IMGL CONFERENCE REPORT
Jason Lane, chief executive of the Jersey Gaming Commission and president of IAGR, opened the IMGL conference with a fireside chat with Dr. Simon Planzer
Regulators’ views were a key part of the IMGL conference in Zurich WITH REGULATORS IN ATTENDENCE FROM FIVE CONTINENTS, THE IMLG AUTUMN CONFERENCE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LISTEN, LEARN AND SHARE
R egulators are a key constituency for gaming lawyers. They are the conduit via which lawmakers put into practice the acts they pass, and they are responsible for interpreting, applying and enforcing the rules under which our industry operates. Part of the mission of the IMGL is to facilitate dialogue between regulators and the industry, building confidence and trust on both sides and hopefully contributing to better regulation of the gambling industry. It was, therefore, no accident that the input of regulators was evident throughout the IMGL autumn conference in Zurich. It was, as they say locally, the red thread which ran through the two days and gave the event its direction. From the opening fireside chat to the closing regulator’s round table the voice of those who the industry looks to for legal certainty was heard. Of course, the best dialogue is never a one-way street and implicit in the invitation of regulators to IMGL conferences is that they have as much to learn and absorb as the rest of us. Whether that is by gauging the reaction in the room when they road test an idea, listening attentively to the other conference sessions, or participating in lively conversations with other attendees during networking breaks and the social program, there are key takeaways to be had.
There were regulators from five continents in attendance in Switzerland, but the warmest welcome was reserved for Olena Vodolazhko a member of the Ukrainian Gambling and Lottery Commission. Her presence had been anticipated in London in 2022 but war in her country meant the visit had to be postponed. Audience members showed their appreciation as Olena took to the stage in Zurich, marking the first time that a regulator from Ukraine had attended an IMGL conference. Looking backwards and forwards Industry veteran Jason Lane, Chief Executive of the Jersey Gaming Commission, could look back to a time before online gambling when life as a regulator was very different. “Everything was mechanical,” he said, “but whilst we might not have been able to Google the details of licensees, there was a very open exchange of information between regulators, the police and other authorities. So open, in fact, that you couldn’t imagine it happening today. Technology and the amount of data available has changed everything, but the key is still to strive for constructive collaboration between the industry and regulator.”
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IMGL MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2023
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