November 1, 2026

G2E 2026, why the sportsbook was the place to be

My sixth G2E: what sportsbook operators talked about at G2E 2026, from prediction market regulation to new products, new sports and a stronger 2027 ahead.

Aaron Friedman
Product Marketing Manager @ LSports

In this article

G2E 2026: Why the sportsbook was the place to be

G2E 2026 was my sixth Global Gaming Expo, and the sportsbook turned out to be the place to be. From September 28 to October 1, the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas filled with roughly 25,000 people from more than 120 countries, by the American Gaming Association's estimate. Here is what I heard from the operators who spent their time there, and why 2027 looks like a better year.

Sportsbook operators found their own room

With SBC Lisbon running the same week, I went in wondering how the calendar would shape the sports betting side of the show. I came away surprised by how well attended it was. The AGA said turnout was on par with previous years.

Casino filled most of the floor, but the sportsbook is where sports betting came together. Sportsbook and prediction market operators found their own home there, and it was a lively gathering, with familiar faces and plenty of new ones.

The moment that stuck with me most was speaking with a well-known operator brand we work with outside the US, and hearing them talk about what a good partner LSports is for them outside the States.

Prediction markets drove almost every conversation

Prediction markets dominated the conversation, on stage and off. For the first time, G2E added a bonus main stage session dedicated to them. No one can deny how far they have spread. What people questioned was how long the current model lasts.

Most people agreed that some form of regulation is coming. The pieces are already moving:

Where it lands, and how soon, is still open. The timing could depend on how the next Congress chooses to approach it.

Some people are concerned about what tighter rules would mean. Most agreed the format is not going away either way. Even if regulators clamped down hard, or banned them outright, prediction markets would still exist as offshore options. That would limit how widely the broader market adopts them.

Operators are competing on product now

The US market is mature. Missouri, which launched in December 2025, was the most recent big state to go live, and the largest remaining opportunities, Texas and California, are years away. National handle has run roughly flat year over year since late 2025, according to AGA data reported by Covers.

With no new states coming online, operators are counting on new products and new offerings to grow GGR.

One answer is Play Insurance, which LSports launched with gripAI in July. A player insures a play for a small premium. If the play loses, the player gets part of the stake back, scaled to how close it came. The operator keeps the premium as new revenue on top of existing handle, on a target margin the operator sets. It runs as its own layer, so traders keep pricing and trading core markets exactly as they do today. It is live now for football single plays across the major outcome markets.

A promotion gives money away. This brings it in.

New sports are back on the table

Operators are also looking at new sports to drive revenue, and table tennis was of interest at several well-known operators.

It is easy to see why. Table tennis runs around the clock, with tight match cycles and high volume, so it fills the hours when the major leagues are quiet. It is already the second most-requested sport at LSports, with 250+ leagues and about 800,000 fixtures a year on the feed and more than 70 markets.

In a market where every book carries the same headline games, the edge often sits in the fixtures the others overlook.

2027 is shaping up as a stronger year

After a demanding 2026, most people I spoke with agreed that 2027 looks like it will be a better year.

  • Operators know their markets. The land-grab years are over, and books now have a clear read on their players and their states.
  • Prediction markets should have more clarity. Whatever the rules turn out to be, a settled framework is easier to plan around than an open fight.
  • The challengers are moving. The brands chasing the market's two leaders are repositioning to go after share hard, which means more competition on product, coverage and pricing.

That is good news for any operator with something new to put on the board. The books that grow in 2027 will be the ones that give players a reason to choose them.

Planning what goes on your board for 2027? See what the LSports feed covers, from the headline leagues to table tennis around the clock.