Business Journalist Justin Byers
Speaking on the “Lines, Limits, and Loopholes: Protecting the Future of Sports Wagering” panel on the North America Sports Betting & Casino Stage, panelists including NCAA Managing Director of Enforcement Mark Hicks discussed sporting integrity and match-fixing, a topic that has only become more prominent in recent years amid a glut of sporting scandals.
A key question debated was whether social media and other technological advancements have made everything just too darn accessible.
“Insider information has always been out there in the last 40 years,” reflected Legacy Consulting Group CEO Tony Amormino. “People have always had it, but in the age of social media and technologies, it’s quicker to get access to that information. So, when you’re talking about athletes, trainers, even student managers, they have the ability to have that access.”
Meanwhile, Hicks described the fact that some prediction market platforms allow users as young as 18 to trade on sports as “terrible” and “a public health crisis” waiting to happen.
11:45 a.m. — Patrick J. Kennedy delivers passionate talk on addiction
With reporting from SBC Americas Editor Adam Candee
One of the headline speakers this year is former U.S. Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy, a nephew of former President John F. Kennedy.
A longtime advocate for mental health support, PJK was the lead sponsor of the landmark Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act that was signed into law in 2008.
On Wednesday, he spoke on a panel entitled “Building a Public Health Response to Gaming Harm” on the Leaders Stage alongside several other mental health professionals, a session exploring how healthcare, education, behavioral health systems, researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders can work together to address gambling-related harm. The founder of The Kennedy Forum discussed his own journey with addiction and what is happening in the country today with regard to children being exposed to potential harm in gambling and beyond.
“I’m an old-fashioned drug addict,” Kennedy said candidly. “I had lots of DUIs and major jackpots. I knew intellectually that I was suffering from addiction, but I couldn’t do anything about it … Addiction is addiction is addiction is addiction. We are wiring our kids from the earliest of ages to be addicts.”
10:56 a.m. — SBC Summit Americas hosts The Women’s Exchange
The morning of Day 1 included The Women’s Exchange, a meetup aimed at connecting women in gaming and facilitating meaningful conversations and valuable networking opportunities with peers from across the gaming and betting ecosystem in a welcoming and collaborative environment.
The initiative was made possible with the help of sponsors Global Gaming Women, PayNearMe, and Segev LLP.
As part of the new SBC Connections networking program, the Women’s Exchange is just one of several meetups hosted under The Exchange banner this year, designed to create space for honest and relevant conversations. Others across Wednesday and Thursday will include a Payments and Fintech Exchange, a Prediction Markets Exchange, a Tribal Gaming Exchange, and a Regulation Exchange.
10:25 a.m. — iGaming Daily previews what’s on tap for Wednesday
With reporting from SBC Media Director Martyn Elliott
Ahead of the main conference program getting underway, SBC Americas’ Justin Byers and SBC Noticias Editor Lucia Gando joined host Fernando Noodt for a preview episode of SBC’s iGaming Daily podcast to break down some of the key topics and the biggest talking points set to be spotlighted on Wednesday.
Prediction markets will inevitably be at the forefront from a U.S. perspective. But there’s plenty more on offer, from the present and future of player protection to the role of technology and AI in gaming, sporting integrity, diversity and inclusion, and much more.
10:00 a.m. — Welcome to SBC Summit Americas!
The doors are officially open and SBC Summit Americas is open for business!
Attendees have already been making their way into the Broward County Convention Center for what promises to be a busy, productive two days filled with insightful panel sessions, interesting conversations, and valuable networking opportunities.
This year, we have nine content streams, delivered across five stages, plus a jam-packed roster of high-profile speakers from the U.S., Latin America, Canada and across the global industry.
Stay tuned for our rolling live blog, where our team on the ground will be keeping you in the loop on the breaking stories from across the next two days. Oh, and if you’re on-site in Fort Lauderdale, enjoy that 70% humidity.
