The organizers of the SiGMA World iGaming conference are being urged to reconsider the participation of former UFC champion Conor McGregor, who is set to attend the event in Rome on November 3 as the international ambassador for 1xBet.
This call comes from the authors of an open petition by Women in iGaming, who express concerns that McGregor's presence sends a troubling signal to women in the industry.
They are asking SiGMA to clarify how McGregor's involvement aligns with its stated support for women and to implement clear guidelines for celebrity guests.
In 2024, a jury from the High Court of Ireland found McGregor liable for sexual violence in a civil lawsuit related to a rape allegation, ordering him to pay €248,600 ($290,000) to the plaintiff. An appeal court upheld this decision in 2025. However, there has been no criminal conviction in the case, with McGregor maintaining that everything was consensual.
As of now, neither SiGMA nor 1xBet have publicly commented on the situation.