ICE Barcelona 2026 will welcome gaming operators, regulators, technology providers, investors, established brands and emerging businesses to Spain in early 2026.
Scheduled to take place on January 19-21, the prestigious event will help to shape future developments in one of the world’s most lucrative industries.
Some of the developers of Betway’s latest online slot games will be among the reputable companies who will showcase their latest creations to a massive audience.
Organisers Target Growth in Spain
The 2025 edition recorded eye-catching numbers, with more than 59,000 visitors travelling from 163 countries and generating over 107,000 person-days of engagement.
ICE was previously staged in London, but the move to Spain will help to garner more widespread attention across mainland Europe.
The 2026 event will be held in an impressive 140,000-square-metre space in Barcelona, which is 40 percent larger than the London venue.
This will translate into richer engagement, improved focus on technology and a broader conversation about the direction of the industry.
ICE Barcelona 2026 will focus on important questions that are impacting the industry. Top of the list is how to protect players at a time when regulations are constricting legal platforms.
Panellists will discuss what is causing the rise in illegal play. They will also address how taxes and advertising restrictions impact channelisation.
New operators can learn vital lessons about retaining customers while staying compliant. Existing brands will also benefit from the wide-ranging insights provided during the event.
The debate will stretch into online payments, which have become a hot topic in Europe. The flow of money across borders affects compliance and customer retention.
The discussions will assess how to balance frictionless transactions and identity verification. For gaming companies, these elements are crucial to their success.
The programme will also touch on open banking and pay-by-bank innovation and the role they play in the online gaming industry.
Panel discussions will cover the roles of cryptocurrencies, sweepstakes and Web3 casinos in this ever-evolving landscape.
Innovations Abound at ICE Barcelona
Land-based casinos will also be able to gain insights at ICE. European casino operators are keen to identify new revenue streams and audiences in the face of competition from online platforms.
ICE sessions will unpack new strategies, such as gaming floor arrangement and the redesigning of the experience to cater to local and international demographics.
The event will include talks on how to partner with online B2B providers to create unique offerings. Link-ups of this nature are mutually beneficial to each part of the industry.
Sports betting will also play a key role at ICE Barcelona 2026. There will be numerous sessions exploring how operators and technology companies can deliver more immersive experiences.
Personalisation is another major topic up for discussion. European bettors generally favour gaming sites which offer intuitive and adaptive gameplay and wagering.
ICE 2026 will showcase how segmentation, UX design and in-game control features can help create engaging and sustainable experiences.
Lotteries will also be examined. The traditional model is undergoing significant changes, and conversations are needed about whether the existing regulatory frameworks are fit for purpose.
The conversation will explore incentives for capturing younger demographics and potential partnerships with iGaming operators.
Safety and security are among the key themes at ICE Barcelona 2026. Organisers Clarion Gaming have set the stage for this by recently partnering with Microsoft.
The American technology giant will power the new ICE Innovators Challenge, which invites participants to design new artificial intelligence solutions for responsible gambling.
This combines creativity and accountability, the core elements that the worldwide gaming industry is working towards achieving.