A Fireside Chat with Andrew Rhodes,
CEO of the British Gambling Commission
Marking the fourth anniversary of his appointment as CEO, Andrew engages with industry advisors in an open discussion and Q&A on the trials and tribulations of his tenure during an eventful period for gambling, the many learnings and successes along the way and the future direction of gambling regulatory reform in Great Britain. Moderated by John Hagan, Managing Partner of Harris Hagan, this is a discussion you won't want to miss.

"Kicking the Tyres” and Navigating Due Diligence in M&As: 
Challenges and Best Practices
Gambling transactions may present a complex landscape of due diligence challenges, often amplified by complex requirements in mature gambling regulatory frameworks, increased regulatory scrutiny and changing global market dynamics. This panel will delve into the critical issues gambling businesses face during the due diligence process, providing insights into the challenges, mitigating risks and ensuring compliance with established regulatory requirements / guidance (e.g., US Department of Justice Guidance on Corporate Compliance Programs). Key topics will include gray market activity, financial crime risks, dealing with red flags and how to handle emerging markets and geo-political considerations, as well as post-acquisition efforts to address and remediate potential gaps identified during the due diligence process.

Moderated by Jeffrey Catanzaro, a Partner with KPMG, the panelists include:

• Barak Cohen, Partner, Perkins Coie
• Sue Dawson, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Light & Wonder
• Samanda Drewry, Vice President & Regulatory Compliance Counsel, Scientific Games
• Andrew J. Zammit, Partner, GVZH Advocates

A View from the Top: Remaining Steadfast
in Light of Pushback on DEI Initiatives
In recent years, corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) programs have received growing media and public scrutiny as related board and executive decisions have been challenged through litigation and shareholder activism. This panel will explore the current state of DEI in the courts and boardrooms and address how companies are navigating the legal uncertain legal landscape related to DEI initiatives. We will also directly hear how boards, CEOs and DEI leaders are leading and continuing to make progress during the period of scrutiny and uncertainty and what steps can be taken to mitigate risks but remain steadfast in support of DEI.

Moderated by Kim Barker, Chief Legal Officer for Bally's Corporation, the panelists include:

• Anika Howard, President & CEO, WondrNation
• Grainne Hurst, CEO of the UK Betting and Gaming Council
• Kelly Kehn, Co-founder, Defy the Odds
• Noah Kressler, Shareholder, Baker Donelson 

Lunch

Managing AML and Financial Crime Risk: Current Trends 
and Navigating New Regulatory Requirements
On the heels of the European Commission’s Fourth Supranational Risk Assessment report, our second panel on AML challenges and risks for gambling businesses will begin with a high-level look at what’s happening across the global financial crime spectrum, briefly evaluating recent regulatory developments and trends in the US, Europe and Asia. Next, our financial crime experts will briefly discuss the FATF “grey” list, sharing insights into recent list fluctuations and evaluating how these changes impact existing and new market participants and can curb international investment in emerging markets due to heightened financial crime risk. Next, the panel will discuss emerging financial crime threats that the industry should be on alert for and take a high-level look at the growing impact of sanctions. Finally, the panel will explore ways the industry can leverage insights learned from overall financial risk compliance best practices in industries like banking to enhance their understanding of money laundering risk and issues.

Moderated by Vasilios Chrisos, PwC USA Financial Crimes Unit Regulatory and AML Leader, the panelists are:

• Shilpa Arora, Head of AFC Products and Solutions, ACAMS
• Rachel Bezzina, Head of AML, Malta Gaming Authority
• Omar Khoury, Chief Global Compliance Officer, Wynn Resorts
• Ed Maguire, Group MLRO & Global Head of Anti Financial Crime, Entain

The Next Horizon: Emerging and Changing Markets Roundtable
The global gambling and betting landscape is constantly shifting as new markets open and existing markets make changes to their regulatory structure. Bringing together experts from around the world, our panel will examine current developments taking place in markets like North and Latin America, Asia Pac and Europe. They’ll share their insights into the different regulatory approaches being considered, discuss emerging best practices trends, and identify the near to long-term challenges and opportunities in evolving jurisdictions.

Moderated by Devon Dalbock, Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs – EMEIA for GLI, the panelists include:

• Wil Byrne, CEO, Capital Entertainment and Leisure Co.
• Lynne Levin Kaufman, Partner, Cooper Levenson
• Mike Maodus, Partner, Blakes
• Rui Pinto Proença, Managing Partner, MdME
• Alec Thomson, Executive Director, Arizona Lottery

Networking Break 

Walking the Tightrope: Balancing the Need for
Responsible Gambling While Remaining Competitive
As the global gambling industry expands, the impact on society and players is subject to heightened scrutiny, with certain stakeholders claiming that gambling businesses are not doing enough to protect players and those around them.  As media headlines, including the article from The Wall Street Journal titled “A Psychiatrist Tried to Quit Gambling. Betting Apps Kept Her Hooked”, continue to dominate debate creating bad publicity for the gambling industry, this session discusses the challenges of walking the tightrope between making money and staying competitive, and preventing gambling harm.  This is coupled with the challenges of being licensed in multiple jurisdictions, each with their own framework, competing against other regulated gambling businesses and the threats from the unlicensed market.

Our panel will first evaluate responsible gambling across various regulated markets, considering the issues that arise when each has its own approach to RG and when programs are influenced by the risk appetite of operators and varied approaches of regulators. Next, they’ll discuss how a perceived lack of attention to problem gambling can result in more draconian policies, sharing why getting ahead of the issue is critical. Third, the panelists will consider how the industry can collaborate to establish best practices based on solid data and research that enables more accurate measurement of RG and provide better data to help operators and regulators make informed policy and business decisions. Finally, the panel will consider whether it’s ever going to be possible to reconcile commercial success and RG in the context of ever improving standards and constantly shifting public expectations?  

Moderated by Alan M. Feldman, Distinguished Fellow, Responsible Gaming Director, Strategic Initiatives, UNLV, the panelists include:

• Katherine Baker, Partner, Nelson Mullins
• Chris Hebert, Chair, Louisiana Gaming Control Board
• Matt Hill, Senior Vice President, General Counsel – International, Bally’s Corporation
• Khalid Jones, Executive Director, Virginia Lottery
• Cathy Judd-Stein, Former Chair, Massachusetts Gaming Commission and 

  Member of the Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA) Advisory Committee

Game Integrity in Esports
While esports might no longer be the topic du jour in gaming, the market continues to experience significant growth and interest, sharing similar opportunities and risks to those of more traditional forms of sports and sports betting. With events like the 2023 Thunderpick World Championships in Berlin that offered a $1,000,000 USD prize pool and the International Olympic Committee’s recent announcement that inaugural Olympic Esports Games will be held in Saudi Arabia in 2025, our esports experts will first discuss how existing game developers and operators are dealing with global growth, particularly when it comes to ensuring game and betting integrity. Next, the panel will evaluate betting-related manipulation, how data is used to solve these issues, and share the best practices that are being tested. Finally, they’ll take a global look at what the future might hold for esports and its cross-over into regulated gaming. In this rapidly changing digital field of play, they’ll discuss how esports can learn from the many lessons taught by historical sports betting corruption scandals. Simultaneously, they’ll share how traditional approaches to combatting betting-related sports manipulation can learn from esports and the multitude of ways data in digital games can be used to fight match-fixing and other forms of fraudulent competitor behavior in games.

Moderated by Dr. Brett Abarbanel, Ph.D., Executive Director, UNLV International Gaming Institute, the panelists include: 

• Thomas Konermann, Senior Vice President Sales BS A People & Business Assurance, TÜV International GmbH - Unternehmensgruppe TÜV Rheinland
• Dr. Christian Rapani, Founder, Rapani Law