INTERVIEW - STUART HUNTER
iGB LIVE goes ‘All In’ on global connections, game-changing new features and unrivalled networking
With delegates from across the globe set to gather in London for July’s iGB LIVE, Stuart Hunter, managing director of World Gaming (formerly Clarion Gaming), explains how the international event is evolving to meet industry needs, shine a spotlight on the key emerging trends and foster the relationships, insights and opportunities that drive growth across the industry.
GIO: What are your key takings from the 2025 event and how do you continue to improve it for this year? Stuart Hunter: One of the characteristics of iGB LIVE and one that’s often overlooked is the international dimension of the show which is a defining strength. At iGB LIVE 2025, professionals from 149 countries attended, a level of international representation that’s second only to ICE Barcelona. Bringing together representatives from so many different markets creates opportunities to exchange ideas, compare experiences and identify emerging trends before they become mainstream. The strategy across all of our live events is to grow in line with the industry and its ever-evolving needs, whether that is in terms of physical size or by adapting our format and offering – remaining dynamic and industry focussed ensures you remain a business-critical platform. Everything that delegates will experience at iGB LIVE in July is the result of hundreds of conversations that the team has held with our stakeholders. None of the big decisions are taken in isolation which means that our events, including iGB LIVE, are by the industry and for the industry. The post show research that we undertake after each show identifies both the initiatives that worked as well as those that require attention. In that respect iGB LIVE attendees are constantly shaping the show experience.
GIO: What are you most excited about ahead of this year’s event? SH: ‘New’ is a central aspect of the iGB LIVE experience, and attendees can expect that commitment to be evident throughout the event. Highlights will include the launch of the inaugural iGB LIVE Africa Summit, dedicated sessions on doing business in LatAm, and a significantly expanded Sustainable Gambling Zone, the largest in the event’s history. Another extremely exciting first is the launch of the World Gaming M&A Summit (WGM&A) taking place 1 July. The WGM&A represents the only dedicated forum for corporate development officers and M&A advisors working in iGaming. Convening leadership from public and private operators alongside sector-focused investment banks, legal advisors and corporate finance specialists, attendees will benefit from a highly focussed opportunity to engage with key decision-makers, originate deal flow, assess strategic fit and gain insights from active market participants. The event provides direct access to London’s deep sector expertise built over decades of transactions and its unparalleled ecosystem of strategic acquirers, potential targets, leading advisory firms and business leaders across the M&A value chain. M&A is a business imperative in the current iGaming landscape and this event features insights from sector-specialist advisors and industry leaders including Morgan Stanley’s Laurence Hopkins, Paolo Della Rovere and Bally’s Robeson Reeves. Also featuring Strategic Intent Sessions, industry leaders will host round-tables to explain their growth theses, define their M&A criteria and share their business’ vision for consolidation and growth. Following the sessions, attendees are invited
8 JUNE 2026 GIO
to the M&A Summit cocktail reception and dinner where conversations will continue and deals will be cemented.
We know how important it is to provide attendees with the very best curated networking and hospitality. To deliver this we are hosting the first Summer Gala which will take place in the Beaufort Bar, at The Savoy Hotel, on Wednesday, 1 July (7pm to 9pm.) The Savoy was Britain’s first luxury hotel and became a legendary hub for film stars, artists, authors and royalty. This exclusive, invitation-only event will bring together senior leaders, regulators and investors from the global gaming industry. The Savoy offers an elegant, intimate and luxurious setting which is ideal for networking and supporting the goal of fostering key connections among industry leaders. The Summer Gala is being jointly presented by iGB LIVE and ICE underlining how the conversations started in Barcelona in January are continued, developed and extended in London six-months later.
GIO: In, what is an ever-evolving market, how importance are events like this? SH: Well run, professional and targeted face-to-face events remain hugely important. iGB LIVE continues to grow, attracting industry professionals from throughout the world and I think that reflects the strength of the brand but also the importance of face-to-face events in a sector which places so much importance on trust and interpersonal relationships.
GIO: What can you tell us about this year’s theme of ‘All In’? SH: ‘All In’ is a theme which relates to casino, to affiliates and in the year of the FIFA World Cup to sports betting operators. Delivered by the World Gaming team, iGB LIVE ’26 will bring together casino, sports betting operators, affiliates, tech vendors and game providers who will be in London to continue the industry conversations and connections that were started at January’s editions of ICE and iGB Affiliate Barcelona. It’s about building on those trust-based partnerships that drive business growth. In terms of its overarching credentials iGB LIVE showcases game-changing technologies, provides access to market insights and delivers high-quality curated networking. In keeping with all of our events iGB LIVE has been shaped in partnership with our international community of stakeholders and as a consequence is recognised for being the event that industry professionals attend in order to secure deals.
GIO: The iGB affiliate awards at the top of The Shard this year, sound like a highlight. What can you share about them? SH: A key point about the Awards is that the judging process is the most rigorous and fair in the sector. I would point to the strength and diversity of the judging panel, the use of NDAs, the highest possible transparency around the judging and the feedback loop we have created with the community. The process is fine-tuned each year based on the feedback from the iGaming affiliate community as well as our
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