LISBON, Portugal — We’re back here for the next round at SBC Summit, the biggest show in in the industry. Yesterday kicked off with Michael Jordan and today, headliners include Charles Oliveira and Fabrizio Romano as the show rolls on well.
SBC Americas Editor Adam Candee here, reporting live from SBC Summit in the capital of Portugal. We will follow along with the news of the day here from the industry’s premier event throughout the three-day lineup.
Stay with us throughout the afternoon and evening for the most interesting notes and quotes from the keynote, as well as panel discussions with industry leaders. We’re here all day so come join in!
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1:30 pm: What investors want in the next great product
In the panel session “The View From Here: Global Investor Perspectives”, three investors with deep roots in the gaming sector discussed a pair of topics in-depth: defense from AI and the ability to pivot, specifically in reference to prediction markets.
“Most of the products that are in prediction markets now, three or four years ago, they weren’t in prediction markets,” said Tom Waterhouse, Chief Investment Officer, Waterhouse VC.
Mark Robinson, Head of Investor Relations and Capital Formation for Yolo Investments, earlier summarized the view of all three panelists on AI: are you building something smarter than the machine?
“If AI can build it, then you haven’t got much of a product,” Robinson said.
12:30 pm: UFC star Charles Oliveira takes the stage
MMA fighter Charles Oliveira joins the Super Stage at MEO Arena in Lisbon for a talk titled “Record Success: Leadership & Partnership with Charles Oliveira”.
Oliveira’s agenda included discussion of his daily routine, as well as the future evolution of the UFC, MMA and other sports.
12:15 pm: A video look at Day 1 in Portugal
12 pm: Reflections on the first day in Lisbon
If you have attended an SBC show, you already know the velocity at which business moves on the show floor, at the networking lounges, and in the conference sessions.
But even with that advance knowledge, I never seem to recall how much energy goes into the excitement. The coffee this morning went into my body not as a treat, but as needed fuel for another big day on the floor.
Thoughts strewn about my head as we ramp up the conference agenda for the second day …
- The presence of Michael Jordan truly cannot be overstated. Sure, it might sound like marketing hype (and maybe subconsciously it is) but the energy in the crowd for MJ felt different. His conversation with Sportradar CEO Carsten Koerl and DraftKings CEO Jason Robins covered a wider swath of ground than I anticipated, especially when Jordan dove in with Koerl on the PlayRadar product that attempts to gamify sports betting in a more casino-style experience.
- The panel discussion about identifying fraud risks in the ever-dynamic sports betting environment was fascinating. My biggest takeaway is the need for collaboration not just among operators, but with regulators and leagues. It is one issue to accurately identify malicious actors trying to use their edge, but another issue entirely for those with the responsibility to act on that information in a timely fashion. In shorter form: penalizing those who try to game the system is as important as finding the gamers in the first place.
- What a busy show floor here in Lisbon. Just getting around to where I needed to be throughout four halls proved challenging with the amount of people taking in the show, a positive sign for the energy here and beyond.
