That’s a wrap: SiGMA Americas closes off its groundbreaking debut in Toronto
As we sign off another trailblazing event for this year in Toronto, here are some great memories of what went down during our latest three-day summit
Having held several successful virtual events over the last 2 years for the LatAm and North American markets, as well as several networking events across the US this is the first in-person expo for the SiGMA Americas brand. These three days have been jam-packed with the most enlightening panels and keynotes, networking events galore, and an industry-setting expo floor.
Speakers and conference topics:
Involving brilliant minds some of them from Canada’s own regulating bodies such as Derek Ramm, Doug Hood, Brent Mccurdy, Shelly White, Meghan Chayka, and many many more, the SiGMA Summit in Toronto gathered industry titans, top entrepreneurs, key influencers, and innovators under one roof.
The SiGMA conference Stage hosted some of the most important debates in the macrocosm of the revolutionary gaming industry. The many panels of the event covered vital aspects of the ever-evolving gaming industry, including challenges faced by cross-border affiliates, moving from grey to white markets, AML/KYC and ensuring operators’ compliance with new standards and policies, and much more.
Compelling discussions on stage
Well-known to be geared towards quality, the conference catered for the affiliation, gaming, and tech audiences, with content modeled towards bringing the industry together and showcasing the rapid growth following recent iGaming reforms through the legalisation of single-sports wagering in Canada and the launch of Ontario’s regulated iGaming market.
Brent McCurdy, Deputy Chief Operating Officer at AGCL highlighted an important aspect of what the regulated market is trying to accomplish by saying:
“It was a shift for the industry to not just be told everything they had to follow but to actually think about what we’re trying to accomplish and to come up with their own approaches. We want to give the private sector the flexibility in the context of their business to determine how to meet regulatory outcomes while allowing private sector innovation.”
Other key heated discussions on stage included a deep dive into payments with Derek Ramm, Director of Anti-Money Laundering at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario emphasising the fact that:
“One of the primary objectives amongst player protection and an effective regulatory regime was to get a stand-up model working as quickly as possible. We hit record time from when the government made the announcement, to when we were able to operationalise the industry. There are still some areas where there’s a bit of catch-up needed and one of them is in AML reporting. We need to make the operator’s journey more seamless and efficient.”
Responsible play was also another topic that touched base. Shelly White who is the CEO of Responsible Gambling Council states that
“RGC’s vision is a world free of problem gambling. We would love to work in collaboration with the gambling industry to continue on this journey around the world ensuring that we’re making meaningful, relevant connections with our players and providing them with a safer, enjoyable, and sustainable experience.”
Esports Tourney battle
The SiGMA Toronto expo, also saw our anticipated Esports tournament make its first North American debut. In keeping with the previous SiGMA Esports Cup traditions, the four teams played a BO1 round-robin seedling stage on the first day. The second day of competition was then played out in a BO3 single-elimination bracket, seeded based on the first day.
The four-team LAN event saw professional teams: The Davenport Panthers, The Jungle, OneT4P, and the Valors compete for a $7,500 prize pool with the Esports tourney battle ending in Great OneT4P victory once again. Last year’s winner, who was also OneT4P, said, “I feel great, my teammates showed me a lot of motivation today. SiGMA did very well, they worked a lot for this tournament, and they deserve a lot of recognition.” OneT4P left Toronto in a sizeable prize of $5,000, while the runner-up Davenport Panthers took home $2,500.
Next unicorn in the making
Day one was also host to the first Pitch competition – always a crowd favorite the SiGMA Pitch draws crowds as ten exceptional business startups took to the stage to battle it out for a prize pool that includes mentorship, media exposure, and investment opportunities.
Ultimately it was Mobil Fund Inc. that took home the prize. Showing his deepest gratitude towards SiGMA for this opportunity, the Founder, Director, and CEO of the company, John D. Williams, told our News team that SiGMA has been an absolute dream, “it’s been a wonderful show and everything is so well organized. Networking is the key to success and the networking opportunities here are absolutely amazing. It’s one of the best shows I have ever been at. When asked what gave him that edge over other start-up competitors, Williams, describes his winning product as the simplest, easiest, most convenient, and least expensive way for charity, large, medium, or small to raise money.
Shining a spotlight on some of the keenest minds in the sector
Handing the limelight to some of the high rising impact leaders and market makers of the present and near future, Rebel hosted a platform for a night of celebration and memories in an Awards Ceremony like no other. This staple event brought together luminaries in the industry for an evening of recognition and celebration of achievement.
Shining a spotlight on some of the keenest minds in the sector, the night showcased innovative solutions, leading content creators and podcasters, advertising platforms, and affiliates, with some well-deserved wins announced. These included Altenar, winners of the Online Sportbook Provider Of The Year 2022, Rootz Affiliates, winners of the Affiliate Program Of The Year 2022, Paramount Commerce, winners of the Payment Provider Of The Year 2022 and Raketech winners of the Affiliate Of The Year 2022 amongst many others.
There’s nothing SiGMA loves more than bringing people together
With years of experience in the events industry, our networking meet-ups during our visit in Toronto elevated in-person interaction to an art form! Never short of the myriad Networking opportunities that SiGMA has to offer, this platform offered a plethora of global networking opportunities for all the delegates present. From a celebration of the most trendy Women in gaming to networking drinks in various, luscious hand-picked locations, a networking poker tourney, and a record-breaking closing night this was definitely the best place to be.
A closing night like no other
In a first-of-its-kind, SiGMA Group’s Closing Night which was held on the 8th of June guaranteed an exhilarating entertainment experience at the Rebel Nightclub Toronto. The location chosen for this sterling night boasted 45,000 square feet of spectacular design combined with luxury. This complex, on the edge of Lake Ontario, assured a distinctive unforgettable evening featuring an immersive lineup of live performances including an array of artists, bands, and DJs. Bringing the event to a state-of-the-art closing on stage were Fat Joe, one of the first Latino superstars in the rap industry; international DJ JJOY; electric violinist Dr.Draw as well as Tron dancers lighting up the stage in an original connection of dance, light, and music.
Join us in Belgrade, Serbia from the 22-25th August:
Renowned for its beautiful scenery, delicious cuisine, rich culture, and penchant for parties, the Balkans have been sought after by both tasteful tourists and entrepreneurs with an eye on the growing iGaming ecosystem calling the region home. As the home to the global gaming community, the SiGMA Conference is known far and wide for its enlightening panels, inspiring speeches, ample opportunities to invest and network, and the ability to do it all while having the time of your life. Join us in Belgrade for the best the industry has to offer and for a window into the future of worldwide gambling. To learn more about sponsorship and speaking opportunities or to inquire about attending the event, please contact Sophie at [email protected].
