Based on this year’s motto A Kickstart for Collaboration: Sparking Innovation in Regulatory Practice, this week, the International Association of Gaming Regulators’ (IAGR) reunion occurred at the Novotel Melbourne on Collins hotel in Melbourne, Australia.
In the beginning, the event included a few welcoming words from Annette Kimmitt, CEO of the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission, host of the meeting, and from Jason Lane, president at IAGR. This annual conference brought senior international gambling regulators and industry stakeholders together to hear from leading speakers, discuss known and emerging issues and connect and share knowledge about regulatory policy and practice, the latest research and industry developments and trends.
Over 40 conference speakers and panelists were challenging and inspiring delegates towards innovation, a more efficient and effective gambling regulation. Main topics were responsible gambling, online gaming standard integrations, anti-money laundering, gambling behavior, advertising, emerging technologies, Blockchain licensing, women in gaming, sports betting, Esports, video games, and the cashless sector, among other issues.
Besides, the 2022 International Regulatory Awards winners were announced at a gala dinner in Melbourne. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (Canada) took home the award for ‘Regulatory Excellence’ for their work establishing an outcomes-based regulatory framework for iGaming. For its part, the National Indian Gaming Commission (United States of America) received the award for ‘Regulatory Innovation’ for the novel framework implemented to share information among gaming regulation technology experts around cyber intrusions. While the Office of Responsible Gambling (New South Wales, Australia) obtained the award for ‘Best Regulatory Campaign’ for the second year in a row, this time for The Number that Changed Our Life project. This campaign was designed to directly address culturally and linguistically diverse communities in New South Wales, where problems with gambling are prevalent.