SBC Summit 2026: New Global Payment Compliance Track Added for Lisbon Event

The global gaming industry is looking ahead to autumn 2026, when Lisbon will once again become the sector's focal point. The SBC Summit returns from September 29 to October 1, bringing a significant update to its program. At the heart of the Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL) and the MEO Arena, a dedicated track for global payment compliance will be introduced. This move is a direct response to the increasingly stringent requirements from financial regulators worldwide, demanding that operators combat money laundering and fraud with cutting-edge technology.

Payment processes are no longer just a technical necessity in the background. They have become a decisive factor for the success or failure of an online casino. The challenge lies in verifying player identities beyond doubt and stopping suspicious transactions in real-time without alienating genuine customers with tedious processes. The new focus on Wednesday, September 30, aims to bridge this gap, demonstrating how integral compliance has become to product design.

Numbers and facts

The scale of the exhibition is impressive. Approximately 40,000 industry professionals are expected in the Portuguese capital. The agenda is spread across six stages, with the payments sector receiving its own "Payment Expert Summit" stage. The structure is clearly organized: Tuesday, September 29, focuses on Fintech, followed by Payment Compliance on Wednesday, and the Crypto & Blockchain sector on Thursday, October 1.

A highlight of the discussions will be the panel "AML in Motion: Continuous Monitoring in Modern Gaming." Here, experts such as Luis Carlos Pérez (Chief AML Officer at Lottofy) and Gintarė Wycherley (Senior Solutions Engineer at SEON) will debate how automated risk detection improves player protection. James Boyles from Evoke and Carmelo Mazza from Betaland will also share their experiences. Another focus is on the African market, where mobile money is driving growth, presenting entirely new requirements for cross-border compliance.

Background

SBC Founder and CEO Rasmus Sojmark hits the nail on the head regarding the core issue. He views payment compliance as one of the industry's greatest balancing acts today.

"Payment compliance has become one of the industry’s biggest balancing acts. Operators are expected to strengthen fraud prevention, AML threats and regulatory oversight, while at the same time delivering the fast, seamless payment journeys that players demand." - Rasmus Sojmark, Founder and CEO of SBC

He emphasizes that success does not mean choosing between compliance and customer experience. Rather, it is about uniting both aspects through clever strategies and new technologies like Artificial Intelligence. The introduction of new game formats and prediction markets also requires constant adaptation of monitoring systems, which will be addressed at the summit under the title "AML Readiness for Emerging Game Formats."

Why it matters for German players

For German customers, these developments have practical significance. Since the Interstate Treaty on Gambling 2021 (GlüStV 2021) came into force, German players have faced very strict limits. The deposit limit of 1,000 euros per month across all providers is monitored by the central LUGAS system. When better automation in compliance is discussed at an international level, it could eventually mean that verification processes in Germany become faster and less intrusive. Currently, players often have to upload documents manually, which takes time. Technologies presented at the SBC Summit 2026 aim to handle such checks in the background without waiting times.

Furthermore, the mandatory stake limit of a maximum of 1 euro per spin for online slots creates high administrative effort for operators. German players benefit indirectly when providers make their systems more efficient, as this frees up more resources for bonus offers or better customer service. Safety comes first, but the industry is learning that safety does not have to be complicated for the user.

What it means for GGL-licensed casinos

Casinos with a license from the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) are under particular scrutiny. They must ensure that every transaction is clean and that no player bans exist via the OASIS system. Preparing for the full rollout of the new European Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA), as discussed at the summit, is vital for German operators. Those who fall behind technically risk heavy fines or the loss of their license. GGL-licensed providers are required to use state-of-the-art compliance software compared to illegal offshore providers (Curacao or MGA without a German license), making them safer but technically more complex platforms.