IAGA's Rich History
Originally established as the National Association of Gaming Attorneys (NAGA), IAGA was founded in 1980 Nevada by notable gaming attorneys A.J. “Bud” Hicks, Lyle Rivera, Shannon Bybee, Robert Faiss, Frank Fahrenkopf and Mike Sloan. The organization’s goal was to create a professional association of gaming industry attorneys “to unite in common organization those professionally engaged in the gaming industry, to facilitate negotiations in the gaming industry and protect and promote the mutual interests of the corporation’s members and to promote and encourage education in the gaming industry.” 

The association soon drew the attention of gaming attorneys beyond Nevada who likewise wanted to support a forum where industry legal issues could be addressed, and NAGA’s membership quickly grew to include attorneys not only from the United States but also from the United Kingdom, France and other international areas where gaming was legally regulated. As a result, and to recognize the organization’s growing international membership, in 1985 NAGA evolved into the International Association of Gaming Attorneys (IAGA) and held its first international conference in Monte Carlo. 

The organization’s annual conferences expanded beyond Europe to Australia, Canada and the Caribbean reflecting the globalization of the gaming industry and the increased international representation of its membership, the issues and strategies considered by IAGA began to require more than just legal expertise. As such, the organization’s educational and networking events actively began including professionals from the gaming industry’s financial and operational segments. And, to better reflect the expanded focus of the topics being addressed, in 2007 IAGA’s name was changed to the International Association of Gaming Advisors, and its membership has since expanded to include not just gaming attorneys, but a wide range of industry financial experts, casino executives, regulators, consultants and educators from around the world. 

Together, the industry experts that make up IAGA today meet throughout the year to discuss the key issues affecting global gaming. The organization and its members also actively participate in a wide range of activities focused on expanding the expertise and professionalism of the gaming industry, and encourage ongoing collaboration between the industry’s legal, finance, operational, educational and regulatory advisors.

IAGA International Gaming Summit Venues and Leadership 

Year Location IAGA President IAGR President
2024 Washington, D.C. John Stawyskyj Ben Haden
2023 Belfast, Northern Ireland Ellen Whittemore Jason Lane
2022 Boston, Massachusetts Luke Orchard Jason Lane
2021 Cancelled because of COVID-19 John Hagan Jason Lane
2020 Cancelled because of COVID-19 John Hagan Paul Newson
2019 Half Moon Bay, California John McManus Trude Felde
2018 Macau, China Laura McAllister Cox Dale Fuga
2017 New York City Michael Cohen Dale Fuga
2016 Malta Martha Sabol Bheki Mlambo 
2015 Vancouver, British Columbia Katie Lever Birgitte Sand
2014 Philadelphia Tommy Shepherd Lau Peet Meng
2013 London, UK Julian Harris Susan Hensel
2012 Singapore Marc H. Rubinstein Susan Hensel
2011 Las Vegas, Nevada Gavin Isaacs Serobi Maja
2010 Washington D.C Paul West Peter Cohen
2009 Buenos Aires, Argentina (cancelled) Bob Miller Andre Wilsenach
2008 Rome, Italy Brian Larson Dennis Neilander
2007 Chicago, Illinois Yvette Landau Atle Hamar
2006 Barcelona, Spain Dan M. McDaniel David Ford
2005 Vancouver, BC, Canada Morden C. Lazarus Tom Auriemma
2004 Scottsdale, Arizona Paul O’Gara Scott Scherer
2003 Lisbon, Portugal Donna More Chris Fismer
2002 San Diego, California Ray Pike Peter Dean
2001   Patty Becker JP Suarez
2000 Venice, Italy Lloyd Levenson Steve DuCharme
1999 Nassau, Bahamas Greg Jensen Trevor Garrett
1998 Prague, Czech Republic Guy Michael Trevor Garrett
1997 London, UK Jack Godfrey Trevor Garrett
1996 Monte Carlo, Monaco David Satz Bill Galston
1995 El Conquistador, Puerto Rico David Satz Bill Galston
1994 Barcelona, Spain Jeff Silver Bill Curran
1993 Montreal, Canada Jeff Silver Bill Curran*
1992 Amsterdam, Holland Mickey Brown Norman Ward-Jones
1991 Nassau, Bahamas Mickey Brown  
1990 Vienna, Austria Frank Schreck  
1989 Las Vegas, Nevada Joel Sterns  
1988 Queensland, Australia Claudia Cormier  
1987 Shannon, Ireland Shannon Bybee  
1986 San Juan, Puerto Rico Bud Hicks  
1985 Monte Carlo, Monaco Bob Faiss  
1984 Las Vegas, Nevada Mike Sloan  
1983 Atlantic City, New Jersey Frank Fahrenkopf  
1982 Las Vegas, Nevada Frank Fahrenkopf  
1981 Las Vegas, Nevada (New York, New York) Lyle Rivera  
1980   Lyle Rivera  

* First joint conference with gaming regulators, later formalized as “IAGR.”