SBC has announced the launch of SBC Summit Americas, a reimagined show that combines the strengths of SBC Summit North America and SBC Summit Latinoamérica, creating a single platform for the entire Americas gaming community.

The new look event, scheduled for May 13-15, 2025, will bring together the North American and Latin American gaming markets under one roof for a comprehensive experience of education, networking, and exhibition, and eliminate the need to attend two separate regional shows.

SBC Summit Americas will take place in spectacular Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Dubbed the ‘Venice of America’ and renowned for its Blue Wave-certified beaches, the city also offers the accessibility required with direct flights from crucial Latin American, US and European hubs.

Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC said: “This marks a significant moment for all of us at SBC. When the size of your current venues becomes limiting and cannot meet the demands of the industry,  you know it’s time for a change.”

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The Broward County Convention Center was selected as the venue for the event, boasting 250,000 square feet of space that enables SBC to accommodate over 8,000 attendees and 300 exhibitors and sponsors.

“Now, it’s Fort Lauderdale’s turn to experience what SBC has to offer. We’re launching a major event for the entire Americas region and transforming it into a key networking hub and a must-attend occasion for anyone who doesn’t want to be left behind,” Sojmark added.

With an emphasis on diverse representation, the event will see participation from over 3,200 operator and 1,000 affiliate representatives. Additionally, it will engage senior management from regulatory bodies, sports clubs, and suppliers in the payments, betting, and casino solutions sectors.

The exhibition and conference experience will also receive an extra boost with the inclusion of three specialized summits: SBC Leaders Summit, Affiliate Leaders Summit, and Payment Expert Summit. This aligns with the company’s focus on attracting senior decision-makers, who usually make up 40% of attendees at SBC’s events.

The conference component, led by 400 regional experts, will feature dedicated stages exploring the main markets of interest. Discussions will span topics in the sports betting and casino sectors, covering both online and land-based domains. Moreover, the event will provide insights into affiliation, emerging technologies and the regional startup scene.

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“This also presents a prime opportunity for us to address the concerns of our exhibitors, sponsors, and delegates who struggle to commit to multiple industry events annually. As event organizers, we try to take such feedback on board and act upon it when possible. In this case, it perfectly aligns with our own ambition, which has always been to soar higher and think bigger. When it can be done with greater benefit for our industry friends, it just always feels much better,” Sojmark added.

For more information and to register your interest in the event, visit the official website.

This year’s SBC Summit Latinoamérica is proceeding as planned and will be held on October 29-31, 2024, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Scientific Games has named Beth Bresnahan as the company’s Chief Communications and Brand Officer.

Bresnahan, a veteran lottery industry expert, spent nearly 10 years in leadership roles at the Massachusetts Lottery, including serving as its Executive Director, and headed the District of Columbia’s Office of Lottery & Gaming. With a background in public relations, brand management and product positioning, she joined Scientific Games in 2022 and most recently served as Vice President of Strategic Communications.

The Chief Communications and Brand Officer is a new senior executive role that elevates strategic oversight of Scientific Games’ global communications, ensuring a unified and consistent voice and a strong representation of the company’s brand across all platforms and mediums. In this role, Bresnahan will continue to lead external and internal communications and customer proposals while expanding her leadership to include advertising, trade shows and events.

Pat McHugh, CEO of Scientific Games, said, “This promotion will come as no surprise to those who know and have worked with Beth. Her strategic vision, extensive experience in brand communications and deep knowledge of Scientific Games and the lottery industry have earned her the respect and support of our entire company and leadership team.”

Bresnahan’s promotion is another example of the strategic alignment of Scientific Games’ organization with its business strategy to deliver exceptional value to its customers around the world. The company recently announced the expansion of its legal and public policy teams into a new unified global department, made several key hires in systems and technology, and increased focus and execution on products, technology, analytics and marketing across retail and digital to further accelerate customer growth and return to good causes.

Bresnahan has dedicated nearly 25 years to developing impactful communications, marketing and business strategies for several public and private sector organizations.  In addition to her lottery industry experience, Bresnahan’s previous work spans serving as CEO of a regional print media outlet to providing strategic communications consultation to multiple top-tier national brands, including the Boston Red Sox, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Citizens Financial Group and Wynn Resorts. She also led public and legislative relations for several government agencies in her home state of Massachusetts.

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Scientific Games is a trusted partner to 150 lotteries in 50 countries around the globe, providing games, technologies, analytics and services that responsibly drive maximum returns to their beneficiary programs.

Study Provides New Insights Into How Brands Can Authentically Engage With Gamers to Help Them Express Their Best Selves Off-Screen.

KEY FINDINGS

Gaming has exploded over the past decade, becoming one of the most dynamic and expansive industries across the globe. Fandom, the world’s largest fan platform, dives into the heart of the gaming community to uncover the evolving motivations behind why people game in its 4th annual Inside Gaming report. The 2024 Inside Gaming report – a proprietary study coupled with Fandom’s first-party data from its 350 million monthly unique visitors, 45 million pages of content and 250k fan-powered wikis – captures a notable shift: gaming is increasingly seen as a means for personal expression, exploring one’s identity and providing empowerment and confidence in one’s real life.

Dominant Gaming Motivations

• While stress relief remains the top reason people turn to games, a striking 46% of gamers list creation, imagination, and self-expression as their main motivations for gaming, up 10% from last year.

Influence on Gaming Habits

• People who are gaming for self-expression, creation & imagination are 30% more likely to increase their gaming time, feeling more drawn to the gaming world than ever before.

Games Driving Self-Expression

• 60% of gamers claim that self-expression through gameplay is more important to them than ever before. Titles like Minecraft, Fortnite, and Roblox lead in enabling personal expression through extensive customization options, open-world exploration, and other game updates

Exploring Gamer Identity

• The report also highlights a significant gap between players’ in-game identities versus their real-life personas, with 80% of respondents feeling their gaming identity differs from their real-life identity.
• However, half of respondents claim they’d prefer to be more like their in-game personality IRL and 72% would feel more favorably towards brands that help them achieve this.
• This is especially true of 18-34 year olds, multicultural (specifically African American & Hispanic) audiences as well as women and non-binary audiences.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR MARKETERS

Emphasize Self-Expression:

• Self-expression is a key driver for gaming engagement. In fact, 32% of gamers want their physical appearance to be more like their in-game appearance.
• Brands that align with this motivation can enhance their connection with gamers. For example, this represents an opportunity for fashion & beauty brands to explore dedicated product extensions for gamers looking to explore this self-expression.

Create Brand Safe Spaces:

• 64% believe that gaming communities are vital safe spaces where they can truly be themselves, presenting opportunities for brands to foster and cater to these communities.

Align with Gamers’ IRL Aspirations

• Many gamers wish to integrate their gaming and real-life personas. Brands that help facilitate this integration can achieve deeper consumer relationships.
• The study found that 48% of gamers want their IRL skills to be as strong as their gaming skills, opening up an opportunity for brands to explore how they can create ways to provide gamers with products that enhance IRL skills and provide a sense of accomplishment & achievement they get while playing.

“From character customization to cosplay and content creation, video games have empowered gamers to explore, express and enhance their identity – nearly two thirds of gamers claim it’s easier to be themselves with a controller in their hands,” said Stephanie Fried, CMO of Fandom. “With the growing significance of gaming as a means for self-expression and personal evolution, it’s crucial for brands to connect to these motivators to help players bring their gaming personas to life in the real world.”

For an interview with a Fandom executive to discuss the study in more detail, please contact Rachelle Savoia at [email protected].

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Methodology:

Fandom surveyed 5,000 entertainment and gaming fans globally to understand the ever changing entertainment landscape. The insights from the study were joined with proprietary insights from Fandom’s first-party platform data of over 350MM users, 45MM content pages across 250K wikis.