SiGMA Group makes significant strategic investment in Affiliate World Conferences
The SiGMA Group has made a significant strategic investment in Affiliate World Conferences (AW) – the world’s leading conference organiser for affiliate marketing.
In conjunction with this investment, SiGMA and Affiliate World will seek to align their global summits to take place in the same week as well as the same city.
The first such show will be held in Dubai, in late February 2024. Delegates flying to SiGMA Dubai on February 26-27th, 2024, will be able to attend Affiliate World Dubai on February 28-29th, without having to change cities or make additional travel arrangements.
SiGMA and Affiliate World expect over 10,000 attendees to attend the two events in Dubai as a result of this unique strategic partnership.
In the words of SiGMA Group Founder Eman Pulis, “I attended Affiliate World Bangkok for the very first time back in 2014 and was blown away by the energy in the room and the quality of affiliates. I just couldn’t believe there still remained so many affiliates that were new to gaming. Coupled with the fact that many operators are constantly demanding for more affiliates to attend conferences; this partnership with Affiliate World will make SiGMA a must attend for operators. We’ve listened carefully and are finally in a position to align our SiGMA conferences in the same cities and within the same week as AW, bringing many of the world’s top affiliates closer to the iGaming community.”
Chris Hong, Managing Director of Affiliate World Conferences, stated, “We look forward to very close cooperation with SiGMA’s world class team and leadership. SiGMA’s investment in Affiliate World is a strong testament to the value of our exceptional community of super affiliates for operators around the world.
We believe this exciting combination creates exceptional benefits to our attendees, exhibitors and sponsors and will allow them to dramatically accelerate their business operations and discovery of new and valuable business partners.”
Responding to news of the investment, Exness Affiliates said, ‘We were very excited to hear of the partnership, and are looking forward to exploring the benefits for us as clients, including potential new locations for the events.’ While advertising platform PropellerAds commented that it is ‘very exciting stuff to see the alliance of two great events – the best of both worlds.’
In the words of Wicked Games CEO, Darryl Manning; “We’re not operators. We do games but we too like to meet with affiliates. We want streamers and bonus sites to feature our unique games. So I look forward to meet new affiliates next year at SiGMA.”
Similarly, white label operator Betroyale.io remarked that; “We are booking our first stand early next year because we want to meet with new affiliates to explain our unique features.”
SiGMA – The World’s Online Gaming Authority
The SiGMA Group is an events and media organisation founded in 2014. It is supported by four main pillars: SiGMA Events, SiGMA Play, Venture Capital, and the SiGMA Foundation.
In 2020, the SiGMA Group expanded into affiliation, providing valuable traffic for iGaming operators and offering a comprehensive solution for the gaming sector with the launch of SiGMA Play.
Currently, the company has over 100 employees and offices in Malta, Cyprus, Manila, São Paolo, and Belgrade.
Affiliate World Conferences – The World’s Leading Affiliate Marketing Conference
Affiliate World organises world-class events targeted at the global superaffiliate community. Since 2015, Affiliate World conferences have grown exponentially and have become globally recognized with more than 15,000 attendees participating each year across three events in Dubai, Barcelona and Bangkok.
Currently, Affiliate World employs more than 30 full time staff members based in the company’s offices in Dubai and Manila, who are supported by more than 40 independent contractors based in Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
The panel, Responsible Gaming Regulation: A Global Perspective took place on the first day of SiGMA CIS & Balkans conference in Cyprus. Here are some of the key takeaways from panellists Kapil Dhiman, CEO of MetaStudios, Elisabeth Isaksson, Head of Regulatory and Compliance for Soft2Bet, Genia Gurevich, the Head of Gaming Group for Porat Group, and David Yatom Hay, General Counsel for Soft2Bet.
The conversation kicks off with a look at the cultural nuances affecting the regulatory landscape.
David Yatom Hay, General Counsel for Soft2Bet, suggests that in countries where gambling is very much embedded in the culture, where there is a long history with the industry, such as the UK, there is an opportunity for the regulators and for people within the industry to make sure anything that is regulated, that relates to the gambling culture as a whole is much more substantiated from new regulations.
What should we be looking for in a regulatory checklist, asks CEO for MetaStudios and moderator Kapil Dhiman.
Elisabeth Isakksson, the Head of Regulatory and Compliance for Soft2Bet, believes that ‘having a solid licensing system is to our benefit and ensures we can continue to operate within that country long term.’
She goes on to emphasise that we should be looking at whether ‘the gaming regulation is something we can work with, and, whether it works for players as well.’
Denmark, she says, is a good example. “The country has a long relationship with the gambling industry, a good regulatory framework, and a good understanding of the industry. It knows how to regulate and supervise the industry.
“Unfortunately however, in some countries we see political influence when it comes to regulation, and not a great understanding of how the industry works or what the player wants.”
Genia Gurevich, the Head of Gaming Group for Porat Group also offers his two cents. He believes that there is a little bit of both factors involved when it comes to influence - with cultural differences and political forces contributing to the ecosystem.
“I do see cultural differences between established cultures that have gambling entrenched in their culture, like Asia and the UK - we also see new regulation in Ontario, and increasing regulation in the US - where they have their own affiliate licensing regime to market their services to operators.
We're also seeing that Curacao, for example, has experienced a little bit of turmoil and that operators are seeking alternatives, operators are certainly looking for different things.
Seeking a global standard
Elisabeth hopes that we will see a standardisation of operations in the future.
“It makes it easier for businesses to adapt to regulatory requirements to build a product that is coherent between jurisdictions. It also eases the burden of development when going into new jurisdictions - as well as the burden on operational teams when it comes to learning new procedures.”
When it comes to responsible gambling there are some core elements, and they don’t differ too much between cultures in terms of protecting players, she explains. Key tenets include having proper safeguards in place and knowing how to detect patterns that are more accurate and having tech controls for players, like deposit limits.
“I think it's better when we don't see too much creative input that isn't based on proper research - I do think that regulators look at each other and learn from each other and they see what has worked in the past.”
David also agrees, saything that there are self standards you can implement in any regulations, although there are cultural differences where you might need to adjust one element, from one regulation to another. You see this is pretty much widespread across the whole industry, he says.
“If regulators copy this and create standardisation when it comes to the product itself, that would be great.”
Creating a standardisation is obviously important, he goes on to say, but it’s also important to know that when having built the standard there could be differences. A framework is good.
Economic benefits of more streamlined gaming regulations
“Once the US started regulating gaming their revenue grew exponentially. We saw more players acting in the right way. It set the market standard. It sets a good example, everyone will try to match that. If everyone is working on the same level, collectively as one industry - it benefits everyone. Regulators are less keen on imposing harsh restrictions and it allows operators to work with some leeway, concluded Genia Gurevich."
Head to SiGMA Curaçao this SeptemberLess than 3 weeks away SiGMA Curacao will be held from the 25 – 28 September at Europe's first integrated resort, City of Dreams Mediterranean. The event is hosted by the Ministry of Finance in association with SiGMA Curacao
Don’t miss this exclusive opportunity to be part of SiGMA Curacao, where you can gain valuable insights into the new gambling legislation, explore the thriving iGaming industry, and connect with key players in Curacao. Check out all the details here.
Register here to secure your place at this landmark event.
The SiGMA Balkans & CIS Awards, sponsored by Soft2Bet, kicked off the eagerly-anticipated Cypriot Summit in an ecstatic fashion.
The summit's esteemed delegation was treated to luxury and style at the City of Dreams Mediterranean's grand ballroom as they gathered to celebrate the industry's brightest and most excellent contributors.
The award ceremony also brought an exuberant return for the SiGMA foundation's characteristically altruistic auction which was accompanied a variety of LED displays, accompanied by some incomparably multifaceted acts and speciality performers from O Show.
The Awards
SiGMA Group's mainstays hosted the coveted award ceremony, Mark Anthony Borg and Rick Goddard lent the gravitas that the ceremonies have been globally acclaimed for.
They were joined by newcomer Astghik Safaryan who brought a fresh style to the evening.
Boomerang Casino won big, taking home the award for casino of the year. Alexey Gubarev was also personally honoured for his incredibly excellent contributions to today's emerging technologies.
The full list of winners can be found below:
GAME PROVIDER OF THE YEAR - Spribe
KYC SOLUTION OF THE YEAR - Sumsub
HOSTING PROVIDER OF THE YEAR - Netshop ISP
CASINO OF THE YEAR - Boomerang Casino
CORPORATE SERVICES PROVIDER OF THE YEAR - Maricorp
PLATFORM PROVIDER OF THE YEAR - Soft2Bet
AFFILIATE PROGRAM OF THE YEAR - 1xPartners
LIVE CASINO PROVIDER OF THE YEAR - Winfinity
WORKPLACE OF THE YEAR - Pin-Up Global
AFFILIATE OF THE YEAR - SEOBROTHERS
AGGREGATOR OF THE YEAR - Alea Gaming
ESPORT PROVIDER OF THE YEAR - Pinnacle
SLOT GAME PROVIDER OF THE YEAR - EGT Digital
SPORTS BETTING PROVIDER OF THE YEAR - Digitain
MARKETING CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR - PIN-UP Partners
SPORTSBOOK OPERATOR OF THE YEAR - 1xBet
PAYMENT SERVICES OF THE YEAR - Payment Center
INDUSTRY RISING STAR OF THE YEAR - BarbaraBang
RESPONSIBLE GAMING OF THE YEAR - Nexto Gaming
NEW CASINO GAME OF THE YEAR - Dogs and Tails by Gamezix
VIRTUAL SPORTS PROVIDER OF THE YEAR - Exfeed LTD
BEST CRYPTO CARD - Quidax
CRYPTO PAYMENT SOLUTION OF THE YEAR - CryptoProcessing by Coinspaid
BEST FX AFFILIATE PARTNER PROGRAM - FPM Global
BEST PROP TRADING PLATFORM - FunderPro
TECHNOLOGY PROVIDER OF THE YEAR - Netrios
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO EMERGING TECH - Alexey Gubarev
Charity Auction
The group's charitable arm then took to the stage to bring the SiGMA Foundation auction to life.
Hosted by Rick Goddard, who returned after the awards to bring some truly unique paintings to the esteemed delegation in attendance.
An inspired ambassador for the SiGMA Foundation, Goddard brought an energy and excitement to the auction that fed the grand ballroom's atmosphere into the night.
“Dionysus: The God of Gaming and Wine” by Edo was the most notable piece in attendance, with the striking acrylic displayed last and eventually going for a staggering €50,000.
Also worth highlighting was British artist Derek Mason, whose forward-facing oil painting “Binary Fusion: Emotion and Algorithm” fetched a sizeable €5,500.
The success of the auction concluded having raised €85,000 in total for the foundation's upcoming and ongoing altruistic endeavours.
SiGMA Foundation
Through the foundation, SiGMA Group continues to expand its philanthropic reach with projects across the world.
This includes a multi-sensory hall for the Jose Deipro Formation Centre and a housing initiative for the underprivileged, both in the Bataan region in the Phillippines.
The foundation is also creating several women empowerment projects in Jimma Bonga, Ethiopia with the intention of financing institutions that will be able to improve women’s skill sets in a variety of fields.
SiGMA Balkans & CIS
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