After a two-year break due to Covid-19, the 2022 edition of the Balkan exhibition of the gaming and entertainment industry BEGE demonstrates the latest achievements in the field, unfolding on an area of 7,800 square meters in the Inter Expo Center in Sofia. During the large-scale event, held on the 23rd and 24th of November, 85 exhibiting companies from three continents met, including Lithuania, Czech Republic, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Slovenia, The Nitherlands, Austria, Armenia, South Korea, Malta, Poland, Argentina, USA, Vietnam, Bulgaria and may others.
Traditionally, the forum provided serious opportunities for the creation of new strategic partnerships and for the operators of the sector to enter new markets. The BEGE 2022 was thrilled to welcome an expanded array of new participants, as well as the loyal and dedicated returning exhibitors and supporters such as EGT, Casino Technology, SUZOHAPP, Digitain, Interblock, Merkur Gaming, APEX, Apollo Games, Alfastreet Trade BG, IGT, Innovative Technology, Alfastreet Gaming Instruments, Abbiati, Industrias Lorenzo, Fininvest, JCM Global, Aberici, Avansys, UltraPlay, Zitro, JPL and many others.
The prestigious BEGE 2022 Awards for achievements and innovations in the gaming industry were also presented during the exhibition. The best companies were awarded in 18 categories. The star winners are:
- ONLINE CONTENT PROVIDER OF THE YEAR – AMUSNET INTERACTIVE
- ONLINE PLATFORM OF THE YEAR – ODDS.GROUP
- ONLINE GAME OF THE YEAR – CT INTERACTIVE с WIN STORM
- ONLINE CASINO OPERATOR OF THE YEAR – PALMS BET
- CASINO OPERATOR OF THE YEAR – PALMS ROYALE SOFIA CASINO
- BEST LIVE GAME PRODUCT OF THE YEAR – 7 MOJOS
- CASINO MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OF THE YEAR – CT GAMING
- CASINO PRODUCT OF THE YEAR – IGT
- SLOT MACHINE OF THE YEAR – ZITRO
- BEST EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR – EGT
- MOST RECOGNIZABLE COMPANY IN THE GAMING SECTOR OF THE YEAR – TELEMATIC INTERACTIVE BULGARIA AD
- BEST PAYMENT SOLUTIONS PROVIDER OF THE YEAR – FININVEST D.O.O
- BEST MARKETING AND MEDIA SOLUTIONS OF THE YEAR – BET NEWS
- BEST OVERALL RESPONSIBLE GAMING PROGRAM – BETANO
- CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE YEAR – AMUSNET INTERACTIVE
- NFT RISING STAR – NFT CREDO
- BEST ESPORTS BETTING SOLUTIONS PROVIDER OF THE YEAR – ODDIN.GG
- BEST NFT CONCEPT OF THE YEAR – NFT PAY GG
During the two exhibition days, the visitors and the exhibitors had the chance to see product presentations with fresh new concepts and ideas from well-known industry leaders such as Zitro, La Liga, NFT Credo, Coco agency, PCM, BetConstruct, RYOPS, CyberNation Bulgaria and many others.
BEGE 2022 took place under the patronage of the gaming industry regulatory body, the National Revenue Agency. “The gambling industry is the most dynamically developing sector in Bulgaria. We work with the companies in the field extremely well. It is important to note that we are of the same mind regarding the importance of responsible gambling,” said Boris Mihailov, executive director of the National Revenue Agency, during the official opening of the exhibition.
Angel Iribozov, Chairman of the Management Board of the Association of the Gaming Industry in Bulgaria, presented data according to which the revenues generated by the gaming sector in the state budget for 2021 amount to BGN 240 million, which is a 25% year-on-year increase. “There is a sustained trend of significant growth in the online segment with an upswing in the first 4 months of 2021. The industry is also transforming due to the accelerated development of technology,” he added.
In parallel with BEGE 2022, the Eastern European Gaming Summit (EEGS) was held. It focused on the future of the sector and the potential it holds: metaverse, crypto, blockchain, gambling marketing, new markets, regulations and responsible gaming. Panellists at the two-day forum included leading international industry experts, such as Alex Haberl, Regulatory Development Manager, GLI Europe B.V., Pieter Remmers, Co-Chair of Gambling at the International Council on Alcohol and Other Addictions (ICAA) and Board Member of the European Association for the Study of Gambling (EASG) and Dr. Joerg Hofmann, Senior Associate at Melchers Law Firm.
A round table was also held between representatives of the National Revenue Agency and various gaming operators in Bulgaria. It gave a solid start to discussions between the regulatory body and individual operators in the industry. The meeting provided a clear prerequisite for even better future cooperation between the state institution and the private companies in our country.
Professionals from the gaming industry also had the opportunity to visit the accompanying EEGS events on November 21st and 22nd at the Millennium Grand Hotel in Sofia: over 60 of them participated in the Master Class 2022 on the theme of “Responsible Gaming”, and the next day a special Affiliate Conference was held, providing a platform for the exchange of ideas and experiences between the participants and an environment for creating and maintaining business contacts.