The much-anticipated event that made a spectacular return on February 7-9 at ExCeL London reunited 40,000 visitors, representatives and pioneers of the gaming industry.
The best game distributors, developers, retailers, operators, trade associations, innovators, regulators and strategic organizations all showed a massive interest in taking part in the “most comprehensive and ROI-friendly networking, business and learning experience”.
Raising the Bar for the Gaming Industry in 2023
Once again, the main goal of the event was to raise the bar for the international gaming industry in the new year. Accordingly, the three full days of intense networking and educational workshops were attended by a newly established record number of visitors when compared to the last ICE event organized prior to the start of the pandemic in 2020. Then, 36,000 unique attendees were recorded at the ICE event. In April 2022, the scaled-down version of ICE ushered in 24,000 participants who explored their favorite casino and games and sports betting areas.
Just like last year, this year’s participants were given premier access to the industry’s latest, mesmerizing technology, and professional insights, along with the latest regulatory news. All this information helped attendees come across brand new ideas, expand their network for the benefit of their business, and reposition their brands in fresher and more seasoned markets over the course of the following months leading to December.
Clarion Gaming’s managing director Stuart Hunter explained that while the data should be checked by independent auditors, they remain confident that the event managed to break through the “40,000 high point” and set a new record in terms of visitors.
79,000 Return Visits at the ICE London 2023
Hunter added that the number of visitor days, which is a measure of attendees’ return visits, reached 79,000. He called both numbers truly significant figures that showcase the magnitude and high value of the ICE experience as it is perceived by visitors.
Around half of ICE 2023 attendees operated in both brick-and-mortar and online venues, while 50% were exclusively focused on online operations. Some 20,000 of this year’s attendees showed an interest in the Casino and Games booths, while Sports Betting was the main area of operation for 13,000 visitors.
The ongoing attention given to the Payments sector was also visible through the 5,000 visitors that explained Payments represented their main point of focus and the primary reason why they attended the event in the first place.
ICE VOX Was a Sold Out Stand-Out
ICE VOX, which was held between February 5-8 was a stand-out program that managed to sell all its tickets for the first time in history. The signature content program of the international gaming community delivered exclusive content and an overall ICE experience that was a lot easier to understand and match with visitors’ schedules.
It ran two different world-leading conferences: the World Regulatory Briefing and the International Casino Conference. It also ran four in-depth masterclasses: iGaming Masterclass, Safer Gambling Masterclass, Modernizing Lotteries Masterclass, and New Markets Masterclass.
This year, ICE helped raise $63,798 for tackling gambling harm and promoting safer gambling. The money will reach four recipients interested in protecting customers from gambling harm in their countries.