When SiGMA first brought its flagship vision to Rome, the goal was bigger than putting on another industry event. It was about testing whether Malta’s home-grown events expertise could translate to a much larger European stage.In 2026, SiGMA World is heading back to the Italian capital with an even bigger ambition.The latest SiGMA documentary looks behind the scenes at what it takes to deliver an event of this scale, from the logistical challenges of moving a Malta-based operation to Rome to the wider role the company sees for itself in bringing the gaming industry and regulators into the same conversation.“Last year Rome marked the beginning of something bigger,” the documentary narrator says. “It was just the start, because in 2026, we’re not simply returning to Rome, we’re returning better, bolder, and with the ambition to raise the bar once again.”For an organisation accustomed to staging events in Malta, the scale of Rome presented a very different challenge.Gunther Decesare, SiGMA’s chief operating officer, explains that while the company’s largest events in Malta might occupy the equivalent of around four football pitches, the Rome operation expanded to approximately 10.Heathcliff Farrugia, SiGMA’s chief executive officer, puts the scale into further perspective, describing an area of around 100,000 square metres. That size brings a very different level of pressure. According to the team featured in the documentary, planning an event of this magnitude means preparing for problems before they arise, rather than relying on Malta’s familiarity and accessibility.“In Malta, everything is within reach,” says Mauro Busuttil. “I think the biggest challenge would be that we have to plan. You need to plan for anything that might go wrong.”The Rome project also became a showcase for Maltese businesses operating behind the scenes. Farrugia notes that the vast majority of the stand builders involved were Maltese companies, effectively taking the expertise they had developed in Malta and applying it to a much larger international production.For the SiGMA team, that is part of the story behind the event.The move to Rome is not simply about increasing the size of an expo. It reflects the company’s broader ambition to create a meeting point between the commercial gaming sector and the policymakers who regulate it.Farrugia says the presence of regulators at SiGMA events has been increasing as the industry matures, meaning the events company needs to evolve alongside it. Where earlier events focused predominantly on iGaming professionals and companies, the programme is increasingly looking towards governments and regulators.The approach was evident in Rome, where European Parliament President Roberta Metsola opened the expo.“Regulation in Europe is essential, but it remains too fragmented for companies to plan, to scale, to operate across borders,” Metsola said at the event. “That has to change.”For SiGMA, creating a space where those conversations can take place is increasingly central to its role. Farrugia argues that gambling can no longer be treated as a subject that sits outside mainstream discussion. Instead, he says the industry should be openly debated, properly regulated and directed towards licensed and regulated markets.That places SiGMA between two groups that do not always share the same priorities: the companies operating in gaming and the authorities responsible for overseeing them.The documentary suggests that Rome demonstrated the model’s potential.Farrugia recalls how some Italian companies initially approached the event cautiously, adopting a “wait and see” attitude before attending as delegates. After experiencing the summit, he says, some were sufficiently impressed to indicate that they planned to increase their presence at future editions.For SiGMA founder Eman Pulis, the opportunity extends beyond a single event or market.“We are at a crossroads, and gaming in Europe has an opportunity to go to new levels,” Pulis says. “We are working around the clock to make sure that regulators from all over the world embrace our conference in Rome so the industry can keep growing sustainably.”As SiGMA World returns to Rome this November, the challenge is therefore not simply to make the event bigger. It is to build on what happened the first time around and strengthen Rome’s position as a meeting point for the companies, regulators and decision-makers shaping the future of gaming in Europe.From Malta’s four-football-pitch events to a 100,000-square-metre international operation, the journey to Rome has already demonstrated the scale of the ambition. The next chapter will show how far that ambition can go.For more information about SiGMA World and its upcoming events, visit the SiGMA website. Send this to someone who loves a success story•