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We can’t wait to welcome our delegates to the New Horizons in Safer Gambling Conference this October 28 - 30, 2024 at the Vancouver Convention Centre, in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia.

Safer Play: The Competitive Advantage
What if we looked at safer play as an opportunity rather than an obligation? What if we focused on what we want to do rather than what we can’t change? As an industry, we know we can’t eliminate all harms from gambling, but we can certainly take steps to make it safer. Happy, healthy players who are having fun with their play are key to a sustainable industry and responsible growth. So how do we make safer play a competitive advantage?

Safer play can take many forms: it is gamifying tools that help players set limits; it’s choosing products where risks are reduced or mitigated; and it’s determining how to market to players of varying risk levels. Safer play is also about how we support our players through challenging conversations, and understanding how to interact with those who demonstrate high-risk behaviours.

Plain and simple, safer play is good for business. So, let’s shift the conversation. Let’s make safer play the competitive advantage.

This year’s New Horizons Conference will explore the best and promising practices in the safer play journey. We welcome you to join us at New Horizons as we explore these four key areas of the safer play journey: acquisition, player growth, player retention and support.


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Tuesday, October 29
 

7:30am PDT

Networking Breakfast
Tuesday October 29, 2024 7:30am - 8:30am PDT
Tuesday October 29, 2024 7:30am - 8:30am PDT
Burrard Foyer - Level 2

7:30am PDT

Registration and Guest Services Open
Tuesday October 29, 2024 7:30am - 5:00pm PDT
Tuesday October 29, 2024 7:30am - 5:00pm PDT
Burrard Foyer - Level 2

8:30am PDT

Welcome and Opening Remarks
Tuesday October 29, 2024 8:30am - 9:00am PDT
Tuesday October 29, 2024 8:30am - 9:00am PDT
Room 211-214 - Level 2

9:00am PDT

Keynote Address: Gambling On The Safer Side: A Different Approach to Creating Competitive Advantage
Tuesday October 29, 2024 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
Gambling On The Safer Side: A Different Approach to Creating Competitive Advantage
Consumer preferences are shifting towards more sustainable and healthier options, and business sectors are adapting to meet consumers where they are at. In this engaging keynote, Dr. Shawn DuBravac will show gaming industry leaders how various sectors are evolving to prioritize health and wellbeing without compromising on engagement and profitability. Drawing parallels across diverse industries, we will delve into the changing landscape where offering safer options could indeed become a significant competitive advantage. We will unpack the journey from traditional business practices to the incorporation of innovative technologies and strategies aimed at fostering win-win solutions for safer consumer experiences while cultivating loyal long-term success.
Speakers
avatar for Dr. Shawn DuBravac

Dr. Shawn DuBravac

President, Avrio Institute
Dr. DuBravac is an internationally-recognized thought leader, delivering pragmatic and provocative insights on the trends, technologies and paradigms transforming the globe. His research focuses on the forces shaping tomorrow that are percolating on the peripheral of society and business... Read More →
Tuesday October 29, 2024 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
Room 211-214 - Level 2

10:30am PDT

Networking Break
Tuesday October 29, 2024 10:30am - 11:00am PDT
Tuesday October 29, 2024 10:30am - 11:00am PDT

11:00am PDT

Plenary 2: How Regulation of iGaming Drives Safer Gambling Innovation
Tuesday October 29, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
In 2022, Ontario joined jurisdictions in the United States and Europe in creating a competitive regulated online gambling market for its residents. With competition comes innovation, and regulation has contributed to broadening the reach of player protections thanks to a shared interest in safer gambling. Experts from international operators, BetMGM and RushStreet will discuss their contributions to safer gambling innovation in Ontario and internationally, while experts from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) and iGaming Ontario (iGO) share their Ontario-specific experience.
Speakers
avatar for Catherine Jarmain

Catherine Jarmain

Director of Industry Programs and Monitoring, iGaming Ontario
Catherine Jarmain joined iGaming Ontario as Director of Industry Programs and Monitoring in April 2021. In this role, Catherine is responsible for iGaming Ontario’s responsible gambling and anti-money laundering programs in addition to oversight of contracts with operators... Read More →
avatar for Catherine Meade

Catherine Meade

Vice President - Community, Sustainability & Social Responsibility, Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation (OLG)
Catherine Meade is the Vice President - Community, Sustainability & Social Responsibility with the Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation (OLG).  She leads OLG’s award-winning Social Responsibility and Community Sponsorships teams as well as the recently created Sustainability... Read More →
avatar for Bruce Caughill

Bruce Caughill

Managing Director, Canada, Rush Street Interactive
Bruce Caughill is Managing Director (Canada) for Rush Street Interactive, a trusted online gaming company carrying on business exclusively in regulated markets. Previously, he served as Chief Legal Officer with Ontario’s Alcohol and Gaming Commission, providing key legal and policy... Read More →
Tuesday October 29, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Room 211-214 - Level 2

12:00pm PDT

Lunch
Tuesday October 29, 2024 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
Tuesday October 29, 2024 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
Burrard Foyer - Level 2

1:00pm PDT

Session 3A: Shifting Approach: Massachusetts GameSense Research Results and Application
Tuesday October 29, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
In 2014, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) partnered with BCLC to introduce GameSense as part of a responsible gaming strategy in the nascent casino industry in the state. In the years that followed, several studies, many of which were funded by the MGC, helped inform a strategy for the GameSense program to promote positive play, reduce gambling related harms and create an RG enabled workforce. To measure the reach and effectiveness of the MA GameSense program, in 2022 the MGC partnered with Carleton University to conduct an independent and comprehensive evaluation of the program.  At present, the MGC is using this research to further inform the development of the GameSense program and guide a revision of the commission’s Player Health Framework. Join this session for an overview of key findings from the research and evaluation and examples of how this body of work has shifted MGC’s approach.
Speakers
avatar for Mark Vander Linden

Mark Vander Linden

Director of Research and Responsible Gaming, Massachusetts Gaming Commission
Since 2013 Mark Vander Linden has served as Director of Research and Responsible Gaming for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC).  In this role he manages an extensive research agenda to advance an understanding of responsible gaming, gambling disorders and the social and... Read More →
Tuesday October 29, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Room 211-214 - Level 2

1:00pm PDT

Session 3B: Stories From Parq’s Leading PH Programs
Tuesday October 29, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
The presentation will examine the unique role narrative has played in building a casino player health culture ranked best in BC and #1 in Canada by RG Check in 2023.
Using authentic difference-making stories from the casino floor and exploring strategies to unearth and share positive player health connections and outcomes, the presentation will provide real-world insight into the power of valuing player health successes and emphasize the importance of storytelling and in-person connection in an increasingly AI-driven future.
Speakers
avatar for Darren Groth

Darren Groth

Manager - Responsible Gaming & Corporate Responsibility, Parq Vancouver
Darren Groth was a key member of BCLC’s GameSense team for a decade and currently leads Parq Casino’ s nationally recognized player health program. In his spare time, he’s an internationally published novelist whose achievements include an Adelaide Festival Award for Literature... Read More →
Tuesday October 29, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Room 220-222 - Level 2

2:00pm PDT

Break
Tuesday October 29, 2024 2:00pm - 2:15pm PDT
Tuesday October 29, 2024 2:00pm - 2:15pm PDT

2:15pm PDT

Session 4A: How Loyalty Programs Can Encourage Positive Play
Tuesday October 29, 2024 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
In this session, we will discuss what loyalty programs / offerings are, how loyalty trends are evolving, and how organizations have used loyalty programs to achieve behaviour change across their customers and partners.
The session will explore leading practices in loyalty, and how organizations have enhanced their loyalty offerings to drive healthy behaviours amongst customers (vs. simply driving a higher volume of transactions / spend).
We will explore uses of loyalty both within and outside of the lottery & gaming landscape. We will discuss emerging theories, lessons learned, and practical things organizations can start to think of / implement to achieve their loyalty objectives.
Speakers
avatar for Ridhima Gupta

Ridhima Gupta

Senior Manager, Deloitte
Dima is a leader at Deloitte and advises clients on corporate and customer growth strategies. Across her 10+ years in consulting, she has worked with boards and executives to map and develop leading strategies, test the strength of their strategies and initiatives, and ultimately... Read More →
Tuesday October 29, 2024 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
Room 211-214 - Level 2

2:15pm PDT

Session 4B: The Gambling Recovery Information Network – An International Lived Experience Collaboration
Tuesday October 29, 2024 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
The GRIN (Gambling Recovery Information Network) initiative is a collaboration between BetKnowMore and the Mass Council on Gaming and Health (MACGH) that encompasses lived experience of gambling harm to support regulators, operators, and treatment providers in future efforts around player protection. It was born from a necessity for improved models that involve affected individuals in the UK to be shared in the United States, Canada and around the World, and celebrates real-life experiences and amplifies the voices and resilience of those individuals amid significant gambling expansion.
We believe this work can influence operators to innovate for safer gambling (limit setting, transactional data requirements, advertising regs, etc), while using community voices and lived experience to guide their language, programs, and education.  
Speakers
avatar for Marlene Warner

Marlene Warner

CEO, Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health
Marlene D. Warner has 21 years of experience in the fields of problem and responsible gambling. As CEO of the Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health for the past 11 years and program director for the first ten, Warner has successfully advocated for consumer protections and robust... Read More →
avatar for Matt Smith

Matt Smith

Head of External Affairs, Betknowmore
Matt Smith is Head of External Affairs for UK charity Betknowmore and has lived experience of gambling harm with 10 years in continuous recovery.   Matt is part of the senior management team at Betknowmore, building relationships with stakeholders across the gambling sector... Read More →
Tuesday October 29, 2024 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
Room 220-222 - Level 2

3:15pm PDT

Break
Tuesday October 29, 2024 3:15pm - 3:30pm PDT
Tuesday October 29, 2024 3:15pm - 3:30pm PDT

3:30pm PDT

Plenary 5: Sisterhood of Sports Bettors
Tuesday October 29, 2024 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Move over dads, Brads and Chads. With women's sports on the rise and icons like Taylor Swift bringing millions of new female fans to the NFL, the classic sportsbook environment is getting more than a makeover. With the widespread popularity of legal online gambling, women are rapidly engaging in sports betting and quickly becoming the newest market with enormous potential.
But with the enormous potential, comes enormous responsibility. Despite breaking barriers and challenging stereotypes, gambling and sports betting can still be intimidating, especially when it’s still considered a male-dominated industry. This panel discussion brings together different and diverse perspectives into the world of women and sports betting to explore how the sisterhood of sports gambling is changing the game. Dive in with us as seek to understand gambling behaviours among women and explore ways to communicate and support this new market.
Speakers
avatar for Dr. Ceyda Mumcu

Dr. Ceyda Mumcu

Professor, University of New Haven
Dr. Ceyda Mumcu is a full professor and the department chair of Sport Management at the University of New Haven. She specializes in sport marketing and analytics, and her research focuses on topics such as consumer behavior in sports, fan engagement, and the use of data analytics... Read More →
avatar for Julie Hynes

Julie Hynes

Senior Manager of Responsible Gaming, DraftKings Inc.
Julie Hynes is Senior Manager of Responsible Gaming at DraftKings Inc. She is responsible for leading DraftKings’ Responsible Gaming strategy and compliance efforts, including serving as a subject matter expert on product enhancements and RG marketing campaigns. Before joining DraftKings... Read More →
avatar for Marie-Noëlle Savoie

Marie-Noëlle Savoie

Chief Compliance Officer and Vice President, Safer Play & Enterprise Integrity, BCLC
Marie-Noëlle is an experienced lawyer and chief compliance officer. Prior to joining BCLC and the world of gambling, she worked in law firms, as well as in senior roles in the financial services industry. She currently Marie-Noëlle oversees all facets of player health, legal services... Read More →
avatar for Val Calvo Martinez

Val Calvo Martinez

CEO, BettingLadies.com
Val C. Martinez is the CEO and founder of BettingLadies.com, a sports betting community aimed at empowering women in the realm of sports betting. BettingLadies.com was established in 2023. It serves as a vibrant community for sports enthusiasts and bettors, offering a comprehensive... Read More →
Tuesday October 29, 2024 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Room 211-214 - Level 2

4:30pm PDT

Closing Remarks Day 1
Tuesday October 29, 2024 4:30pm - 4:45pm PDT
Tuesday October 29, 2024 4:30pm - 4:45pm PDT
Room 211-214 - Level 2

5:00pm PDT

Networking Reception
Tuesday October 29, 2024 5:00pm - 7:00pm PDT
Tuesday October 29, 2024 5:00pm - 7:00pm PDT
Ocean Foyer - Level 2
 
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