The three winners of the 2024 International Regulatory Awards have been revealed during the Gala Dinner at the IAGR and IMGL joint Rome Conference with awards going to Denmark, the Netherlands and Australia.

This year’s award winners represent a wide range of innovative regulatory initiatives from across the globe:

1. Regulatory Excellence Award

Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) for the launch of the BetStop National Self-Exclusion Register.

A few words from ACMA:

‘BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register represents a significant enhancement of consumer safeguards available to Australians who gamble.

‘The IAGR award for regulatory excellence is recognition of the dedication and collaboration of ACMA staff in delivering this important safeguard which has supported the more than 30,000 Australians registered to date.’ – Nerida O’Loughlin, Chair of ACMA

The award was accepted by Matthew Anderson from ACMA, and presented by IMGL President Quirino Mancini and IAGR Vice President Sarah Kelly (pictured)

2. Regulatory Innovation Award

Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa), the Netherlands Gambling Authority, for its sophisticated use of data to enhance consumer protection.

A few words from Ksa:

‘I was honoured to be in Rome on behalf of our organization. I greatly appreciate the international acknowledgement for ‘Markers of risk’. I would like to thank my dedicated and impactful colleagues Dr. Flóra Felsö and Dr. Judith Kas and their team for their hard work. Also a big thank you to both Prof. Tony Schellinck and Dr. Tracy Schrans of Focal Research Consultants for the nomination and making this possible. The report about this project will be published later this year. A great contribution to our mission which states consumers must be able to play safely. We act to prevent misconduct. Thank you.’ – Michel Groothuizen, Chairman of Ksa

3. Best Regulatory Campaign Award

Danish Gambling Authority for the engaging ‘One Armed Bandit’ responsible gambling campaign

A few words from the Danish Gambling Authority:

‘It is an immense honour to receive this award for our campaign, and the fact that it is presented by our fellow regulators from around the world is of great importance to us.

‘Our campaign “The One-Armed Bandit” targets underage persons to prevent them from gambling, which is why we took a quite unusual approach. For instance, our character uses a type of language which one does not normally hear in campaigns from public organisations. However, we found it necessary to use unorthodox methods to reach our target group and I am very thankful that the IAGR jury saw the value of our campaign.

‘Preventing underage children and young people from gambling and gambling harm is an important agenda for the Danish Gambling Authority which is why I am particularly proud of the award.’ – Anders Dorph, Director of the Danish Gambling Authority

Outstanding nominations came from across the world

IAGR Vice President Sarah Kelly, who was part of the judging panel, praised the winners:

‘This year saw an impressive number of nominations from around the world. Our winners stood out for their commitment to improving regulatory standards globally, benefiting both the industry and consumers.’

For more details on the award winners and their impactful work, please stay tuned for upcoming IAGR member webinars in 2025.