One of the reasons why I enjoy being IAGR President is that I get to learn about the varying regulatory climates and approaches across the world.

Different markets, philosophies and public sentiments all help shape a regulator’s remit – and this makes it interesting when you see the contrast in how regulators tackle similar issues.

Unlicensed gambling is an issue for plenty of regulators. How the Norwegian Gaming Authority deals with this issue has been in the news recently, so we thought we’d take a closer look at the regulator’s recent decisions to block payments to and from unlicensed operators.

Good regulation at home and abroad

I’m constantly reminding myself that as a gaming regulator, decisions we make have far reaching impacts. We often need to step outside of our domestic space to combat issues that circumvent state or national boundaries.

One issue that crosses jurisdictional boundaries is match fixing, and it’s really interesting to see the interplay – no pun intended – between gaming regulators, betting operators, law enforcement and monitoring services in reducing the risks of corruption in sport.

Have a read of our special report on recently released data on match fixing.

Sports betting gaining momentum in the US

Sports betting continues to be a headline regulatory issue in the US – with eight states legalising the industry and many more going through the process of making it legal.

I’ll be interested to see the different regulatory approaches put in place as more jurisdictions opt to make sports betting legal over the next year.

As part of this month’s legal update, gaming law expert Kevin Braig from Shumaker Attorneys navigates through the some of the issues that regulators face in setting up a sports betting licence regime.

Research… a regulator’s spirit level

Gaming regulation is a complex beast. As markets evolve, it creates a need for more research so that regulators have strong evidence-bases to inform decision-making.

Featured in this month’s research spotlight is the three-year project, The AGRI National Project: An investigation of gambling in Canada. Project Manager, Carrie A. Leonard, Ph.D., gives an update on this comprehensive piece of research.

Interestingly enough, one of the research objectives is to look at the impact of cannabis legalisation on gambling behaviour and gambling-related harm. Read more.

Excitement builds for IAGR2019 in Montego Bay, Jamaica

Our Conference Sub-Committee is right now working on an exciting program for IAGR2019. As you would have seen, we made a call for speakers for this year’s conference in order to deliver more member and stakeholder-driven content.

We’ll be publishing the official program over the next month when we open for registrations.

If you’re thinking about accommodation, we’ve negotiated a special conference rate at the Half Moon Hotel – the venue where IAGR2019 will be held. So check out the rooms and rates available.

We look forward to seeing members, regulators, industry leaders, legal experts, researchers and anyone else at the event.

Boston to host IAGR2020

I’m also pleased to announce that IAGR2020 will be held in Boston, USA. We look forward to working with Gayle Cameron and the team at Massachusetts Gaming Commission to put on an insightful event.

Contribute to IAGR’s future

As a not-for-profit membership organisation, we rely on our members to fill positions on our Board of Trustees and the various sub-committees that sit underneath.

We’d like some help in growing IAGR’s reach, profile and influence in the gaming regulation space. We’re looking for people with a mix of skills including experienced communications staff to contribute to our communications activities.

To find out more contact the Chair of the Communications Sub-Committee, Paul Newson at paul.newson@industry.nsw.gov.au.

Hope you enjoy our March edition of eNews.

Trude Høgseth Felde

IAGR President