While Italy deviates from the rest of Europe as regards gaming, introducing a ban on advertising that clashes with the recommendations of the Union and avoiding shared liquidity, the rest of the continent is searching for a common vision.
And successfully.
There are at least five reasons to visit the 2019 edition of Ice Vox: the cycle of global gaming conferences hosted by the Ice fair in London. The communication campaign launched by Clarion Gaming to illustrate the virtues, in terms of content, of its show, says that. Explaining in detail the reasons supporting the thesis. First of all, because this year the cycle of conferences is enriched by four new sections, during the three days of 4-6 February, called: Hive, Counsel, Boardroom and Elevator. With four very rich and varied programs, to cover all the needs of the industry and its professionals.
The second reason is the variety of the proposal: with over 500 speakers alternating on the stages, bringing their experiences and visions. The third and fourth reason are more specific and linked to two subjects, important for the present and future of the industry. One concerns gaming advertising and promotion, following the new restrictive ideas coming from some European countries and, in the first place, from Italy, after the approval of the well-known Dignity decree, which will be discussed in a specific session of Ice Vox; the other one concerns the product or, more in general, the technology, and in particular the artificial intelligence that will change the way of "doing" gaming. To the point of deserving a specific section within the conference. The fifth reason identified by the Clarion team is the authority of the speakers who intervene in the various panels, including institutional, governmental or parliamentary subjects, experts of various kinds and business leaders.
For our part, we add a sixth reason: to understand and support international cooperation, between Member States (and not only that) and its benefits in terms of market regulation, but also of business development. We say this with much conviction, and also with some pride, given that this magazine is behind the achievement - or at least the pursuit - of this further goal. Also this year, Gioco News and its editor - Gn Media - offers a moment of high level deepening and markedly institutional debate, within the London fair. Focusing on the subject of international cooperation, that is the basis of gaming regulation at the community level. A subject that we have always followed and supported, and also spreaded: not only through Ice, but also during other international events, like the EiG in Berlin, which later became iGb Live and moved to Amsterdam, where in the last three editions of the show Gioco News proposed a round table among regulators.
This time the round table was included in the Ice Vox conferences and concerns a specific theme, once very popular in Italy too: that of international liquidity. A subject to be discovered and explored, to understand the actual potential in terms of the market, but also (and above all) to evaluate the benefits in terms of international cooperation.
After the first year of activity of the "shared trio", the regulatory authorities of online gaming of France, Spain and Portugal are called to take stock of this activity, based on the agreement signed in Rome on 6 July 2017. Opening the door to all "counterparts in the European Union or the European Economic Area who might have an interest in signing an agreement in the future".
In the Gioco News roundtable, scheduled for the first day of Ice Vox, on Monday, February, the 4th, the regulators of the three European countries are called to take stock of their experience of shared liquidity, telling their experience, the problems found and the benefits obtained.
Starting from the numbers which marked this path, still unknown to the public: "Online poker market of France, Portugal and Spain has improved its performance from the implementation of the agreement, obtaining positive figures in each of them", the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ, the Spanish gaming authority), explains, promising to unveil all the details during the debate. But besides the institutional aspects, the debate will also deepen the real operation of the sharing process, thanks to the participation of leading companies of this new market: starting from the absolute leader of online poker in the world, namely PokerStars.