More than €385,000 has been donated to safer gambling organisations so far during ICE, the world’s largest annual trade show for the global gaming and gambling industry, which is taking place in Barcelona this week.
The issue remains top of mind for many mature markets around Europe, as governments and regulators keep a close eye on how the industry develops in an era of cryptocurrency and anonymity.
ICE donations push safer gambling to the center of industry agenda
Contributions from leading industry names including Cirsa, Grupo Orenes, Betsson Group, Flutter, Acordjoc, Alea, Novomatic, Playtech and Novomatic Spain mean the fund looks set to eclipse over the half-a-million mark for the event.
Ewa Bakun is Director of Industry Insight at Clarion Gaming, the global organiser of business-to-business events, digital platforms, and training for the gambling and interactive gaming industry. The company organises the event and created the Sustainable Gambling Zone concept, making them the first to integrate safer gambling into its exhibition model.
She was delighted with the donations, citing the importance of the safer gambling agenda for the future of the sector. She said: “Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors I am delighted to be able to announce what are significant five-figure donations to the three charities, all of which do outstanding work in the safer gambling space.
“Player protection is a fundamental objective shared by everyone associated with the Sustainable Gambling Zone. The overarching objective is to be at the vanguard of initiatives to help develop healthy play from the outset of the player journey.”
Public health groups have previously cautioned that industry-led safer gambling initiatives must be accompanied by enforceable regulation and independent oversight to be effective. The issue of safer gambling continues to lead the agenda at ICE as regulators keep a close eye on evolving industry trends.
European Safer Gambling Week records highest participation to date
The focus on responsible gambling comes as the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) announced record participation in European Safer Gambling Week in November last year.
A total of 224 partners were involved in the scheme, which represents a 14% increase on the year before, according to the EGBA. There was also a 32.4% increase in outreach via social media campaigns, with more than 1,280 posts throughout the event.
It was the fifth edition of the initiative, which runs every year, and the EGBA hailed the results in a press release last month.
Maarten Haijer, secretary general of EGBA, said: “European Safer Gambling Week 2025 marked an important milestone. With over 200 partners actively participating, we are pleased to see the initiative continue to grow each year. For the first time, we brought safer gambling messages to football stadiums and retail outlets across Europe.
“The quality of discussions at the events was again very high. We would like to thank all participants for their support in making this year’s campaign a great success.”
The success of the EGBA comes off the back of a similarly successful Safer Gambling Week in the UK last year, which saw more than 80 million interactions were registered across X, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram platforms. According to the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), that represented a 40% increase on the 12 months prior.
ICE positions Barcelona as global hub for World Gaming Week
Clarion Gaming Managing Director, Stuart Hunter, claimed it was a seismic day for the industry. He said: “”There’s no doubt that Fira Gran Via Barcelona is hosting the best ever line-up of international gaming exhibitors, comprising the biggest and most respected innovator brands covering every vertical.
“Aligned to this, Barcelona will welcome gambling industry executives from throughout the world for what will be the biggest ever gathering of the global industry.”
Hunter expects more than 1.5 million business interactions to take place throughout the event, adding: “It is these conversations, involving game creators, operators, regulators, politicians, and policy makers, that define the future of gaming across continents during 2026 and beyond.” The event runs from January 19-21.
Regulation, innovation, and the blackmarket also on the table
Other issues are garnering plenty of attention to ICE, which has seen thousands of the industry’s top executives flood to the 143,000 square metre Fira Gran Via venue.
Hundreds of keynote speakers are touching on issues ranging from regulation to innovation. The fight against the blackmarket is also top of mind for many executives at the event. Illegal casinos and sportsbooks represent a worrying scourge of the industry.
According to a recent report from the Campaign for Fairer Gambling and Yield Sec, “illegal or unlicensed gambling platforms accounted for about 74% of U.S. online gambling revenue in 2024.” Other countries are facing similar issues.
As ICE continues in Barcelona, the scale of donations to safer gambling charities underlines how central player protection has become to the industry’s future. With regulators, operators and technology providers increasingly aligned on the need for sustainable growth, events like ICE are positioning safer gambling not as a side issue, but as a core pillar of market legitimacy.
As discussions continue around regulation, innovation and the threat posed by illegal operators, the message emerging from the show floor is clear: long-term success will depend on trust, transparency and demonstrable commitment to responsible play.
