On Wednesday, May 1, 2019, GamblingCompliance, the top provider of independent legal, regulatory intelligence and business intelligence to the global gambling industry, hosted the third annual Global Regulatory Awards at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. The event recognized individuals and teams in the fields of compliance and responsible gambling, most of whom had been through quite a lot in 2019 which is considered by many to have been the most “expansionist” year in the history of the gambling industry.

Some of the most notable developments from the past year include the United States’ Supreme Court decision to repeal the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) thus effectively lifting the federal ban on sports betting – the rule restricted sports betting in the country to just a single state. On a similar note, the Swedish government also reorganized its formerly monopoly-dominated market while Brazil and Argentina finally launched their sports betting industries. Also, just as important was the arrival of Japan’s long-awaited land-based casino legislation – the country is now going to host a total of three casino-resorts for the very first time.

It was not all good though. In Italy and Belgium, there were cases of irresponsible advertising. Coupled with cases of money laundering in different gaming markets, these factors resulted in an increased focus on matters related to gambling-related harm and consequently tighter regulations and compliance measures.

“We’re all faced with learning how to resolve rather than resist regulatory concerns and that requires huge cooperation. Our compliance sector is growing because more compliance and social responsibility professionals are needed who can balance the need for consumer protection with the desire to thrive and make an industry that gives pleasure to people,” Andrew Gellatly, the head of research at GamblingCompliance said.

The Global Regulatory Awards 2019 Winners

  • Award for Compliance by an Affiliate Company. – Better Collective
  • Award for Outstanding Commitment to Responsible Gambling. – Jeanne David, The Stars Group
  • Best Regulatory Lawyer or Law Firm of the Year. – Harris Hagan
  • Best Regulatory Lawyer or Law Firm of the Year (North America). – Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
  • Chief Compliance Officer of the Year. – Trevor De Giorgio, Greentube
  • Chief Executive Officer of the Year. – Monika Racek, ADMIRAL Casinos & Entertainment AG
  • Compliance Innovator or Innovation of the Year. – Paddy Power Betfair
  • Compliance Lifetime Achievement Award. – George Debrincat, Kindred Group
  • Compliance Officer of the Year. – Alex Dumitrache, Play’n GO
  • Compliance Outstanding Achievement Award. – Deborah Roil, Industry Group for Responsible Gambling
  • Data Protection Officer or Team of the Year. – Legal Team, ECIJA
  • Head of AML/MLRO or AML Team of the Year. – AML Team, Genting Casinos UK
  • Head of Regulatory Affairs/Government Relations of the Year. – Martin Lycka, GVC Holdings PLC
  • In-House Counsel/Legal Team of the Year. – Kambi
  • Most Significant Contribution to Responsible Gambling Research. – Maris Bonello & Team, Kindred Group
  • Payment Service or Solution Provider of the Year. – Passport Technology
  • Regtech Provider of the Year. – gamban