IMGL 2021 Autumn Conference

 

Tuesday, September 14

10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Registration
Salon E Foyer (4th Floor, Ballroom Level)

 

Wednesday, September 15

7:00 am - 8:00 am
Wellesley Meeting Room (Third Floor)
Skill Gaming in Australasia – Key Markets & Regulations (Via Zoom)

The Gaming industry world over went through an interesting mix of experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Australasia region had a similar story to tell. While bustling cities with casinos turned into ghost towns, roaring stadiums and arenas fell silent, the internet stood strong paving the way for online gaming to boom in several countries within the region. Amongst the games, skill game variants took the fancy of investors and operators alike and populous countries like India unravelled the true potential of online games of skill reaching new heights of popularity for consumers and attracting phenomenal investments. 

But is this just a COVID bubble or is there truly an untapped goldmine in India for skill games? For operators exploring this region, is there an equally lucrative and interesting market for skill game products in other countries in Australasia? Are these regulated or illegal offerings bustling in these countries?

Having experts from across this region, the panel will discuss broadly the legitimacy, regulatory treatment and scope of the skill gaming industry in Australasia with a particular focus on Australia, India and Philippines, all three posing as some of the most interesting markets in this region for various forms of skill games.

Moderator: Ranjana Adhikari, Partner, Induslaw, Media Entertainment & Gaming, India
Panelists:
Jamie Nettleton, Partner, Addisions Lawyers, Australia
Martin Williams, Contributing Editor, Asia, Vixio GamblingCompliance, Taiwan
Ken B. Koga, Senior Associate, Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & De Los Angeles, Philippines

 

8:00 am – 10:00 am
Executive/Leadership Meeting
Suffolk Meeting Room (Third Floor)
 

10:00 am – 11:30 am
Member Meeting
Wellesley Meeting Room (Third Floor)
 

12:00 pm – 1:15 pm
Joint IMGL/IAGR Luncheon
Keynote Speaker: Governor Charlie Baker 
Salon F (Fourth Floor)
 

2:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Joint panels between IMGL + IAGR
Salon E (Fourth Floor)


2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

• Responsible Gaming/Consumer Protection

Speakers:
Martin Lycka, SVP for American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling at Entain, UK
Frank Donaghue, Gaming and Regulatory Attorney, McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC, USA
Enrique Zuniga, Commissioner, Massachusetts Gaming Commission, USA
Marlene Warner, Executive Director, Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health, USA
 

3:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Networking Break
Salon E Foyer
 

3:30 pm - 4:30 pm

• Tips from Regulators as to what they Expect of Gaming Licensees

Moderator: Marie Jones, Attorney, Fox Rothschild, USA 
Speakers:
Matt Oyster, General Counsel and Chief Ethics Officer, Ohio Casino Control Commission, USA
Sara Tait, Executive Director, Indiana Gaming Commission, USA
Gayle Cameron, Commissioner, Massachusetts Gaming Commission, USA
Gina Smith, Deputy Director of Gaming Compliance, Virginia Lottery, USA

 

4:30 pm - 5:30 pm

• What Would the Regulated Parties like the Regulators to Understand?

Moderator: Karen Wells, Director, Investigations and Enforcement Bureau (IEB), Massachusetts Gaming Commission, USA
Speakers: 
Andrew Tait, Partner, Ince Gordon Dadds LLP, UK
Edward Bedrosian, Jr., Partner, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, USA
Kate Lowenhar-Fisher, General Counsel, Everi, USA
Susan Hensel, Co-Founder & Partner, Hensel Grad P.C., USA

 

6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Joint reception with IAGR
Third Floor: Atrium & Marble  

 

Thursday, September 16

MORNING SESSIONS
Salons A-D (Fourth Floor)

6:45 am - 9:00 am
Continental Breakfast
Salon D Foyer (Fourth Floor)

 

6:45 am - 4:45 pm
Registration
Salon E Foyer (Fourth Floor)

7:00 am - 8:00 am
Update From New South Wales – Casino Suitability and Other Regulatory Developments (Via Zoom) 

There have been many developments in gambling regulation in New South Wakes in the course of 2021, with the latest being the government’s announcement that it supports all of the recommendations of the Bergin Report into Crown casino, including the formation of a specific casino regulator, and the introduction of other regulatory reforms.

Moderator: Jamie Nettleton, Partner, Addisions Lawyers, Australia
Panelists:
Kok Keng Lau, Head of Intellectual Property/Sports and Gaming, Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP, Singapore
Stephen Ketteley, Partner, Wiggin LLP, UK
​Philip Crawford, Chairperson, Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority, Australia 
 

9:00 am – 9:10 am
President's Welcome and Conference Overview: Marc Ellinger
 

9:10 am – 9:30 am
Keynote Speaker: Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chair Cathy Judd-Stein

 

9:30 am – 10:30 am
The Perils and Benefits of Distributed Gaming

Traditionally gaming machines were in casinos or were illegal.  Now we are in a world where gaming machines are appearing in gas stations, restaurants and lodges in states where they are legal.   But they are also appearing in the same locations where the games are illegal or where the law is somewhat vague as to their status.  This panel will address how to regulate gaming machines outside of the casino floor, the legal challenges to the gray and black-market machines, and the way forward as the market continues to change.

Moderator: Carl Sottosani, Former Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Penn National Gaming, USA
Panelists:
Jessica Feil, Vice President, Government Relations and Gaming Policy Counsel, American Gaming Association, USA
Adrian King, Partner, Ballard Spahr LLP, USA
Paul Jenson, Partner, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, USA
​Joseph Weinert, Executive Vice President, Spectrum Gaming Group, USA

 

10:30 am - 11:30 am
IGaming/ILottery

The pandemic has demonstrated to states that lottery and/or commercial gaming products should be made available to consumers online and on mobile devices if states are to be able mitigate the losses of lottery revenue and/or gaming tax revenue that can result from stay-at-home restrictions caused by national health emergencies.

This panel will discuss the status of iLottery and iGaming in the United States.

Moderator: Mark Hichar, Shareholder, GreenbergTraurig, USA
Panelists:
Charles McIntyre, Executive Director, New Hampshire Lottery, USA
Robert Fontaine, Deputy General Counsel for Gaming, Virginia Lottery, USA
Ali Bartlett, Attorney, Bose McKinney & Evans LLP, USA
Scott Bowen, Government Affairs Specialist, NeoPollard Interactive, USA



12:00 pm - 1:15 pm
Joint IMGL/IAGR Luncheon 
Keynote Speaker: Jeffrey Hoss, Vice President, Product Marketing, Everi Holdings Inc., USA


Salon F (Fourth Floor)

 

1:15 pm – 2:15 pm
Mergers/Acquisitions

2020 was a banner year for M&A transaction in the Gaming and sports betting, particularly in the interactive space.  Just some examples: Penn National acquires Barstool Sports; Stars acquired by Flutter; SBTech acquired by Draftkings; Bally’s acquisition of Bet.Works and the announced acquisition of Gamesys; Bragg Gaming acquires Oryx; GAN acquired Coolbet; Caesars-William Hill combination.  And the list goes on and on.

What does 2021 hold? Are there any targets left?  And what of the SPAC craze?  Draftkings, Golden Nugget, Rush Street, Genius Sports jumped on the SPAC bandwagon, and many others are following.  Has the sports betting SPAC bubble burst?  Some are trading at discounts, but will they continue to ride the sports betting wave?

The panel will discuss the impact of recent mergers and acquisitions, and the transactional landscape in 2021 and beyond.

Moderator: Jeremy Kleiman, Member, Saiber LLC, USA
Panelists: 
Richard Carter, Chairman & CEO, Bragg Gaming Group, Inc., USA
David Zeffman, Partner, CMS, UK
William J. Pascrell III, Partner, Princeton Public Affairs Group, USA

 

AFTERNOON TRACKS
Track 1 – Tribal Gaming (Salons A-D, Fourth Floor)
Track 2 – International Gaming (Wellesley, Third Floor) 

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Track 1 – What’s in the Cards for Tribal Sports Betting in 2021 & Beyond?
As more States legalize sports betting, more Native American Tribes are looking to get in on the game. As a Class III game under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, sports betting must be authorized by the Tribal-State Compact. This panel of experienced Tribal law practitioners, regulators, and industry experts will discuss, among other things, how sports betting may be offered at Tribal casinos pursuant to new or amended Compacts, mobile wagering issues on and off Tribal lands, regulatory considerations, revenue sharing, and competition with commercial casinos.

Moderator: Kevin C. Quigley, Indian Affairs & Gaming Business Counsel, Foley & Quigley PLC, USA
Panelists:
Paloma Diaz, Associate, Snell & Wilmer, USA
Niki Metzgar-Schall, Head of Legal, Sportradar, USA
David Vialpando, Executive Director, Pokagon Band Gaming Commission, USA

 

Track 2 – A new Gambling Regulator for Ireland - in the Shadow of Brexit
It's an exciting time for Ireland and its burgeoning gambling market now valued at approx €8 billion annually. But the elephant in the room is the lack of regulation for the sector. By contrast and just across the Irish Sea , the UK has had a Gambling Commission in place for over 15 years and has in recent years, hardened its regulatory enforcement of the gambling laws. What lessons can Ireland learn from its culturally similar neighbour, in undertaking the establishment of a new independent regulator to be in place by Q3 2021. While Minister James Browne has provided an initial budget to fund the establishment of the new Irish regulator, and intends that it should have a staff of up to 100 people, are there pitfalls that a new regulator can avoid, borrowing from the UK experience.

Did the UK get everything right when its Gambling Commission was set up. Are there things that might have been done differently in the UK and what about the creation of a new regulator from scratch – is that a daunting challenge or a great opportunity for Ireland. Will Brexit make any tangible difference to the job that an Irish regulator will have to do or will the 'good neighbour' principle necessitate close co-operation, even though the UK is now outside of the EU.

To discuss these issues, we will bring together spokespersons from business, law and regulation, to give their views on these and related topics. ''   

Moderator: Joe Kelly, Partner, A&L Goodbody, Ireland
Panelists:
Joseph Borg, Partner, WH Partners, Malta,
Andrew Cotton, Director of Betting & Gaming,  Ince & Co., UK
Birgitte Sand, CEO, Birgitte Sand & Associates ApS, Denmark

 

3:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Networking Break
Salon D Foyer

 

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Track 1 – Tribal Gaming Hot Topics
This panel of experts will focus on recent developments in tribal gaming including: Sports Betting, Expansion of Gaming Compacts, New Land Into Trust Acquisitions, Gaming Regulation and New Development at the Department of Interior and the National Indian Gaming Commission.

Moderator: Tom Foley, Partner, Foley & Quigley PLC, USA
Panelists:
Scott Crowell, Owner, Crowell Law Office Tribal Advocacy Group PLLC, USA
Caitlin W. Monahan, Associate General Counsel, Massachusetts Gaming Commission, USA 
Jonodev Chaudhuri, Partner, Quarles & Brady, LLP, USA    

 

Track 2 – Developing Markets (LatAm, Ger, Nth)
For the last couple of years more and more countries have moved towards the regulation of iGaming. This regulatory trend has taken place vis a vis increasing regulatory restrictions in more mature markets, such as Spain or the UK. This panel will discuss regulatory updates in Europe and the Americas, the challenges ahead, as well as the opportunities and common issues that need to be addressed by regulators and operators worldwide. The speakers will be able to provide the audience with a 360º view and sound insights on the current landscape in connection with emerging markets.

Moderator: Tomas Enrique Garcia Botta, Partner, MF Estudio Abogados, Argentina
Panelists:  
Matthias Spitz, Senior Partner, Melchers, Germany
Karen Sierra-Hughes, Vice President, Latin America & Caribbean, GLI, USA 
Fernando Garita, Head of Business Development, BetCris, Costa Rica 

 

6:00 pm - 10:30 pm
Gala Dinner at Harvard Club
**Shuttle buses will begin taking guests from the Marriott to the Harvard Club at 5:30 pm and will begin returns at 9:30 pm from the Harvard Club back to the Marriott. 
 

Friday, September 17

MORNING SESSIONS
Salons A-D (Fourth Floor)

7:00 am - 9:00 am
Continental Breakfast
Salon D Foyer (Fourth Floor)
 

8:00 am - 4:45 pm
Registration
Salon E Foyer (Fourth Floor)

9:00 am – 9:05 am
President's Welcome: Marc Ellinger
 

9:05 am - 10:05 am
Wagering on eSports and Alternative Events, and Integrity 

It is no secret that lawful wagering on traditional sporting events and leagues has continued to proliferate across the United States, but some jurisdictions have also allowed wagering on eSports events and other alternative events, such as award shows.  While certain states have welcomed eSports and alternative event betting with open arms, others, including some in which sports betting already is permitted, have taken a more deliberate approach or prohibited such wagers altogether. Other states include prohibitions on wagers involving in-state collegiate sports teams. 

The panel will evaluate the current and future landscape for such wagering in the U.S., whether integrity concerns or other issues may be holding back the market, and what regulators look for in approving wagering on novel events or new sporting events and sports leagues. The panelists will also explore how sports and eSports leagues and teams ensure the integrity of their events.

Moderator: CJ Fisher, Partner, Fox Rothschild, USA
Panelists:
Brandt Iden, Head of Government Affairs, Sportradar, USA
Lou Rogacki, Assistant Attorney General, New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, USA
Anthony Gaud, Chief Executive Officer and Founder. G3 Esports, USA
Stephen Martino, Senior Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer, MGM Resorts International, USA

 

10:05 am – 11:05 am
COVID/Post-COVID Update

Operation and regulation of the casino industry is built on the assumption that once opened, casinos would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  In early 2020, the unthinkable occurred, jurisdiction by jurisdiction casinos were shut and locked down – for many gaming establishments, for the first time ever.  Even more difficult than shutting down may have been the process of opening back up in a world of social distancing, capacity restrictions, new safety measures and equipment and other public health requirements that impacted all aspects of brick and mortar casinos from the gaming floor to the buffet and valet.  The unprecedented global pandemic left the gaming industry to confront numerous uncontemplated, and often existential, operational and social issues. It required operators big and small, as well as regulators, to pivot, adapt, and rethink approaches to otherwise well-established philosophies and practices.

This panel, comprised of both regulators and industry operators, will discuss these challenges and look at which regulatory and business decisions worked well and those that did not as well as explore the collaborative approach between the operators and regulators to ensure the survival and long-term sustainability of the industry, its workforce and tax revenues.  What have regulators and the industry learned and what has changed forever?

Moderator: Jed Nosal, Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP, USA
Panelists:
Eileen O’Brien, Commissioner, Massachusetts Gaming Commission, USA
Jenny Holaday, President, Encore Boston Harbor, USA
Stephen Martino, Senior Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer, MGM Resorts International, USA

 

11:05 am – 12:05 pm
Network Break with Sandwiches
Salon D Foyer

 

12:05 pm – 1:05 pm
Round Table Discussion(s): Salons A-D
Sports Betting Updates (EU, US)

 

1:05 pm – 2:05 pm
Round Table Discussion(s): Salons A-D
Sports Betting Updates (EU, US)

 

2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Closing Reception at Boston Public Library: Tea Room
**Shuttle buses will begin taking guests from the Marriott to the BPL at 2:15 pm. These will be one-way trips.