The Academy will bring together operators, product leaders and industry experts to examine gamification, personalisation and player experience from both growth and responsible gaming perspectives.
SBC Summit will put player experience under the spotlight this September with its Player Experience Academy, bringing together operators, product leaders and industry experts to examine how engagement strategies are designed and where their limits should sit.
The Player Experience Academy forms part of the event’s Education+ programme and will take place on Tuesday, 29 September, from 13:30 to 17:00 at Sala Tejo, MEO Arena. The programme is aimed primarily at professionals working across player engagement, product and growth.
The Academy will open with “2026 Update: As It Is Now and What’s Next?”, offering an overview of the current state of player experience and gamification, while examining how the space is expected to evolve.
One of the key sessions, “Driving Innovation in Responsible Player Experience”, will explore how behavioural design and layered protection can support engagement while maintaining ethical and responsible practices. The panel will also examine how operators can scale these approaches across different jurisdictions while balancing regulatory compliance, player wellbeing and sustainable growth.
The session will feature Justin Muscat Galán, Senior Product Manager – Player Rewards & Gamification at Betsson Group; Chris McGowan, CEO of Scatters Group; Christoffer Gronland, CEO of Mindboogle Affiliate Marketing & Growth; and David Nardaia, CEO of Lambda Gaming.
The programme will continue with the interactive presentation “What iGaming Can Learn from Responsible Player Experience”, led by Arjan Korstjens, Principal and Trainer at Casino Marketing Academy. The session will examine what the gambling industry can learn from sectors such as video gaming, retail and hospitality in areas including rewards, progression and personalisation, while considering which approaches can be responsibly adapted to gambling.
The Academy will also feature the case study “Responsible Player Experience: Managing Risk for Commercial Sustainability”, presented by Dr. Colin Lawrence, a global risk management expert and former Senior Regulator and Director of the Risk Specialist Division at the FSA/Bank of England.
The session will examine how mechanics such as battle passes, seasonal features and mission-based engagement, which are widely used in mainstream gaming, are being adapted for gambling. It will also address the risks operators need to consider when implementing these mechanics to ensure commercial sustainability.
The Academy will conclude with the interactive workshop “Know Your Player: Building Player Experience for Different Customer Segments”, led by Helen Walton, Chief Commercial Officer and Co-Founder of G Gaming.
The workshop will examine how player behaviour and motivations differ across customer segments and how operators can tailor experiences accordingly. From casual users to high-value VIPs, attendees will explore the role of personalised missions, rewards, progression systems and other engagement mechanics in improving retention, strengthening loyalty and supporting safer play.
Rasmus Sojmark, Founder and CEO of SBC, noted that some of the most effective engagement mechanics used in iGaming have originated outside the industry, particularly in video gaming, retail and entertainment. He said the Academy will explore how these concepts can be adapted to gambling while recognising the sector’s regulatory and player protection responsibilities.
SBC confirmed that the Player Experience Academy speaker line-up is continuing to grow, with further announcements expected ahead of the event.
Access to the Player Experience Academy is available exclusively through the Education+ Upgrade, priced at €249. The upgrade can be purchased as an add-on to SBC Summit and Affiliate Leaders Summit ticket types.
