Originally spawning from an iGaming career that started at the age of 17 during the early days of the online poker boom, Pierre Co-founded the event management company Ambassadör Events in 2013. The company specialises in B2B & B2C event concepts targeting the gaming sector with more than 600 successful projects behind them for most of the major organisations within the industry. In 2016, Pierre Co-Founded the primary award show of the gaming industry, iGaming IDOL followed by the content driven conference, iGaming NEXT in 2018. 

Heidi Lofthus is an iGaming industry veteran, with over 15 years within the industry having worked both with suppliers and operators alike. Her iGaming journey started with operational roles in Gibraltar and Sweden and she has been active in Malta over the last 13 years. She has broad experience ranging from managing start-ups, mid-sized and larger corporates across multiple geographical locations. Heidi is running the iGamingNEXT brand HR Connect.

Oisin Lunny is an award-winning marketer, webinar and podcast host, MC, public speaker, virtual event consultant, UX business professor, and journalist. His work has been translated into Chinese and Arabic, and read over half a million times as a senior contributor to Forbes, music editor at PHOENIXMagazine, and via regular contributions to The Guardian, CX Magazine and many others.

Oisin has hosted, moderated, and given keynote presentations at over 250 conferences in every corner of the world, including TEDx and SXSW, where he is a member of the advisory board.

He is the host of the Siemens Advanta podcast and the Audio Talks podcast by HARMAN and has worked in a series of leading global technology firms over the past 20 years as Global Product Manager, Country Manager, VP of Technology, Senior Market Development Manager, and Chief Evangelist.

In his spare time, Oisin keeps his lifelong passion for music alive by hosting a fortnightly radio show on Slack City Radio.

Brandon Debattista joined the Malta Gaming Authority in 2017 after two years of training in the field of criminal law. He currently occupies to role of Deputy Chief Regulatory Officer. He graduated as a lawyer from the University of Malta in 2017 and was admitted to the bar in 2018. His main areas of work include providing advice on matters relating to gaming regulation, general legal and international affairs, and dispute resolution. Brandon is also heavily involved in matters relating to distributed ledger technology and innovative technology.

Minister Silvania took office as Minister of Finance of Curaçao on June 10th, 2021 and is responsible for, among other things, the Tax Administration, Customs and the Financial Investigation Unit of Curaçao (FIU).

In 1998, the minister earned degrees in Tax Law and Fiscal Economics from the University of Tilburg in the Netherlands. Thereafter, the minister worked for many years at the Tax Administration in both the Netherlands and Curaçao. Furthermore, the minister has more than 20 years of teaching experience and has co-founded a certified college in Curaçao. Prior to taking office, the minister was frequently consulted as an expert counselor at the Ministry of Finance.

The minister is well known in Curaçao for being both transparent and goal-oriented. As Curaçao paves the way for more innovative and relevant regulation as part of a broader process to modernize the country’s gaming laws, the minister certainly will continue this approach.

Adam Rosenberg is currently Senior Advisor to Blackstone for existing and new Gaming & Leisure industry investments; he has extensive experience serving as a Board Member, Board Observer and/or Special Advisor to public and private companies.  He is also currently Special Advisor to GameCo, LLC, a gaming technology company focused on video game gambling, where he is a Board Observer and previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer. From 2014 to 2021, Mr. Rosenberg was Managing Director and Global Head of Gaming & Leisure at Fortress Investment Group, an alternative asset manager with extensive experience making private equity investments into, lending to and owning casinos, slot routes, slot machine manufacturers, lottery providers, internet gaming companies, sports betting platforms and other gaming and gaming technology-related businesses in the United States and around the world. From 1998 to 2014, Mr. Rosenberg held various investment banking positions at Goldman, Sachs & Co., most recently as Managing Director and Global Head of Gaming where he advised and raised capital for casino operator, gaming technology and equipment manufacturer clients. From 1993 to 1997, Mr. Rosenberg practiced product liability and intellectual property law at Skadden Arps. Mr. Rosenberg currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Harvard Association for Law and Business and is a Member of the Harvard Alumni Real Estate Board. Mr. Rosenberg previously served as a Board Member of the American Gaming Association, on the Conference Advisory Boards for Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Las Vegas and Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Macau, and on the Advisory Board for the Global Internet Gaming Summit and Expo (GiGse). Mr. Rosenberg graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School where he received a Juris Doctoris, and graduated phi beta kappa and magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Philosophy of Science.

Benjie Cherniak is currently an investor and advisor to emerging companies in the sports betting space. Previously, Benjie was Principal & MD at Don Best, the leading provider of in-play pricing services and sports information products relevant to the North American sports betting industry, acquired by Scientific Games in 2018.

With a prominent career in state, federal, and global public affairs, William J. Pascrell, III, more commonly known as BPIII, is a lobbyist with PPAG–Princeton Public Affairs Group. His extensive work in a broad array of industries, particularly gambling and cannabis, has made a tremendous impact on the success of PPAG’s clients and the firm as a whole.

In the gaming sector, BPIII has been a lawyer, strategic advisor and consultant throughout the U.S., Canada, Israel, Europe, South America and Australia.

BPIII led the successful 10 year campaign to legalize sports betting in the United States culminating with the repeal of PASPA by the United States Supreme Court in 2018. Most notably BPIII lead a successful multi-year campaign to pass the first in the Nation On Line Gaming Act in New Jersey. He worked to develop the regulatory regime put in force prior to launch. BPIII continues to advise state governments across the Nation on issues involving the gaming industry.

BPIII served as a Member of the Murphy for Governor Finance Committee and Counsel to NJ Governor Murphy Transition Team. He previously served former Congressman Herb Klein and former Governor James J. Florio.

BPIII served as the Passaic County Counsel from 1998 to 2019, starting with his unanimous appointment by the Passaic County Freeholder Board.

BPIII is a Member of the Entain Foundation US promoting Responsible Gambling and Integrity throughout North America. He is also a member of the Board of Betegy, Most Vicious Players, Yield Sec, My Wager Score and the Esports Trade Association.

Awards – The New Jersey Globe and Insider NJ, two prominent statewide news outlets, rank BPIII amongst the top 100 politically powerful personalities every year. He was further named to Insider NJ’s “Insider 100 Policymakers” lists each year since its inception: in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Adriana is Director of Compliance and DPO in Betsson Group. She is lawyer, specialised in various regulatory & compliance issues, specifically Data Protection/Intellectual Property/Competition and Internet Governance in wide portfolio of innovative and data-driven industries (TMT, R&D, Life Science, Aviation, Online gambling).

Aideen Shortt is a renowned gambling industry expert with over 20 years of experience in various roles. As a consultant, educator, author, and speaker, she advises businesses on regulatory compliance, risk management, and responsible gambling initiatives. Aideen’s insights and analyses have been widely recognized, and she is a sought-after speaker at industry events.

Alexander Grabner Jarlung is not only an energetic individual who enjoys to be on stage and share knowledge on PowerPoints and communication skills. His ultimate passion is to stand behind the person that is entering the stage, directing and guiding you in finding who you really are as a speaker, what your message is and making sure that it all resonates when you speak. Communication is a lifestyle, and he´s living it! 

Alexander is David JP Phillips right hand in the game of global keynotes, training and coaching. He absolutely excels in the 110STEPS analysis and can spot the smallest aversions in your public speaking and create a change that you just would never have expected. On top of that he is a global authority together with David on the Death By PowerPoint program and Magical Science of Storytelling. Whether you have Alexander as a keynote speaker, teacher, personal coach or 110STEPS analysist he will exceed your expectations. 

Alexander Martin is the CEO of SKS365. The PlanetWin365 brand is one of the leading omni-channel sportsbook, slot and casino operators. With PlanetPay365 the group is offering in addition one of the most advanced payment and multiservice platforms for points of sale.

Before he was leading several retail and online gambling businesses both B2C and B2B in many jurisdictions. His focus is growing customer and product experience. He brings a career of experience in both strategic leadership as well as sports betting, online gaming, and digital transformation in multinational companies.

Alexander Martin, was previously Executive Board Member of Gauselmann AG. Prior he spent 15 years as Management Consultant at Kearney

Swedish-born Alexander Stevendahl started playing poker when he finished school. He then moved on to becoming a poker affiliate before investing in Videoslots in 2011. He is the founder and current Chief Executive Officer at Videoslots.

Alexandre Tomic is the founder and CEO of Alea.com, the multi-award-winning company behind several successful gaming B2C and B2B operations. Tomic is well-known within our industry, having over fifteen years of experience in varying aspects ranging from affiliate network owner, casino operator and game aggregator. His passion for the industry is matched by his drive for innovative products and ideas. Alexandre himself is a biohacking and VR enthusiast and is committed to promote social responsibility among operators and create awareness about the societal impact of the gambling industry.

Alexia Frendo is an organizational psychologist who has worked in the HR sphere both in Malta and abroad. Currently, Alexia is a Global HR Business Partner within the Kindred Group. She is an accomplished HR professional with over 18 years’ experience in the private sector. Alexia works with an international HR Team whom together work closely with business leaders to enhance workforce performance, foster and nurture strategic people enablers such as talent, leadership, learning and culture, as well as develop people solutions, to achieve the company’s strategic goals and objectives.

Alexia provides guidance and leadership to senior leaders, paying particular attention to strategic workforce planning. She is also responsible for a number of initiatives that contribute to the Culture and Employee Experience, ensuring that Kindred is the Best Place to Work.

Prof Alexiei Dingli is a renowned AI expert and Professor at the University of Malta. With over 20 years of experience in the field, he has helped numerous companies successfully implement AI solutions. His work has been recognized as world-class by international experts, and he has received numerous awards from organizations such as the European Space Agency, the World Intellectual Property Organization, and the United Nations. In addition to his considerable peer-reviewed publications, he has also been a core member of the Malta.AI task force, working to position Malta as a global leader in AI.

Alexis Wicén has a background in e-Sports, Computer Science, Sportsbetting, and over thirteen years working in iGaming with a focus on casinos. He is the Founder and CEO of Unibo, bringing real-time gamification to iGaming, as well as Scatters group, which runs Online Casinos.

Ally Clark is an Intellectual Property Associate in the Media, Sport & Entertainment team in the London office of DLA Piper UK LLP. Ally advises clients on a broad range of transactional and advisory intellectual property, gambling and data protection matters with a particular focus on the media, sport and entertainment sectors.

Andy is the Founder and CEO of Rokker and The Rokker Network. He has spent 24 years running companies and has worked with a wide range of global brands including Sony, Warner Brothers, Manchester United, Skybet, Rank Plc, Electronic Arts and IGT among many others. As well as his skills in corporate and digital strategy, he also brings a wealth of Subject Matter Expertise in the gaming market having run software development and platforms businesses in the real money gaming sector.

Antti Koivula is an analytical and detail-oriented iGaming lawyer who understands the practical side of the industry extremely well. Antti’s background is extraordinary and it differentiates him from the field. Antti has LL.B and LL.M degrees and he joined Legal Gaming Attorneys at Law in 2021. His area of expertise covers Finnish gambling law, EU law, licensing, risk assessments and contracts.

Prior to pursuing a law career, Antti worked for 12 years as a professional sports bettor. During those years, Antti built a deep practical understanding of the industry. He worked in cooperation with several sports betting syndicates, ran a highly successful tipster service, cooperated with the Finnish Center for Integrity in Sports and the National Bureau of Investigation in match-fixing related matters and provided background information and interviews to the media. All that while staking a considerable amount of his own money with sharp bookmakers for constant long-term profit.

Aurimas is SEO expert at Betsson group. With over 9 years of experience in SEO and online marketing, he currently specialises in areas of SEO advisory (learning, knowledge sharing, SEO tools management, expert advice) and Tech SEO (SEO related work on new website and new platform launches, migrations, dealing with tech SEO fixes and new SEO features implementation). Throughout his professional journey, he has gained experience in competitive SEO industries like iGaming, hosting / VPN, e-commerce. In recent years, Aurimas has helped Betsson’s +20 websites and brands portfolio to achieve high organic growth in a large number of challenging markets.

Benjamin has over 13 years of experience in the online gambling/iGaming industry. He has managed numerous sportsbook and casino marketing companies with budgets worth millions of dollars for leading operators before co-founding MediaTroopers Inc. He is an expert in USA Gaming market, media buying and affiliation.  

Brad Allen is a senior analyst at Eilers&Krejcik. He has covered the online gambling industry in Europe and the US since 2016, including stints at EGR Global and Legal Sports Report. Based in the UK, and an avid bettor himself, Brad has a deep understanding of the nuts-and-bolts of the industry as well as a rich network of contacts. 

Di Stefano has a vendor license by DGE to operate in the state of New Jersey as a Marketing Consultant, thanks to partnering with Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. During 2018-2022, she helped Hard Rock migrate its gambling operations from offline to online, by using her experience in the European online gambling market that she entered in 2011.

Prior to Hard Rock, Di Stefano has over the last 11 years been working with major brands like Betsson and GiG across several jurisdictions. She also co-founded Weberfy.se which specializes in helping the iGaming and Cannabis industry with VIP management, CRM and Marketing.

Currently, Catie is the Director of Community Marketing for OnlineGamblers.com where she educates on healthy gambling habits and regulations in the US.

Di Stefano was born in Indonesia and grew up in Sweden, before moving to Malta as a teenager to start her career in iGaming. Currently, she resides in Spain with her two daughters.

Charlotte is a seasoned SEO with over 10 years of experience in the iGaming industry. Starting off a career in SEO at Unibet in 2013. Charlotte has worked with leading gaming and affiliate companies and has helped these organizations achieve exceptional SEO results. In her most recent role as Head of SEO and Content at Videoslots, she managed a team of up to 12 people, taking care of the Daily Operations and overall website Content. Her expertise has led to significant improvements in search engine rankings, driving substantial organic traffic and increased overall conversions to websites she has worked on.

With a deep understanding of the iGaming industry, and her unique perspective and expertise in both SEO and User Experience, Charlotte is well-positioned to share valuable insights.

Christian Tirabassi is the Founder and Senior Partner of Ficom Leisure, an M&A advisory and consultancy company specialized in the offline and online betting & gaming industry since 1996.

Ficom Leisure has more than 75 years of combined experience and expertise in all segments of the B2B and B2C international gambling industry: Betting, Casino, Lottery, Live Casino, Bingo, Poker and Skill Games for land-based and online, mobile, social gaming and e-sports.

Christian leads a team to provide strategic and corporate advisory, business consultancy and sell-side and buy-side investment related services from locations in London, Rome, Madrid, Malta and Miami.

Ficom Leisure is specialized in the internet gaming & betting sector since its inception in 1999 working in each stage from strategy, planning, launch and development in all of the regulated markets.

Christian studied a postgraduate course in International Business Strategies at the London School of Economics and Political Sciences. He is fluent in English, French, Spanish and Italian.

Christopher Dalli is currently the CEO of a leading casino operator, L&L Europe Limited, and has held the position since 2018. Together with senior management, he runs 9 brands such as All British Casino under licenses issued by the Gambling Commission, Spelinspektionen, and the Malta Gaming Authority.   

Prior to joining L&L, Dr Dalli was a Partner at Gonzi & Associates, Advocates, a law firm specialising in commercial and technological matters, where he led the Gaming department. During this time, he assisted a number of top operators with their licensing and operational needs while representing them during negotiations and other commercial matters.  

Additionally, Dr Dalli continues to be a frequent panelist at conferences, lecturer on legal, hr and management topics and holds a legal expert position on the National Anti-Doping Panel. 

Corey has an extensive background in econometrics and statistics and is a Partner at t2 Marketing International. He has worked on some of the most innovative data-oriented campaigns for both online and brick and mortar operators, speaks on his work and research at events around the world, and is a member of a number of tech-facing advisory boards. He is also the author of Marketing to Millennial For Dummies, and a contributing author of Digital Marketing All-In One For Dummies.

17 years of experience in the iGaming industry with a proven track record of successfully founding, operating and exiting multiple iGaming ventures. Most recently, Co-Founding Partner at HappyHour.io, a venture capitalist firm focused on empowering the next generation of iGaming start-ups with AUM of $130 million. 

At TRIIONFT we are developing the new ecosystem for iGaming industry. We are working on solutions such as a Body Tracking technology based on AI to bring the Live Casino Dealers into the Metaverse. And of course we are developing the whole Metaverse environment where Live Casinos will be able to bring their games and products.

With over 20 years in C-level roles within the iGaming Industry, David Flynn is an angel investor of numerous startups within iGaming, Payments and Med Tech Industries.  He also works as a strategic advisor and is Non-Executive Director for Glitnor Group Plc.

David is an experienced project manager with a background in sport and travel before joining the gaming and gambling industry in 2021. He works with stakeholders in the gaming industry on the delivery of projects to protect vulnerable people from gambling related harm whilst also promoting positive play with operators.

Experienced marketing strategist and leader in the sports betting industry. Over 15 years of experience in both marketing and gaming, and a proven record in building global teams, growing profits, and implementing high-growth marketing, digital, and product development strategies within the biggest gaming companies.

“I have over 20 years of working experience in various industries such as pharmaceutical, recruitment and executive search and the non-profit sector.

Before starting Carob Consult, I spent over a decade working in Mental Health in the workplace field,  leading the largest Employees Assistance Programme in Malta.

I’m an Accredited Coach Practitioner with EMCC and Coaching Circles Facilitator.

In my coaching work, I help clients build awareness, gain clarity and confidence, and focus on what is most important to them.

Outside of work, you’d probably find me at the gym, training Jiu Jitsu or mastering that perfect cappuccino.”

Elizabeth works closely with her colleagues across Bird & Bird’s international offices to provide practical and commercial advice and solutions for clients in the gambling industry, from major listed and unlisted B2B and B2C operators to new market entrants. In such a rapidly developing industry, she uses her in-depth knowledge of both the law and the gambling market to help her clients understand risk and navigate new areas of activity. She regularly co-ordinates multi-jurisdictional gambling regulatory advice, and personally advises on British regulatory issues. On the commercial side, she has particular experience advising on white label, software, game and platform supply arrangements, content streaming, hosting, hedging and affiliate deals. She has been named as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ for betting and gaming by Legal 500.

Elton Dimech started his career in Financial Services back in 2009 holding Senior roles mainly at a local Bank gaining valuable experience in Customer Service, Due Diligence, KYC and Onboarding, specialising in gaming, payment services, securitisation vehicles and fund structures. Elton joined Payhound Ltd in July 2019 and has held the position of Managing Director. 

Payhound has now become the pioneer in providing fully regulated cryptocurrency solutions to its ever-growing customer base, servicing entities across a wide range of industries including gaming, e-commerce, affiliate marketing and more. As Managing Director, Elton drives the company’s business strategy across all departments whilst playing a key role in maintaining customer relationships. 

Emma is an experienced business strategist and technology commercialist, having practiced formal management consultancy at Deloitte and strategic investments, acquisitions and cross-group business development at Sony’s Corporate Development and M&A group. At Amazon, she delivered strategic initiatives to launch and grow Kindle in the UK and other European markets. Emma holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management in Chicago.

Fran is the Founder of FM Search, a boutique headhunting and talent advisory firm in Malta, designed to make the recruitment process more meaningful, precise and value driven, underpinned by over a decade expertise in headhunting in Malta and London. Outside work, Fran enjoys spending time with her family, participating in various voluntary and charity initiatives and writing.

Fredrik Kinge is the CEO and co-founder of ECI Media Management, a consultancy that support advertisers to maximize media efficiency and effectiveness. Drawing on his experience of more than 25 years in the industry, Fredrik has successfully developed ECI’s global office network. He has been instrumental in developing ECI’s global media performance auditing scoring measurement for leading advertisers around the world. Fredrik is a true media professional, gaining senior agency experience before founding ECI Media Management in 2000.

Gavin has worked in gaming for over 10 year. Gavin held senior roles in Paddy Power Betfair (now Flutter) and subsequently became CEO of Red Tiger, which was sold to Netent in 2019. Gavin took the role of COO in Netent prior to its sale to Evolution, where he remained as Commercial Director until his departure in October 2021. Gavin now runs an investment company, which has invested in a portfolio of gaming companies, across B2B and B2C, both land based and online.

Gesina Kunkel is Managing Director at impulsQ, the world’s leading linkbuilding agency which was shortlisted as a finalist for best agencies at the European Search Awards. She has over 5 years of SEO experience within the iGaming industry. Gesina is also owner and lecturer at the most well-known SEO academy AFS in Germany. As a Digitalagency impulsQ is providing high quality & professional Offpage SEO, link building & digital PR in over 100 countries. Based in Germany impulsQ has with Ranksider the oldest linkmarket place with over 100.000 sites. In addition the company operates the link building tool Linkalyse.com and the content agency Wortrakete.de. For more than two years, Gesina Kunkel has been passing on her specialist knowledge as a speaker on the international stage.

Gustaf Hoffstedt is the Secretary General of BOS, the Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling, since 2015. Among the association’s members are all major private operators and suppliers that operate in Sweden. Prior to joining BOS, Gustaf served as a Member of the Swedish Parliament for the Moderate party, and as vice mayor and chairman of the Social board in his constituency Gotland before that.

Gustaf has fought for the abolition of the Swedish gambling monopoly and the implementation of a licensing system for more than a decade. He is pleased with the Swedish reregulation but at the same time concerned about political attempts to drastically change the newly implemented regulation.

Gustaf resides in Uppsala with his family. In his leisure time, he enjoys hiking in the mountains of northern Scandinavia.

Hannes Virkus is a portfolio manager at Yolo Investments. His diverse background extends from crypto to startup consultancy to government level public sector.

Priorly working as a consultant, his clients ranged from unicorns to accelerator level startups. Formerly an adviser to the Estonian Minister of Economy, he has high-level insights to the regulative and political sphere.

Henrik Norsk Hoffmann is a Danish lawyer, with more than 20 years of extensive experience as a private practicing attorney specialized in all legal matters related to gambling.

Henrik is a founding partner of Nordic Gambling, is advising a large number of licensed operators in Denmark and Sweden in matters related to license applications, compliance, corporate law and dispute resolution both in civil and criminal matters.

Henrik comes from a background as a commercial lawyer specialized in international trade and dispute resolution law and has previously worked for one of the largest law firms in Denmark, Lett Advokatfirma (now DLA Piper) and has served on legislative committees shaping the gambling legislation in Denmark. Henrik also served as a special advisor to the parliament in Schleswig-Holstein as this state in Germany was drafting online gambling legislation in 2011.

Henrik is based out of Nordic Gambling’s office in Copenhagen.

Idan has more than 12 years’ experience in the iGaming industry and was Chief Operations Officer, Chief Executive Officer of Playtech Managed Service, and Managing director of Playtech Bulgaria. Idan has overseen and led key business operations, effectively aligning them with the company’s strategic goals.
Passionate about driving operational excellence, fostering inclusive cultures, and ensuring player protection and satisfaction.

Igor Kozyavkin is a creative director with a vivid imagination, whose passion for games and branding is genuine. His exceptional brand building and branding skills are accompanied by a harmonious combination of colors, exquisite fonts and visual elements. With his bright personality and creative approach, Igor Kozyavkin breaks new ground for brands, helping them flourish and grow. It becomes a guiding light for startups, leading them on the path of real success.

Ivana Flynn, SEO Director of Comeon Group. Ivana has over 12 years experience in SEO working in some of the most competitive niches, she has been working with iGaming for the last 6 years. Ivana was previously at William Hill/Mr Green international, Catena media and Betsson. Her biggest passion within SEO is the technical part of the channel as she loves resolving difficult issues and seeing the positive impact of the fixes. Ivana is also a well seasoned conference speaker, covering several conferences in Africa, America and Europe. Ivana is an author of the original SEO test – Can you rank a website using only nofollow links? which she has published in 2 parts with a 1 year follow up on the links and websites performance. She enjoys writing and publishing on SEO and marketing topics and is a recovering judge on the industry popular iGaming idol for the SEO category.

Ivan Filletti is the CEO of Gaming Malta, a non-profit foundation established by the government of Malta and the MGA to build and promote gaming ecosystems in Malta under its ‘Home of Gaming Excellence’  initiatives.

In addition to overseeing the foundation’s work in the iGaming sector, Filletti has led the expansion of GamingMalta’s strategic efforts to include esports and video gaming. With a successful background in communication and advertising, Filletti was  honoured with the SIGMA Outstanding Contribution to the Gaming Sector award for his dedication to advancing the gaming industry in Malta.

Jaakko had over 15 years’ experience in technology and business when he jumped to iGaming in 2020. In 2021 when Finnplay was acquired by Entain Group, Jaakko took the position of Managing Director, with key responsibilities to ensure a successful merger and the continued growth and success of Finnplay as a B2B technology provider. 

Jaakko continues to lead Finnplay’s business and development as the company expands its core business and continues its growth path with a key focus on regulated market and customer service.

Jenny Arnell is a seasoned HR professional and people leader with +10 years of experience building world-class teams within the iGaming industry. Previously at Catena Media, she’s now focused on scaling the company culture of Fast Track.

Jessica Maier is a founder of EGARA (Executive Gaming and Risk Advisory), a gaming consultancy specialising in providing C-level advice on regulation, licensing, risk-management, and compliance. Having been a partner in a law firm focussed on gaming law and the Chief Risk Officer/Head of Legal and Compliance and Head of Government Affairs in gaming software companies, Jessica comes with both private practice and in-house experience.

She has been involved in numerous licensing proceedings (B2B and B2C), corporate acquisitions and provides strategic advice to help clients keep abreast of regulatory developments.

She is a member of IAGA (International Association of Gaming Advisors) and GGW (Global Gaming Women).

John Gordon is the CEO of Incentive Games, an Edinburgh-based provider of both Free-To-Play and Pay-To-Play games. John has spoken at and featured on panel at conferences such as ‘Betting on Sports’ and ‘Betting on Football’ as well as various events across Asia. Often invited for his expertise in streamlining the process of customer acquisition, retention and monetisation as well as discussing effective methods of tapping into the Millennial market of generations Y and Z. 

Jon Bowden is the Chief Marketing Officer of PlayStar and has been working within the iGaming sector since 2012. During this time, he has held a number of senior level positions at some of the industry’s most prestigious brands including Entain, Rank Group, Gala Coral and Ladbrokes Gala Coral. As Chief Marketing Officer, Bowden is responsible for delivering PlayStar’s unique brand proposition to the regulated US market and that focusses on giving the ultimate casino player experience. 

Jonathan Pettemerides is the Managing Partner of Kyprock and a plc board member. Kyprock independently advise operators on their commercial growth strategies and make active capital investments, working to a clear thesis.

Jonathan is one of few sector executives who have successfully developed and delivered omnichannel strategy, in the most advanced regulated casino markets. His public board experience included the turnaround period at NetEnt, which covered the acquisition of Red Tiger and subsequent $2bn sale to Evolution.

Dr. Joseph F. Borg is an Advocate and Partner at WH Partners, heading the Blockchain Advisory and the Gaming and Gambling Advisory sections within the firm. He also practices in the areas of Esports, Sports, Technology, Telecoms and Intellectual Property Law. Joe is ranked by Chambers and Partners in Fintech and is also recommended as a leading individual in Fintech by Legal500. He also lectures Gaming Law at the University of Malta. Joe is the Chairperson of the Committee on payments and cryptocurrencies within the International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL) organisation.

Over the years of running his own business and through employment, one of the biggest challenges Joseph Muscat has faced is management, clients, and contractors struggling to work with dedicated and hard-working team members who don’t seem to fit because they are neurodivergent, also known as having learning difficulties. As a person with learning difficulties himself, he has become an advocate for individuals who don’t know how to develop the skillset needed to succeed and champion neurodiversity in the workplace.

Julian is co-founder of RB Capital. He is an investor & board director to multiple ventures in the gaming, fintech & music industries. He has managed investments, M&As and exits to date in excess of $500m. 

Founder and CEO of a new venture – BeyondPlay which has secured GBP 2.1M in funding since 2021 and has since built solid brand awareness within iGaming, securing SBC and EGR award nominations as well as being featured in Hot6 showcase during Igaming Next in 2022, Business Insider, Yahoo news, UK Tech News and Sifted as well as industry media. The highly anticipated product offering consisting of a multiplayer Saas technology for slots as well as a custom Jackpot offering is nearing its exclusive product launch with tier one Operators including Comeon Group, Soft2Bet and LeoVegas in the spring of 2023. The copmpany is backed by a portfolio of prominent industry Investors with executive firepower enhanced by Oakville’s Daniel Burns.

Over 15 years of experience in the global land-based and online Real-Money Gaming Industry, including leadership roles for LeoVegas Group, Betsson Group and SG Digital as well as consultancy placements for William Hill Group and Bally’s . Seasoned online casino and product expert, recognised for championing innovation and delivering many industry-first product features and concepts. Leveraging a strong network of connections, also worked as a broker and M&A advisor. Voted Top 10 Most Influential Women in the Online Gaming Industry by IGB in 2018, featured in Facebook’s “She talks games” campaign and nominated for the UK National Diversity Awards in 2021.

Kelly Kehn has been in iGaming senior management since 2012. She’s led teams and brands through regulatory changes, migrations and rebrands as well as held leadership roles in marketing, operations, management and sales. Her mission is to demonstrate to corporations the invaluable benefit of gender diversity through measurable results and revenue growth. In 2017, she founded All-in Diversity Project (AIDP) — an industry-led not-for-profit organisation that is the global central resource for data pertaining to Diversity & Inclusion within the sector — with Christina Thakor-Rankin. The organisation’s lead initiative is the All-Index, a global survey measuring diversity, inclusion and workplace equality within Betting and Gaming.

Kelly has an undergraduate degree in Communications from the University of Kentucky and an MBA from New York University (Sports and Entertainment Business). Her career began in horse racing with The Jockey Club (New York) and progressed to the online space in Canada in 2007 working for an online sports book in various senior marketing and operational capacities. She has experience working in the US, Canada and Europe and currently lives in London, UK. Besides her work with All-in Diversity Project, she serves as a partner in Happyhour.io, a seed and early stage VC accelerator for igaming.

“I’ve been working with professionals and their teams to develop beyond their self-perceived limits for over two decades. I’m an executive coach working with all levels of management from  C-Suite through to new Team Leaders to facilitate growth individually and also in group sessions. For years we’ve been helping businesses define their purpose, mission and values and importantly, giving them the tools to make these operationally relevant in day-to-day work across their whole business. Finally, I can safely say that I love my job!”

He also has over 20 years of experience in angel investing and in late 2020 he became co-owner of iGaming NEXT.

Lara first joined Bragg’s board of directors in February 2021, and was subsequently appointed President and Chief Operating Officer in January 2022. With over a decade of experience in strategic iGaming roles, until early 2021 Lara was Group Commercial CFO of NetEnt, where she was instrumental in selling the business to Evolution Gaming. Prior to this, Lara previously held senior roles at Red Tiger Gaming, Evoke Gaming and at Candy Crush Saga creators, King.

Lena Nordin has more than 25 years of HR experience. She joined Betsson Group in 2017 as Chief HR Officer and is based in the HQ in Malta. She is responsible for developing and implementing Betsson Group’s human capital strategy that is aligned with the Group’s business objectives and its constantly evolving requirements. In her role, Lena provides leadership to all human resources personnel globally across Betsson Group’s locations.

Lewis is an expert in Sports Partnerships having worked in the commercial teams across a selection of Premier League Football Clubs, signing and delivering partnership deals across a myriad of industries. Lewis uses this experience at Bidstack, to help brands reach video gamers and sports fans through the medium of in-game advertising, an increasingly prominent new media platform where Bidstack leads. Through this real world and virtual-world experience Lewis is well-positioned to understand the landscape of opportunities available for brands to reach their target audience.

Liesbeth Oost is the Head of Global Sustainability and IR Manager at Neogames, a global leader of iLottery and iGaming solutions and services for regulated lotteries and gaming. She focuses on sustainability strategy, the heart of which is responsible gaming and D&I. Liesbeth has a Master’s degree in International Political Economy from the University of Groningen and is a Certified Investor Relations professional (CIR®). Before her career in online gaming, she worked at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Lloyd Danzig is the Founder & Managing Partner of Sharp Alpha Advisors, a venture capital firm that specializes in sports betting and online gaming.

Ludvig Philip has accumulated over 15 years of experience in delivering player-centric CRM marketing across the gaming and iGaming sectors for top brands such as Mr Green, William Hill, NordicBet, and Betway, as well as for Electronic Arts’ biggest titles – Battlefield, Star Wars Battlefront, Need for Speed, and many more.

He is currently the Director of Retention Marketing at LeoVegas Group, which is part of MGM Resorts International. In this role, he leads a team of 60 superstars and spearheads personalized real-time marketing aimed at enhancing and enriching the player experience.

As the Chief Commercial Officer, Magnus has responsibility for the global sales and accounts management functions in the business in addition to the company’s integration, support, business operations and game retention teams. His remit is to ensure operators around the world are provided with not only the company’s award-winning suite of products, but also the best customer experience in the industry.

Before joining Play’n GO at the start of 2018 Magnus held various Director positions at Juniper Networks and Hewlett Packard. He brought with him over 20 years’ experience in developing, leading and managing international sales teams.

“With a variety of industry backgrounds at different leadership levels I have always been working with managers, leaders and specialists to develop to their potential, over many years. As a trainer, business coach and 360 facilitator I work with all levels of leaders and focus on horizontal or vertical growth that motivates, engages and ultimately develops individuals. My focus in all aspects of the services we deliver, is to tap into a growth mindset.”

Maria Loumpourdi leads a combined function of Learning and Development, Performance Management, and Diversity and Inclusion at Betsson Group, acting as a people growth enabler through the design and execution of talent management and development strategies across the Group’s global locations. Maria is also a doctoral researcher at the University of Glasgow. Her research centers around leadership development and she has published numerous studies in reputable international journals.

Maria Sayapina is currently heading the Performance department in casino affiliation where her leadership and well-thought-out SEO strategies have had a significant impact on growing products within competitive and emerging markets. In the recent years, Maria has taken an exciting turn in her career, diving into the product world whereby she puts together her vast SEO knowledge and her commercial and business insights to tap into new markets such as Canada, USA, New Zealand, and Italy, delivering online casino products of high quality.

Markus has extensive experience in Safer Gambling and Compliance on various regulated markets.

Whilst overseeing the broader area of Compliance, his aim is to constantly develop and improve Safer Gambling Strategy

and tools at Lottoland.  Prior to Lottoland, Markus has held positions within Compliance and Safer Gambling roles with various global Operators.

His vision is to make Safer Gambling the gold standard within the ESG policies of the industry.

Martina Åkerlund, CEO of sports tech company Triggy. 20 years of experience from banking and finance as a Management Consultant and in senior positions including CMO and Head of Regulatory Reporting in organizations such as Nasdaq, Swedbank and SEB.

Matt is a serial entrepreneur, having successfully started multiple businesses, including two digital media companies which were acquired by large-cap companies. Matt began in banking in Toronto, and over a 25 year career he has served as a board advisor to a portfolio of global media businesses. As a founder and CEO of The Game Day, Matt brings his expertise in entrepreneurship and media to drive the success of one of the fastest-growing sports media companies in the industry.

Gaming, FinTech & Music Industry Professional with international experience working with a number of award winning casinos, brands, festivals, products, live events and influencers.

Max Meltzer is co-founder and CEO of Strive Gaming. As CEO, Max is responsible for the company’s overall strategic direction.

Before Strive, Max spent five years at Kambi Group Plc where he was part of the executive management team as Chief Commercial Officer. Max has more than 15 years’ experience of global, private and publicly listed high-growth businesses. He has a master’s degree in law from Durham University.

Megan is obsessed with creating environments that deliver great Customer and Employee Experiences.  As Marketing Director for SunContract, Megan holistically believes that SunContract’s blockchain based energy trading platform is news to take the world.

Dr. Michael Auer is a statistician and psychologist. He completed masters degrees in Psychology and Statistics at the University of Vienna, Austria. He completed his PhD studies in Psychology with Prof. Mark Griffiths at Nottingham Trent University. Dr. Michael Auer published more than fourty peer-reviewed articles in the area of online gambling about subjects like limit setting, personalized feedback, self-exclusion and pop-up messages. This academic background and his commercial experience of more than fifteen years in the gambling industry lead to the development of a player tracking tool called “mentor” which is currently used by dozens of online gambling operators across the world. He is also a regular speaker at conferences and consults operators, regulators and policy makers around the world.

Michael Tighe is an Attention Consultant at Lumen, the leading attention technology company. Having completed an MSC on the effect of sound on facilitating attention to brands, Michael began his career with Ipsos, before joining Lumen in 2019 turning Lumen’s attention data into compelling and actionable insights for clients.

Mika Kuismanen is the CEO for the Finnish Trade Association for Online Gambling. Mika earned Ph.D in economics from the University College London. He has previously worked, among others,

as an Executive Vice-President and Chief Economist at the Federation of Finnish Enterprises, Director at the Ministry of Finance and Senior Economist at the Bank of Finland

and European Central Bank. In addition, Kuismanen has worked as a consultant for the European Commission and he also has a background as an entrepreneur.

Mikko Post has been around the iGaming industry since 2012 and is a Senior Affiliate Manager at betkwiff and also founded the affiliate website casinosivut.com. He is experienced in a number of different areas of affiliation, marketing and IT within iGaming.

Irish-born Niamh Gallagher has over 11 years’ experience working in editorial, marketing, conference production and events management whilst based in Australia and the UK. She joined the gambling industry in 2016 with EGR Global as Head of Event Content before moving into the role of Group Head of Content in 2020, heading up the EGR Global brand with overall responsibility for event content and online and print editorial product across five brands in the online gambling industry. She then moved to industry consultancy Usability Digital in 2022 as Head of Marketing.

Niamh is currently Social Media & Marketing Manager at player protection software provider Mindway AI and also serves as an Advisory Board Member for iGaming NEXT Valletta 2023.

Nick Hill is a seasoned iGaming professional with over 20+ years of experience, including as Chief Operating Officer at gaming operator and platform provider EveryMatrix. Nick has singular insight into the needs of the gaming industry and an ability to anticipate emerging trends as a result of his work on the development and launch of the first fully automated sportsbook; unique processing products; and content aggregation platforms making use of innovative technologies.

Nick has used these insights to identify the specific issues of the iGaming industry that can be solved using blockchain technology, AI and machine learning. As the CEO of PremierChain, Nick has successfully introduced blockchain technology to industry participants to address supply chain management (SCM), responsible gaming (RG), Cashless Casino, anti-money laundering (AML), know your customer/business (KYC/B) guidelines, and source of funds identification.

Nick McDonald is an accomplished Account Director with seven years of experience in the iGaming industry heading up the iGaming team within Fujitsu. Nick has worked with some of the largest platform providers in space and has a proven track record of delivering exceptional results for clients. As an expert in the field focused on Data and Hybrid cloud solutions, Nick McDonald is well-versed in the latest industry trends and best practices with a passion for delivering flexible and reliable technology solutions globally and has a keen eye for identifying opportunities to help drive growth and revenue in the iGaming space through technology.

Norbert is a Partner at PwC Malta and has over 15 years of experience in matters related to the financial sector including extensive consultation experience in relation to financial services regulation within the local banking sector. 

Norbert leads the banking advisory practice of PwC Malta and is well versed with the ongoing developments in respect of the management and supervision of ESG risks for credit institutions and the wider financial services community.  He is also leading PwC Malta’s ESG Reporting and Assurance initiatives. 

Ofir Ventura is a businessman and lawyer in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ofir has spent many years building several businesses in the gambling, real estate, and law fields. Part of his resume includes working with gambling suppliers, ShuffleMaster and Advanced Gaming Systems for the last 20 years. Ofir recently acquired his first online gambling asset in the UK. Over the years, Ofir has explored the many avenues of business, and loves staying up to date on the latest in business, including new industries and emerging workplace trends. This quality has led him in to innovating and creating concepts in the P2E, decentralized gambling, and Web 3.0 spaces.

Paris Smith’s career in online gaming spans more than two decades, which includes more than 13 years as CEO of Pinnacle, one of the world’s most respected online bookmakers. Paris’ unmatched understanding of the online gaming business has led to her advising governments to develop regulatory frameworks, as well as working closely with key industry service providers.

Her gaming career began as Executive VP of WWTS in 1995. There, she played a pivotal role in the success that resulted in the company’s sale to Betcorp Ltd, where she served as COO of the publicly listed organisation until June 2006.

Following that, she joined Pinnacle as COO of the Curaçao-based bookmaker. She came on board at a critical time for the organisation, successfully transitioning the business away from North America toward growth in Asian and European markets. Paris successfully led the large organizational and technical restructuring that was required to support this transition, and in recognition of her success with this, Paris was promoted to CEO in 2008.

Since that time, she has successfully positioned Pinnacle as the benchmark in B2C bookmaking, built on the cornerstones of unrivalled risk management and a unique value proposition of market-leading odds. Paris continues to build upon Pinnacle’s core foundation, while focusing on growth in regulated markets and B2B services to position Pinnacle as the dominant force in sports betting.

Delivering both internal and external engagement for Gordon Moody, a residential treatment provider based in the UK dealing with those with those with the most severe forms of gambling harms. As a psychodynamic therapist I specialise in trauma and pathways to addiction as well as how Trauma Informed Practice can deliver a safe environment for both those suffering and those operating in the treatment space.

Paula Murphy is Business Development Manager at Mindway AI. She specialises in helping operators meet regulatory requirements and enhance player protection. Paula joined Mindway AI after spending 6 years as founder and Managing Director at KnowNow Limited, a business dedicated to providing information for the compliance and safer gambling community. Prior to setting up KnowNow Ltd she was Managing Director at ARK, part of the Wilmington Group PLC who are also the parent company of the International Compliance Association. Paula is passionate about helping operators boost player protection through early detection and intervention.

Pedro is a seasoned Safer Gambling Expert, Consultant, and Therapist with a rich background in the iGaming industry. He has held senior roles at leading companies and served as the Head of Gambling Therapy, a UK-based charity providing online support to problem gamblers worldwide. Pedro is currently part of the Betblocker charity, offering free blocking software to those affected by gambling-related harm.

As a trained psychologist and psychodynamic counsellor, Pedro also has extensive CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) experience. His expertise spans over a decade, working in diverse settings such as private practice, universities, and clinics. He is also an Executive Leadership Coach trained at the prestigious Tavistock Institute, skillfully combining clinical practice with industry consultancy and research at the CERG.

During his work in gambling disorder treatment, Pedro observed high drop-off and relapse rates among gamblers in treatment, motivating him to research ways to improve clinical outcomes. His current PhD focus explores novel treatments for individuals impacted by the negative consequences of excessive gambling, specifically investigating the potential of psychedelic-assisted therapy for gambling disorder. With his unique blend of clinical, Safer Gambling, and senior industry experience, Pedro is truly one of a kind in his field.

Peter-Paul de Goeij is the managing director of the Netherlands Online Gambling Association (NOGA), the Dutch trade association for online gambling operators. NOGA aspires to achieve and promote a safe, responsible and attractive online gambling offering in the Netherlands.

Next to MD of NOGA, De Goeij is a member of the Advisory Board of the All-in Diversity Project, member of the advisory board of Dutch quality mark for affiliates KVA and he is also the founder of Quod Bonum Consulting, an independent Dutch IT & telecom, gambling and lottery consulting firm, drawing on his 20+ years’ experience in the fields of general management, licence application, legal and regulatory and public affairs. In this capacity he currently advises Digicel Group on legal, regulatory and public affairs.

Before starting Quod Bonum, Peter-Paul broke the Dutch lottery monopoly and in June 2018 launched the first new lottery in almost 30 years. For the ZEAL Group he also spearheaded several other successful licence applications throughout Europe and he stood at the cradle of new charity lottery UNICEF-lotteriet in Norway.

Prior to joining the ZEAL Group in February 2013, De Goeij built up a track record in the telecommunications industry in Europe, in the Caribbean and in the South Pacific region, where he acted in various senior and general management roles with BT Group, O2, Orange, T-Mobile and Digicel Group.

Working directly with Tom Waterhouse (Chief Investment Officer), Peter has developed a thorough understanding of the global gaming and wagering ecosystem. The Waterhouse family has been involved in wagering and associated industries for over 100 years and Tom Waterhouse has 20 years of direct industry experience. Since inception in August 2019, Waterhouse VC has delivered performance of 19.5x.

Pontus is CEO of Betsson AB – one of the world’s leading iGaming companies, listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. It’s nearly impossible to talk about the Swedish iGaming wonder without mentioning Pontus Lindwall. As current CEO and former Chairman of the Board of Betsson AB, as well as founder and former CEO of NetEnt and former CEO of Cherry, Lindwall has helped lay the grounds to the modern Swedish iGaming market and made many of its gaming companies to market leaders in Europe. In addition to being one of the driving forces of the re-regulation of the Swedish gaming market, Lindwall is a passionate cyclist and DJ.

Dr Rachel O’Connell, founder & CEO of TrustElevate, a B2b eKYC provider <18s. Rachel is a leading expert on digital identity. She is the author of an identity attribute verification standard, the Pas 1296 Age Checking Code of Practice, which was published by the British Standards Institution (BSI) and is now becoming an ISO standard. Rachel is a member of the BSI technical committee IST/33/5 Identity Management and Privacy Technologies and its panel IST/33/5/5 Age Assurance Standards.

Rani Wynn is general counsel and board member at LiveScore Group. Wynn, yet another Aussie in London, made the jump from broadcast media to sports and gambling in 2018 when she joined LiveScore Group (then part of Gamesys). As general counsel, she has shaped a full-service legal team to underpin and drive forward the group’s vast commercial and transactional aspirations globally. A fervent promoter of industry diversity, Wynn established LiveScore Group’s women’s resource group in 2022 to tackle workplace gender imbalance. 

Richard is Co-Founder of Brookfund, a group which invests in and advises founders on fund raising for early -stage data driven companies with a business focus predominantly within the Built Environment. Prior to Brookfund – Richard has built, acquired and exited numerous UK based property services businesses.

Rob is the Founder and CEO of KERB, a global parking B2B2C ‘smart parking’ platform. One of Australia’s most prominent marketers and a globally-recognised pioneer in the world of marketing automation, Rob is a regular international keynote speaker and has appeared on BBC World, Huffington Post, Channel 9, 7 & 10 news, plus dozens of other mainstream news networks.

Rob is CEO of Spectrum Gaming Capital Tech Exchange (SGCTechX.com), a first of its kind online platform for FINRA compliant capital raising for early stage gaming technology companies; and of Spectrum Gaming Capital, a boutique providing investment banking and consulting services focused exclusively on the global gaming industry, assisting clients in development, investment, M&A, strategy, financing, restructuring, valuation and as an expert witness. Rob is also the co-founder of the Spectrum Gaming Sports Group and Spectrum Esports Advisors, sports betting industry consultancies.

Rob has completed over $50b in transactions, and has been a gaming investment banker for over 35 years as Managing Director of major Wall Street firms including UBS, Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, and Salomon Brothers. He was also founding President of the $3 billion Bahamar Resort, the largest single project ever developed in the Caribbean. Rob has worked on financings and gaming development projects in North America, Asia and Europe, including City of Dreams Mediterranean, a €650m development now under construction in the Republic of Cyprus.

Rob started his career as a CPA with Price Waterhouse; has lectured at the NYU Real Estate Institute and at the Cornell Hotel School; and has been a board member of publicly traded, UK-based resort developer, Dolphin Capital Investors, and of the American Gaming Association.

Robert Montgomery is an investor and entrepreneur focused on the digital media, communications, gaming and technology industries. For many years Robert has been an executive and advisor for media, communications and technology companies and the investment community. Robert currently serves as the CEO of First Maximilian Associates Inc., an investment and advisory firm. Robert is an investor in and serves as Chairman of Green Jade Group, a Las Vegas and Malta-based company focused on innovation in the regulated gaming industry. Robert was previously owner and CEO of Achilles Media, an events and transaction facilitation company focused on the entertainment, technology and investment industries. Robert was co-founder of the Canadian Innovation Exchange.

Robert’s prior positions include: Co-Founder and Partner in Achilles Partners in Toronto and New York, an investment and advisory firm; President, Americas at the Fantastic Corporation in San Francisco, a broadband software company; Co-Founder and Chairman of Media Content plc in London, a media rights company; Managing Director for Europe and Asia Pacific at communications research and consulting firm Kagan World Media; co- founder of Digital Media International; Managing Director at Euromoney plc, and Managing Director at IBC plc, all media and events companies based in London.

Robert has served as a Director of public and private companies and is an active investor in emerging companies. Robert is a graduate of the University of Manitoba, Canada and a Member of the Institute of Corporate Directors. Active in the community, Robert is Past Chair of the Board of Governors of OCAD University.

Robin Eirik Reed Co-Founded GiG 10 years ago and successfully grew the company to €150 million revenue. He is currently the Managing Partner of HappyHour, a group investing in early-stage iGaming startups, and serves as chairman of a number of other businesses.

Russell Mifsud is KPMG Malta’s Gaming Director. Russell has been involved with gaming and leisure businesses in advisory for his entire professional career and is a subject matter professional across the KPMG International network. Russell provides insight on industry externalities and commercial strategy for KPMG and our Gaming clientele across borders. Regulation, Growth Strategies, Responsible Gaming, Jurisdictional Assessments, Risk Consulting, ESG strategy and M&A are some of the key themes that he services operators, suppliers, affiliates and regulators within.

He is a founding member of a core group of professionals whom specialise in Gaming across the KPMG network globally. He leads multiple teams, budgets and deliverables for a portfolio of top tier organisations. Russell works closely with the Audit, Tax & Advisory teams locally and internationally in order to assist with identifying risks and opportunities, with a view to adding strategic direction to the industry and its stakeholders.

Russell has helped establish KPMG Malta as a Centre of Excellence across the KPMG global network and is at the forefront of emerging market opportunities. Russell has recently been listed as an ‘Emerging Leader of Gaming (ELG) 40 Under 40’ in the US. His broad experience from having advised clients on corporate strategy, whilst serving as a subject matter professional across service lines gives him a unique perspective. He sits on the management board of the Malta Remote Gaming Council (MRGC) and is a Silicon Valletta board member. He founded the KPMG Malta eSummit and the KPMG Gaming Faculty.

Ryan Lawrence is the Founder of Betmate, an early-stage sports gaming company on a mission to revolutionise the industry by making it more responsible, social, and enjoyable.

With a strong background in Product Management for technology startups and experience in Venture Capital, Ryan has previously helped companies build and scale their tech products. Since founding Betmate, the company has successfully raised pre-seed and seed investment rounds, which included VC and angel investors as well as a crowdfunding campaign for their growing customer base. They have launched five innovative products within the platform and secured prestigious recognition from Tech Nation Rising Stars and Tech Climbers.

Sam Sadi has 25 years of experience as a CEO, working across betting brands and sports books, before becoming CEO of LiveScore Group in 2019. Since taking the hotseat just before the pandemic, Sam has overseen huge growth, with employee headcount rising by 29% and annual revenue leaping from approximately £10m to over £80m. The success stems from a unique strategy to connect each arm of the business, creating an ecosystem which delivers everything a sports fan desires under one trusted brand.

Savvas Fellas is the founder and Managing Director of MrQ.com, a challenger brand with a fresh message to it’s users; “You win some, you lose some”.

MrQ is independently owned and have recently launched their own gaming studio, Goosicorn.

Seth Schorr is CEO of Fifth Street Gaming and Chairman of Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino. The urban casino resort is the embodiments of Schorr’s vision to create a downtown Las Vegas hospitality experience delivering a superior guest experience and genuine sense of community.

Since beginning his career in gaming and hospitality in 1991, Schorr served as an integral member of the Wynn Resorts team, developing the international marketing department in Macau and the iGaming division in 2000. Earlier in his career, Schorr also worked in numerous capacities at Bellagio Hotel & Casino, The Mirage Hotel & Casino, and Treasure Island Hotel & Casino.

Schorr and his partner, Jeffrey Fine, co‐founded Fifth Street Gaming which owns and operates five casinos. The principals of Fifth Street Gaming also control, through its affiliate, the LEV Restaurant Group, a food and beverage operation that owns and manages more than 60 restaurants in the Las Vegas area and Southern California.

In early 2015, Schorr was introduced to the world of esports and lead the effort of developing the first fully integrated esports program in a casino resort at The Downtown Grand. In 2017 Schorr launched Commercial Streaming Solutions which developed a patented media platform BettorView, that brings sports betting content to casinos, bars, and stadiums throughout the country. Today BettorView is a well‐ established, US facing Omni‐Channel affiliate technology business. In 2021, Schorr founded JefeBet, a multimedia and entertainment brand focused towards engaging the Latino audience in the USA. The land‐ based JefeBet Casino will open in Q1 2023. Schorr is the co‐founder of GMA: A Modern Gaming and Hospitality consulting firm.

Schorr is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, is a member of YPO and sits on numerous public and private boards including Skillz (NYSE:SKLZ), Nevada State Board of Museums & History, Nevada Gaming Control Board Esports Technical Advisory Committee, Nevada Governor’s Office

Shelley Hannah is the Director of Casino Products at Relax Gaming. Her dedication, hard work, and strategic vision have been critical to the company’s success and growth in our highly competitive industry. With an impressive track record of success, she is responsible for handling all aspects of the company’s casino product offerings, including platform development, product development, aggregation, and Relax’s third-party content delivery.

Her keen eye for talent brought invaluable additions to the Relax aggregation portfolio, and her strong communication skills go a long way in creating positive, long-standing relationships with external and internal connections. Armed with extensive IT experience, she’s been a significant contributor to the streamlined integration process and unmatched speed-to-market that Relax has come to be known for.

Simon is leading and managing Casino Guru’s activities related predominantly to safer gambling, with the goal of making the entire online gambling industry sustainable for everyone. Further, he is leading & expanding projects of the Global Self-exclusion Initiative and Casino Guru Academy.

Stefan has a background in the finance industry with around 20 years of experience in the capital market, equity analysis and corporate finance. He comes from a position as Director of SEB Corporate Finance with sector responsibility for gaming, media and retail, and has worked with a large number of projects within M&A and ECM, including the listing of LeoVegas. Prior to that, he was an equity analyst at SEB Enskilda, Standard & Poor and Redeye. Stefan has been top rated equity analyst in the gaming sector for many years.

In addition to its shareholding, Stefan holds 258,500 warrants in part of the incentive program.

Steve Myers of Praxis Consulting and Advisory boasts over 20 years in the gambling industry, with 13 years as Managing Director, Development for the Genting EMEA region. He is a Senior Advisor on gambling for DRD Partnership, and Co-founder of Gaming Knowledge Centers, an initiative to bring together industry, regulatory, and academic research on gambling to create Myers Short Bio best practice globally.

Steve works in iGaming and land-based environments for both public and private sector clients. Increasingly, his focus is on ESG and reputation of the industry. Steve is a graduate of the UNR Executive Development Program where he also taught, and has a Masters in Major Programme Management from the University of Oxford along with a Masters in Law.

Tamas Kusztos is responsible for overseeing Playson’s commercial strategy, which includes the expansion of its footprint into more regulated markets around the world.

Tanja Dimitrijevic has been involved in distributed ledger technology and cryptocurrencies space since 2018. She specializes in distributed ledger technology, financial services and fintech with a special focus on regulatory and governance compliance and anti-money laundering issues. She has assisted a number of clients launching ICOs and IEOs and a number of crypto exchanges and VFA service providers applying for licenses from the MFSA. Tanja is a former member of the executive committee of the business section within the Malta Chamber of Commerce dedicated to VFA Agents. Moreover, in her current role, Tanja deals with all corporate and commercial matters including corporate governance, employment and general company law.

Taylor is a Country Site Manager for the Canadian market at Game Lounge, overseeing site performance and market trends. She has years of experience working in different iGaming markets, including North America and the Emerging Markets.

Brazilian iGaming professional of the year award– BiS 2022. Throughout the years, Thomas has launched at least 5 successful iGaming operations across Brazil, Peru, Mexico and Chile. All still up and going. A highly engaged and passionate Brazilian iGaming executive and winner of different individual industry prizes. Although in the B2C field, Thomas is always present at all key iGaming events and has proven to be a strong articulating voice for the industry in Brazil and LatAm.

Thomas is an experienced igaming executive whose former positions include Chief Executive Officer of Dunder Casino, Chief Product Officer at Mr Green Online Casino (LSE: WMH), and Section Head Business Intelligence at bwin (LSE: ENT). Mr. Rosander was also Engagement Director and Business Intelligence Director at game developer Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA). 

Tim Heath draws upon two decades of experience within the iGaming and emerging technologies sectors as GP of Yolo Investments. An early adopter of Bitcoin in 2013, he was founder and CEO of the Yolo Group until 2020. The Group operates leading crypto gaming brands Bitcasino.io and Sportsbet.io, with the latter securing high-profile sponsorships with Premier League clubs Arsenal and Southampton.
 

Tim specialises in transforming ideas into successful business. Since founding Yolo Investments, the venture capital firm has rapidly grown. It now holds assets in more than 80 businesses, with an AUM in excess of €620 million.
 

A strong believer in the power of crypto to improve the lives of people around the world, he is now increasingly focused on the fintech and blockchain spaces, and where emerging technology can disrupt the traditional banking industry. 

Tomash is a technology industry veteran focused on algorithmically curated in-game microbetting. As a CEO & Founder of Kero Sports he works with the largest names in pro sports and gaming to deliver sportsbetting experiences that match the entertainment value of mainstream apps like TikTok and Instagram.

Head of Affiliates at Betsson Group. Highly experienced Affiliate and Business Development Manager, working in the gambling & casinos industry for more than 18 years. Skilled in Affiliate Management, Sales, Digital Marketing, Contact Centres, E-payments, and Risk Management. Strong marketing professional with working knowledge and experience in multiple global markets.

Tsachi Maimon currently holds the President role within NeoGames. Tsachi has been prevalent in the iGaming industry since 2008, having previously worked at Playtech before joining Aspire Global as a board member and CEO in 2013. He overlooked notable events as CEO of Aspire Global: acquisition of game aggregator Pariplay, sportsbook supplier BtoBet, as well as part of bingo supplier END2END; the Nasdaq listing of Aspire Global, but also the process of NeoGames acquiring Aspire Global and its daughter companies. After the chain of acquisitions, Tsachi now leads the entire iGaming branch of the business, while also assisting NeoGames in its growth journey across the world.

From a touring music industry professional to building start ups through their greatest asset – people. Tyler has had a multitude of experience in teaching HR teams on how to recruit and trust me it’s not through putting an advert on indeed. With 7+ years experience of Talent Acquisition and a self proclaimed ‘controversial personal brand’. Tyler brings his British attitude on how you can actually hire… be careful though. You might get the answer that you need but possibly don’t want.

Ulrich Gilot joined Betsson Group as Head of Media in 2020 with the goal to fulfil the group’s ambition to drive media performance across key markets. His debut on the media agency and creative agency side in New York forged his interest in user experience. Ever since, he has worked across multiple markets leading media strategies in various industries for brands such as Nestle, Disney, CapitalOne, IBM, Pfizer and the Belgian National Lottery. Ulrich’s knack is to build tailor-made media solutions that respond to both single markets and global business ambitions in close partnerships with media agencies while focusing on data and marketing technology.

Valentina is a strategist and forward-thinking marketeer, with more than 15 years of experience in Growth Marketing, Customer Journey, Social Media & Product-Brand building. Have led multiple successful projects through marketing transformation in a wide spectrum of industries: Telco, Automotive, Entertainment, Video games, and of course Gambling!

She is a highly motivated individual driven to find the gaps and innovate ways to serve the customers/players’ needs and achieve the business goals.
Her virtual Avatar sister: Vtina, and her alter-ego: Ocaid, love to share their knowledge around Digital Strategy, Web3, and Metaverse.

Repeated success at building marketing teams that thrive on a purposeful commitment to put the customer first, built on a hardened foundation of operations diligence & financial discipline, nonstop optimization of marketing performance but also creatively driven. She is passionate about the intersection of Art and Science in marketing, and the limitless possibilities in a Web 3.0 world where co-creation, social interaction, and immersive products are the modern marketing realities

Valentina boasts a career in marketing that spans multiple industries, from FMCG to iGaming, and many brands such as British American Tobacco, Nestle, Heineken. Her expertise in marketing strategy, market research, management, and trade marketing has been sharpened through years of experience leading the marketing departments of regional spirits and beer companies.

Thanks to Valentina’s team’s hard work, SOFTSWISS has become the number one brand in the media over the past two years, receiving industry recognition and awards such as the International Gaming Award for Crypto Company of the Year 2022, SiGMA Europe Awards for Company of the Year 2022 and many more.

The Global Gaming Awards London 2023 has shortlisted Valentina for the Executive of the Year category.

Virginie has c20 years’ experience in marketing internationally. She worked for blue chip tech and lifestyle brands such as Philips, TomTom, Vodafone and Microsoft, where she grew businesses with strategic marketing thinking and running multi-million-dollar advertising campaigns. As a CMO for Pragmatic Play, Luce aims to drive marketing excellence and establish a best-practice framework within the industry to provide partners and end-users with premium marketing content.

Trainer, researcher and consultant, after many years around the world, in 2018, she founded in Malta, GMD Training and Consultancy Services Ltd, to help individuals and organisations to develop an open and curious mindset to work effectively across cultures and promote diverse and inclusive workplaces and societies. Viviana is also an adjunct professor at the University of Malta and ESCP Business School in Italy. Ph.D. in Sociology of Migration, MA in Intercultural and Interreligious Conflicts Management, she has provided consultancy, training and mentoring to Fortune 500, local and international companies, government agencies, business associations, international NGOs and for the United Nations and the World Bank since 2006 on topics related to intercultural communication, interreligious dialogue, cultural and religious diversity and inclusion, migration, cooperation and development and financial education.

Vlad Karols, MBA, CIA, Int.Dip(AML)

Vlad Karols is an experienced professional with a variety of expertise in internal auditing, AML and regulatory compliance. He possesses experience in industries that include financial services, FinTech and virtual financial assets service providers.

Currently, Vlad serves as the Chief Compliance Officer at ZBX which is a Class 4 Virtual Financial Assets Service Provider licensed in Malta.

Holding a Master’s degree in finance, in 2020 Vlad obtained the International Diploma in AML from the International Compliance Association and in 2021 – the CIA certification from the Institute of Internal Auditors.

Passionate about leadership and focused on building successful teams. Over 12 years of experience in SEO and digital channels within igaming, finance and tech industries.

William Scott has over 20 years’ experience in the regulated gaming industry. He currently works as an adviser and consultant in the international gaming industry with a focus on lottery and online gaming.

In the role as advisor and consultant, William provides strategic advice, mentoring and contacts to both operators and technical providers in both the lottery and the broad gaming market. Consultancy projects in the lottery vertical include, inter alia, the outsourcing of the Turkish National Lottery, the strategic review of the international lottery market for a major international lottery technology provider and the launch of numerous lotteries in Africa.

In addition, William is also a Non-Executive Director of Ithuba, the exclusive operator of the South African National Lottery.

William left GTECH (now called IGT) in 2013 after over 15 years at the company. His last role was as Vice President and Commercial Director at GTECH G2 responsible for internet gambling for both the WLA and commercial markets.

Witoldo Hendrich Júnior é mestre em Administração de Empresas e advogado. Possui Extensão em Negociação e Análise de Contratos. Pós-graduado em Direito Tributário, lecionou por 19 anos em inúmeros cursos de pós-graduação na Universidade Cândido Mendes, IBET (Instituto Brasileiro de Estudos Tributários) e Trevisan. Desligou-se esse ano de sua posição nas pós-graduações de direito fiscal e direito imobiliário na PUC-RJ. O Sr. Hendrich fundou e opera a Online IPS, empresa de pagamentos com escritórios no Rio de Janeiro, Bogotá, Lima, Cidade do México, Miami, Los Angeles e San Diego. Fundou escritório de advocacia no Rio de Janeiro, atualmente direcionado aos jogos eletrônicos e tributação. Foi membro da Comissão de Acesso à Justiça da OAB, Assessor do Ministro Diretor-Geral da Escola Nacional de Formação e Aperfeiçoamento de Magistrados (ENFAM/STJ) e Assessor-Chefe da Diretoria Jurídica da COMLURB (Rio de Janeiro). Foi indicado para a Comissão Especial para Regulamentação dos Jogos de Azar, Comissão do Esporte e Comissão Especial de Regulamentação de Criptomoedas, todas na Câmara dos Deputados, em Brasília. Palestrante frequente em grandes eventos ligados a métodos de pagamentos e jogos online. Fundou uma associação para operadores de jogos online no Brasil.   

Mr. Hendrich holds Administration master’s degree and Law degree, post-graduate credentials in Negotiation, Contracts and Taxation. Founded and operates Online IPS Brazil, a worldwide payment processing company, and Hendrich Advogados, a law firm specialized in Gambling and Taxation in Rio de Janeiro. Former positions at the National College of Justice (at Superior Court of Justice, in Brasília) and at the biggest public cleaning company below equator line (Comlurb in Rio de Janeiro). He has served on the Justice Access Commission, holds ongoing universities professorships positions and has spoken at the best conferences about gambling and payment methods. Recently, was nominated as an expert to speak in front of the Special Committee for Gambling Regulation and Special Committee for Cryptocurrencies, and Sports Committee, all at Brazilian National Congress, in Brasília (DC). Founded a Brazilian Association for Gaming Providers.   

Zak Borg, Dad, Sailor and Entrepreneur is Executive Director of ANCHOVY. Studios PLC, which is focused on building a digital consultancy business for global clients. Zak heads the Growth function of the group of companies both organically and through M&A.