President’s message
iGaming, New Frontiers and More Regulation…Oh my! Marc Ellinger , President INTERNATIONAL MASTERS OF GAMING LAW W elcome to the newest edition of the IMGL Magazine. In the following pages, you will find outstanding
or for gaming in general as its growth explodes across the globe. Regulators are flexing their muscle across the world. In Europe, the regulatory march is at full speed. If you thought GDPR was a headache, wait until you read about the Digital Services Act and its ramifications for the gambling industry. First raised in these pages last year and discussed in a lively session at our conference in Seattle, this development is going to require us all, wherever we practice, to take on board a raft of online restrictions. Only the nimble will thrive and it pays to get up to speed early. Europe’s determination to take a lead in digital regulation will be a major talking point at our upcoming London conference, September 14-16, at the Landmark Hotel. You can read a preview of what to expect in these pages. Another event in London will be the unveiling of our new website. The new IMGL website will be launching this fall and the IMGL Magazine is going to play a major role. As always, we are looking for articles on innovative practices or critical events. Articles get global exposure, advance the mission of the IMGL, and help our industry understand what may be on the way, so they can get ahead of any looming problems. Please contact our Head of Publications, Phil Savage at Phil@imgl.org or our Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Simon Planzer. I cannot conclude without thanking our sponsors for their support. That support is critical to providing the resources for the IMGL to move our education mission forward. Thank you so very much! Until London in September…Cheers!! Marc
articles about the global state of gaming as only the IMGL can bring to the table. We now find ourselves at the 20th anniversary of regulated iGaming in Europe with Malta’s regulation being the first. Malta has been at the cutting edge of gaming and it continues to be in the news on a daily basis. While the Maltese experience is critical, this edition is full of new frontiers in regulation from around the world in line with IMGL’s international reach and membership. We have a review of the first 90 days of Ontario’s new licensing regime and an in-depth review of the choices facing the people of California as one of the world’s largest economies prepares to vote on the legalization of sports betting. Away from North America we look at the state of the market in Macau and ask whether the new concession regime can help gaming recover and the Special Administrative Region achieve its goals in what was once the world’s gaming capital. We are witnessing regulatory mission creep into novel products which have never attracted scrutiny before. From the “gamblification” of entertainment to trading platforms for unregulated “investment” products, if it looks like gaming regulatory interest is coming down the track. Whether gaming lawyers help clients design products which stay the right side of the law or remain outside the regulatory net, this is an area where our advice will be increasingly valuable. The articles in this edition are must- reads for anyone working in the iGaming area
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IMGL Magazine • July 2022 • 3
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