Conference Program

Here’s the program for IAGR and IMGL’s Rome 2024 conference. The conference is now sold out.

Monday 21 October

Monday 21 October
09:00	GLI seminar GLI’s seminar is designed for gaming industry professionals eager to stay ahead of the curve in regulation, technology, and cybersecurity. All conference ticket-holders are welcome to attend. 9:00 AM Welcome & introduction James Maida, President & CEO, GLI 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM Certification matters: The importance of regulation and certification from a recognised test laboratory Devon Dalbock, Chief Operating Officer, GLI EMEIA Explore the critical role of regulation and certification in the gaming industry. This session will highlight best practices, discuss the adaptation of regulations to the digital world, and address the regulatory challenges of online gaming. Gain insights into the importance of recognised test laboratories and the relevance of certification. 9:45 AM – 10:30 AM Technology disruptors Speaker: Ian Hughes, Chief Commercial Officer, GLI Dive into emerging technologies in the gaming industry and their potential benefits and risks. This session will cover cashless systems, microservices, AI, and cloud-based solutions, and their impact on responsible gaming, privacy, security, and AML/CTF. Learn about the importance of robust regulation and modern testing practices for safe technology deployment.
10.30	MORNING TEA
10:45	GLI seminar 10:45 AM – 11:45 AM Cybersecurity: Autopsy of a hacking attack Marco Capozzi, Managing Director, EMEA – Bulletproof a GLI Company Understand the catastrophic potential of cyber attacks on the gaming industry. This session will provide insights into attackers’ tactics, techniques, and procedures, with real-world scenarios and case studies. Learn to detect, respond to, and prevent cyber attacks, and explore the role of AI in both attacks and defenses. 11:45 AM – 12:00 PM Final Q&A
12.00	IAGR ARRIVAL LUNCH
13:00	IAGR2024 Welcome and introduction Ben Haden, IAGR President Mario Lollobrigida, Director of Games, Customs and Monopolies Agency, Italy
13.15	PANEL: How does the regulator of 2024 balance the challenges they face today and prepare for those ahead? Adam Rivers, Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal, United Kingdom (Moderator) Dave Phillips, Chief Operating Officer, Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, Canada Anders Dorph, Director, Danish Gambling Authority, Denmark Are Bashir, Chief Executive Officer, Lagos State Lotteries & Gaming Authority, Nigeria Teo Chun Ching, Chief Executive, Gambling Regulatory Authority, Singapore
14.05	A view of the road ahead for gambling regulation in a digital age Andrew Rhodes, Chief Executive Officer, Gambling Commission, Great Britain
14.50	NETWORKING BREAK
15:05	Perspectives: Building our regulatory approach The governance of regulators Paul Newson, Principal, Vanguard Overwatch, Australia Regulatory programs and the reality of delivery Sonia Wasowska, Head of Supervision, General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, United Arab Emirates
15.55	Lessons from around the world Navigating regulatory disruptions: Case studies and lessons from Botswana’s success story Peter Kesitilwe, Chief Executive Officer, Botswana Gambling Authority, Botswana Implementing an effective responsible gaming framework for a tourist casino user population Anna Harry, General Counsel, Casino Gaming Commission, Jamaica The Casino Gaming Commission (CGC) is the regulatory body charged with establishing the regulatory scheme for the conduct of casino gaming in Jamaica, including instituting measures and controls to facilitate responsible casino gaming. This session explores how the CGC contends with fulfilling its mandate to institute measures and controls to facilitate responsible casino gaming within the context of what is expected to be a largely tourist, rather than resident, user population while balancing the competing regulatory and commercial interests.
16:45	Lessons from around the world The gambling recovery information network: An international lived-experience collaboration Matt Smith, Head of External Affairs, Betknowmore, United Kingdom
17:15	CLOSING REMARKS
18:00 - 19:30	IAGR WELCOME RECEPTION The Hoxton Elio Social Area and Elio Terrace All conference attendees welcomed Enjoy one complimentary beverage and nibbles with fellow conference attendees. The Hoxton is a 12-minute walk from the Parco. No transportation provided.

Tuesday 22 October

Tuesday 22 October
08:30	Opening remarks Ben Haden, IAGR President
08:50	PANEL: Are gambling regulators equipped to regulate an increasingly ‘AI-driven’ industry? Simo Dragicevic, Co-Founder, The Game Safety Institute, United Kingdom – Moderator Mark Pace, Vice-President, IGSA & GSA Europe Managing Director, United States Dr Ian Gauci, Managing Director, GTG, Malta Sukriti Verma, Head of Analysis, Department for Culture Media and Sport, United Kingdom
09:40	Exploring the implementation of self-exclusion Ready when you are: Providing Australians with a one-stop self-exclusion option Matthew Anderson, Manager – National Self-Exclusion, Australian Communications and Media Authority, Australia The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) launched BetStop – the National Self Exclusion Register in 2023. More than 18,000 Australians have self-excluded in the first 6 months of operations – making a significant contribution to reducing gambling harm in Australia. The ACMA will present on the program’s delivery and provide its reflections on the register’s first year of operations, including the lessons that other jurisdictions can learn from Australia’s experience. The layered approach to self-exclusion Matt Zarb-Cousin, Co-Founder, Gamban, United Kingdom Drawing from experience gleaned from the UK TalkBanStop partnership, Matt will explore the value of layering tools and support to improve player protection outcomes. In this presentation, we will review the role of banks, self-exclusion schemes, blocking software, treatment services, and other stakeholders and how we can reduce harm by taking a collaborative approach to a complex problem. Best practice self-exclusion standards Dr Margaret Carran, Associate Professor in Law, University of London, United Kingdom Simon Vincze, Head of Sustainable & Safer Gambling, Casino Guru, Slovakia
10:40	NETWORKING BREAK
10:55	AI in practice How can we trust what other people say about AI? Chris Percy, Lead R&D Consultant, Playtech Plc. United Kingdom Integrating AI and cyberpsychology for effective detection and intervention of harmful online gambling behaviors: A data-driven approach Dr Maris Catania, Safer Gambling Senior Consultant, SG:certified, Malta
11:45	Effective regulation through technology and innovation Tom Mace, Senior Vice President, Regulatory Services, Sportradar, United Kingdom
12:15	LUNCH
13:00	Sustainability Safer by design: How should regulators respond to emerging concerns with ensuring gambling products and environments are safe for all? Simo Dragicevic, Co-Founder, The Game Safety Institute, United Kingdom The positive play approach: A responsible gambling new innovation Dr Mary Donohue, CEO & Founder, The Digital Wellness Center, Canada
14:05	Navigating borders: Cross-jurisdictional enforcement in combatting illegal gambling Are Bashir, Chief Executive Officer, Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority, Nigeria
14:50	NETWORKING BREAK
15:05	Illegal gambling: Perspectives and actions from the IAGR working group Ian Angus, Director of Policy, Gambling Commission, Great Britain (Moderator)
15:50	IAGR GROUP PHOTO
16.00	IAGR AGM
18:00 - 20:00	JOINT OPENING RECEPTION Casina Valadier We officially kick off Rome 2024 with a standing reception at the Casina Valadier, a 20-minute walk from the conference hotel through the beautiful Borghese Gardens. This casual event is an opportunity to relax and meet new regulatory peers and old friends with drinks and light appetisers.

Wednesday 23 October

Wednesday 23 October
08:30	Opening remarks Quirino Mancini, President of IMGL Ben Haden, President of IAGR
08:50	PANEL: How do the regulator, the regulated and the interested and affected parties work best together? Julian Harris, Consultant & Founder, Harris Hagan, United Kingdom Atle Hamar, General Director, Norwegian Gambling and Foundation Authority, Norway Kevin Mullally, CEO, General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, United Arab Emirates James Maida, President, Gaming Laboratories International, United States The gambling sector stakeholder ecosystem is a wide and complicated one, where all approach from a different perspective, with different values and goals that they are trying to achieve. Or is it. This panel will explore this statement, seeking to provide a fresh perspective on where the opportunities to work better together really exist in 2024. Where are the moments and why hasn’t it worked in the past. Where are the lines that can’t be crossed and where and who can provide the previously unexploited opportunities. Is now the right time to rip the co-operation rulebook of history up and create something different?
09:40	PANEL: The local picture: Gambling in Italy Quirino Mancini, Partner, Tonucci & Partners, Italy (Moderator) Stefano Sbordoni, Managing Partner and Founder, Sbordoni & Partners, Italy Raffaele Gnazzi, Legal & Compliance Director, Novomatic Italia, Italy Mario Lollobrigida, Director of Games, Customs and Monopolies Agency, Italy Giuseppe Marra, Chief Business Legal & Compliance Officer, Lottomatica, Italy After several postponements due to a disfavourable political climate, the long-awaited reorganisation of the Italian gaming market finally kicked off earlier this year with the enactment of Legislative Decree no. 41 of 25 March 2024, encompassing the relevant frame legislation including the general requirements concerning the online gaming licence tender expected to be called in the coming months. This panel will provide a real time update on the progress since made by the Italian authorities and also discuss the prospect, challenges and opportunities afforded by one the largest, competitive, dynamic and crowded European markets.
10:25	NETWORKING BREAK
10:40	PANEL: Emerging market challenges Karen Sierra-Hughes, Vice President of Latin America, Caribbean & Spain, Gaming Laboratories International (Moderator) Neil Montgomery, Founding and Managing Partner, Montgomery & Associates, Brazil Tanisha Khanna, Associate, Nishith Desai Associates, India Gifty-Rita Amoah, Deputy Director, Gaming Commission of Ghana Ivo Bozukov, Chief Strategy Officer, SportPesa Group, United States Regis Dudena, President of the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting, Ministry of Finance, Brazil Regulatory developments continue to happen around the world. Either new gaming verticals or new jurisdictions legalising gaming in general, the regulatory landscape continues to change, and this panel will discuss the status of jurisdictions from different regions of the world that are going through these changes. The discussion will include the challenges around creating legislation where there is an existent non-regulated market, how does regulation adapt to new technology, and the specificities of each jurisdiction where their unique cultural, economic and political situation calls for adaptation of international best practices and regulations.
11:45	A framework for independent research using industry funding: The Massachusetts model Bonnie Andrews, Research Manager, Massachusetts Gaming Commission, United States This presentation explores the institutional approach of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to research casino gambling and sports wagering activities. Specifically, a research mandate has been conferred upon the Massachusetts Gaming Commission by legislative enactments and funded by proceeds from gaming licensees that are deposited into a dedicated Public Health Trust Fund. We’ll probe the ethical considerations associated with industry funding, even in instances of indirect financial support, and how the Massachusetts model has navigated those considerations to advance knowledge in the public health interest.
12:05	JOINT LUNCH
13:00	PANEL: Responsible gambling programs: From compliance burden to commitment and success Dr. Simon Planzer, Partner, PLANZER LAW (Moderator) Francesco Rodano, Chief Policy Officer, Playtech, United Kingdom Tracy Parker, Vice President, Policy, Standards and Accreditation, Responsible Gambling Council, Canada Taina Grech, Responsible Gambling Quality Assurance Manager, Kindred Group, Malta Ryan McCarthy, Director of Player Health, BCLC, Canada Most gambling licensees are familiar with varying and diverse responsible gambling (RG) requirements under their (sometimes numerous) national/regional licences. Similarly, gambling regulators have experienced political and media pressure to act against problem gambling. This panel inquires the commitment towards RG and success stories around RG. Where have we seen political and regulatory commitment to RG? Where do we see gaps and shortcomings in RG programmes, services and know-how? What is the role of the regulator and what the role of the regulated? Where have we seen consistent and effective measures? And last but not least: what does ‘success’ mean in the area of RG?
13:50	PANEL: Navigating through the challenging waters of regulatory approvals for Mergers & Acquisitions and Initial Public Offerings Reuben Portanier, Partner, Advisory & Compliance, GTG, Malta (Moderator) Anton Kaszubowski, Founder & Managing Director, SBC Advisory Partners, United Kingdom Andrea Marchetti, Equity Partner, Tonucci & Partners, Italy David Yatom, General Counsel, Soft2Bet, Cyprus David Zeffman, Partner, CMS, United Kingdom M&A activity increased drastically since 2020, and even after the increase in interest rates, M&A activity remained very strong. M&A activity in the gaming sector is also characterised by gaming regulation that needs to be followed in the process of a change of corporate control or public listing, with operators involved in the transaction and their regulators ideally working in unison in order to allow for a smooth changeover. However, proper planning is key ,as certain regulatory procedures related to fitness and properness, and regulatory good standing assessments, just to mention a couple, may prove to be challenging due to the time constraints and possible multi-jurisdictional licensing. The panel will assess the complex world of M&As from a gaming regulatory perspective and how can both regulators and operators face the challenges posed by an acquisition or public listing process that would benefit both.
14:35	NETWORKING BREAK
14:50	PANEL: Cross-border advertising and promotional practices: Where is it going? Joe Kelly, Partner, A&L Goodbody, Ireland (Moderator) Patricia Lalanda, Partner, Loyra Abogados, Spain Luis Portela de Carvalho, Partner, Lektou, Portugal Ian Angus, Director of Policy, Gambling Commission, United Kingdom Rawa Kaftan, Associate, Wiggin, United Kingdom Advertising and promotion restrictions in the gaming space are having a massive impact on the choices which gaming operators are making across the European Union. With landmark reforms underway in Ireland and different approaches impacting in other EU jurisdictions, this serves to highlight the lack of a harmonised regulatory approach across the European Union for gaming promotions and ad campaigns. This panel will question what tips the balance in terms of advertising restrictions, and what makes a jurisdiction attractive (or indeed, unattractive) to establish in? Against the backdrop of a multitude of different rules and requirements across the EEA and beyond, how do businesses make smart choices in relation to licensing?
15:40	PANEL: Responsible cashless payments Jennifer Carleton, Chief Legal Officer, Sightline Payments, United States (Moderator) Giorgi Tsamalaidze, CLO, Random Systems Georgia, Georgia Megan Basson, Executive Director, International Center for Gaming Regulation, United States Raffaele Gnazzi, Legal & Compliance Director, Novomatic Italia, Italy This panel will summarise the current landscape of cashless gaming regulation to identify those measures that various legislators have taken to address problem gambling. We will then explore the data that is available to the gaming operator and, potentially, the cashless casino patron. Finally, we will debate the utilization of this data to aid the casino patron in addressing responsible gaming and problem behaviors.
16.30	PANEL: Due and undue influence: The use of social influencers, celebrities, entertainers, athletes and others in gambling marketing and advertising Peter Czegledy, Corporate, Technology, Gaming, eSports and Space Tech Partner, Aird & Berlis LLP, Canada (Moderator) Nina Henningsen, Attorney-at-law/Partner, Mazanti-Andersen, Denmark David Phillips, Chief Operating Officer, Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, Canada Maria McDonald, Partner, Nordic Gambling, Sweden Luiz Felipe Maia, Founding Partner, MAIA YOSHIYASU Advogados, Brazil As media and communication formats both diversify and converge, and the need to differentiate from one’s competitors and capture the customer’s attention becomes increasingly acute, gaming businesses have sought to establish a connection with their customers through the use advertising and marketing employing individuals or characters that the public knows, trusts or otherwise has an affinity for. But at what point does society deem such use inappropriate? A panel of practitioners, regulators and other experts will discuss where the lines can and should be drawn in the use of social influencers, celebrities, entertainers, athletes and other persons (both real and fictional). In particular, the panel will explore the nuances regulators, responsible gaming practitioners, suppliers, and operators must grapple with to ensure the benefits of new media forms are captured while contributing to broader regulatory goals. Along the way, it will look at the risks to underage and vulnerable consumers, lessons from various jurisdictions, and how the area may evolve in the future.
18:30 - 21:30	JOINT GALA DINNER Parco dei Principi 18:30 – 19:15: Reception – Estensi+Gonzaga+Pallavicini+Medici Room From 19:15: Dinner – Farnese+Orsini+Ruspoli+Torlonia Room The formal Gala Dinner is a sit-down event that celebrates a successful conference. Sit back and share key insights, stories and fabulous food with your colleagues and speakers. The winners of the IAGR Regulatory Awards will be announced during the dinner.

Thursday 24 October

Thursday 24 October
09:00	Opening remarks Quirino Mancini, President of IMGL Ben Haden, President of IAGR
09:15	PANEL Responsible gambling programs and the use of player data Elizabeth Lusk, Dr Tony Schellinck, CEO, Focal Research Consultants, Canada Rasmus Kjaergaard, CEO, Mindway AI, Denmark Jochen Biewer, Managing Director, Chevron Group, Germany Kasper Frandsen, Chief Adviser, Danish Gambling Authority, Denmark The 21^st century ‘consumer-citize’ is leaving a massive trail of data to platform owners. On the one hand, user privacy in relation to their ‘big data’ is protected by data protection laws. At the same time gambling operators are supposed to analyse user data to protect their users under consumer protection laws and RG requirements. In this dichotomy of interests, are the two sets of interests truly exclusive and jointly exhaustive? Does data protection exclude or limit the potential of RG measures? And are there further interests involved that we have neglected thus far? What are the current regulatory requirements and prohibitions? How will and should online gambling operators use player data in the future? And what can regulators do amid such diverse user interests? How can cashless gambling contribute to RG measures?
10:20	Suitable or not suitable to hold a casino licence – that is the question Andrew Scott, Commissioner and Deputy Chair Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission, Australia Jamie Nettleton, Partner, Addisons, Australia In 2021, a Victorian Royal Commission found the Crown unsuitable to hold its licence. The same occurred in two other states in separate inquiries. Crown’s Australian flagship casino operation was in Melbourne in the state of Victoria, where it employed over 15,000 people and hosted 200,000 patrons each week. According to the media, it was ‘too big to fail’. This session will include two presentations followed by an interview, during which we will discuss the fate of Australia’s largest casino.
11:00	NETWORKING BREAK
11:15	PANEL Sports integrity Cosmina Simion, Managing Partner, WH Simion & Partners, Romania (Moderator) Ludovico Calvi, United Lotteries for Integrity in Sports, United States Cristian Radu, General Legal Counsel, Superbet Dr Eugenia Chidhakwa, Chair, Lotteries and Gaming Board, Zimbabwe Yanica Sant, Group Legal Director (Regulatory), evoke, Malta Sports betting and sports integrity go hand in hand and have always been a concern for punters and wagers, whether for good or bad purposes, with sports being the trading value. Transparency, accountability and good regulation are essential to increase fairness and combat match-fixing. Where studies show that there is a strong correlation between the availability of sports betting products and onshore channeling, this panel will discuss issues such as: In-play betting Niche sports betting Regulatory and economic factors that influence sports integrity The role of integrity associations The process that stands behind the integrity alerts and how it is viewed by various regulators around the world.
12:15	FINAL LUNCH
13:00	AFTERNOON OF IMGL PANEL SESSIONS – IAGR attendees welcome
13:00	IMGL PANEL State of play of crypto casinos: What does the market look like? Dr. Andreas Glarner, Legal Partner, MME, Switzerland (Moderator) Ron Segev, Founding Partner, Segev LLP, Canada Andrew Tait, Partner and Head of Gaming, Ramparts, Gibraltar Corinne Valetta, General Counsel, Betsson, Malta Many companies like Stake and Roobet are global brands just based on their crypto offerings. It’s one of the fastest-growing casino segments globally, and it’s fostering some game types, like crash games, binary option games, financial props betting, etc. that are becoming more and more popular. This topic will also question whether MICA is a watershed moment for widespread adoption of crypto as a payment method.
13:50	IMGL PANEL Cybersecurity Diane Mullenex, Global Head of Telecom, Gaming and Gambling Practices, Pinsent Masons, France (Moderator) Frieder Backu, Attorney, Witzel Erb Backu & Partner, Germany Olga Finkel, Co-Founder and Partner, WH Partners, Malta Colm Callanan, Head of Data Protection, Flutter International, Ireland Robert Griffin, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, MIRACL, United Kingdom Given the recent cyber-attacks what are best practices and what should casinos be doing to protect employee and customer information.
14:35	NETWORKING BREAK
15:05	IMGL PANEL Bill 55 and its impact on international iGaming regulations James Scicluna, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, WH Partners, Malta (Moderator) Marc Dunbar, Partner, Jones Walker, United States Nicholas Aquilina, Partner, BRANDL TALOS, Austria Carl Brincat, Legal & Regulatory Professional, Malta Dr Joerg Hofmann, Senior Partner, Melchers Law Firm, Germany The panel will explore the origins and application of Malta’s Bill 55 on iGaming operators licensed in Malta. The panelists will discuss its immediate impact within the European Union and the UK as well as its potential implications around the world.
18:00 - 20:00	IMGL CLOSING RECEPTION St Regis Hotel All conference attendees welcomed There will be no transportation provided to the St. Regis. It is about a 26-minute walk and a 7-minute drive from the Parco dei Principi. Please plan accordingly.