Icon.Partners at iGB Affiliate Barcelona 2026: what we saw on the ground

Our team visited iGB Affiliate 2026 last month, on 20–21 January, at Fira Barcelona Gran Via. The event brought together a lot of interesting people we were glad to meet: operators, affiliates, and service providers, all of them working across IGaming. This occurrence gave us a chance to see where the industry is actually heading. With our own eyes, behind the pitch decks.

What caught our attention

Partnership structures in iGaming and affiliate

Most deals in this sphere still depend a lot on how contracts are written. We had conversations about the gap between what marketing teams agree to verbally and what ends up in the partnership agreement. Liability allocation, payment terms, and exclusivity clauses — these details are crucial and often matter more than people sometimes realize until something goes wrong.

Crypto and Web3 in iGaming

Crypto still plays a big role in the whole iGaming industry: as a payment method, part of loyalty mechanics, and sometimes as a user acquisition tool. We noticed a shift this year: teams are beginning to think of compliance earlier. The “start fast, license later” approach is not working anymore, especially in the European Union, where users face new crypto regulations.

MiCA as a reference point

MiCA came up in almost every conversation about crypto. It’s not totally implemented everywhere yet, but the way of thinning dynamic is noticeable. Questions of licensing, disclosures, and what kind of corporate structure is needed in the EU have begun to shape. That is definitely a positive dynamic.

Legal tech and operations

The interest in tools that make compliance less painful is growing rapidly. Document automation, audit trails, workflow management — nothing revolutionary, but the demand is definitely there. Teams clearly want to stay compliant without adding three extra steps to every process.

Get in touch

If you were also at iGB Affiliate Barcelona, or if you're working somewhere at the intersection of iGaming, affiliates, and Web3 — happy to exchange notes. Whether it's partner agreements, regulatory questions, or cross-border structuring, we're around and open to discuss.