The doors officially open for Day 1 of ICE Barcelona 2026, marking the beginning of a new era for the world’s largest gaming exhibition. The event draws a staggering 65,000+ visitors from 186 countries, all converging to see the latest innovations from over 600 global exhibitors.
With more than 300 verified regulators and 200 expert speakers in attendance, the atmosphere on the exhibition floor is one of intense collaboration. The tone for the day is set early at the Casino & Leaders Conference (Location: CC4.1), where Tom Niemen, CEO of Apollo Gaming Group, delivers the official “Welcome from the Chair” at 11:00 CET.
C-Suite Leaders Confront the Illegal Market
The headline event of the morning is the high-powered keynote, “A View from the C-Suite: The Black-Market Challenge.” Moderated by Nadine Dereza, the session gathers industry titans including Nils Andén (FDJ), Simon Zinger (Entain), and Stefan Nelson (LeoVegas Group) to address what is arguably the biggest issue facing the regulated sector.
The conversation continues immediately after with a deep dive into “Algorithms, Advertising and the Role of Platforms in Illegal Gambling.” Speakers such as Adam Lamentowicz (Superbet) and Mikel Arana (Directorate for the Regulation of Gambling) explore how the black market thrives on three core ingredients, content, platforms, and unrestricted data, highlighting the need for stricter platform governance.
M&A and Regulatory Landscapes
In the afternoon, the focus shifts to finance with the session “Navigating the Global M&A Landscape in 2026.”Heavyweights from the financial sector, including David Katz (Jefferies), Michael Saffer (Apollo Global Management), and Scott Smith (Goldman Sachs), discuss how the industry’s P&L playbook is morphing beyond the traditional casino floor model.
Day 1 concludes with the highly anticipated “Global Regulatory AMA: New Rules, Threats & Technology.” As the gaming landscape becomes increasingly complex, this session provides critical insights from top-tier regulators:
- Charles Mizzi (CEO, Malta Gaming Authority)
- Fabio Macorin (Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Economy Brazil)
- Mike Dreitzer (Chairman, Nevada Gaming Control Board)
Together, they map out the new rules of engagement for 2026 during Day 1, solidifying ICE Barcelona’s status as the central hub for global gaming policy and player safety.
