Opening Remarks from IAGA President John Stawyskyj

The Current State of Sports Betting in the US:
Insights from the Major Leagues
Featuring an impressive lineup of sports betting executives from the North America major sports leagues, our opening roundtable discussion will take a look at the current state of sports betting in North America now that 38 states and the District of Columbia have legalized sports betting and four states have it under consideration. 

Moderated by CJ Fisher, a Partner with Fox Rothschild, the panelists include:

• David Highhill, General Manager of Sports Betting, National Football League (NFL)
• Abiskar Mitra, Vice President - Business Affairs, Major League Soccer (MLS)
• Joe Sokolosy, Managing Director of Sports Betting, NASCAR

Sports Betting 101: Best Practices and Lessons Learned
from Around the World
With sports betting’s rapid expansion in North America since the US Supreme Court overturned PASPA, it’s been a significant gambling option in other parts of the world for decades. In Europe and the UK, for example, sports betting remains a critical revenue generator for licensed jurisdictions where many of the issues currently being faced in the US have already been addressed by country regulators and other government bodies. Featuring an impressive lineup of sports betting experts from across the pond, we’ll open this year’s Summit with a deep dive into sports betting best practices in the EU and UK, touching on topics like match fixing, game and player integrity, fraud protections and prevention, player disputes and more.

Moderated by John Hagan, Managing Partner with Harris Hagan, the panelists include:

• Santiago Asensi, Managing Partner, Asensi Abogados
• Atle Hamar, Director General, The Norwegian Gambling and Foundation Authority
• Carlos Schneider, Director of Judicial Bodies, FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association)

Understanding the Sports Betting Complexities Arising
From Amateur and College Sports
A significant difference between the US sports betting market and nearly every other legal gambling jurisdiction around the world is the amount of money wagered on unpaid, amateur athletes. A growing area of concern, this practice presents risk for all stakeholders across multiple areas including match integrity, point shaving and underage problem gambling. Additionally, with growing name, image and likeness (NIL) rights being awarded to players allowing them to profit from their personal brand, the commercial and legislative activity surrounding amateur and college sports is growing. This panel will explore the current state of affairs and discuss the numerous potential legal, regulatory and policy challenges and solutions.   

Moderated by Jeremy Kleiman, a Partner with Saiber, the panelists include:

• Christiane Schuman Campbell, Partner, Duane Morris 
• Mark Hicks, Managing Director of Enforcement, National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA)
• Jeff Ifrah, Partner, Ifrah Law
• Greg Small, Executive Director, Indiana Gaming Commission

Networking Break

Perspectives from the Sports Betting C-Suite 
As US sports betting continues to set new records and grow at a significant rate, a wide range of issues is confronting sports betting stakeholders. In December, commercial handle across the US surpassed $100 billion, and the momentum doesn’t appear to be slowing down. 

Featuring C-level representatives from different sports betting major players, this panel will explore numerous critical issues facing US sports betting including the potential impact of artificial intelligence on sports betting, the convergence of gaming and sports including how gaming operators are using sports leagues and media networks as brand enhancers, the regulatory considerations of promotional partnerships between operators and leagues, and whether the growing partnerships between the leagues and operators will eventually result in regulatory licensing requirements and obligations. 

Moderated by J. Brin Gibson, a Shareholder with Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, the panelists include: 

• Rhea Loney, Chief Compliance Officer, BetMGM
• Chris Soriano, Chief Compliance Officer, Penn Entertainment
• Ismail Vali, Founder, CEO & President, Yield Sec

The Evolution of Sports Wagering Regulation
and Responsible Marketing Practices 
Now that sports betting is live in 37 US states and the District of Columbia, the regulated market continues to grapple with a wide range of operational, regulatory, responsibility and sustainability issues. With the US on pace to exceed $100 bn in handle in 2023, many stakeholders are wondering about the unintended consequences of such rapid growth and whether the US is heading for inevitable challenges to advertising and marketing like those in Europe and the United Kingdom. This session will look at the current state of sports wagering regulation in the US, exploring potential changes on the horizon for established markets and potential new markets. It will explore the threat of the still-thriving illegal market, discuss the difference approaches to sports betting versus fantasy sports and the challenges this creates, and will look at what the industry can do to ensure we’re growing the market responsibly. 

Moderated by Tom Lee, a Partner with Nelson Mullins, the panelists include:

• Brianne Doura-Schawohl, Founder & CEO, Doura-Schawohl Consulting
• Jess Feil, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Compliance, OpenBet
• Cory Fox, Vice President – Product & New Market Compliance, FanDuel
• Michael Golub, NAGRA Vice-Chair and Deputy Attorney General, Section Chief, New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement
• Daniel Lovecek, Principal, Senet