SBC has launched the Global Prediction Markets Forum, a standalone ticketed event running on 1 October in Lisbon and dedicated to one of the fastest-moving areas of betting and financial trading.
The forum takes place at the five-star Myriad by SANA Hotel and runs alongside SBC Summit, which returns to Lisbon from 29 September to 1 October, and the Affiliate Leaders Summit. It is a full day of conference sessions and networking aimed at operators, regulators, investors and policymakers.
Why SBC is putting a day aside for it
Prediction markets have moved from a niche financial product to a live regulatory question in a matter of months, and jurisdictions are answering it in different ways. Spanish authorities blocked Kalshi and Polymarket in a licensing crackdown, Brazil banned the products outright, and Malta has been working towards the first EU framework covering them. In the US, event contracts have expanded fast enough to draw direct comparison with the regulated sportsbook market.
That split is the reason for the event. Classification, integrity, consumer protection and the line between a sports bet and a financial trade are all unresolved, and they cut across regulators who do not usually share a room.
“In all my time in the industry, I can’t remember many topics generating as much buzz and excitement as prediction markets have. But whenever a sector evolves this quickly, questions inevitably follow,” said Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and founder of SBC.
“This forum isn’t about explaining what prediction markets are anymore. It’s about providing stakeholders the skills and knowledge to understand where it is heading, how it can develop responsibly, and how to ensure long-term success in the space.”
The conference programme
The day runs through presentations, fireside chats, panels and case studies covering the commercial, regulatory and technological forces behind prediction markets. Sessions will look at regulatory developments in the US and Europe, the distinctions between prediction markets and traditional sportsbooks, player protection and integrity, and the overlap between sports betting and financial trading.
The confirmed sessions are:
- Prediction Markets: the story so far
- Sky’s the limit: a bird’s-eye view on event contracts
- Regulating futures: bridging the gap between the US and Europe
- Spot the difference: prediction markets vs sports books
- A question of integrity: protecting players from predictions?
- Blurred lines: from sports betting to financial trading
- An industry on the cusp of boom or bust: what’s the future of futures?
Three networking sessions sit alongside the conference: welcome refreshments, a networking lunch and closing drinks.
Who SBC expects in the room
SBC is targeting a mix of operators, regulators, investors and policymakers rather than a single audience. That matters for a sector where the commercial and supervisory sides have largely been talking past each other, with exchanges building volume in markets where the local regulator has not yet decided what the product is.
Tickets and access
The forum requires a dedicated ticket priced at €399. It is open both to delegates already attending SBC’s Lisbon events and to visitors coming for the forum alone. Ticket holders also receive a copy of SBC Insight’s latest prediction market report.
Pricing it separately from SBC Summit is a test in itself. SBC Summit is the larger draw in Lisbon, and a €399 add-on asks delegates to treat prediction markets as a subject worth a full day and a separate spend rather than a panel slot inside the main agenda.
What to watch
The forum lands at a point where several regulatory decisions are still open. Malta’s framework has not been finalised, US courts and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission are still working through the status of sports event contracts, and more European regulators have moved to blocking than to licensing. Whether the Lisbon sessions produce anything beyond position-stating will depend on which regulators actually turn up, and how far operators are willing to go on integrity and player protection before someone writes the rules for them.
Source: SBC
