January 2026 officially rewrote Europe’s iGaming calendar as it usually starts with SiGMA in Malta — but not this time. Instead, the whole industry gathered in not-so-sunny Barcelona for Clarion’s first-ever World Gaming Week, which combined ICE Barcelona and iGB Affiliate. The event turned Barcelona into the epicentre of global gaming and gathered 65,000+ delegates in a record-breaking exhibition space. In this article, you’ll discover a clear breakdown of the most important ICE and iGB Affiliate news, product launches, and trends in 2026.
ICE Barcelona 2026 — Record Numbers & “A Cold Welcome”
ICE Barcelona 2026 ran from 19–21 January at Fira Barcelona Gran Via, marking the show’s first edition outside London.
- 65,000+ attendees from 180+ countries
- 750+ exhibitors
- 143,000 m² of exhibition space
- ~25,000 product launches
- 400+ regulators in attendance
Beyond the numbers, ICE also became the stage for a major strategic shift. Clarion Gaming officially rebranded to “World Gaming”.
Adding to the sense that this was no ordinary opening, Barcelona’s first day of World Gaming Week greeted the industry with unexpectedly harsh weather. Cold rain mixed with light snowfall fell over Fira Barcelona Gran Via. It turned the opening hours of ICE and iGB Affiliate into a wintry welcome, which is rarely associated with the city. Yet despite the unexpected and unwelcoming weather conditions, crowds arrived early.
Major ICE Barcelona 2026 Product Highlights
BGaming: The “BGaming Universe”
BGaming restructured its entire game portfolio into a three-tier ecosystem:
- Casual – player acquisition titles like Aviamasters and Plinko
- Classic – retention-focused slots such as Fruit Million and Wild Cash x9990
- Entertainment – high-volatility games like Snoop Dogg Dollars and Aztec Clusters.
A growing trend in the industry toward lifecycle-based game strategies and distinct content segmentation is reflected in this portfolio logic.
NOVOMATIC & XTENSION LINK™ Headline
NOVOMATIC, the largest exhibitor, headlined its show with XTENSION LINK™. It introduced new game worlds and features that extend the multi‑feature progressive series. The showcase included a new premium cabinet with expanded visuals, refined ergonomics and enhanced sound for immersive play. NOVOMATIC also launched multi‑feature progressive games designed to offer deeper engagement and lasting floor performance.
The company spotlighted the Novo Unity Pro electronic table‑games platform, enabling live, automated and virtual formats with flexible configurations. It also promoted the NOVOVISION™ Casino Management System, which supports cashless gaming, real‑time analytics, player tracking and loyalty management.
This system won the CMS/Software Product of the Year at the European Casino Awards. While Diamond X 1.55J Quattro and Novo Unity Pro won Best Slot Machine and Best Electronic Table Gaming Product, and NOVOMATIC’s photovoltaic system earned the Sustainability Initiative Award.
Amusnet – Stand 1,224 m² Two‑storey Stand
Amusnet used ICE as both a product showcase and a celebration of its 10th birthday. At a 1,224 m² double‑deck stand, the company created an interactive “living, breathing brand story” with signature cocktail bar, AR games and live performances. Football legend Hristo Stoichkov visited the stand on the second day for a meet‑and‑greet.
Amusnet’s multi‑vertical display covered online casino, live casino and land‑based cabinets. It showcased structured slot series (Golden Coin Link, Three Pot, etc.), cascade and crash games and high‑volatility titles such as Hot Deco Super Pot, 40 Power Hot Triple Boost and Roman Coins. Live‑casino titles like Eye of Ra Roulette 2000x, Vegas Gobbler Live and Candy Wheel emphasised immersive production.
The Bonus Platform and promotional tools (Free Spins, Countdown Free Spins, Lucky Spins and Golden Chips) were presented as ways to drive operator campaigns. Land‑based showcases included Type S VIP cabinets, the Type B bar‑top and a stand‑alone Roulette centre.
Digitain
Digitain’s bespoke stand invited operators to explore product zones for its Sportsbook, Centrivo iGaming Platform, Virtual Sports and Paydrom payment gateway. The company staged a “Museum of Legends” with football memorabilia such as World Cup finals balls and jerseys. They also arranged meet‑and‑greets with legends Luis Figo, Michel Salgado, Iker Casillas and Michael Owen, as well as daily jersey raffles.
What is more, digitain showcased its award‑winning Sportsbook (over 180,000 monthly live events and 4,000+ markets) and Centrivo platform, along with self‑service betting terminals and Virtual Sports with 26,000+ daily events. The Paydrom gateway integrates with more than 60 payment providers, highlighting a fully scalable omnichannel solution.
Stake.com
Stake’s Head of Affiliate Marketing, Wasim Khan, said iGB Affiliate Barcelona would deliver a “high‑impact start” to 2026 by giving Stake face‑to‑face time to negotiate commercial terms and build a pipeline of scalable deals. Khan described the event as the most time‑efficient way to meet a critical mass of partners, stating that success would be measured by signed deals and clear follow‑ups.
The 2026 iGB Affiliate show was 19 % larger than the 2025 edition and occupied 17,815 m² across two halls. Khan said the January timing allows Stake to align Q1–Q2 campaigns early and capitalise on growth opportunities in emerging markets such as Latin America.
Evolution – Hasbro-branded games & 119-title roadmap
Evolution’s 2026 showpiece is its multi‑brand partnership with Hasbro. Visitors to stand 2J30 saw first‑look versions of MONOPOLY Filthy Rich, MONOPOLY Roulette and Game Night, which blend Hasbro board‑game themes with live casino formats. The company also previewed an ambitious 2026 roadmap with more than 110 live and RNG titles planned across Evolution, NetEnt, Red Tiger, Ezugi, Nolimit City, Big Time Gaming and the new Sneaky Slots brand.
In total, the group intends to release 119 games in 2026, and the stand displayed both upcoming live titles and RNG games. Evolution celebrated its 20th anniversary and NetEnt’s 30th at the show, underscoring the group’s long‑term growth.
Entain
Although Entain did not issue a major product announcement, Clarion confirmed that Gavin Isaacs, the new CEO of Entain, would deliver a keynote at ICE’s World Gaming Forum (World Regulatory Briefing) and join a CEO panel discussing growth, risk and regulation. This underscores Entain’s focus on compliance and sustainable expansion.
Entain Partners exhibited at stand 80‑E80 at iGB Affiliate Barcelona, offering affiliate programs for brands such as PartyCasino, PartyPoker, Ladbrokes and bwin.
Final Thoughts
January 2026 marked the largest opening to the iGaming season in European history, thanks to the inaugural World Gaming Week in Barcelona. While SiGMA won’t host a European show until November, its 2026 world‑tour announcements and partners like AIEJA indicate a broader, globally interconnected year.
ICE Barcelona set records for attendance and product launches and showcased a cross‑vertical ecosystem: new cabinets, omnichannel games, AI‑enhanced affiliate tools and sustainability initiatives.
iGB Affiliate, co‑located with ICE, highlighted the booming affiliate market and the emergence of integrated ecosystems (Affigates), geographic expansion (Makeberry), and sports‑marketing synergies (Boomerang Partners with AC Milan).
