ICE Barcelona 2026 Draws 65,000 Executives in Largest Gaming Industry Gathering

ICE Barcelona closed its first edition with record numbers. More than 65,000 attendees came from over 180 countries, alongside 590-plus exhibitors and roughly 400 regulators from jurisdictions around the world.

The three-day event at Fira Barcelona Gran Via was the trade show's first year in Spain after decades in London. Organizers called the move a success and pointed to a 200% jump in applications for the Pitch ICE startup competition, which they nicknamed the "Barcelona effect."

"Using the number of meetings already organized through the ICE app as a sample, we are projecting that the week will generate around 1.5 million pre-arranged and impromptu business engagements,"

said Stuart Hunter, managing director of Clarion Gaming.

The conference program opened with a keynote from Soo Kim, chairman of Bally's Corporation, who laid out the company's "Always-On" vision at the World Gaming Forum. Other sessions covered AI in marketing, responsible gambling implementation, regulatory developments in Brazil and the Philippines, and the growing tension between prediction markets and state gaming authorities.

DAZN presented its plan for tying sports streaming to betting engagement. The esports arena hosted an EAFC (FIFA) World Cup tournament featuring professional players.

Regulatory programming drew heavy attention. Clarion Gaming framed the expanded regulatory track as central to its work with licensed markets, with sessions on affordability checks, collaboration between operators and regulators, and ways to fight illegal gambling.

World Gaming Week ran beyond the exhibition floor, with satellite events across Barcelona from January 18 to 23. The International Gaming Awards, European iGaming Awards, and ICE Landmark Awards were all presented during the week.

IGT marked its 50th anniversary at the event. It won Slot Provider of the Year at the International Gaming Awards and received an ICE Landmark Award for its contributions to the industry.

ICE Barcelona 2027 is scheduled for January 18 to 20.