The Conference Circuit That Nearly Broke Me

I’ve been attending iGaming conferences for over 25 years. I’ve survived hangovers in Toronto, food poisoning in London, jet lag in Macau and more late nights in Amsterdam than I care to count.

But nothing, absolutely nothing, prepared me for what the back-to-back circuit of SBC Lisbon and G2E Las Vegas threw at me this past month

This is the story of when your body is screaming at you to stay home yet sometimes showing up is the only option.

When a Virus Hits Like a Freight Train

SBC Summit Lisbon in September 2025 was incredible. The venue was stunning, the organization was flawless and the energy was exactly what our industry needed. I was in my element, connecting with old friends, meeting potential clients and soaking in the buzz of an industry that never stops innovating.

Then, on the second-to-last day of the conference, I felt it. That familiar tickle in the throat. The slight fog in the head. The subtle sense that something wasn’t right.

By the final day, I was barely functioning. I pushed through my last few meetings, but every handshake took monumental effort. Every conversation required concentration I didn’t have. I finally pulled Catie Di Stefano and the Vegas Kings team aside and told them: “Get me back to the Airbnb. Now.”

What followed were three days of complete shutdown. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t move. I lay in that Lisbon apartment, wondering how I was going to get myself to the airport, let alone on a plane back to South Africa. This virus had arrived with a vengeance, and it wasn’t interested in my conference schedule. I missed a few great events that were planned, but I could not move or stop shivering!

Somehow, and I genuinely don’t remember the journey much, but I made it home. My wife took one look at me and went into full nurse mode. For the next week and a half, she nursed me back from what was genuinely the worst illness I’d experienced in years. I hadn’t been sick once in the previous two years, so my body seemed determined to make up for lost time.

The Tooth That Waited 15 Years to Strike

Just as I was starting to surface from COVID, just as I was thinking “okay, I can recover and make it to Vegas in a few days,” my mouth exploded in pain.

Not normal toothache pain. The kind of pain that makes you question every life decision that led to this moment. The kind of pain that has you googling “can you die from an infected tooth” at 3am.

I dragged myself to the emergency dentist. X-rays revealed the nightmare: an infected root canal that had been quietly eating away at my jawbone for over 15 years. It had created a hole straight through to my sinus cavity, which was now filled with a massive abscess. The infection had been festering for more than a decade and it chose this exact moment – one day before my flight to Vegas – to announce itself.

“We can’t do anything until the infection clears,” the dentist told me, loading me up with strong antibiotics and painkillers. “You need at least a week of treatment before we can operate.”

I looked at my calendar. I was due to fly tomorrow and G2E Las Vegas started in three days. I had client meetings booked. I had podcast interviews scheduled with the legends Dr. Laila Mintas and Amazon’s Shayan Sanyal – two absolute powerhouses in the tech industry.

“I’m getting on that plane,” I told the dentist.

He looked at me as if  I was insane. He might have been right.

Vegas, Where Champions Go to Suffer

I’ve never felt so compromised at a conference in my life.

The antibiotics were supposed to reduce the infection. The painkillers were supposed to make it manageable. Neither did what they promised. Instead, the pain accelerated throughout the week, building to a crescendo that had me contemplating pulling my own tooth out in the hotel bathroom.

But here’s the thing about G2E – it’s not just a conference. It’s where deals get made. It’s where relationships are strengthened. It’s where the future of our industry takes shape. And after 30 years in this business, I’ve come to realize that showing up matters more than just feeling good.

So I showed up.

I white-knuckled my way through client meetings, forcing smiles despite the throbbing in my jaw. I hosted two podcast interviews, praying that my face wouldn’t betray the agony I was in. Both Dr. Laila Mintas and Shayan Sanyal are such pros that they probably noticed I wasn’t at my best, but they carried those conversations with grace and energy that made my job easier.

By mid-week, my face started swelling. By Thursday, I looked visibly distorted. I’m genuinely grateful I recorded those podcast episodes early in the week, before I started resembling a chipmunk storing nuts for winter.

The People Who Carried Me Through

This is where the story shifts from personal suffering to why I love this industry so damn much: the people.

Catie Di Stefano, Vegas Kings’ Marketing Director, became my lifeline throughout G2E. She managed my schedule, ran interference when I needed breaks and somehow kept the Vegas Kings’ presence strong while also making sure I didn’t collapse on the show floor. There were moments when I genuinely couldn’t function, and she stepped in seamlessly. That’s not just professional excellence – that’s genuine care for a colleague who was drowning.

Both Ashley Adir and Stuart Allen (my Business Partners) kept the ship running and are masters of the conference floor. Their efforts allowed me to stumble in the background. They are my true foundation.

Close industry friends who saw me struggling would quietly check in: “You okay, mate?” “Need anything?” These weren’t empty gestures. These were people ready to actually help, no questions asked. I have to give Brad Weitz a special thanks for constantly offering assistance.

And through it all, my wife back in South Africa was my rock. She’d already nursed me through COVID in early September, and now in October she was on WhatsApp providing moral support, medical advice and the kind of love that makes you think “I can do this for one more day.”

What I Actually Noticed (Between the Agony)

Despite everything, I’m a professional. And even through the fog of pain and antibiotics, some things stood out about both conferences:

SBC Summit Lisbon deserves enormous credit for its organization. The flow of the venue, the quality of attendees, the networking spaces – all world-class. This wasn’t just a conference; it was a statement about where our industry’s heading. The Portuguese hospitality combined with SBC’s operational excellence created something special.

Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegasremains the heavyweight champion of gaming conferences for the US crew. The caliber of people who show up, the innovation on display, the deals being made in every corner, there’s nothing quite like it.

iGB Events and Clarion Events gaming, our Executive Podcast Sponsors, provided phenomenal support for our podcast setup. They understood what we were trying to accomplish and gave us the resources and space to make it happen.

Both events reminded me why we keep doing this year after year. It’s not just about business development (though that’s crucial). It’s about being part of a global community that’s pushing boundaries, innovating constantly, and yes, caring about each other when things get tough.

The Surgery, The Recovery, and What Comes Next

I’m writing this from bed, a few days post-surgery. A top maxillofacial surgeon spent hours fixing what 15 years of silent infection had destroyed. I lost a couple of teeth. They did a sinus lift. The technical details are gruesome enough that I’ll spare you most of them. Suffice it to say: it was invasive, it was necessary and I have another surgery scheduled in a few months for bone grafts.

For someone who spent two years feeling invincible, healthy, fit, clear-minded, on top of my game, this feels like being knocked to the canvas. Hard.

But here’s what I know from 30 years in this industry: you get knocked down, you get back up stronger!

I’ve been on a quest to be the fittest, healthiest, clearest version of myself.

This setback doesn’t change that goal – it just reminds me that the path isn’t always linear. Sometimes you have to crawl through the valley before you can climb back to the peak.

The Best Medicine

You know what actually works when you’re broken and exhausted? It’s not the painkillers (though they help). It’s not the antibiotics (though they’re essential). It’s cuddles from my wife and kids. It’s the WhatsApp messages from industry friends checking in. It’s the Vegas Kings team rallying around their slightly insane founder, who insisted on flying to Vegas with an infected face.

The best medicine is knowing you’re surrounded by people who actually give a damn.

The deals I made at G2E despite the pain? Those happened because I showed up when it would have been easier to stay home.

The friendships that deepened because people saw me vulnerable and stepped up to help? Those are worth more than any contract.

What’s Next

Right now, I’m a few days post-surgery and racing against the clock. Because on October 29th and 30th – this week – Vegas Kings is partnering with Optimove to host a Cape Town roadshow event. Two days of bringing the best in our industry together in my hometown, in my wheelhouse.

I refuse to show up compromised. We’ve invited top industry players to Cape Town and they deserve the fully-powered version of what Vegas Kings can deliver. That’s my motivation,  proving I can show up at full strength when it matters most.

The Show Must Go On

To everyone who helped me survive SBC Lisbon and G2E: thank you. And to this industry that’s been my home for three decades, I’ll see you in Cape Town next week.

“The Power Play by Moshe Adir” is released weekly on the Vegas Kings website and LinkedIn. Drawing from nearly 30 years of experience in design and development for online gaming, Moshe shares exclusive industry insights, lessons learned, and behind-the-scenes stories from the evolution of iGaming. Stay tuned for fresh perspectives from one of the industry’s OG!