May 2015 President’s Message

“The older I get the better I was”- I quote a sign I saw in a shop window in Gibraltar the other week which made me laugh.  What a wonderful thought. One can hardly disagree. I love the subtleness of British humor. Fortunately, when I think about the IMGL, I feel that the IMGL not only gets older but also continues to succeed in reaching its aims and is very much focused on the present and future.

The way this year’s conference season has kicked off demonstrates this. Reaching out to new destinations, we held our first conference in the Caribbean — and I am happy to find that our Spring Conference in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands has been a conference of the highest quality. It boasted top level speakers, experts from all around the world, and lively discussions on topics such as changes in offshore gaming regimes, the legality of fantasy sports, AML compliance standards, and many more. Further, we received a very warm welcome from the U.S. Virgin Island government and Casino Control Commission. I would like to thank Violet Anne Golden, Chairman of the Virgin Island Casino Control Commission, and the Honorable Kenneth E. Mapp, Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands — who acted as our keynote speaker — for making this conference possible and so special.

IMGL’s present- and future-oriented approach can also be seen when considering that our membership numbers have continuously increased. Due to the particular care the IMGL takes when checking membership applications, it is ensured that only experts in the field may become members of the IMGL. The increasing number of members therefore does not have any negative effects on the quality of the IMGL.

In order to attract more members from all over the world, the IMGL has decided to demonstrate more presence in regions such as Asia, the Pacific region, and South America.  Hence, we have introduced the Asian Gaming Lawyer — our fifth publication in the Gaming Lawyer series — which will be launched at G2E Asia. The Asian Gaming Lawyer principally focuses on the Asian and Pacific region gaming markets and regulation regimes, and will inform its readers about the latest legal, technological, and market developments in the industry.

As you know, our next Autumn Conference will take place in Lima, Peru. Again, this marks a milestone in IMGL history as it will be the first conference to be hosted in South America. Further, it will be the first conference to be hosted together with the IAGR (International Association of Gaming Regulators), where joint sessions will be held. I am sure that this will provide unparalleled opportunities to discuss certain issues with regulators from all over the world and to exchange viewpoints. The conference will take place from 14-16 October 2015. Please note that for organizational reasons registration deadlines will be posted shortly. I ask you to please keep this in mind in order to register on time and not miss the deadline. You will find all relevant information on our IMGL website (www.gaminglawmasters.com).

Presence is further demonstrated by the IMGL through its members who regularly attend conferences all over the world and our IMGL Masterclasses, which have proven to be well-received and a very popular conference format. Our next IMGL Masterclasses are scheduled to be held on 25 June at the iGaming Supershow in Amsterdam and on 28 September 2015 at G2E Las Vegas.

Finally, let me conclude by saying that it is a great pleasure for me as the President of the IMGL to read the most recent Chambers Global ranking.  I am very proud to find that out of 53 individuals listed as leading individuals in the category “Global-wide Gaming & Gambling,” 46 are IMGL members. Considering that Chambers Global performs its rankings in 185 countries all over the world, it is even more remarkable that more than 86% of the best practitioners worldwide are IMGL members.
I hope we can keep up this good work and continue to grow old the way wine does: getting better as we age. Cheers!

Joerg Hofmann
President
International Masters of Gaming Law