E.CON 2026: The Future of Gaming Technology for Clubs and Pubs

Ebet brought together venues from across NSW for E.CON 2026, an event focused on the future of gaming technology for clubs and pubs and how they can stay ahead in a rapidly changing environment.

Held on Thursday 16 April 2026, the event marked the official launch of Evolve, Ebet’s next-generation gaming system, and gave venue operators a clear view of what’s coming next across technology, compliance and customer experience.

Ebet CEO and Cherryhub Founder, Frank Makryllos set the tone early, outlining the market realities and why the technology decisions venues make now will directly impact how they perform in the years ahead.

The Market Reality

The operating environment for clubs and pubs is shifting.

Industry revenue is forecast to decline 2.5% in the year ahead as cost-of-living pressures impact discretionary spend. Venue closures are running at 8.1% annually, well above the broader economy average. At the same time, energy, insurance, wages and technology costs continue to rise.

Clubs and pubs are still outperforming the broader hospitality sector, but the margin for error is tightening.

In a market like this, standing still is the biggest risk, and the venues that move early will outperform those that wait.

For operators, this changes the equation. Technology is no longer a support function. It is a performance driver.

Platforms that reduce operational burden, strengthen compliance and deliver measurable return earn their place. Disconnected systems do the opposite.

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Introducing Evolve

Evolve, Ebet's next-generation gaming platform, made its official debut at E.CON 2026. The platform is now live in its first venue, with field trial rollout commencing 25 March 2026.

Built from the ground up, Evolve is not retrofitted or layered onto legacy systems. Instead, it introduces a smartphone-style interface to the gaming machine, combined with NFC tap-to-connect via member card or mobile wallet, members can tap and play instantly using their existing card or digital wallet. No app download, no friction, no change in behaviour required.

The shift to contactless is already well underway across payments. In Australia, the vast majority of in-person transactions are now tap-based, with mobile wallet usage continuing to grow. The gaming floor is one of the last major environments yet to fully catch up.

Evolve brings gaming into alignment with how members already transact, using secure NFC technology across both cards and mobile wallets.

‍Drummoyne Sailing Club was the first venue in Australia to go live as part of a structured field trial and validation phase. General Manager Joe Ruzicska joined the stage to share insights into the rollout, highlighting both the simplicity of installation and the immediate impact on the member experience.

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A Platform Built for What’s Next

A key shift highlighted at E.CON was the move from standalone products to connected platforms. Evolve is built for exactly that, designed as an open platform, allowing third-party integrations directly at the player interface.

‍ClevaQ, Australia's leading venue table ordering provider, is the first integration. Delivered as E.Q, and exclusive to Ebet venues, the integration includes member-aware ordering, real-time POS synchronisation, pay-by-points functionality and 'Follow Me' service.

Members can now order food and drinks directly from the gaming machine without interrupting their session.

For venues, this means unlocking new opportunities to increase spend, improve service efficiency and deliver more seamless experiences across the floor.

Evolve is also designed as a connected data platform for the AI era, not a reporting layer added onto legacy systems. Venue data becomes structured, accessible and ready to support decisions across operations, marketing and compliance.

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Smarter Engagement with Cherryhub and AI

The integration between Ebet and Cherryhub continues to deepen, creating a connected ecosystem across membership, payments, compliance and loyalty.

One of the standout capabilities is AI-powered messaging through Cherryperks.

Venues can generate targeted push notifications in seconds, with AI adapting tone based on the objective — promotional, informational or urgent. Before sending, each message is assigned a real-time risk rating, helping venues avoid over-messaging and protect long-term engagement.

For venues looking to increase visitation, drive spend and stay relevant with members, this level of precision is becoming essential.

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Compliance, Data and Real-Time Visibility

With AUSTRAC scrutiny increasing and AML/CTF obligations now in effect from March 2026, compliance remains a critical focus for venues.

Evolve’s live data infrastructure, combined with Cherryhub’s Cherrycheck tool and the BNDRY partnership, enables a connected, end-to-end compliance workflow.

From real-time monitoring to auditable records, venues gain greater visibility and control without increasing operational burden.

AI plays an important role here, but only when applied correctly. Ebet’s approach is to use AI where it delivers measurable outcomes, supported by human oversight, rather than relying on generic, template-driven solutions.

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Why Ebet, Why Now

Ebet is Australia’s only dedicated gaming and membership system provider, supporting more than 550 venues across NSW and Victoria and connecting over 33,000 gaming machines.

With more than 25 years in Australian gaming technology, Ebet has consistently led major industry shifts, from early cashless innovation through to digital membership and now the transition to connected, data-driven platforms.

E.CON 2026 reinforced that track record. Evolve is not a one-off release. It is the next step in a long-term platform strategy built specifically for Australian venues and regulatory conditions.

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What’s Next for Gaming Technology

E.CON closed with a clear roadmap for the next 12 to 18 months.

Ebet’s focus includes:

• Deeper personalisation and targeted marketing at point of play
• Enhanced real-time AML and responsible gambling monitoring
• Back-end simplification through E.OS, creating more efficient, scalable systems

With hardware costs now significantly higher than previous years and infrastructure pricing continuing to rise, technology decisions are becoming more important than ever.

Ebet’s hybrid cloud and on-premise architecture gives venues flexibility to manage these costs, rather than being locked into a single model.

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Looking Ahead

E.CON 2026 made one thing clear. The future of gaming technology for clubs and pubs is connected, data-driven and built around the member experience.

Venues that embrace this shift will operate more efficiently, engage more effectively and stay ahead of both regulatory and market change.

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Get Ahead of the Rollout

Hardware lead times are increasing. Costs are rising. The venues moving now are the ones securing rollout timelines and commercial certainty.

If you’re considering upgrading your gaming technology, now is the time to get in the queue.

Contact your Ebet representative or get in touch with our team directly to start the conversation.

Ebet supports 550+ venues across NSW and Victoria, with connections to over 33,000 gaming machines and more than 350,000 digital members via Cherryhub.