Opening Remarks from IAGA President Ellen Whittemore

A Fireside Chat with Nigel Eccles: CEO and co-founder of Vault Labs

What’s Happening in the Republic of Ireland
This panel will consider the regulation of gambling in Ireland, including the proposed gambling legislative reforms in the Republic of Ireland. What is driving change, what are the potential challenges, will change happen, what are the fundamental principles of establishing any new regulator and what would be the likely impact upon industry?

• Sharon Byrne, Chairperson, Irish Bookmakers Association
• Rob Corbet, Partner, Arthur Cox
• Micaela Diver, Partner, A&L Goodbody

C-Suite Roundtable: Perspectives for 2023 – 2024
Join us as leading CEOs, CCO’s and other C-suite executives share their perspectives and visions for the next year, including the biggest opportunities and challenges that lay head in the US and Europe.  

Moderated by Wes Himes, Executive Director for the UK Betting & Gaming Council, the panelists include:

• Guido Berghmans, Directeur Général, Casino 2000 Luxembourg
• Michael Branson, Managing Director, Crown London Aspinalls
• Harper Ko, Chief Legal Officer, Penn Entertainment
• James Maida, CEO, GLI

Grey / Illegal Market Overview
Bill Miller, President & CEO, American Gaming Association (AGA)
Illegal and unregulated gambling is pervasive in the U.S. despite the recent spread of legal gaming. The American Gaming Association is focused on stopping illegal gambling by spurring law enforcement to go after these bad actors, partnering with lawmakers and regulators to minimize their damage, and educating consumers on the dangers of illegal gambling. AGA President and CEO Bill Miller will share the challenges and opportunities posed by going after the $500 billion illegal market.  

Grey Market Exposure and Suitability Under Scrutiny: How Grey Can You Go?
Continued M&A activity and market consolidation in the industry and the expansion of new US markets places the foreign activities of operators and suppliers under the microscope, highlighting the need for a robust approach to the legal and regulatory risks presented by grey market gaming. Following industry news about activities in unregulated and illegal markets, this panel will consider the risks attached to grey market exposure, the potential adverse consequences for businesses and investors, the status of grey markets in key markets in the US, EU and UK, protection strategies and the risk of the black market including the fallout for consumer protection and responsible gambling. 

Moderated by Brian Sandoval, University of Nevada - Reno President and former Nevada  Governor, the panelists include:

• Andrew Lyman, Executive Director and Gambling Commissioner, Gambling Division, HM Government of Gibraltar
• Kimberly Maxon-Rushton, Partner, Cooper Levenson
• David Trunkfeld, Partner, PwC 
• Ismail Vali, Founder, CEO & President, Yield Sec 

Networking Break

In Their Own Words: the Regulatory Perspective on Current Issues
At nearly every gaming conference, industry experts share their thoughts on the minutiae of what gaming regulators, think, say and do. In this session, we’ll instead ask top regulators to share their thoughts on important issues like whether standardisation or harmonisation is all but a dream for those managing multi-jurisdictional compliance. They’ll consider how they can work together with industry and other regulators to improve gambling regulation in 2023 and beyond and discuss the obstacles they face when trying to keep pace with innovation and technology advancements. Our distinguished panel will also look at key trends they’ve followed over the past 12 months and consider what the next 12 months might hold.

Moderated by Bill Downey, a Shareholder with Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, the panelists include:

• Marcus Fructer, Administrator, Illinois Gaming Control Board
• Todd Grossman, General Counsel, Massachusetts Gaming Commission
• Jason Lane, President, IAGR & Chief Executive, Jersey Gambling Commission
• Luke Rippee, Deputy Chair - Investigations Division, Nevada Gaming Control Board 

Chief Legal Officer Roundtable
In such a diverse, rapidly changing industry like global gaming, overseeing a company’s legal responsibilities and challenges can be a daunting task and the contributions the legal team makes to a business’s success is often misunderstood as a result. This panel of General Counsels and Chief Legal Officers from leading gaming companies will discuss their role in enabling their respective businesses to succeed, their partnership with compliance departments, and the challenges of running an international legal department. They’ll also discuss development and improvement strategies, the internal and external issues that keep them up at night, what they look for and avoid when instructing external advisers and their involvement in diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Moderated by Jeff Barbin, a Partner with Phelps Dunbar, the panelists include:

• Lorents Blankenberg, Legal Manager, Holland Casinos
• Lou Dorn, Senior Vice President & General Counsel - North America, Bally's Corporation
• Jim Sottile, Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, Light & Wonder