ICE North America was officially launched as the iGB Live! event got under way at the RAI centre in Amsterdam today.

Kate Chambers

Releasing news of the big new North American show, Clarion Gaming managing director Kate Chambers said that the new show would bring together two other well-established Clarion events, GiGse and ICE Sports Betting USA. They would, said Chambers, create one single, consolidated event for the interactive gaming industry. It will be held at the Boston Convention Centre from May 13-15, 2019.

“We work extremely closely with all sections of the international gaming industry and throughout our discussions we’ve been made aware of how important it is to reduce the volume of events, conferences and exhibitions that take place during the course of a year whilst focussing on the blue chip event brands that have a track record for helping business meet its strategic objectives.

“ICE North America, the first edition of which will take place very close to the dates traditionally occupied by GiGse, is a response to this key objective and will provide a trusted, blue chip business opportunity for the interactive gaming sector across the continent of North America. The ICE brand is synonymous with quality and we will be bringing the same levels of professionalism, organisation, commitment and insight experienced by our stakeholders at ICE London to the North American facing interactive gaming community. The key gaming verticals we are targeting with ICE North America comprise sports betting, i-Lottery, eSports as well as the affiliate market.”

The announcement has been welcomed enthusiastically by the industry. Keith O’Loughlin, senior vice president of sportsbook for SG Digital, a division of Scientific Games said: “The ICE brand’s prominence has been a key component of the industry’s growth through many years. Combining GiGse and ICE Sports Betting USA marks a new era for gaming, sports, and lottery providers. We have the utmost respect for Clarion Gaming and their impeccable history of productive and innovative industry events. Especially given the potential of the US sports betting market, ICE North America will be a massively impactful event. We’re at a cornerstone in the history of betting in the US and it’s great to see Clarion at the heart of the change, giving providers a platform to showcase the latest and greatest technology.”

Benjie Cherniak, managing director at Don Best Sports, added: “This is terrific news for the North American sports betting market, particularly in light of the recent PASPA repeal. We at Don Best have been enthusiastic supporters of both GiGse and sports betting North America, the latter having quickly established itself as the blue chip gathering for stakeholders in the sports betting space. Combining the two into one event under the world renowned ICE umbrella makes this a must-attend event for all industry stakeholders. We look forward to our continuing involvement in 2019 and beyond."

The view was endorsed further by Julie Mossler, EVP global marketing at Sportradar, who stated: “The changing industry demands professional-quality events held in strategic locations, offering the right energy and empowering attendees to achieve key business objectives. The ICE brand is incredibly well respected in the gambling space and just what the North American event landscape needs. We look forward to being an integral part of the experience.”