There are few dates on the iGaming industry calendar that come close to ICE. The International Casinos Exhibition, as it was once known, brings together all the hottest movers and shakers of the industry, and this helps shape the future of online casinos and sportsbooks, as well as the conversation on its current outlook.
2024 saw the conference held right here in London, attracting a then-record attendance of over 40,000. In January of this year, it was held in Barcelona, with a new record of more than 50,000 unique visitors. However, the data suggests that the UK may well be the spiritual – and practical – home of the conference.
UK Tops Foreign Visitor Table in Surprise to Few
One reason for this is the fact that data from the organisers Clarion shows that the UK topped the table for foreign visitors to the conference. British attendees numbered 6,518, which was double the second-highest, Malta (3,074). In fact, it was only around 2,400 lower than the host nation Spain’s attendance numbers of 8,954. It’s clear that there’s a clamour from these shores to attend, and that spills over into the keynote speakers, too.
ICE visitors are not the only ones who would potentially stand to benefit from the conference returning to London. For thousands of brands, including long-established industry stalwarts Karamba in the UK, it would have been much easier to attend within the same country. The maturity and ever-presence of the UK online gambling sphere makes a strong claim for such showpiece events to be held in the nation’s capital. Very few countries, except perhaps Malta, which will no longer host SiGMA Europe as of this year, can boast such an influential place in the industry.
World-Class Venues and Leading Infrastructure
Away from the sheer scale of the iGaming industry, what is often overlooked is the concentration of world-class conferencing venues available in London alone, with even more mere hours away in major cities like Birmingham and Manchester. In Westminster, the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre has been earmarked as a temporary home for the House of Lords when construction work is taking place, with Guardian UK reporting this all the way back in 2019.
Add to that the fact that London is home to the world’s oldest rapid transit system, the well-loved Underground, as well as other transport services like the Overground, DLR, and the Tramlink, and you have a city set up to host the world’s biggest events. There’s a reason it has been host to European Championship and Champions League finals in recent years. This is a modern city ready to be the stage for huge industry conferences.
Barcelona Success and EU Membership May Hinder Chances
As far as London as a host for the ICE conference is concerned, there are likely to be a couple of reasons that it doesn’t happen. For one, the fact that Spain is setting attendance records for the conference would make it difficult for anyone to uproot it any time soon. Why would anyone want to stall growth by moving it when Barcelona is proving to be a popular venue with brands and attendees alike?
Another thing to consider is Britain’s EU membership – or lack thereof. Spain, as a member of the EU, is an extremely easy travel destination for almost an entire continent. The fact that there are no visa requirements or visit or work restrictions for all members of the union, along with the physical ease of travel, makes Barcelona an attractive prospect for a working conference. Visitors from outside the EU – the States specifically – would only need one EITAS visa for access to 30 countries, for example.
The Future of ICE in London Depends on Many Things
Ultimately, the decision to move ICE back to London would have to be a multifaceted one. As previously mentioned, organisers would likely have to see a serious dip in attendance at other venues. However, it’s also important to remember that the last time it was held here in the English capital, it also set a record for attendees.
Whether or not the environment will change in such a way that London becomes the one and only potential venue, we won’t know for some time. Either way, though, it is a city that is ready for whatever is thrown at it, and should ICE be in a position to return in the near future, it would surely be another success on the Thames.
