Wednesday, April 26

3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
IMGL Member Meeting
Silverado East at the Silverado Resort and Spa

5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Opening Reception & Registration
Fariway Deck at the Silverado Resort and Spa

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Thursday, April 27

Morning - Plenary Sessions: Silverado Ballroom

8:00 am - 9:30 am
Continental Breakfast

9:00 am – 9:10 am
Welcome and Conference Overview from IMGL President, Quirino Mancini

9:10 am – 9:30 am
Keynote Speaker: TBD

9:30 am – 10:30 am
Sports Betting in California

Proposition 26 and Proposition 27 were both soundly defeated by the voters in California in November 2022.  California has a prosperous multi-billion-dollar gambling industry; tribal casinos, cardrooms, horse racetracks and a lottery.  Is sports betting dead in California and if not, what lessons have been learned and what do the voters in California want to see in a bill that will best serve California?

Moderator: John Maloney, Owner/President, The Law Offices of John K. Maloney
Speakers:
Becky Harris, Distingushed Fellow, Gaming & Leadership, UNLV, International Gaming Institute
Jeremy Kleiman, Gaming Attorney, Saiber 
Mayor Willie Brown, Former mayor of San Francisco 
John English, Chairman, International Gaming Standards Association
Gordon Dickie, Consultant/Casino Ops/Confidential Investigations, Compliance, Online Gaming & Sports Betting, PRE- Licensing Investigations



10:30 am – 10:45 am
Networking Break

 

10:45 am – 11:45 am
2023-24 Opportunities, Challenges and Issues: The Supplier Perspective

This panel will discuss the regulatory conformity/updates on shipping regulations to match today's marketplace; advocacy to provide more consistency on licensure practices for suppliers since the large 20-30 companies are licensed in every jurisdiction around the globe; supply chain and logistics issues in today's technology framework; commercial/operational challenges for suppliers in today's environment; and other general matters of discussion amongst panel of gaming supplier executives. 

Moderator: Daron Dorsey, Executive Director, Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM)
Speakers: 
Tom Jingoli, EVP & Chief Operating Officer, Konami
David Lucchese, EVP of Sales, Marketing & Digital, Everi
Deron Hunsberger, President - North America, Ainsworth Game Technology

12:00 pm – 1:15 pm
IMGL Luncheon
Fireside chat with David Rebuck (Director, New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement ) and John McManus (Executive V.P., General Counsel & Secretary, MGM)
Fairway Deck

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Thursday, April 27

Afternoon – Track Sessions

Track 1 - Silverado Ballroom
Track 2 - Vintner's Court 

Sessions 1 & 2
1:30 pm – 2:15 pm

Track 1: Sports Betting, Tribal-State Compacts & State Licensure: Legal & Market Implications for Tribes and Tribal Partners. How a state approaches legalizing and regulating sports betting has legal and market implications for tribes and their partners

This panel will set out the most prevalent approaches to date, including tribal sports betting through existing or amended compacts, and under state licensure. The panel also will explore the pros and cons of each approach through specific examples, as well as how tribes can choose the approach that will meet their market goals while maintaining tribal sovereignty.

Moderator: Kathryn Rand, Floyd B. Sperry Professor, University of North Dakota School of Law
Speakers:
Jennifer Carleton, Chief Legal Officer, Sightline Payments
Brandt Iden, VP Government Affairs, Fanatics Betting & Gaming
Tuari Bigknife, Attorney General, Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians

 

Track 2: Emerging Markets – Europe

This panel will focus on the overregulation in Europe and how are emerging gaming jurisdictions best serving the respective markets?  What is good about and bad about the regulatory infrastructure in emerging markets and are they relying on the right jurisdictions for guidance?

Moderator: Birgitte Sand, CEO, Birgitte Sand & Associates ApS
Speakers: 
Connie Jones, Director of Responsible Gaming, Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers(AGEM)
Anders Dorph, Director, Danish Gambling Authority
Tom Mungham, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar,  Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

 

Sessions 3 & 4
2:15 pm – 3:00 pm

Track 1: Hot Topics in Tribal Gaming

Recent federal regulatory action, federal policy shifts, and Appellate and Supreme Court cases significantly impact the Indian gaming industry and Indian law matters in areas of federal gaming policy, compact negotiations, tribal land acquisitions, and tribal regulatory licensing processes.  On this panel, you will hear about the latest hot topics discussed by experts in the tribal gaming industry!

Moderator: Jane Zerbi, Attorney, Law Office of Jane. G Zerbi
Speakers:
Steven Light, Professor & Tribal Gaming Institute Co-Director, University of North Dakota College of Business & Public Administration
Kerry Patterson, Partner, Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves and Savitech LLP 
Ron Segev, Technology, iGaming & DLT Lawyer, Segev LLP

 

Track 2: Emerging Markets – Latin America and Caribbean

This panel will discuss the latest regulatory developments and the opportunities that opened for all industry stakeholders. It will also uncover the trends that may determine the path for evolving frameworks this year.

Moderator: Karen Sierra Hughes, Vice President of Latin America & Caribbean, Gaming Laboratories International
Speakers: 
Tomas Enrique Garcia Botta, Tax and gaming lawyer / Partner, MF Estudio
Fernando Garita, Gaming Consultant/Head of Business Development, Betcris
Jaime Rivera, Executive Director, Puerto Rico Gaming Commission



3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Networking Break



Sessions 5 & 6
3:30 pm – 4:15 pm

Track 1: Industry Modernization: The Emergence of iLottery and iGaming

The Panel will discuss the evolution of the gaming industry’s use of the Internet to reach new players -- including state lotteries in the wake of the IGT decision affirming the inapplicability of the Wire Act. As the legal barriers to internet modernization come down, the Panel will explore how iLottery and iGaming products can successfully co-exist in a way to best ensure that a rising tide lifts all boats while continuing to support growth of sales at traditional lottery retailer as well as play at brick and mortar casinos? Can the success of migration to the Internet in other parts of the world help set a pathway for the U.S.

Moderator: Phil Sicuso, Attorney, Bose McKinney & Evans LLP
Speakers:
Howard Glaser, Global Head of Government Affairs and Legislative Counsel, Light & Wonder
Andrew Cotton, Solicitor - Director of Betting & Gaming, Ince
Esmeralda Britton, President, Costa Rica National Lottery 

 

Track 2: Self-regulation for emerging gaming verticals

What is the stand of gaming legislation regarding new type of wagering events such as Esports in all its varieties? Some operators are establishing their own requirements to allow for betting on specific Esports events and leagues to guarantee integrity of the game and industry. Nevada recently worked on esports wagering regulations via their appointed Esports Technical Advisory Committee. Could this be another opportunity to take best practices across the world beyond regulation?

Moderator: CJ Fisher, Partner, Co-Chair, Gaming Department, Fox Rothschild LLP
Speakers: 
Alex Igelman, Chief Executive Officer, Esports Entertainment Group
Vlastimil Venclik, CEO, Oddin.gg
Dawn Himel, Deputy Director, Louisiana Department of Justice

 

6:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Gala Dinner
Culinary Institute of America: Greystone
*Shuttle buses will leave the Silverado Resort & Spa at 5:45 pm and return between 9:30 pm - 10:30 pm

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Friday, April 28

Plenary Sessions: Ballroom

8:00 am – 9:30 am
Continental Breakfast

9:00 am – 9:05 am
Welcome from IMGL President, Quirino Mancini

9:05 am - 9:20 am
Student Award Presentations
 

9:25 am – 10:10 am
Tangible Tips for Advancing Responsible Gaming

A conversation with responsible gaming advocates and practitioners with experience in academia, consultancy, operations and regulation on actionable ideas for the gaming industry that promote responsible gaming awareness, that focus attention on positive conduct, and that enhance programs to strengthen the industry’s commitment to responsible marketing and promotion. These concepts will be inclusive of brick-and-mortar, sports wagering and online gaming operations.

Moderator: Stephen Martino, Senior Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer, MGM Resorts International
Speakers:
Rick Arpin, Managing Partner, KPMG
Amanda Blackford, Director of Operations & Problem Gambling, Ohio Casino Control Commission
Dr. Jennifer Shatley, Founder and Principal Consultant, Logan Avenue Consulting

   

10:10 am – 10:55 am
Problems & pitfalls encountered in establishing a Sports Betting & i-Gaming legal regime & how various jurisdictions addressed these issues

This panel consisting of speakers from US, Canada and EU will focus on the major problems and issues confronted by different jurisdictions in determining whether to establish a sports betting and an i-Gaming regulatory legal framework, the factors that were considered by the jurisdictions in determining to regulate, the problems that were faced and how they were resolved.

Moderator: Michael Lipton, Senior Partner, Dickinson Wright LLP
Speakers: 
Paul Burns, President & CEO, Canadian Gaming Association
Martin Lycka, SVP for American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling, Entain
Joseph Borg, Partner, WH Partners
David Rebuck, Director, New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement 

10:55 am - 11:15 am
Networking Break

 

11:15 am – 12:00 pm
How regulators talk and deal with one another: shared experiences and exchanging information

Stakeholder consultation is far from being a similarly practiced let alone standardized process across the regulated markets. This means that even emerging jurisdictions lack general and objective terms of reference when it comes to providing the local gaming industry with a set of common, comprehensive, sustainable and fair rules. In this context, the only sensible and pragmatic way forward is for regulators to constantly share one another information, records and experiences regarding how they respectively deal with all key issues and aspects associated to the job of ruling gaming business. This panel will discuss the level and state of affairs of the inter-regulator talks on both sides of the Atlantic.

Moderator: Quirino Mancini, Partner, Tonucci & Partners
Speakers:
Carl Brincat, Chief Executive Officer, Malta Gaming Authority
Andrew Gellatly, Executive Director, AGCC
Caroline Kongwa, Chief Strategic Adviser, National Gambling Board, South Africa
Luke Rippee, Deputy Chief Investigations Division, Nevada Gaming Control Board

 

12:00 pm – 1:15 pm
IMGL Luncheon
Special Guest Speakers & Wine Presentation with Brie Garcia (TV Personality, Former WWE Wrestler) & Ryan Hill (Vice President and Director of Sales, Hill Family Estate)
Fairway Deck

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1:20 pm – 2:05 pm
Global legal frameworks

Do they support operators’ actions to prevent fraud related to player account frauds, match fixing, the use of bots and other activities that put in risk the integrity and fairness of the industry and player protection?  While some gaming regulations allows for certain directionality for the contractual relation between operator and player, some jurisdictions’ judicial decisions are overturning operators’ actions that are based on player registration terms and conditions clauses that aim for fraud prevention. Is the solution at the gaming regulation level alone and what have we learn that could be applied across regulated markets?

Moderator: Gabrielle Angle, Director, Government Relations & Licensing, GeoComply
Speakers:
Santiago Asensi,  Managing Partner and Founder, Asensi Abogados
Luís Portela de Carvalho, Head of Legal, Clever Advertising
Gonzalo Perez, CEO, Apuesta Total



2:05 pm – 2:30 pm
Networking Break


 

2:30 pm – 3:15 pm
Cybersecurity is a Multiplayer Game: Where the Gaming Industry Is Most Vulnerable and Why Mitigating Risk is Everyone’s Responsibility

Historically, cybersecurity related functions have been one of the primary responsibilities of the IT department. In recent years, cyberattacks have been increasing in frequency, complexity, and severity at remarkable rates, putting the entire gaming organization at jeopardy—not just IT.  To play it smart for 2023, cybersecurity should be considered a team sport, consisting of key members from various departments throughout the company to properly mitigate risk. It’s becoming more critical to start identifying key stakeholders across your gaming organization and to enforce that cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility – employees are stewards to help defend against cybercriminals. This session explores where the gaming industry is most vulnerable and why cybersecurity should matter to all employees.

Moderator: Melissa Aarskaug, Vice President of Business Development. Gaming Laboratories International
Speakers:
Lance Harris, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Everi
Jason Stump, CIO, Wynn Las Vegas
Sequoyah Simermeyer, Chairman, National Indian Gaming Commission

 

3:15 pm – 4:00 pm
Investment Opportunities in the Gambling Industry and Navigating the Regulatory Issues

The gambling industry is very lucrative, but it is also heavily regulated due to its history of being influenced by organized crime. There are many investment opportunities for publicly traded companies, private equity groups and hedge funds that may have no regulatory footprint and are new to the gambling industry. What are the issues and barriers that must be overcome if, for example, a gambling supplier is acquired that has privileged licenses in multiple gaming jurisdictions, with each jurisdiction having its own specific regulations and statutes that may differ from the others.  This panel will discuss the multitude of issues that need to be considered under these circumstances.

Moderator: Greg Giordano, Partner, McDonald Carano
Speakers:
Marie Jones, Attorney, Fox Rothschild 
Kelly Duncan, Gaming Attorney, Jones Walker 
Michael Fabius, Partner, Ballard & Spahr LLP
Dan Reaser, Director and Chair of Government Relations and Regulatory Practice, Fennemore Craig, P.C.

6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Closing Reception
Opus One Winery
**Shuttle buses will be available for attendees at the Silverado Resort & Spa and will leave at 5:30 pm and take attendees back beginning at 7:30 pm