The recent Regulating the Game conference in Sydney, Australia went so well, organizers announced there will be an edition in London in September.
Initial plans call for the London conference to mirror that of the Sydney affair by focusing on building regulatory capability through expert content and thought leadership, facilitating discussion and debate about public policy and industry practices, encouraging curiosity and critical thinking, a contest of ideas, sharing insights and motivating appetite for continuous improvement and regulatory and sector leadership.
The London conference has already gotten commitments from several industry leaders to be speakers, including Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, chairwoman of ANJ (the French National Gambling Authority); Leanne Oxley, director of enforcement for the UK Gambling Commission; Andrew Lyman, executive director and Gambling Commissioner of Gibraltar; and Cathy Judd-Stein, chair of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
The Sydney Regulating the Game was highlighted by two keynote speakers. The first was Annette Kimmett AM, CEO of the VGCCC (Video Game and Casino Control Commission), who highlighted the need for a new regulatory posture and the increased expectations of the industry. Meanwhile, Adam Rytenskild, CEO and MD of Tabcorp, drew attention to the “uneven playing field” among competitors and pledged to end prime-time advertising, committing to a fairer landscape.
Regulating the Game’s focus on the first day was regulatory updates and expectations. The next day the spotlight was on anti-money laundering practices, highlighting the industry’s commitment to combat financial crimes. Innovation, particularly in the realm of safer gambling practices, emerged as a recurring theme throughout the conference.
One notable presentation that garnered attention was the unveiling of the DeepAR model by Sarah McWhirter from Sportsbet. The model showcased targeted real-time interventions for safer gambling, underscoring the industry’s ongoing efforts to prioritize player well-being.
Several major operators were in attendance, including Crown Resorts, Sky City, Marina Bay Sands, The Lottery Company, Entain, Sportsbet, Endeavour Group, LexisNexis, and Gaming Laboratories International.
The conference’s marquee event was the Gala Dinner. Paul Newson, principal at gambling law and compliance advisory Senet, delivered a speech that emphasized the seismic shift in regulatory settings and the evolving sentiment of the community and government.
“It is inarguable that the baseline declared by Commissioner Hayne at the Financial Services Royal Commission of ‘obey the law’ is now fundamentally inadequate for the sector and ‘going above and beyond’ must underlie the strategic approach and direction of the industry going forward and be at the center of everything operators do,” Newsom said.
