August 2016, Budapest – The organizers are proud to announce the newest confirmed speaker, Vahe Baloulian, who will be among the keynote speakers of the “Hot Topics of the Online Gambling Industry in Europe” panel at the Central and Eastern European Gaming Conference(CEEGC 2016) which will take place in Budapest on the 20th of September 2016.
Vahe Baloulian is CEO of BetConstruct(Lanyards sponsor of the conference) and an award-winning industry veteran, named in 2016 as one of the Gaming Intelligence’s ‘Hot 50’ most innovative and inspiring people in online gaming.
During his long career in the gaming industry, Vahe has served as Director of Gaming at 888, COO of LVFH and CEO of Red Planet Gaming. He is a frequent guest speaker and judge at leading industry events.
In a recent interview in the EEGReport Magazine, which you can read in full here, Mr. Baloulian has answered to some burning questions that were raised by our audience in regards to the most important Eastern European Gaming markets.
Zoltan Tundik(EEGReport Magazine): From the information we have, the Czech Republic is going to open its market to remote operators and it is believed that the first licenses are already going to be available at the beginning of 2017. Has your company received orders or requests from operators that are looking to penetrate the market and use your platform?
Vahe Baloulian: Even with expected considerable tax rate increases, the pending adoption of a new gambling regulatory framework in Czechia, which will remove the seat requirement, has wetted appetites of a few operators that have contacted us hoping to upgrade their technology before this market really opens up. Our business development specialists too are actively exploring the new opportunities that 2017 will bring if these changes are enacted as expected. For us, as a technology provider, the constant challenge is to make sure our products comply with the new requirements without making the player’s journey more complicating.
Zoltan Tundik(EEGReport Magazine): Recent changes to Bulgaria’s remote gambling laws have made the market increasingly attractive to both foreign and local operators, but how is the competitive landscape shaping up? What is the inside info you have from operators that are using your platform in regards to this market.
Vahe Baloulian: Bulgaria showed a more progressive approach to online gaming with sensible fees and taxes and open-minded legislation. Our partners in Bulgaria are EGT and the Bulgarian National Lottery. Both are undisputed leaders in Bulgarian gaming industry. It’s a market with a few big players, many of which are locally owned. These companies have been competing long before the new rules took effect. One of the major differences is that now this competition has moved into a more leveled field and those without licenses are being blocked by the government.
Zoltan Tundik(EEGReport Magazine): Do you think that countries such as Romania, Czech Republic, Poland or Hungary are markets for which operators should be queuing up for a license or lobby to be regulated, or does too much uncertainty remain to make it a sustainable investment given the fact that it’s the CEE region?
Vahe Baloulian: We are talking about a combined population of about 80 million people. That’s quite a sizable market to be ignored. With Western Europe markets getting saturated and maturing, opening up new markets by having them regulated is very important. For some operators, I would say, it is vital. Removing uncertainty through regulation will help and if we talk about lobbying the efforts should be directed at making these regulations sensible. Regulations are there to first and foremost protect the consumer. If you look at the programs of the most industry conferences, you will notice that we get so overwhelmed with all the rules and requirements that we almost never discuss how we can better serve our players, their issues are never in the center of the agendas.
Be sure to save the date and secure your ticket to the CEEGC 2016 Budapest, which will be held on the 20th of September 2016 at the Hilton WestEnd City Budapest Hotel in order to hear Vahe Baloulian speak about the” The importance of a quality Customer Support in the relationship with business partners and players“ in the “Hot Topics of the Online Gambling Industry in Europe” panel.
The panel will be moderated by Dr. Paul Davis and brings together some of the most discussed topics of the online gambling industry discussed by experts such as Ivan Kondilenko, Alexandre Tomic, Mark McGuinness, Tal Itzhak Ron, Tom Light and Valéry Bollier.
The “Hot Topics of the Online Gambling Industry in Europe” panel is set to start at 14:00(Budapest local time) right after the complimentary networking lunch break.
The conference provides an efficient way of meeting new and prospect clients in the special networking session and sit down lunch.
Special reports and exclusive updates will be given by the top 20 speakers of the industry and the event is limited to 150 delegates to maximize the engagement among the peers.
The tickets can be purchased at an Early Bird rate of €200 by the 19th of August on the following link: https://ceegc.eu/2016/tickets/
Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us on +40 735 559 234 or by mail on [email protected].
For more details please visit the official website: www.ceegc.eu or book your tickets online www.ceegc.eu/2016/tickets/
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN BUDAPEST!
