IMGL 2013 Autumn Conference

Confirmed Speakers

As of 30 September 2013

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Mitch Garber
CEO, Caesars Interactive Entertainment, Canada

Mitch Garber is CEO of Caesars Interactive Entertainment (CIE), a subsidiary of Caesars Entertainment, the world’s largest gaming company. He is responsible for the World Series of Poker, the world’s largest and most prestigious series of poker championship events worldwide, as well as for the Internet, mobile and social games businesses for the Caesars family of brands. He sits on the executive management team of Caesars Entertainment. In 2011 he led the acquisition of Playitka Inc., the Israeli based developer of top grossing apps on Facebook, iPhone/iPad, and Android devices. That acquisition was followed by the purchase of Buffalo Studios in California, another leading app developer.

From 2006-2008 Garber was CEO of London Stock Exchange listed PartyGaming plc, a multi-billion dollar corporation. As CEO of PartyGaming, he focused on international expansion through product diversification and a series of mergers and acquisitions, acquiring companies in Israel, UK and Bulgaria. He has been the CEO of public companies listed on the Nasdaq, Toronto and London Stock Exchanges. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Industrial Relations from McGill University (1986) and a Law Degree from the University of Ottawa (1989). He is featured in the book, The Secrets of CEO's, by Steve Tappin and Andrew Cave, and has been listed as one of the most influential executives in the gaming industry. He speaks fluent English, French and Hebrew.

​Peet Meng Lau
Chief Executive, Casino Regulatory Authority of Singapore
President, International Association of Gaming Regulators

Peet Meng Lau is the Chief Executive of the Casino Regulatory Authority in Singapore. Before his current appointment, he was the Senior Director of Policy & Operations Division, Ministry of Home Affairs. As Senior Director of Policy & Operations Division, he oversaw the crafting of key policies for the Ministry, including matters relating to casino regulation. Prior to his posting to the Ministry, he was the Commander of Central Police Division. During his tenure as Commander, he was responsible for the deployment of more than 1,000 police officers. He set up the Marina Bay Neighborhood Police Centre, and led the Division to maintain law and order in downtown Singapore.

Lau was awarded the Singapore Police Force Overseas Scholarship in 1994. He graduated from Yale University with Double Honors in Political Science and International Studies in 1997 and went on to pursue a Master's degree in International Relations at the University of Cambridge in 1998. He also holds a Masters of Science in Business Administration from the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University (Sloan Fellow).

Lau is married to an editor, and the father of three young children. Besides serving as an officer of the International Association of Gaming Regulators, Lau also sits on the Advisory Council of World Vision, Singapore.

 

Judge (Ret.) Richard Magnus
Chairman, Casino Regulatory Authority

Richard Magnus is a recently retired Chief District Judge. He was awarded by the State the Meritorious Service Award for his exceptional public service. He is Singapore’s First Representative to the ASEAN Inter- Governmental Commission on Human Rights. He now holds several public positions as Chairman Casino Regulatory Authority, Chairman Public Guardian Board, Chairman Political Films Consultative Committee, Chairman Bioethics Advisory Committee, and Member of the Public Service Commission, Member Public Transport Council, and Expert Member of UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee. Magnus is also an Alumnus of the National Agenda Council. In the private sector, Richard sits on the Board of Directors of Temasek Cares PLC, CapitalMall Trust and the Changi Airport Group. He is Editor of five legal practitioners’ books on law. Richard speaks at several international and regional human rights conferences.  He is a lawyer by training and is also an Alumnus of the Harvard Business School and the John F. Kennedy School of Government.

 

Rolf Sims
Senior Legal Advisor, Ministry of Culture, Norway

Originally from Durban South Africa, Rolf Francis Sims lives in Oslo, Norway, where he graduated with a law degree from the University of Oslo in 1995, specializing in intellectual property and international human rights. He has previously worked on land concessions and area planning at the Ministry of Agriculture and legislation and individual cases related to oil pollution in the North Sea at the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority. 

Since 1998 Sims has worked as a gaming regulator, first with the Ministry of Justice and Police, and since 2001 with the Ministry of Culture. The Ministry is responsible for the regulation of all gaming in Norway except gaming connected to equestrian activities. In his previous and current position within gaming his scope of work has encompassed EU/EEA-law, all aspects of legislation connected to gaming machines, I-gaming, bingo, provisions and regulations on lotteries and sportsbetting. Sims has also supervised the administration of Norsk Tipping, the Norwegian state-owned gaming company, as well as the Norwegian Gaming Authority. He was particularly involved in the Norwegian Slot machine case and Ladbrokes case which questioned the compatibility of Norwegian gaming law to EU/EEA-law. Sims also participates as the Norwegian Government`s representative in the European Commissions Expert Group on Gambling Services, which provides the Commission with advice and expertise in relation to the preparation of policy initiatives and facilitates the exchange of regulatory experience and good practices between EEA Member States.

 

SPEAKERS

Santiago Asensi, Partner
Asensi Abogados, Spain

Nicholas Aquilina, Associate
Brandl & Talos, Austria

Melissa Blau, Director
iGaming Capital, United Kingdom

Steve Brennan, CEO
Gambling Supervision Commission, Isle of Man

Mark A. Clayton, Shareholder
Lionel Sawyer & Collins, Nevada

Tiffany Conklin, Commissioner
California Gambling Control Commission, California

Tony Coles, Consultant
Jeffrey Green Russell Limited, United Kingdom

Alexia Couccoullis, Partner
G. & A. Ladas Law Office, Cyprus & Law Offices Couccoullis & Associates, Greece

R. Paul Davis, General Counsel
Counting House (IOM) Ltd., Isle of Man

Angelo Dalli, CEO
Bit8, Malta

Christine Duhaime, Partner
Duhaime Law, Canada

J. Kelly Duncan, President IMGL
and Partner, Jones Walker, Louisianna

Marc H. Ellinger, Partner 
Blitz, Bardgett & Deutsch, L.C., Missouri

Olga Finkel, Managing Partner
WH Partners, Malta

Justin Franssen, Head of Gaming, Sports & Entertainment Practice Group
Kalff Katz & Franssen, The Netherlands

Dale J. Fuga, COO
Manitoba Gaming Control Commission, Canada

Jens Christian Gjesti, Senior Lawyer
Kvale Advokatfirma DA, Norway

Gowree Gokhale, Partner
Nishith Desai Associates, India

John Hagan, Partner
Harris Hagan, United Kingdom

Atle Hamar, Director
Norwegian Gaming and Foundation Authority, Norway

Wulf Hambach, Partner
Hambach & Hambach, Germany

Susan Hensel, President
International Association of Gaming Advisors and Director of Licensing, Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, Pennsylvania

Joerg Hofmann, Partner
Melchers Law Firm, Germany

Joe Kelly, Partner
A&L Goodbody, Ireland

Steve Ketteley, Partner
DLA Piper, United Kingdom

Alfredo Lazcano, Managing Partner and Director
Lazcano Sámano, S.C., Mexico

Alan Littler, Gaming Lawyer
Kalff Katz & Franssen, The Netherlands

Michael Lipton, Q.C., Senior Partner
Dickinson Wright, LLP, Canada

Quirino Mancini, Head of Media
Sports & Gaming Practice, SCM Lawyers, Italy

Sean McGuinness, Partner
Lewis & Roca, LLP, Nevada

Keith C. Miller, Ellis & Nelle Levitt Distinguished Professor of Law
Drake University Law School, Iowa

Donna More, Partner
Partner, Ungaretti & Harris, Illinois

Luka Mueller-Studer, Partner
MME Meyer Mueller Eckert Partners, Switzerland

Diane Mullenex, Partner
Ichay & Mullenex Avocats, France

Jamie Nettleton, Partner 
Addisons Lawyers, Australia

Nick Nocton, Director
Jeffrey Green Russell Limited, United Kingdom

Mike O’Kane, Chairman
European Sports Security Association, United Kingdom

Mary O’Loughlin, General Counsel
Paddy Power, Ireland

Pini Peter, CEO
Spotoption, Israel

Simon Planzer, Lecturer in Law
University of St. Gallen HSG, Switzerland

Honorable Jon Porter, CEO
Porter Gordon Silver Communications, Washington D.C.

Francesco Rodano, Head of Remote Gaming
Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli, Italy

Tal Itzhak Ron, Chairman
Tal Ron, Drihem & Co., Israel

Birgitte Sand, Director
Danish Gambling Authority, Denmark

Stefano Sbordoni, Partner & CEO
Studio Sbordoni, Italy

Kurt Schelter, Former State Minister of EU Affairs and Justice
Belgium

Friedrich Scheider, Professor, University of Linz
Department of Economics, Austria

Guido Schluetz, Senior Government Official
Gambling Regulation and Supervision, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Nick Tofiluk, Director of Regulatory Operations
Gambling Commission, United Kingdom

Jenny Williams, Commissioner & Chief Executive
Gambling Commission, United Kingdom

Andre Wilsenach, Executive Director
Alderney Gambling Control Commission, Alderney

Wai-Ming Yap, Director
Stamford Law Corporation, Singapore

Michael Zatezalo, Partner
Kegler, Brown, Hill & Ritter, Ohio