While it's hard to focus on 2009 during the holiday season, the ICEi Expo will be front and center in late-January.

Set to take place between January 27 to January 29, 2009 at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, the International Gaming Expo will see in excess of 90 exhibitors from 25 jurisdictions.

According to Clarion Gaming's marketing manager Charlotte Skinner a major theme for 2009 will be online gambling.

"Respected observers and analysts including the Financial Times, William Hill chief executive Ralph Topping and market intelligence provider, Key Note have all referred to online gambling as a strong driver of growth," Skinner said.

"The attendance figure at ICEi 2008 was 21 percent up on 2007 and we are looking to build on that."

As of August 2008, organizers were reporting that 95 percent of exhibitors from last year's event had booked for this year's.

Among the big companies returning, Boss Media, WorldMatch, A Bet A, Ongame Network, Synot, Net Entertainment, Chartwell Games, Cyberarts Licensing, Partouche Interactive, Continent 8, Medialivecasino, Orbis Technology, Ivobank, Microgaming, CryptoLogic, and Playtech.

Antigua and Barbuda's Directorate of Gaming, Mfuse and Vodafone Malta are among notable newcomers.