Changes Afoot for 2026 Canadian Gaming Summit
The FIFA World Cup next year in Mexico, the U.S., and Canada will significantly affect the communities hosting the matches. However, the leading soccer event globally is also influencing the yearly Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto, as stated by SBC.
SBC Moving Summit Date 2026
The World Cup kicks off in Mexico City on June 11, 2026, followed by the opening game in Toronto the following evening. The competition concludes at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19.
The Canadian Gaming Summit took place from June 17-19 this year at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
Next year, SBC, which organizes the event alongside the Canadian Gaming Association, will shift it to May. That’s to make room for the soccer event. The specific dates are still to be determined.
World Cup Matches in Toronto
“This was the final event on our calendar that hadn’t yet carried the ‘SBC Summit’ name,” said Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC. “Given its growing impact, it was only natural to bring it into the fold. We’re really proud of how far this event has come. After three successful years with SBC and a rich legacy behind it (28 years), the Canadian Gaming Summit has truly reached a point where its future clearly belongs within the SBC Summit series.
"The rebranding isn’t just symbolic. It reflects the quality, scale, and consistency that the Canadian Gaming Summit now shares with all other SBC Summit events globally.”
During the event held last month, over 3,000 delegates, 1,000 operators, 200 affiliates, 75 exhibitors, and 150 speakers participated in a variety of panel discussions throughout the two-day period. The Canadian Gaming Summit has taken place every year for 28 years.
Show Continues To Expand
“This is a chance for the industry to get together,” said CGA President and CEO Paul Burns told Casino.org. “It’s the one time of the year that you see most of the Canadians [in the industry] in one room, at one time. In this industry, it’s a chance to share and learn. And I remarked this year in particular, for the first time, we had three ministers responsible for various parts of the gambling sector from this country – two from Ontario, Doug Downey [Attorney General of Ontario] and Minister [Stan] Cho [Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Gaming] – and Minister Dale Nally, who is leading the regulated market in Alberta. We never had that before.
"And so the event shows where the gaming industry is in Canada, where it’s growing, and how it’s expanding. I think those are the things I take away from this week. Where we are as an industry, where we’re growing. This show is probably one of the best attended ones we’ve ever had. It continues to grow. SBC has been a great partner with us. We’ve seen the growth in the sector and suppliers and people still wanting to see how they can do business here. So, it’s a great week for them.”
