Eventus International has expanded the format of its SPARK 2026 conference by integrating the iGaming 3Tech event, bringing marketing technology, financial technology and regulatory technology under one platform for the gaming industry.
The combined event will take place in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Oct. 19-20, 2026, and is aimed at operators, affiliates, payment providers, regulators, compliance specialists and technology companies navigating the evolving gaming landscape in Southeast Europe.
The addition of the iGaming 3Tech conference stream reflects the increasing convergence of commercial growth, regulatory compliance and technological innovation in the gaming industry, organizers said.
The expanded event will retain SPARK’s focus on software, payments, affiliates and revenue growth while introducing dedicated sessions on marketing technology (MarTech), financial technology (FinTech) and regulatory technology (RegTech).
The first day of the conference will focus on product development, payments and customer acquisition, with sessions covering player retention strategies, payment systems, retail gaming, gaming floor modernization and balancing compliance with user experience across multiple jurisdictions.
The second day will examine strategies for scaling gaming businesses amid growing use of artificial intelligence, changing affiliate models and evolving regulatory requirements.
The agenda includes a keynote by Nikolas Monti-Potsolakis, chief executive officer and co-founder of Black Lantern Marketing, on the transition from search engine optimization to artificial intelligence-powered search, and a session by Olga Polishchuk, iGaming regulatory compliance consultant, on channelisation, competition and tax yields in Central and Eastern European licensing models.
A parallel iGaming 3Tech stream will examine how data, regulation and performance are reshaping growth strategies in regulated gaming markets.
Sessions include a presentation by Arjan Korstjens, principal at Casino Marketing Academy, on the convergence of data, regulation and performance, alongside discussions on embedding compliance into technology systems, responsible growth through first-party data and affiliate partnerships, and balancing compliance, personalization and profitability.
The conference will also feature speakers including Antony Jordan, head of Payments and KYC at ODDSET Sportwetten GmbH; Andrei Frimescu, public relations and marketing director at Game World Romania; Christian Piska, professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Vienna; Frank Op de Woerd, chief executive officer of CasinoNieuws.nl; Josef Weirauch, lead VIP clients and affiliates EU at BitMEX; Kristof Szucs, co-founder and principal at Kyborg.ai; Mark McGuinness, Fractional chief marketing officer and iGaming growth advisor; Robert Stoica, chief operating officer at Winbet; and Sarafina Wolde Gabriel, chief executive officer of Rightlander.
The expanded format is also intended to provide sponsors and exhibitors with broader access to decision-makers across the gaming ecosystem, including operators, payment providers, compliance teams, technology buyers, regulators and marketing executives.
Eventus added that a limited number of sponsorship opportunities remain available for the event.
Register here: https://www.eventus-international.com/spark