5 takeaways from EGC 2024: Where future tech meets iGaming

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There is something extraordinary about a family-run business. My husband and his nephew have a restaurant in London, and it’s full of regulars because of the unique atmosphere. While the food there is amazing, the food is also excellent at other restaurants in the area, but what makes their restaurant stand out is that special family-run feel.

I get that same feeling when I attend a Hipther online gambling industry event. There is something special about conferences hosted by the Hipther husband and wife co-founder duo—their “regulars” adore the friendly, intimate vibe of every single event they organize. It’s also the perfect venue to nurture discussions about future technology and how it applies to online gambling, even for beginners.

For these reasons and more, I’m always excited to moderate future tech panels at Hipther events. Recently, I had the pleasure of moderating a “Blockchain innovations in iGaming” panel and a “Navigating responsible gambling and AML compliance with future tech” panel at the Hipther European Gaming Congress (EGC) in Warsaw. To give you an idea of what went down, here are my top 5 takeaways from the experience.

Blockchain panel takeaway: Not everything has to be on-chain

My Day 1 EGC panel dove into the latest blockchain innovations in the iGaming space. In an ideal scenario—using the right blockchain, of course—iGaming operators could have “everything” on chain and the best user experience on the planet. Imagine a world of instant deposits and payouts thanks to peer-to-peer transactions and smart contracts, instant KYC thanks to universal digital IDs, complete transparency and fairness in games thanks to immutable data storage, the ability to quickly and easily provide regulators with any information they request… it’s all possible, but this will take some time.

Today, we can still enjoy the benefits of blockchain tech by choosing what we want on-chain and what we want off. It’s possible to simply make payments in digital currencies such as BTC, BSV, SOL, etc., to broaden your user base and tap into Gen Z markets. Or you can offer micropayments to emerging markets. Or you can move your responsible gambling efforts on-chain so the regulator can see what they need to see.…and the list goes on. You don’t have to go all-in right from the start—take your time and do what’s right for you. We’ll all get there one day.

Future tech and responsible gambling/AML compliance panel takeaway: AI needs blockchain 

My panel on Day 2 was focused on the ever-changing responsible gambling and AML rules and regulations and how future tech can help operators navigate this complicated landscape.

With new regulations across the EU in the form of the AI Act, proof of what data AI models are using and where it comes from will be essential. Not to mention, there are hefty fines to look forward to if the proof is not there. This is an ideal scenario for weaving blockchain tech into our AI models, an immutable ledger to keep track of the data set, all while maintaining privacy. We can also use blockchain-enabled micropayments to nurture an economy of data ownership and sell our data if we wish. Imagine being paid for your data instead of feeding those AI models for free from your social media accounts. 

There are more women in tech

I know we keep hearing about the dire need for more women in tech, but we are getting there! For example, my second panel at EGC just happened to be all female, and it was an absolute hit. In fact, when I think about the ratio of male to female attendees at the conference in general, it felt even—perhaps this is because of that friendly, family-run vibe I was talking about.

Start your day with exercise 

As CoinGeek’s Founder Calvin Ayre shared in a LinkedIn post, exercise is key for our longevity. I know it can be challenging to find time to exercise during a conference—especially when there are enjoyable evening activities—but it’s worth it if you can do it. The organizers of EGC are big believers in the power of exercise and wove an AM yoga class and an AM run into the agenda, both of which I took advantage of. What a wonderful way it was to start each day and have meaningful (and sober!) conversations with those who also participated.

Bigger is not necessarily better

When you evaluate that next attendance, speaking or sponsorship opportunity, remember bigger is not necessarily better. While I completely understand why event organizers pride themselves on increasing attendance numbers year after year, there is also a need for smaller, more intimate events with a cap on attendees.

EGC is designed to nurture a “safe space” for professionals in iGaming and Future Tech to discuss the latest issues openly during panels and networking events. You will never feel left out at EGC, even if you attend independently like I did. You will see the same faces throughout each day, and striking up a fruitful conversation is easy. Intimate events like this are also a perfect opportunity to take the stage for the first time as a presenter, panelist, or moderator or even to ask that burning question to a panel.

Bonus takeaway: Bitcoin was designed to be simple

Some ideas we discussed at EGC for blockchain-based payments and scalability challenges involved exchanges and Layer 2s such as Lightning Network and Polygon. It’s important to remember that the original Bitcoin was designed to be a simple, scalable, peer-to-peer electronic cash system. We don’t need all these complicated payment structures and Layer 2s…if we keep it simple as Satoshi intended, we can have it all.

Watch: Revolutionizing blockchain gaming with Vaionex’s Tegment