Programme
Get ready for two and a half days packed with expert-led sessions, lively panel discussions tailored for European multi-channel casino operators. Hear from top industry speakers sharing insights on operations, compliance, technology, and customer engagement.
Enjoy exclusive networking opportunities designed to connect you with peers, sponsors, and industry leaders. All set in a stunning venue that blends professional learning with relaxed social experiences.
Join us at COS 2026 to gain valuable knowledge, build lasting relationships, and explore new business opportunities.
You can find the programme of COS 2026 below, or download a PDF by pressing the button.
| Time | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 08:00 – 12:00 | Delivery of goods | |
| 08:00 – 18:00 | Installation of sponsor equipment | Sponsor Areas Hyatt Regency Conference Center |
| 15:00 – 17:00 | European Casino Association – Board Meeting | Meeting Room Hyatt Regency Conference Center (invited persons only) |
| 19:30 – 22:30 | OPENING RECEPTION | Regency Casino Thessaloniki |
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 – 10:10 | Opening words | Joris Dekker – COS moderator |
| 10:10 – 10:20 | Welcome @ COS 2026 | Lucien (Lucas) Wijsman |
| 10:20 – 10:50 | The value of Land Based Casinos in the modern world | Erwin van Lambaart |
| CEO / General Director Casinos Austria & Chairman European Casino Association (amongst others) | ||
| 10:50 – 11:20 | Why Land Based Casinos are essential for the future of city centres | Simon Thomas |
|
Executive Chairman, Hippodrome Casino Simon was then Managing Director of Thomas Estates Ltd, a company acknowledged as one of the main innovators in the bingo and amusement industry in the UK, until he sold it to Riva gaming in Aug 2006. He is now Executive Chairman and majority shareholder of Hippodrome Casino limited, the extensive leisure casino complex above Leicester Square tube station which opened in July 2012. He was the youngest ever President of the industry trade association BACTA and was also a member of the equivalent committee of the Bingo Association. He is a past chairman of the casino association NCF and is the current chair of the land-based casinos section of BGC. The various roles have led to high-level involvement with the Government, MPs, the Gambling Commission, DCMS, and HMT. |
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| 11:20 – 11:50 ☕ | Coffee break | |
| 11:50 – 12:30 | Points. Rewards. Comps. For decades, casino loyalty has been built on simple transactions. But today’s players aren’t just chasing perks - they’re chasing experiences, recognition, and seamless integration across land-based, online, and lifestyle channels. | Riaan van Rooyen |
| Hospitality and Casino Executive with very extensive experience; including GM for Casinos in Africa (Carousel, Carnival City, Sun Int. Lesotho) and Greece (Thessaloniki). | ||
| 12:30 – 13:10 | How Exceptional Teams Win Beyond Luck | Menno Olgers |
| Menno’s twenty-two-year quest to unravel the formula of truly high-performing teams has taken him from boardrooms to sports arenas across 25+ countries. His unique blend of tech expertise, leadership passion, and global experience, including executive roles in Bulgaria and Hungary, makes him an inspiring voice in team transformation. As founder of Surply.IO and 9Plus.Team, Menno delivers energizing keynotes packed with practical insights and vivid stories that help teams thrive, engage deeply, and stay resilient amid rapid change, especially in the age of AI. His dynamic style leaves audiences motivated, empowered, and ready to perform at their peak. | ||
| 13:10 – 14:30 🍴 | Lunch break | |
| 14:30 – 15:05 | KEY-NOTE ADDRESS People, Relationships, Listening and Customer-focused innovation: how land-based casinos can not only survive, but thrive in the digital age | Dennis Conrad |
| 15:15 – 15:50 | KEY-NOTE ADDRESS People, Relationships, Listening and Customer-focused innovation: how land-based casinos can not only survive, but thrive in the digital age | Dennis Conrad |
| Dennis Conrad may be the loudest and staunchest casino customer advocate in the gaming industry. His signature column series “I Am Your Customer” and “Stop Doing the Stupid Stuff” have for decades pointed the way for the simple formula of finding out what your casino customers want, then giving it to them. In Dennis’ Opening Keynote Session for the Casino Operations Summit, he will use candor, humor, relentless logic and out-of-the-box thinking, as he shares observations from his 50 years of work and play at hundreds of land-based casinos around the globe. He will highlight the casino operators who really “get it,” what they have done and what you can learn from it to thrive in the digital era of customers having numerous new choices. | ||
| 15:50 – 16:30 ☕ | Coffee break | |
| 16:30 – 17:10 | Sport Bars in Land-Based Casinos (with or without Sports Betting). What’s the impact? | Rupert Ellwood |
| 17:10 – 17:50 | Panel Discussion and Q&A: Sport Bars in Land-based Casinos | Confirmed participants: The Hippodrome Casino; Casino Helsinki; OlyBet; Paddy Power |
| 20:00 – 00:00 🥂 | Evening program | Location to be confirmed |
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 – 10:40 | Why does Homo Ludens Play and Gamble? | Dr. Michael Auer |
| PhD in Psychology and Master’s degree in Psychology as well as Statistics. Played a pivotal role in developing a player-centric and science-based responsible gaming solution. Originally a marketer, he views Responsible Gaming as a way of creating a fun and safe gambling environment. | ||
| 10:40 – 11:20 | The Case for Operational Product Marketing | Nick Hogan |
| In this presentation, ReelMetrics CEO, Nick Hogan, makes the urgent case for Operational Product Marketing. Using hard data from the company's extensive field tests, Hogan demonstrates the discipline's game-changing returns in the critical areas of player retention, productivity, loyalty, satisfaction, and spend. He proves the point: Your most profitable marketing investments aren't on ads and free play, but on the product installed on your floor. | ||
| 11:20 – 11:50 ☕ | Coffee Break | |
| 11:50 – 12:30 | True Omni-channel Operators. | Ryan Best Dimitrios Ntounis |
|
Ryan Best Chief Risk & Compliance Officer – Bombay Club. A distinguished executive with over 20 years in the UK Mayfair and international casino industry, specialising in regulatory compliance within the gambling sector. His extensive experience extends to various areas within the industry and across regulatory sectors, showcasing his proficiency in integrating innovative technology, risk management, and corporate governance. Dimitrios Ntounis Manager eGaming at Les A and PhD Candidate at Centre for Information Management, Loughborough University Product development practitioner with focus on casino games, revenue optimization, and successful management of complex projects. |
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| 12:30 – 13:10 | "How to Cheat a Casino", also known as the "Chinese Eleven". | Marcel Tobbler |
| CEO of Swiss Casinos since January 2024, leading Switzerland’s largest casino operator with four land-based casinos and the online casino swisscasinos.ch. He initiated the creation of Swiss Casinos Technology to develop and launch ReelLink, the company’s new solution that enables a true omni-channel player experience. | ||
| 13:10 – 14:30 🍴 | Lunch Break | |
| 14:30 – 15:30 | Gambling & Gaming on Cruise Ships: Land-based versus Ship-based Operations – What Can We Learn from Each Other? | Georg Tsonoulis Primoz Bohinc |
| Georg Tsonoulis: Head of Products & Partners (Land & Ship) at Paf – Games Sport Casino, where he leads commercial strategy, partnerships, and product development across 26 vessels and land-based venues. | ||
| 15:30 – 15:50 | Panel Discussion and Q&A; Cruise Ship Casino Management | Georg Tsounoulis Primoz Bohinc Moderated by Lucien Wijsman |
| 15:50 – 16:30 ☕ | Coffee Break | |
| 16:30 – 17:10 | The Past, Present and Future of Casino Gaming in Europe by Numbers | Josh Hodgson |
| 17:10 – 17:50 | Brain Exercises you will not forget! The Magic Message philosophy is that everyone is a mathematician. | Andrew Jeffrey |
| Andrew is a Primary Maths Consultant, Maths CPD provider and magician. His life’s work is to share a passion for mathematics with teachers and audiences alike. He is an award-winning stage and close-up magician, and multi-award-winning mind-reader and mentalist. | ||
| 20:00–00:00 🥂 | Evening program | Location to be confirmed |
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 – 10:40 | Things I wish I could change: Lessons learned from 40 years of operations analysis | Prof. Anthony Lucas (via Zoom) |
| 10:40 – 11:20 | AI Masterclass; From Hype to Hands-On for the Gambling Industry | John Purcell |
| 11:20 – 11:50 ☕ | Coffee break | |
| 11:50 – 12:20 | “Blind No More: The Shocking Shift When Players Actually Know the Game” | Grant Stousland |
| 12:20 – 12:40 | Panel Discussion What info should be provided to players to enable them to make an informed choice about the game they are going to play? |
Moderated by Joris Dekkers Panelists Grant Stousland, Nick Hogan, Lucien (Lucas) Wijsman |
| 12:40 – 13:00 | Using AI to predict Player Behavior. | Paula Murphy |
| 13:00 – 13:20 | The future of verified self-sovereign digital identity | Remco Voorhorst |
| 13:20 – 14:45 🍴 | Lunch break | |
| 14:45 – 16:30 | End-note address The future of Land-Based and Online Casinos in Europe. Compete or complement – that’s the question. |
Lucien Wijsman |
| 17:30 – 20:00 🥂 | Closing reception | Ian’s Bar - Regency Casino Thessaloniki |
Suggestions?
Every year our team works on creating an interesting programme with different topics. Do you have any suggestions for us, or topics that you would like to see on the programme? Please let us know!