William Scott, Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of Meridian Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: MRDN), will speak at the 2026 SBC Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, on September 29, joining a panel titled “The Africa Advantage: High Growth, Fast Regulation, Huge Potential.” The panel, which opens the Global & Emerging Markets Stage at 13:00 local time, will examine Africa’s rapidly expanding online betting and gaming market, projected to grow from $12.7 billion in 2026 to $19.4 billion by 2030, according to iGaming Business.
The discussion will bring together senior operators active across Europe to explore how player preferences vary between markets, which countries are expanding fastest, and where regulations are shifting activity from the grey market to licensed operators. Scott will be joined by Christopher Coyne, CEO of 888Africa; Jason Gibson, Chief Commercial Officer of SportPesa; Aggrey Sayi, CEO of Maybets; and Ronnie Whelan, CEO of Kingmakers.
Africa’s iGaming growth is driven by mobile money platforms that facilitate player conversion and by evolving regulatory frameworks in key markets such as Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, Ghana, and Uganda. Meridianbet, Meridian Holdings’ flagship sports betting and gaming subsidiary, maintains an established presence across several African markets. Scott will bring insights from his experience navigating the continent’s regulatory landscape and overseeing Meridian’s broader international operations.
“Africa represents one of the most compelling growth stories in our industry right now, and it’s an opportunity we’ve been building toward for years,” Scott said. “I’m looking forward to sharing perspective alongside operators who, like Meridian, are working directly with regulators and players across these markets and discussing what it takes to build a sustainable, compliant business as this region continues to mature.”
Meridian Holdings Inc., headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, is a B2B and B2C gaming technology group operating across more than 25 international regulated markets. Its B2C division is led by Meridianbet Group, a leading online sports betting and gaming operator founded in 2001 and licensed across Europe, Africa, and South America. The B2B division comprises game developer Expanse Studios and iGaming platform GMAG, which develop, license, and distribute proprietary gaming technology globally. Additional subsidiaries include RKings Competitions in the UK, MexPlay in Mexico, and Classics for a Cause in Australia. The company’s software automatically declines gaming or redemption requests originating in the United States, in strict compliance with U.S. law.
For more information, visit www.meridian-holdings.com.
The SBC Summit panel underscores the strategic importance of Africa’s iGaming market for operators and investors. As regulations tighten and mobile money adoption rises, licensed operators like Meridian are positioned to capture growth while promoting responsible gaming. The discussion could influence how international companies approach African markets, balancing high growth potential with compliance and sustainability. For readers and industry stakeholders, this signals a shift toward regulated, mobile-first gaming ecosystems in Africa, with significant implications for investment and market entry strategies.
