NEXT Summit Valletta 2026 is the event on every B2B iGaming enthusiast’s radar this May, and for good reason. If your business touches online gaming, sports betting, or the wider iGaming ecosystem, this is the week to be in Malta.
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The NEXT Summit Valletta is the flagship annual conference organised by the world’s iGaming community NEXT.io, bringing together operators, suppliers, tech providers, affiliates, and investors at the historic Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta. The 2025 edition drew over 5,000 attendees, including more than 1,200 C-level executives , which tells you everything you need to know about the seniority of the crowd. The venue is a 16th-century building perched on the edge of the Valletta peninsula, overlooking the Grand Harbour. One of those rare cases where the backdrop genuinely lives up to the event.
The core conference runs on 27 and 28 May 2026 at Mediterranean Conference Center Valetta, Malta, with the wider festival week spanning 25 to 30 May.
The main summit features 9 stages with over 250 expert speakers across the two core conference days.
Key executives, regulatory authorities, and operators confirmed to take the stage include:
• Industry Leaders & C-Level Executives: Paris Smith (Advisor), Marina Ostrovtsova (Gaming), Clemence Dujardin (MyAffiliates), Hilary Stewart-Jones (Skywind Group), Dmitry Starostenkov (EvenBet Gaming), and veteran leaders David Carruthers & Jesper Karrbrink.
• Regulators & Strategists: Key contributions from Kinga Warda (MGA), Kelly Kehn (Defy the Odds), Karolina Pelc (HerPlay), Alexia Frendo (FDJ), and Bill
Pascrell III.
MPiFY is attending NEXT Summit Valletta 2026 with a particular focus on sessions covering AI adoption, digital marketing innovation, and brand growth for iGaming operators. The 2026 agenda is built around four main areas: operator-specific challenges such as user acquisition costs, platform performance, and long-term player retention ; the evolving role of blockchain payments and tokenised loyalty in regulated markets; start-up funding and deal-making; and the increasingly technical world of affiliate and performance marketing. The NEXT Focus sub-summits give each vertical its own dedicated deep-dive day before the main conference begins, so attendees can go well beyond surface-level panel chat.
NEXT Summit Valletta 2026 is structured around two main pass types, with pricing available directly through the official NEXT.io ticketing page. Operators can apply for a complimentary VIP pass, subject to verification. Here is how the two tiers compare:
Tickets are not legally sold anywhere else. There are no authorized third-party ticket resellers or alternative platforms for the NEXT Summit.
As a high-level B2B corporate tech event, NEXT.io retains strict control over the summit’s registration. All invitations, transfers, and pass sales are exclusively managed online through the official NEXT.io Registration Portal.
Please keep in mind:
• No ticket resellers: Secondary ticketing marketplaces (like Viagogo or StubHub) do not carry passes for this event.
• Strict ID matching: Tickets are strictly assigned to an individual's name, company, and email address. Standard tickets cannot be handed off to someone else without an official name-change request.
• Scam warnings: Avoid individuals on social media platforms or industry forums claiming to sell "spare passes," as fake or unauthorized duplicates will be rejected at the Mediterranean Conference Centre badge pickup desks.
MPiFY recommends heading straight to the NEXT website to secure your pass before availability tightens.
One practical tip: the pre-registration event on Monday 26 May is well worth building into your plan. Collecting your badge the evening before the main conference opens means avoiding the queue when thousands of delegates arrive at the MCC on Wednesday morning. NEXT Focus sub-summits require separate registration, with Premium Event Pass holders given priority access and Full Event Pass holders admitted subject to remaining capacity.
One of the most distinctive things about NEXT Summit Valletta 2026 is its operator-led format. Roughly 40% of attendees are operators rather than suppliers, which means the networking dynamic is fundamentally different from most industry events. For tech providers, agencies, and affiliates, that ratio translates into direct access to decision-makers with real purchasing authority, not just fellow vendors swapping pipelines. Across the week, touchpoints are built into everything: morning golf and padel, the Day 2 Networking Event at the Grand Harbour Terrace, the Charity Gala supporting DAR Bjorn (a neurological care home in Malta), and the Showers pool party that has sold out for twelve consecutive years running.
No formal virtual attendance stream is available for NEXT Summit Valletta 2026, as the event is deliberately built around in-person interaction and the kind of relationship-building and deal-making that does not survive a video call. NEXT.io does publish post-event editorial content, articles, and media coverage through its platform, which gives those who cannot attend a way to follow the key narratives after the fact. That said, given the weight of the conversations and the sheer density of senior operators in the room, there is no substitute for being there in person.
MPiFY sees it like this: Malta is the centre of global iGaming for a reason, and NEXT Summit Valletta is where the industry’s most consequential conversations happen face to face. Malta’s iGaming market is projected to generate $284 million in gross gaming revenue in 2025 , and the global market is expected to reach $125.6 billion by 2027. The island is also deep in a growth cycle: eight major firms have committed to investing €60 million in Malta’s gaming and esports sector by the end of 2026, creating approximately 1,300 new jobs . Attending NEXT Summit Valletta 2026 means being in the room where those growth decisions are being made, not reading about them a week later.
Malta-based creative digital agency MPiFY will be on the ground at NEXT Summit Valletta 2026 connecting with iGaming brands that are serious about their digital presence. The team works across services from web design with excellent UI/UX design and SEO strategy, to visual identity (branding) and AI-powered marketing, with a strong track record of helping clients in fast-moving, performance-driven industries build the kind of digital credibility that actually converts. The iGaming sector is a natural fit: operators and suppliers alike need smart, scalable digital strategies, and the competition for attention is only getting sharper.
If you are attending the summit and want to explore what a sharper digital presence could look like for your brand, get in touch with MPiFY before the event and we will sort a conversation on-site.
NEXT Summit Valletta 2026 is the flagship annual B2B iGaming conference organised by NEXT.io, held across six days from 25 to 30 May at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valetta, Malta.
The core conference runs on 27 and 28 May 2026, with the wider festival week spanning 25 to 30 May.
The 2026 lineup features over 250 industry experts across 9 stages, spanning C-level operators, founders, investors, and specialists from across the global iGaming ecosystem. Including: Paris Smith (Advisor), Marina Ostrovtsova (Gaming), Clemence Dujardin (MyAffiliates), Karolina Pelc (HerPlay), and Alexia Frendo (FDJ).
Sessions cover AI in iGaming, operator growth strategy, affiliate and performance marketing, blockchain payments, crypto compliance, and start-up investment.
Passes are available directly through the official registration page at the official NEXT website.
The main venue is the Mediterranean Conference Centre, a 16th-century building on the Valletta peninsula overlooking the Grand Harbour.
Yes, including the Grand Harbour Terrace Networking Event on Day 2, morning golf and padel tournaments, the BGaming Charity Gala, and the legendary Showers pool party on 30 May.
Pricing is listed on the official website’s ticketing page, with Full Event Pass and Premium Event Pass options, plus a complimentary VIP pass for eligible operators via verification.
No formal virtual stream is offered; NEXT Summit Valletta 2026 is a fully in-person event.
Attendees can expect direct meetings with senior operators, exposure to the latest iGaming strategies, and meaningful deal-making opportunities in one of the most curated environments in the industry.
Malta-based creative digital agency MPiFY will be on the ground at NEXT Summit Valletta 2026 connecting with iGaming brands that are serious about their digital presence.
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