The Canadian Gaming Summit is mere weeks away and kicking off the Canadian gaming and betting event is an exclusive pre-day “Player Protection Symposium” conference.
The 100 capacity Symposium will be taking place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, on Tuesday 13th June 2023, and will equip attendees with the resources and knowledge to continue innovating while also implementing greater and meaningful protection for their players.
Opening event will be a leaders panel entitled ‘walking the tight rope of player protection and growth’, which will explore the tense relation between the overwhelming commercial pressure to acquire market share and the need to implement responsible gaming practices to protect players.
This will comprise Chrissy Thurmond (Senior Director Responsible Gaming, DraftKings), Jacob Coin (Executive Advisor to Chair, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians), Janine Robinson (Principal, JR Consulting) and Bill Pascrell III (Principal, Princeton Public Affairs Group). Alongside Moderator Martin Lycka (SVP American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling, Entain), they will highlight the need for strong and visionary leadership to strike the optimal balance between competitive edge and player protection.
Lycka will also continue his exploration of player protection with via the Safe Bet Show, a podcast hosted live and in-person with special guest Glenn Healy (Director, National Hockey League Alumni Association), in front of a live conference audience. This special episode’s focal point will be placed upon safer gambling and its impact on gaming legislation in Ontario and beyond.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about technology’s role in identifying at-risk isolated players during the “managing player risk through technology” panel. This will include Paul Foster (Chief Executive Office, Crucial Compliance), Dr Mary Donahue (Chief Executive Office, Digital Wellness Center) and Rasmus Kjaergaard (Chief Executive Officer, Mindway AI), with Pascrell III on moderating duties. The group will explore what technologies are available to monitor and identify player trends in real-time, whether problematic gaming is on the rise and the flaws in present and future technological solutions.
‘Advertising responsible gambling’ will analyse educational programmes such as PlaySmart and GameSense and the ways they inform bettors. Tyjondah Kerr (Director, Program Development and Delivery, OLG), Ryan McCarthy (Director of Player Health, British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC)) and Elaine McDougall (Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Responsible Gambling Council) will discuss how innovative advertisement aids in player education and how to keep player education in Canada meaningful and relevant as the industry continues to take strides.
Closing the day will be ‘The voice of the player – listening, learning and reforming’, which shifts perspective and gives a voice to those who have personally faced issues with problematic gambling and the groups that represent them. This will be an opportunity to shine a light on exactly where the industry needs to do more in order to best support vulnerable players and in turn better the industry as a whole.
You must have a ticket to the Canadian Gaming Summit to attend the Player Protection Symposium. Tickets to the event start at $795 for groups of three or more people. Once you have a ticket you can register your interest here.
