Sports' Biggest Stages: What the 2024 Olympics, Euro Cup,
and 2023 World Rugby Taught Us
Confirming predictions released ahead of the 2024 Olympic games in Paris and the Euro Cup in Germany, both events garnered record interest and action from sports bettors. A report released by Entain in August 2024 indicated that the Paris Olympics saw double the betting volumes compared to the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and OpenBet reported that more than 104 million bets totaling more than £850m across all channels were wagered during the Euro Cup. With at least one major global sports tournament taking place each year in addition to regional tournaments for football, American football, basketball, rugby, tennis and more, sports betting volume across regulated markets continues to climb. Featuring representatives from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and the World Rugby Cup who will share insights from the 2023 World Cup, our esteemed panelists will share insights into the steps they respectively took ahead of each event to protect competition integrity, elaborate on issues that occurred during each event relative to legalized sports betting, discuss thoughts about how sport and sports betting operators and regulators can better work together to fight illegal betting, and discuss how they’re approaching a new requirement requiring mega sporting events to have anti-corruption programs in place.

Moderated by Diane Mullenex, a Partner with Pinsent Masons, the panelists include:

• Stephan Smith, Senior Counsel, World Rugby 

The Hot Topics, Concerns and Challenges
Facing Sports and Sports Betting Stakeholders
Betting on sports has long been a favorite pastime of sports enthusiasts around the world, conducted across legal, regulated markets and by illegal bookmakers and operators. And, in the nearly seven years since PASPA was repealed and opened the door for US sports betting expansion, the US market alone is projected to reach over $16 billion in 2024, growing by more than 30% year on year as additional markets come online. Featuring a cross section of sports betting operators, league representatives and advisors, our panel will explore a wide range of hot topics, concerns and challenges facing sports betting stakeholders including the importance of strong collaboration between regulated gaming operators, regulators and sport governing bodies. They’ll talk about regulatory restrictions designed to safeguard sports integrity including prohibitions on certain wager types and markets and consider the growing negative consequences of athlete harassment related to lost sports bets. They’ll discuss the ongoing threats presented by illegal sports betting and consider various issues arises from athlete and team staff wagering prohibitions and the “black eye” that results from player bans due to gambling on their sport. Finally, the panel will explore ways that gaming regulators and leagues/governing bodies/teams can best work together to perform their respective integrity preservation responsibilities.

Moderated by Sabrina Perel, Chief Compliance Officer for the National Football League (NFL), the panelists include:

• Carlos Schneider, Director of Judicial Bodies, Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)

Break 

Emerging Sports Betting Conflicts of Interest
In the never-ending race to gain a competitive advantage against others in the rapidly growing sports betting market, an increasing number of potential conflicts of interest have emerged. Age-old prohibitions like those preventing players and team staff from wagering on their sport still exist, but what about the intersection of sports team and sports betting operator ownership? Is it appropriate for current or retired athletes to have ownership stakes in sports teams? What about sports leagues and / or individual teams) and media companies having ownership interests or profit-sharing arrangements with sports wagering operators beyond promotional and marketing deals, especially where the ownership and profit-sharing deals are not publicly disclosed? And, do sports books housed in stadiums represent a conflict of interest, or are they an important way to encourage placing wagers through regulated markets instead of illegal ones? Where should the line be drawn to ensure public trust in sports betting isn’t compromised? The panel will discuss these issues and more.

Moderated by Marcus Fruchter, Administrator for the Illinois Gaming Board, the panelists include:

Lunch

To Ban or Not to Ban: the Current State of Sports Advertising Restrictions and the Potential Implications for the Rest of the Industry
With Australia considering an advertising ban, popular belief in the UK suggesting that the proliferation of advertising has led to anti-gambling sentiment, and sports betting ads blanketing the US and backlash growing, existing and potential sports advertising restrictions continue to be front of mind for operators. Proponents claim that advertising is critical to identify legal operators from illegal ones, while those opposing gambling advertising claim that it fuels gambling problems and addiction. Our panelists will take a deep dive into the current state of gambling advertising bans, debating issues like whether bans and / or tighter restrictions have a positive impact on reducing problem gambling, whether they represent failure of the industry to implement appropriate self-controls and customer safeguards, and consider the role that sports teams, leagues and sport governing bodies should play in the discussion about the frequency and content of sports wagering advertising. They’ll also consider whether the advertising issues that arise relative to sports betting have lasting consequences for remote gambling in general, discuss the positive and negative effects that excessive gambling advertising could have on the industry’s reputation, and evaluate steps the industry could take proactively to mitigate the chances of such bans being introduced where they are not yet on the table. 

Moderated by Alan Littler, a Partner with Franssen Tolboom, the panelists include:

Fighting the Fix: United by one Purpose – Betting Integrity and its Challenges
Betting integrity is a growing issue within sports and gambling industries, with increasing instances of match-fixing, cheating and fraudulent conduct, all of which severely impact the credibility of both industries and the entire ecosystem’s sustainability. As betting becomes more accessible and fast-paced, including the emergence of micro markets—focused, real-time betting opportunities on specific game events—maintaining oversight grows more complex.  This panel will explore the critical issues and challenges internationally in protecting integrity in sports and betting, including privacy issues with the distribution of data into foreign markets, and the importance of collaboration and education.

Moderated by Julian Hoskins, a Principal of Senet, the panelists include:

• Alexis Coco, In-house Privacy Counsel, BetMGM 
• Tarik Shamel, Chief Regulatory Officer / Head of Integrity, The Football Association (The FA)

Networking Break

The Convergence of Entertainment, Media and Sports Betting
The intersection of entertainment, media, and sports betting is reshaping the landscape of how fans engage with their favorite sports and entertainment properties. This panel will explore the dynamic convergence of these sectors, highlighting the innovative ways in which they are collaborating to enhance the consumer experience, providing a recreational, immersive and interactive product, and ensuring responsible gambling.  This panel of experts will consider how sports broadcasters are incorporating live betting odd and information during games, media companies are partnering with sports betting operators to produce content focused on betting, the role of social media platforms and influencers, sponsorship and advertising, and cross-promotions.  These converging elements create a more immersive and interactive landscape for sports fans, where entertainment, media, and sports betting are intertwined and enhance one another, leading to new opportunities for engagement and revenue across the industries.

The panelists include:

• Amie Biros, Vice President - Strategic Initiatives, Rush Street Interactive
• Alfredo Lazcano, Chair, Lazcano Samano
• Sarah MacDonald, Partner, Wiggin

The Evolution of Online Sports Betting: Adapting to a Digital Era
The world of sports betting has experienced a seismic shift with the advent of digital technology, transforming the way fans engage with their favorite sports. This panel will explore the evolution of online sports betting, highlighting the rapid advancements and innovations that have defined this dynamic industry. 

Industry leaders, technology experts, and regulatory representatives will come together to discuss the major milestones in online sports betting, including the rise of mobile betting apps, in-play wagering, and the use of big data analytics to enhance user experiences. Participants will examine how these developments have not only increased accessibility for bettors but have also changed the landscape of how sportsbooks operate in a highly competitive market.

Moderated by Steve Ketteley, a Partner with Wiggin, the panelists include:

• Carrie Torrisi, Chief of Sports Wagering Division, Massachusetts Gaming Commission