iGaming Community Comes Together for First Time in Over a Year at SiGMA and Knup Solutions iGathering
Members of the iGaming community came together for the first time in over a year on Wednesday at the SiGMA iGathering in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. SiGMA, a global iGaming events leader, is looking to expand its networking events into the United States. The company partnered with Knup Solutions, an industry leader for delivering high-quality sports betting, casino, esports & iGaming content services.
Ryan Knuppel of Knup Solutions with Nicole Fields of SiGMARyan Knuppel founded Knup Solutions in 2014. Knuppel coordinated with Nicole Fields of SiGMA, who planned the event that brought C-Level executives to the Grateful Palate for a night of networking, dinner, and drinks.
iGaming Community Returns to In-Person Events
The lavish networking dinner began with a 45 minute cocktail hour where guests mingled as they overlooked the Intracoastal waterway. There were plenty of conversations that involved iGaming, but one topic stood out throughout the evening. The COVID-19 pandemic derailed the hospitality industry, which ended networking events throughout the world.
BettHouse Sportsbook CEO Steven Berman had the quote of the night during the USA Wager interview sessions.
When asked about what it meant to be back in person, he said what everyone thought throughout the event.
“I am zoomed Out!”
Other executives, including Jeremy Groves (COO EvenBet Gaming), Kevin Smith (Senior VP Marketing PlayUp), and Michael Murphy (CEO Murphy Marketing), all expressed how much they missed connecting through networking events throughout the past year. The foundation of the industry is built on relationships, and this event showcased the community aspect of iGaming.
Mark Hemmerle of Shift4 Payments
The keynote speaker for the evening was Mark Hemmerle, VP of Gaming & Compliance Counsel at Shift4 Payments. Hemmerle focused on the Florida gaming industry and the legislative actions between the Seminole Tribe, legislature, and iGaming industry. He began his speech by discussing the evolution of sports and some of the highlights, including the Supreme Court’s unconstitutional ruling of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act.
Hemmerle noted the growth of the industry since the PASPA decision in 2018.
“It has been three years and one month (since PASPA). Sports betting is in 31 jurisdictions in the United States. It’s phenomenal how quickly it has rolled out.”
The Shift4 Payments executive stated that bettors in Florida should be placing bets by football season. The undertone throughout his speech was that there is an insatiable appetite for sports betting in the United States. The industry will see “58% of legal gamblers place a football bet during the NFL season,” which excited the entire group of SiGMA iGathering attendees at the Grateful Palate.
SiGMA and Knup Solutions
As the event concluded, people expressed how great the evening was to Fields and Knuppel. This was the first United States iGathering for SiGMA, but it will not be the last after the success of the debut event. SiGMA and Knup Solutions are expected to work closely moving forward to host more iGatherings throughout North America.
Possible locations in the future include Nashville, New York, and Boston. As the iGaming industry continues to grow and the world returns to normalcy, there is no better time for the two companies to continue partnering for networking events throughout the United States.
