IMGL autumn conference
IMGL Autumn conference panel highlights
Single customer view – a realistic and deliverable harm reduction strategy? Politicians, legislators, regulators, and operators are all looking for ways to protect consumers, but no one has come up with the perfect solution to keep all players from being harmed by gambling. There are many reasons why this may be the case. When players gamble across a host of different operators’ sites, harm protection becomes even more challenging. This panel will take a deep dive into the many stakeholder considerations and discuss current and potential Single Customer View (SCV) initiatives and expected impacts. Is it fair and realistic to ask operators to support SCV models, what are the technical aspects and could SCV solutions ultimately replace many of the well-known consumer protection standards that do not provide a full overview of cross gambling player behavior and hence do not readily identify a need for more focused responsible gaming support and/or intervention. Speakers: Birgitte Sand, Birgitte Sand Associates (moderator), Rolf Sims, Kindred Group, Wes Himes, Betting and Gaming Council, Rasmus Kjaergaard, Mindway AI, Dan Waugh, Regulus Partners Regulation vs innovation in the gaming industry In light of recent significant initiatives to regulate online platforms and the gaming industry, notably in the form of the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, we will explore the important question: can a balance be successfully struck between regulation and innovation? Undoubtedly online platforms are at the core of today’s new regulatory challenges. What exactly do these challenges look like for the gaming industry? What will be the position in the UK and the US? And ultimately what will be the consequences? The discussion will be framed by exploring the balance between the application of minimum standards to ensure consumer protection and attract investments whilst also recognizing the need to allow for a degree of freedom to foster innovation and realistic implementation. Moderator: Quirino Mancini
Culture clash? When culture needs to mingle with gaming With the boom in online gaming, cryptocurrency and smart devices are we at a point where culture will succumb to borderless tech or will cultural restrictions based on religious or social mores fight back? We will compare, notably, the position in the Middle East where gaming is for the most part illegal, as embedded in the notion of its shame and unacceptance according to Sharia law, to India’s more positive attitude, as reflected in the Mahabharata, one of India’s oldest mythological epics, in which “opponents were tested based on their skills at board and dice games rather than through wars”. How is culture a driver in the liberalization of markets and what role has gaming played in creating culture? In light of the greater emphasis on gaming addiction prevention and ‘harm mitigation’ how will jurisdictional approaches to ‘harm mitigation’ vary according to prevailing cultural attitudes. Finally, Covid-19 has resulted in a boom for this industry and more so now than ever before, there is a growing super culture of gamers. This is created as an increasing percentage of the world’s population share the experience of playing games regularly. It is intriguing, especially now, to ask what this growing culture looks like? The gaming industry is also now beginning to look more at gender balance. Moderator: Diane Mullenex Also: • Emerging Markets: New Territories in LatAm, Africa, Eastern Europe; • US / Canada Updates; New technologies in the gambling industry; • Blockchain/NFTs/Crypto and the Metaverse; • Gambling and geopolitics: the Ukraine crisis and its impact on the global gambling industry Plus! • IMGL Awards luncheon • Young Members Special program • Reception and Gala Dinner at Kensington Palace
56 • IMGL Magazine • July 2022
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