Industry leaders, regulators, and provider representatives gather for a highly informative IMGL MasterClass™ at EGC2019 Milan!

We are honored to announce that this year’s European Gaming Congress (EGC) will once again include an official IMGL MasterClass™ which will focus on the ideal connection and communication between regulators and the industry.

An important panel discussion highlighting some of the main aspects that operators are facing when communicating with regulators and of course discussing whenever this is the right time to introduce lobbying in Europe.

European Gaming Congress (EGC) will take place on the 8^th of November at Radisson Blu Hotel Milan and is gearing up to one of the most important editions of the conference.

You can register here or view the agenda here!

As mentioned above, the title of the IMGL MasterClass™ is “Ideal connection and communication between regulators and the industry” and will be joined by Ioanna Fiakkou (Chairwoman of the National Betting Authority Cyprus), Michele Magro (Chief Counsel – Policy & International Affairs for the Malta Gaming Authority), Maarten Haijer (Secretary-General of the European Gaming and Betting Association – EGBA), Quirino Mancini (Partner at Tonucci & Partners) and last but not least Andrew Cochrane (Chief Development Officer at SBTech).

The MasterClass will be moderated by the best person to guide this discussion who comes in the form of Dr. Joerg Hofmann (Partner at MELCHERS LAW).

Make sure you take advantage of this unique opportunity of learning and networking with the gambling industry in Europe via the EGC platform every year.

Register here!

About Dr. Joerg Hofmann – Partner at MELCHERS LAW (panel moderator)

Dr. Joerg Hofmann is a Past President of the International Masters of Gaming Law (“IMGL”) and group leader of the Gaming & Betting Law Practice Group of Melchers Law Firm.  He has been practicing gaming law since the mid-90s and Melchers’ legal advice is highly valued by global market leaders in all sectors of the gaming industry.  A highly recognized expert in the field, Joerg has been consistently ranked as a leading individual and expert in gaming law by prestigious legal directories including Chambers Global and Best Lawyers for many years.

About Ioanna Fiakkou – Chairwoman of the National Betting Authority Cyprus

Mrs. Ioanna Fiakkou is the chairwoman of the National Betting Authority, the public independent authority for the regulation, supervision, and control of betting activities in Cyprus.  During her term at NBA, she has worked with all stakeholders in the Cypriot betting industry and has managed to apply rigorous enforcement and monitoring measures.  Furthermore, she is responsible for launching the online betting market by granting the first licenses for companies offering online betting services.  She is now working on a draft bill whose aim is to modernize and update the betting market in Cyprus and takes into consideration the latest local and European trends and developments in the betting industry.

About Michele Magro – Chief Counsel – Policy & International Affairs for the Malta Gaming Authority

Michele is the Chief Counsel – Policy & International Affairs for the Malta Gaming Authority. He is a lawyer by profession and has worked at the regulator for over 7 years, principally within the Legal Directorate. Michele is the Chairman of the MGA’s Supervisory Council and a member of the Executive Committee. Michele is also Secretary to the Board of the Gaming Regulators European Forum (GREF).

About Maarten Haijer – Secretary-General of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA)

Maarten Haijer is the Secretary-General of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), the Brussels-based trade association representing leading online gambling operators licensed and regulated in the EU. EGBA works together with national and EU authorities and other stakeholders towards a well-regulated online betting market in Europe which provides a high level of consumer protection and takes into account the reality of the digital economy and consumer demand. Before joining the EGBA, Maarten worked as the internal market and consumer protection counselor at the Netherlands Permanent Representation to the EU.

About Quirino Mancini – Partner at Tonucci & Partners

Quirino is one of the leading Italian gaming and gambling lawyers with a specialist practice of almost 20 years.  He acts for Italian and foreign-based online and land-based companies operating in the Italian gaming market, advising them on legal, licensing, regulatory, day-to-day compliance and any other operational aspects connected to their activities.  He also runs a bespoke matchmaking and business strategy service to provide clients with a customised type of assistance that includes also introduction and facilitation of dealings with the local regulatory authorities, banks as well as scouting and suitability checks on potential business partners.

Quirino is a regular speaker at most international gaming conferences and sits in the editorial board of various sector reviews and magazines.

Co-founder and editor of www.gaminglaw.eu, a pan-European information and commentary portal focusing on legal and regulatory issues under European and national gaming laws.

Secretary and fellow member of the Leadership Committee of the International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL), a worldwide organization gathering regulators, lawyers and advisors, in-house counsels and educators engaged in the gaming business.  Fellow member of the International Association of Gaming Advisors (IAGA).

About Andrew Cochrane – Chief Development Officer at SBTech

Andrew Cochrane is Chief Development Officer for SBTech, the leading platform solutions provider to the sports betting and iGaming industry. He has worked across retail gaming, iGaming and sports betting sectors and has a proven track record of managing top-tier omni-channel operators in regulated markets. In his role at SBTech, he is responsible for cementing the company’s preeminent position in the industry by defining strategic objectives, identifying opportunities for further growth and maximizing revenues across the board, contributing to SBTech’s ongoing global expansion. He is leading SBTech’s U.S. go-to-market strategy.

For more details, browse the official event website here:  www.europeangamingcongress.com

Veteran gaming consultant, active in the iGaming industry since 2005 to present insider information about Netherlands and Spain at EGC Milan 2019!

It has been reported earlier this year, that in the Netherlands, a total of 125 companies have told the country’s gambling regulator that they are interested to obtain the online gambling license, once it becomes legal in 2021.

Two-thirds of the requests come from outside the Netherlands and include big names such as Bwin, Unibet, and Pokerstars.

Earlier this year, the Senate voted to open up the market to other companies. Holland Casino is the only state-regulated gambling establishment in the Netherlands.

The new law is restrictive and contains a number of elements to try to combat addiction. Players have to register and state their limits and will be periodically reminded of the risk of addiction on screen.

The gambling firms will also have to appoint an addiction expert and pay gambling taxes of 29%, which is one of the highest in Europe.

Without any doubt, the Netherlands will be among the most interesting subjects in the second edition of the European Gaming Congress (EGC) which will take place on the 8^th of November at Radisson Blu Hotel Milan.

Willem van Oort (Founder of Gaming in Holland / Gaming in Spain) will bring the key information about the Netherlands in the “Benelux Market Update” panel discussion where he will join Marko Jankovic (Head Of Business Development at G-Core Labs S.A.).

Given the extensive experience Willem has across multiple markets, we have also invited him to join “Highlights from Southwest Europe (Spain, Portugal)” compliance panel discussion, and as the founder of Gaming in Spain to talk about the inside information he has on the Spanish jurisdiction.

You can register here or view the agenda here!

Willem van Oort is a gaming consultant, active in the iGaming industry since 2005. He services international companies for market access, marketing and strategic business matters for Spain and the Netherlands.

Willem is also the founder of Gaming in Holland / Gaming in Spain, which are business communities for the iGaming sector, servicing its members with Newsletters, Magazines, and Events. On November 21-22 the next edition of the Spain event will take place in Madrid at the Bernabeu Stadium.

Make sure you take advantage of this unique opportunity of learning and networking with the gambling industry in Europe via the EGC platform every year.

Register here!

Browse the official event website here:  www.europeangamingcongress.com

Experts discuss the key shifts in Gaming, eSports, and Fintech at EGC Milan 2019!

In the past years, there have been many developments and compliance measures taken in the gaming industry and the most vital ones are certainly the ones that affect payments. There has been a large wave of innovation coming from the payments industry and all of them had to be in line with AMLD 5 while also preparing for AMLD 6.

At European Gaming Congress (EGC) we are bringing the discussion to Milan on the 8^th of November at Radisson Blu Hotel Milan, by hearing from the key names of the payments, gaming, eSports industries to discuss Operational, Regulatory and Compliance Aspects.

The speakers’ list was put together by Tal Itzhak Ron (Advocate, Certified Computer Scientist and Notary) who will also the moderator of this important panel discussion, which is joined by Martin Graham (Third Generation Bookmaker and Gaming Industry Veteran), Martina Scalpello (Senior Manager – AML Compliance – at ARQ Group Malta) and Dr. Holger Jakob (Head of Legal at G2 Esports).

You can register here or view the agenda here!

About Martina Scalpello – Senior Manager (AML Compliance) at ARQ Group Malta

Martina Scalpello is a senior manager responsible for AML/CFT compliance within the ARQ Group. Prior to joining ARQ, she worked with the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit, where her main role was to carry out both on-site and off-site AML/CFT reviews and inspections of financial services entities and DNFBPs. During this period she was also involved in a number of AML-related projects, including the implementation of the risk-based approach to supervision. She also previously worked as a compliance officer within the fund administration and investment services sectors.

Martina has been engaged in a number of AML/CFT audits, gap analyses and enterprise risk assessments for financial institutions and gaming operators. She also carries out reviews of policies and procedures for a number of industry players and regularly delivers training to officers and staff of various institutions including financial institutions, casinos, banks, and real estate agents.

About Martin Graham – Third Generation Bookmaker and Gaming Industry Veteran

As a third-generation bookmaker (his grandfather starting the business in London in 1923) and gaming industry veteran, Martin’s career includes founding Bonne Terre Limited, a licensed and regulated sportsbook in the Channel Islands which became a wholly-owned subsidiary of BskyB Group PLC, operating as Sky Bet. CVC Partners announced in April this year the sale of Sky Bet for £3.4 Billion to The Stars Group, owner of PokerStars.

Martin was also Chairman of Probability Games Corporation, which was successfully listed on the London AIM in 2006. It was one of the world’s market leaders in mobile phone gambling services and technology providers. The group was eventually bought by GTECH. He then founded Scotbet International Limited, a holding company for the betting businesses of Scotbet and Morrisons Bookmakers. This new group comprised the largest private Scottish retail betting company.

Martin is recognized for his contributions to the establishment of gaming laws within several jurisdictions and is considered a pioneer of the online gaming and gambling industry. Martin also advises or is a board member of several public and private gaming groups around the world.

About Dr. Holger Jakob – Head of Legal at G2 Esports

Dr. Holger Jakob, born in Mannheim, studied law in Heidelberg, Saarbrücken, Speyer and Berlin, where he also successfully completed his dissertation. He has been working as a lawyer for Entertainment and Sports law since 2002 and has been working as an in-house lawyer in the gaming and gambling industry since 2008. In January 2019, he became Head of Legal at G Esports Holding GmbH, which manages some of the most successful Esports teams in the world under the brand G2 Esports (e.g. League of Legends, Rainbow Six Siege).

Make sure you take advantage of this unique opportunity of learning and networking with the gambling industry in Europe via the EGC platform every year.

Register here!

Browse the official event website here:  www.europeangamingcongress.com