IAGR President’s comments – Mabutho Zwane
Welcome to IAGR’s June 2021 e-News edition. What a year it has been so far. It would have been unimaginable 18 months ago to predict that we would all be where we are today and have surpassed the challenges this period has given each and every one of us.
I would firstly like to acknowledge the challenges, loss and distress that has – and continues to – affected so many of our members across the globe as you have all grappled with the Covid-19 worldwide pandemic. The loss of loved ones, the health challenges both individually, within families and across communities, and the ongoing uncertainty of this virus has made for difficult times. I hope this situation is something we never have to experience again in the future. The economic challenge and uncertainty across the globe and within our industry is unprecedented and will shape how we all move into 2021 and beyond.
My mind and heart is with each and every one of you, as you continue to transverse the new normal and find a way forward.
Through 2021 it has been the priority of the IAGR Board to increase the capacity and breadth of IAGR’s public voice with the aim of achieving our vision of being recognised as the leading body for gambling regulators internationally.
A key plank to achieving this will be our 2021 Conference in September 2021. It was unavoidable that our 2020 Conference was cancelled and moved to 2021. Despite many conferences, globally, being cancelled or moved online we still look forward to hosting our event later this year and must remain positive that the global health situation will improve, enabling the participation of members and sector representatives to meet in Boston.
The registrations for this event are now open, and we thank everyone who has already registered. We will continue to monitor health advice and keep you updated with the progress towards this important event.
At the conference I am proud to announce that IAGR will be presenting the inaugural International Regulatory Awards. You will have recently seen an email describing these awards and providing details of the nominations process. I encourage you all to seriously consider providing nominations to these awards.
Key to the success of our 2021 Conference and events is the provision of information and content that is rich in the views of membership. We are continuing to grow our membership, our contributors, our voice to provide value and leadership to our members and broader gambling community.
In line with achieving this goal I welcome our new partnership with the International Gambling Standards Association (IGSA). This is a first for both organisations and provides us with an opportunity to grow our voice and increase the impact that we have as an organisation across the international regulatory sector. We will provide you with more information about how this new partnership is creating outcomes and value throughout 2021.
Similarly, I am proud that IAGR has reached agreement with the Focus Gaming News organisation, who have come on board as our media partners. This is an important step for IAGR to expand our membership and the awareness of our association; especially into the Latin American regions.
In closing, I would like to thank the Board of Trustees for their continued commitment to IAGR and their commitment of time and energy. I would also like to thank the IAGR team who ensure that things run smoothly and do an outstanding job.
I look forward to working with you all over the coming year and send my heartfelt best wishes that you all enjoy a safe and healthly end to 2021.
