IAGR 2015 May Edition

May 2015
The sub-committees keep the
wheels of IAGR turning and that
is also the intention behind the
knowledge sharing groups.
Gambling is evolving rapidly many
places around the world and
consequently many regulators
are faced with the need for new
gambling regulation/changes in
their regulatory frameworks.
Dear members,
It seems to me that it was not long
ago since our last IAGR newsletter
in December 2014, but we are
already in the beginning of May
2015 and I am proud to tell you
that progress has been made in
several areas of our organisation.
First and foremost,
we continue to grow
and currently have
61 jurisdictional
members and 257
ordinary members.
Furthermore, as a result of
our invitation to join the IAGR
sub-committees all seven subcommittees are now consolidated
and consist of both experienced
and less experienced participants
– all ready to do their very best to
move IAGR forward and support
the important tasks regarding
IAGR Governance, Membership,
Conference, Communication,
Multi-Jurisdictional Business
Form, Statistics Gathering and
Technical Standards.
I am certain that
between us as IAGR
members we have
valuable knowledge
that could be useful
to share to ensure
a well-regulated
gambling market.
But it is always a challenge to
ensure ongoing knowledge
sharing since we are all busy with
our daily tasks and reaching out
to fellow regulators in the IAGR
membership community takes an
extra effort. However, it does not
have to be that time consuming.
Simply visit the IAGR portal and
follow the link to the knowledge
sharing groups and place, perhaps
just a brief note asking for advice
on an issue covered by one of the
five groups (e-Gambling, Land
Based Gambling, Match-fixing,
Responsible Gambling and Money
Laundering), make a comment or
share a paper.
Wouldn’t it be great if we
sometimes could place an
invitation or ask for an opportunity
to visit another member
jurisdiction to learn from one
another?
Turning to the IAGR Board of
Trustees, I would like to use this
opportunity to extend my profound
thanks to our outgoing treasurer
through several years, A.G.
Burnett, Chairman, Nevada Gaming
Control Board, for his dedicated
and consistent work for IAGR.
At the same time, allow me to
introduce our new treasurer
and newly elected trustee Bruce
Molnar, Vice Chairman, Pokagon
Band Gaming Commission,
Michigan and Indiana, United
States.
The Board of Trustees is grateful
to Bruce Molnar for agreeing to
take on this task. Bruce Molnar
is accompanied by Andral “Jack”
Shirley, Executive Director, Betting,
Gaming & Lotteries Commission,
Jamaica, West Indies and
Micheil Brodie, Chief Executive,
Independent Liquor and Gaming
Authority, New South Wales,
Australia.
I would like to welcome our three
new trustees – they all contribute
to make our Board global and thus
broadly represent our members.
continued...
I am also pleased to inform you
that online registration and
payment for the annual conference
will soon be electronic – we
expect it to be ready for use later
this month, and please note that
minutes from Board meetings will
be available for all members on our
portal soon.
Finally, the preparations for this
year’s annual IAGR conference
are progressing very nicely. This
year IAGR and the International
Masters of Gambling Law (IMGL)
have agreed to host a back-to-back
conference in South America, in
the capital of Peru, Lima.
Our first conference
in South America is
a great opportunity
to meet new people
from the gambling
sector in this region
of the world – both
regulators and
industry – and invite
new members to join
IAGR.
I am confident that the conference
will be a great experience and I
would like to thank both IMGL/
President Joerg Hoffman and
Juegos de Casino Y Maquinas
Tragamonedas (the Peruvian
Gambling Authority) /Director
General Manuel San Roman for
their excellent work so far.
The conference will have English/
Spanish translation. Moreover, this
newsletter will also be translated
into Spanish and will be available
soon.
If you have any views or questions
regarding IAGR, please feel free to
contact me by email:
[email protected]
Yours faithfully,
Birgitte Sand
President IAGR
2015
Lima
Latest news on the IAGR conference in
Lima on 13 - 15 October 2015
We are preparing an exceptional program with
sessions addressing emerging issues involving:
• social gaming and virtual currency
• money laundering
• internet gambling
• topical issues presented by IAGR’s knowledge
sharing groups.
This year’s conference offers even more than
usual as it is being held back-to-back with the
International Masters of Gaming Law Conference
(IMGL) on 14-16 October. IAGR and IMGL will share
a day of sessions and networking so you can make
the most of your time in Lima.
The conference venue is perfectly situated in the
Miraflores district along the coastline and overlooks
the Larcomar shopping area.
More information about the conference including
hotel booking and registration is available at
http://iagr.org/lima2015/
Mark your calendar and make reservations well in
advance as the Marriott Hotel has an early cut-off
date of 11 August.
IAGR annual conference fees
IAGR Conference
only
2 day registration
IAGR Member
IMGL Member
Non-Member
Spouse/Guest
(social events only)
Joint IAGR/IMGL
Conferences
3 day registration
IAGR Member
IMGL Member
Non-Member
Spouse/Guest
(social events only)
Early
Regular
By 11 August
USD $850
USD $1050
USD $1350
USD $200
After 11 August
USD $950
USD $1150
USD $1450
USD $200
Early
Regular
By 11 August
USD $1150
USD $1450
USD $1850
USD $300
After 11 August
USD $1250
USD $1550
USD $1950
USD $300
2015
Lima
Where?
Lima, Peru, at the JW Marriott
Hotel and Belmond
When?
13 – 15 October 2015
What’s new?
Simultaneous translation
Spanish/English and English/Spanish
The conference will be a back-toback conference with IMGL
industry and regulators are
welcome!
At the conference...
•
•
•
•
Match-fixing
How to build a gambling authority
Investigating remote gambling
And more to come…
About Peru...
The Peruvian gambling market...
• 21 casinos
• More than 75,000 slot machines
across 705 venues
• Lottery is permitted if operated by
charity organisations
Visa: No visa is required to travel to a
conference or as a tourist. Be aware that
business trips will require a visa.
Size: Peru is the third largest country in
South America and larger than France,
Spain, and Germany combined. The
landscape is extremely varied, with a long
coastline in the west released in the Andes
with a highest peak at 6768 meters and
ends in the east with the Amazon basin
lowland jungle.
Population: Nearly 30 million inhabitants,
of whom more than half live on the coast.
The Capital, Lima, has a population of about
10 million.
Languages: Spanish (84, 1%),
Quechua (13, 0%) and Aymara (1, 7%)
Lima
2015
Our Lima
reconnaissance trip...
Susan Hensel and Håkan Hallstedt co-chairs of the
IAGR Conference Sub-Committee have been to see
what it is like...
In order to make sure that the attendees at the
2015 IAGR/IMGL Joint Conference are getting value
for money we left the cold north and headed to
beautiful Peru.
With a temperature of 28 Celsius and some humidity
it certainly was a welcome change of scenery for us.
Peru has three official languages – Spanish, Quechua
and Aymara. But we had to stick with English
and managed rather well! Many thanks to IMGLrepresentative Ernest Matthews and local attorney
Jaime Varela Vidal for their great assistance during
our visit.
Peru is well-known all over the world for its cuisine. Mashed
potatoes, French fries and chips – all of your favourite
snacks – also owe their origin to Peru, while ceviche is
Lima’s signature dish.
The Conference Hotel JW Marriott is located in Lima’s
distinctive Miraflores district and has a wonderful
view over the Pacific Ocean. Almost all of the rooms
have a splendid sea view and there are numerous
shopping and dining areas close by. The hotel has
a nice restaurant and bar, a gym (unfortunately the
pool will be closed during the winter) and a casino on
the ground floor.
We are planning a three hours welcoming reception
in the Observatory at the beautiful Belmond Hotel
within walking distance from the Marriott. Just look
at the stunning view! We are also planning some
memorable entertainment.
IAGR will host its Gala Dinner at the Huaca Pucllana
Restaurant. It maintains a culinary philosophy, which
fundamentally lies in using Peruvian flavours as a base for
its cuisine. After eating dinner at the Huaca Pucllana, we can
say that they do so with justified pride.
However, we are not sure that the options Carpaccio de
alpaca or Filet of Amazon fish will be served at the Gala
Dinner!
continued...
Lima
2015
The restaurant is located at, or
rather on, an archaeological site
just a short bus ride from the
Marriott.
Pucllana was an important
ceremonial and administrative
location. Its magnificence was
reflected by the configuration
of a monumental architecture.
We are currently planning for a
guided tour before dinner.
IAGR and IMGL are also planning to arrange a half day
city tour on Friday 16 October and on Saturday 17
October. The tour takes 3-4 hours and includes a visit to
the Lima Historical Centre, the old side of the city and
the capital of the Peruvian vice-royalty.
We may also enjoy a walking tour of Plaza Mayor, the
tourist centre of Lima, continuing to the monumental
San Francisco Convent, which displays the largest
collection of religious art in America.
Our highlight includes a visit of the underground vaults,
known as “Catacumbas” or Catacombs.
A travel company, Journeys in Peru, also offers 4 day
and 3 night trips to Cusco and Machu Picchu and can
adjust this to longer or shorter visits depending on the
traveller’s needs. Neither IAGR nor IMGL will make
arrangements for these extended tours. IAGR/IMGL will;
however, provide a link for those who are interested to
make their own arrangements directly with Journeys in
Peru.
Please note that the outlined programme is provisional
and subject to approval from the IAGR Board of
Trustees.
We hope to see as many IAGR/IMGL members as
possible in Peru. Our short visit to Lima certainly made
us want to come back for more!
Susan Hensel and Håkan Hallstedt
Co-chairs of the IAGR Conference Sub-Committee
IAGR 2016 conference location announced
We’re already looking ahead to schedule our next international gathering. We
rotate the conference location among the regions represented by our diverse
membership to make sure we all have a chance to get involved and meet up.
The Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that the 2016 IAGR Annual
Conference and Business Meeting will be held in…
Sydney, Australia!
Sydney is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city with a diverse population featuring a rich history and internationallyrecognised tourist attractions.
The New South Wales Independent Liquor & Gaming
Authority will lead as conference host with other Australian
jurisdictions contributing to the planning efforts.
More details about the Sydney conference will be published after the 2015 conference.
New members on the Board of Trustees
We asked those interested in getting more involved in the direction of IAGR and in contributing time and energy to
grow the association to get nominations to join the Board of Trustees. Thank you to all those who took the time to do
so. Our three new Trustees are:
• Bruce Molnar, North America (New Treasurer)
• Jack Shirley, Caribbean
• Micheil Brodie, Asia/Oceania
They join the current members of the Board:
• President/Trustee: Birgitte Sand, Europe
• Vice President/Trustee: Bheki Mlambo, Africa
• Treasurer/Trustee: AG Burnett, North America (resigning) • Trustee: Blair Cairncross, Asia/Oceania
• Trustee: Dale Fuga, North America
• Trustee: Håkan Hallstedt, Europe
• Trustee: Susan Hensel, North America
• Trustee: David Rebuck, North America
• Trustee: Michael Sarquis, Asia/Oceania
• Trustee: Jerry See, Asia/Oceania
• Trustee: Fortune Sekgaphane, Africa
• Trustee: Nick Tofiluk, Europe
Following the IAGR bylaws the new trustees will serve on the Board as of 20 April 2015; however, their service term
will commence effective with the mid-year Board meeting held in conjunction with the North American Gaming
Regulators Association Conference this June in Denver, Colorado, USA and their service will be confirmed at the
annual business meeting in Lima, Peru. Their service term will conclude at the Annual Business Meeting in fall, 2018.
A list of all nominees was announced to the membership prior to the election period, which started on 20 April, but
due to four vacancies and only three nominees, the voting members were not asked to cast their ballots.
Recent new members...
We’re delighted to welcome two new members to IAGR:
• Office of Liquor, Gaming & Racing (New South Wales)
• Free State Gambling & Liquor Authority (South Africa)
IAGR sub-committees are now confirmed
The IAGR sub-committees have set their agendas for the year to continue the mission to foster cooperation and
communication among our members.
• Membership sub-committee
Responsible for coordinating membership outreach with new and existing members
• Governance and audit sub-committee
Responsible for developing IAGR’s governance framework including a review of the membership structure,
financial arrangements and the election process of Officer and Board of Trustee members
• Communications sub-committee
Aims to improve communications outside of the annual conference as a means of facilitating an exchange of
information and ideas between regulators on an ongoing basis
• Conference sub-committee (2016)
Responsible for the planning of the 2016 conference
• Multi Jurisdictional Business Form sub-committee
Responsible for drafting and updating a Multi Jurisdictional Business Form that can be used by member
jurisdictions for business applicants
• Statistics Gathering Sub-Committee
Responsible for the compilation of statistics as reference material
• Technical standards sub-committee
Responsible for drawing up international technical standards that will provide a regulator’s perspective on
governance principles for defining, promulgating, maintaining and managing common technical standards for
gaming equipment. The terms of reference are pending.
Sub-committee profiles will be updated once all sub-committees are completed.
We are excited for the new energy that our members bring to IAGR and hope to tap into the broad range of
experiences and ideas that you have to offer.
Thank you in advance for your contributions!
Understanding the
impacts of Asian betting
markets: Why is Asia so
relevant to the rest of
the world?
Last month Professor David Forrest gave us insight
into how Asian markets operate and their potential
impacts on betting markets in your jurisdictions.
He explained how the hierarchical structures found in
Asian markets have adapted to the online world. How
at the top level four online ‘supra-national operators’
aggregate bets worth billions of dollars from a vast
network of intermediaries and agents. How these
‘supra-nationals’ impact on betting markets and
sports betting integrity/match fixing.
Thanks to David for giving us the opportunity to not
only increase understanding of how these markets
operate but also to further explore the implications
for sports betting integrity.
If you missed the webinar you can access the
presentation, speaking notes and webinar recording
on the IAGR website.
Jurisdictional profiles
If you would like to know more about your fellow
IAGR colleagues and their current regulatory positions
you can read their jurisdictional profile on the IAGR
website here: http://iagr.org/jurisdiction-profiles/.
Approximately half of IAGR member jurisdictions
submitted a profile last year before the IAGR annual
conference, but it would be useful to have more.
Please contact the secretariat Mariah Echele
([email protected]) to update your
profile or if you wish to submit your listing for the first
time.
Member renewal date
is now 1 July
We remind our members of the bylaws amendment
approved at the October Philadelphia Annual Business
Meeting which changed the official membership year
to 1 July.
This change is effective from 2015 and intended to
allow IAGR to synchronize the dues cycle more closely
with the annual conference and business meeting.
All members who joined in 2014 will enjoy an
extended six months’ membership through 30 June
2015.
The dues notices will cover the new 1 July 2015 – 30
June 2016 billing cycle and member year.
In addition, the dues renewal will be shortened to
accommodate sufficient time for jurisdictional voting
before the annual business meeting.
Please watch out for your dues renewal notices.
Members will have the opportunity to update their
rosters for enrolment renewal.
Promotion of portal
library
Don’t forget that you can share your articles or
reference materials with colleagues around the world
using the portal library section of www.iagr.org.
So if you have some best practice you’d like to share
or examples of how you have overcome particular
issues within your jurisdiction feel free to post them
in the library so your fellow regulators can learn from
your experiences.
Please make use of this resource to share
developments within your jurisdiction, which may
benefit other regulators.
Use the IAGR website to
promote your message
Knowledge sharing
group
Does your regulatory agency have a job opening? a
request? or proposal? or other announcement?
If you are interested in coordinating the knowledge
sharing group on Land Based Gambling please contact
Christel Fevejle Andersen
If so, send the item to the IAGR secretariat at
[email protected] for inclusion on
www.iagr.org.
Be sure to include in your listing any deadlines by which
a response must be received.
Website survey feedback
and improving the site
We asked you to tell us how you use the IAGR website
and what we could do to improve it.
Thank you for taking the time to give us feedback. If
you have any further feedback you’d like to give to
help us make the website better please email the IAGR
secretariat at [email protected].
[email protected]
Next webinar and
newsletter in August
If you would like to submit an article for the newsletter
please send it to
[email protected] for the
attention of Laura McCaughey before 10 July 2015.
Articles submitted after that date will be considered for
the following newsletter in December.
Keep an eye out for news about our next webinar
which is also scheduled for August.
...and keep in
touch!
Don’t forget that the IAGR LinkedIn group is
available for you to connect with gaming industry
representatives, use as another outlet for your public
communications and provide you with membership
news.