With the year 2021 coming to a close, it would be good to take a moment to reflect on what SiGMA and its guestlist of entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders and market makers have managed to accomplish.

Following a long and arduous period of restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Malta Week 2021 saw a grand return of three verticals of the SiGMA Group under one roof. During the span of a single week and drawing 13,500 delegates from across the world, we set the stage for a schedule of events like no other. Drawing policymakers, influencers, thought-leaders and C-Suite executives from across the globe, Malta Week 2021 was graced by the likes of Djibril Cisse, Akon, Nolan Bushnell and so many other movers and shakers in the industry and beyond who were more than willing to share their insights and vision through back-to-back keynotes, panels and fire-side chats.

While participation was on offer for any startup participating in Malta Week, the 6th edition of SiGMA’s Startup Pitch saw ten finalists from the hundred booths in the Startup Village compete to win up to €500,000 as well as several benefits such as consultancy and lead direction. From a broad array of well-deserving entrepreneurs, Racing Stars stole the show with their approach of combining the best in responsible gaming with a genuine effort towards ensuring a fun experience for their clients winning over the panel of investors. We wish Racing Stars the best of luck moving forwards after their amazing debut at Malta Week 2021.

Our SiGMA Awards Night, held at Hilton Malta’s impressive boardroom and hosted by the ever charismatic Jon Thompson and our very own Lorraine Sammut, let us shine a light on the rising stars of the industry. From Consultancy to Casino providers and everything in between, the Awards were a celebration of the trailblazers that wouldn’t let the roadblocks of the last two years stop them from spearheading the future of the industry as a whole. This included managing to catch industry legend Mark Blandford off guard, presenting him with the Outstanding Contribution of the Year Award. The lavish evening ended with a philanthropic art auction introduced by the SiGMA Foundation’s representative Keith Marshall calling upon the hall to contribute towards making the world a better place, stating that “with you guys on board, the sky’s the limit. Don’t sit on the fence of indifference, this is your opportunity to shine.” The auction itself was a stunning success, managing to collect a combined €18,000 to be used for furthering education in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Other than our tour de force during Malta Week, we’ve also been deeply busy throughout the year. From becoming associate members of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association to our work in fostering a stronger environment of inclusion and equality in the industry, we’re beyond glad to see our work paying off to create a culture that’s holistically better for everyone involved. Our Roadshow has digitally taken us from the snow capped Nordics to the cobblestones of Kiev, always keeping our delegates up to date with the latest developments in regulation and industry strategy. Finally, our rebranding and the addition of 9 languages to our site allowed us to truly capitalize on our global vision for the future. With our SiGMA magazine being now interactively available online, we’re able to reach the broadest audience yet across the four corners of the Earth.

In terms of the industry as a whole, the last year has been a mix of opportunity, resilience and adaptation. The iGaming world has seen the rise of crypto-casinos and other ventures that combine the latest in frontier technology with the age-old practice of gambling. One can only imagine what the future has in store for the industry moving forward. Legislation across the globe has been in a state of flux with countries such as Ukraine coming close to full regulation even if the final pieces of the puzzle will have to be delayed till next year. Otherwise, COVID-19 continues to be an obstacle but not one that cannot be overcome. As the last couple of years have shown, the industry is resilient even when the chips are down. No matter what, we always manage to have a couple of cards up our sleeves.

This brings us from the present to the future. The SiGMA Group is ever-excited to be drawing the same crowd of industry leaders to the ultramodern city of Dubai for SiGMA Asia 2022. As a hub of innovation and progress, the United Arab Emirates is a natural home for anyone sharing the SiGMA ethos of entrepreneurship and forward-thinking. To both our long-time friends and our new partners, we would love to meet you again in March under an Emirati skyline.

Finally, we would like to offer our thanks to everyone involved. No matter the situation, we’ve always had the support of our partners, clients, delegates and speakers to reach for the stars and cultivate a culture of innovation wherever we go. It’s been a pleasure and we all have a bright future to look forward to. Till then, and on behalf of all of the SiGMA Group, we wish you happy holidays and a happy new year!!

SiGMA Asia 2022

After the exciting set of conferences that was Malta Week 2021, the SiGMA Group plans to take the world by storm with the golden steeples of?Kiev?and the snowy city of?Toronto?being hubs to draw the best and brightest of the iGaming world together. Our next expo takes us to cutting-edge metropoli of the?United Arab Emirates?for three days of networking, panel discussions and festivities. Stay up to date with the latest and greatest through?SiGMA News.