Next month’s SBC Summit CIS, Presented by Parimatch, is set to showcase Ukraine’s potential to develop into the next major international hub for the betting and gaming technology industry. 

Ukraine is one of the central themes of the conference and trade show, which will see delegates from operators, suppliers, affiliates, investors, and regulators gather at the Parkovy Kyiv International Convention Center on 13-14 October. 

The Ukrainian government’s decision to legalise gambling has opened up a potentially vast new market for major operators, but this nation of more than 40 million people also has a lot to recommend it to gaming technology suppliers.

In the past, lower labour costs have been the driver of investment by high-tech companies in Ukraine, but that is no longer the primary reason that international businesses choose to establish R&D and support centres there. 

The country has a highly-educated population and its universities now add 16,000 new IT graduates every year to what is already the largest qualified IT workforce in Central and Eastern Europe. 

Not only does Ukraine have the skilled workforce needed to support the growth of technology companies and development of market-changing tech products, it is keen to attract investment and recognises the economic and job creation potential offered by the betting and gaming industry.

SBC Summit CIS is the ideal setting at which to learn more about opportunities for international operators, technology suppliers, games studios, and investors in Ukraine, and to connect with local partners and advisors.

Anton Kuchukhidze, Chairman of one of the event’s strategic partners, the Ukrainian Gambling Council, explained that the country is already well on its way to becoming a centre of excellence for the betting and gaming sector. 

He said: “Ukraine will now publicly claim its ambitions to become an IT hub for the gambling industry. Since earlier, under the conditions of the ‘closed’ gambling market in Ukraine, there were many different tech companies that worked for the largest Western companies. They made software, various IT platforms, and developed different online solutions. Thus, Ukraine has been known in the gambling world for a long time already. 

“Now, after the legalisation started, CEOs and representatives of the same companies started to talk about their work. Around 10 to 15 of the world’s largest gambling brands already had IT offices that dealt with their products, created software, and assisted their operations all over the world. 

“Thus, nothing changes. Ukraine is simply starting to bring it into the public domain. In addition, these foreign companies are joined by national, internal ones which became legal, and now talk about their IT teams openly. Therefore, Ukraine already has a fairly strong position for presenting itself as a hub for creating technical solutions for the gambling sector.” 

The conference agenda for SBC Summit CIS features sessions examining issues related directly to basing operations in Ukraine and Eastern Europe, including ‘Delivering the Opportunity – Betting and iGaming in Ukraine’, ‘An Investment in the Future – Recruitment and Retention’, and ‘The Rise of CIS as a Global iGaming Tech Hub – What Does the Future Hold?’.  

Delegates can also look forward to content about sports sponsorship, changes to gambling tax laws in Ukraine, the opportunities created by regulatory changes across the CIS and Eastern Europe, the growth of esports betting, and strategies for successful localised marketing campaigns.

Running alongside the conference is an exhibition that will see 20 leading suppliers showcasing their latest innovations and a programme of evening networking events in stylish Kyiv venues. 

Book your full event pass at the SBC Summit CIS website.