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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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Wednesday, October 30
 

8:00am PDT

Networking Breakfast
Wednesday October 30, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Wednesday October 30, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Burrard Foyer - Level 2

8:00am PDT

Registration Open
Wednesday October 30, 2024 8:00am - 4:00pm PDT
Wednesday October 30, 2024 8:00am - 4:00pm PDT
Burrard Foyer - Level 2

9:00am PDT

Opening Remarks
Wednesday October 30, 2024 9:00am - 9:15am PDT
Wednesday October 30, 2024 9:00am - 9:15am PDT
Room 211-214 - Level 2

9:15am PDT

Plenary 6: Sustaining Player Activity Through Interactions
Wednesday October 30, 2024 9:15am - 10:30am PDT
As expectations are increasing on operators to interact, and in some cases intervene, with players who are demonstrating high risk behaviours, this is presenting both unique opportunities and challenges for operators. The balance between the protection of their players while ensuring the responsible growth of their business is a challenge in an ever increasingly competitive environment. Much of this innovative work is accomplished through behavioural analytics tools that are available for both online and in-venue play and these tools are providing more evidence-based insights into personalized player behaviour.
Currently, most models identify later stage harms. Yet one of the most promising opportunities with these behavioural analytic systems is to interact with players preventatively: at the right time with the right message to support them in adopting safer gambling behaviours. The intent of this to reduce harms across the play continuum and to hopefully prevent significant harms before they happen. These interactions can happen from the time a player is signing up, to loyalty programs that incentive incentivize positive safer play through to the identification of potential high-risk behaviours.
This panel will examine the current evidence base for adopting these risk models across the risk continuum and what we know and don’t know about the evidence around effective player interactions. It will also focus on how operators can implement these systems and talk about both the opportunities and challenges of doing so.
Speakers
avatar for Laura Piva-Babcock

Laura Piva-Babcock

Director of Communications & Government Relations, BCLC
In her 15+ years with BCLC Laura has championed building awareness and understanding of BCLC’s business and commitment to player health. She leads a team responsible for external and internal communications, social media and government relations. She works closely with counterparts... Read More →
avatar for Phil Mun

Phil Mun

Senior Analytics and Insights Manager, Social Responsibility, Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation (OLG)
Phil has been on OLG’s Social Responsibility team for over 12 years. Starting his Ph.D. on the legalization of casinos in Ontario, Phil has been working in the responsible gambling and gambling research field for 25+ years, including time at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Carrie Shaw

Dr. Carrie Shaw

Principal Researcher, Responsible Gambling Council
Dr. Carrie Shaw is RGC’s Principal Researcher and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of Lethbridge. She brings over 16 years of research experience, and 13 years of gambling specific research, to her role at RGC. She also served... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Melissa Salmon

Dr. Melissa Salmon

Applied Research Lead, Focal Research Consultants
Dr. Melissa Salmon is an Applied Research Lead at Focal Research Consultants. Melissa has specialized in the field of gambling studies for over 10 years with a background in psychological research and knowledge mobilization to guide her work. Throughout her career, Melissa has led... Read More →
avatar for Ryan McCarthy

Ryan McCarthy

Director of Player Health, BCLC
Ryan McCarthy has more than 20 years of leadership experience in evidence-informed strategy. He is currently the Director of Player Health at BCLC, a Crown Corporation that conducts and manages gambling in the province of British Columbia.Under his leadership, Ryan provides strategic... Read More →
Wednesday October 30, 2024 9:15am - 10:30am PDT
Room 211-214 - Level 2

10:30am PDT

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

11:00am PDT

Session 7A: How Loyalty Programs Can Encourage Positive Play
Wednesday October 30, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm 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 →
Wednesday October 30, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Room 211-214 - Level 2

11:00am PDT

Session 7B: A Field Perspective on Elevating Harm Prevention Narratives to Help Create a Strong Player Health Culture
Wednesday October 30, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm 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 of Player Health and ESG, 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 →
Wednesday October 30, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Room 220-222 - Level 2

12:00pm PDT

Lunch
Wednesday October 30, 2024 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
Wednesday October 30, 2024 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
Ocean Foyer - Level 2

1:00pm PDT

Session 8A: Beyond Rainbows: Adapting Player Health Efforts to Attract and Welcome LGBTQI+ Individuals
Wednesday October 30, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
How well are we truly serving our LGBTQI+ customers? With a continued focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, the Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health (MACGH) and a committee committed to social justice in the gambling field, embarked on an audit of all its program services, including community based efforts, digital marketing and GameSense programing to assess how well LGBTQI+ individuals were being served.
In this session, Marlene Warner will share how the results from this audit has helped to inform, reshape and upgrade their efforts to support LGBTQI+ customers through language and content creating in GameSense activities, physical components of its GameSense Information Centers, various marketing materials and webist eas well as the approach to community outreach training and tabling events. Learn more about this innovative initiative and how to apply the evidence-based approach to better support your LGBTQI+ customers.
Speakers
avatar for Janine Ruggiero

Janine Ruggiero

Chief Marketing Officer, Massachusetts Council on Gaming & Health
Janine Ruggiero proudly serves as the Chief Marketing Officer for MACGH, where she enhances the communications and marketing strategy for all programs and initiatives. Coming from the casino industry as a corporate marketing director, she offers a unique insight into operator challenges... Read More →
avatar for Shekinah Hoffman

Shekinah Hoffman

Director of Programs & Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, Massachusetts Council on Gaming & Health
Shekinah Hoffman (she/her) is the Director of Programs and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) at the Massachusetts Council on Gaming & Health. In this role, Shekinah supports the Council’s research initiatives, promotes DEIB goals, and serves as an academic liaison... Read More →
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 →
Wednesday October 30, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Room 211-214 - Level 2

1:00pm PDT

Session 8B: Overcoming Barriers Together: A Journey of More Than a Decade in Collaborative Efforts to Support Players
Wednesday October 30, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
This session delves into the invaluable insights gained from more than a decade of providing player education and support within land-based gambling venues. Since 2005, the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) Corporation have partnered to operate PlaySmart Centres (PSC) across Ontario.
Explore the multifaceted operations of these vital hubs for player engagement and support. Discover how well-designed program elements, interactive resources, and expertly trained staff combine to offer comprehensive services, including information, practical tools, and guidance for those seeking assistance.
With 67 PlaySmart Centres established province-wide and a dedicated team of over 90 professionals, this session will uncover the lessons and insights from the PlaySmart Program, highlighting effective strategies in player education and support services.
Speakers
avatar for Tyjondah Kerr

Tyjondah Kerr

Director, Program Development and Delivery, Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation (OLG)
Tyjondah started her career in gaming in 1994 with Casino Windsor. She began working for OLG in 1999 during her 25 years with OLG, Tyjondah has had progressive leadership roles. She is currently the Director, Program Development and Delivery, within the Community Sustainability and... Read More →
avatar for Lorelle Muller Lumsden

Lorelle Muller Lumsden

Director, PlaySmart Centre, Responsible Gambling Council
Lorelle Muller Lumsden brings over 20 years of expertise in developing and leading prevention and education programs that raise awareness of gambling risks and advance responsible gambling practices. In her current role, she is responsible for the program planning and oversees direct... Read More →
Wednesday October 30, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Room 220-222 - Level 2

2:00pm PDT

Networking Break
Wednesday October 30, 2024 2:00pm - 2:15pm PDT
Wednesday October 30, 2024 2:00pm - 2:15pm PDT

2:15pm PDT

Plenary 9: Now, Let’s Do Something! Putting Your New Horizons Insights Into Action
Wednesday October 30, 2024 2:15pm - 3:30pm PDT
Now, Let’s Do Something! Putting your New Horizons insights into action.
Do you ever leave a conference full of hope, energy, and ideas, only to get right back into your office “to do” list when you return home? We all want to make a difference and move forward, but sometimes have so many priorities we can’t find a simple way to turn idea into action. In this panel, our speakers will come back together to discuss their – and your - key takeaways from the conference to help you translate your insights into actions that help make safer play a competitive advantage for your organization. What barriers can be removed? What small first steps can start a roadmap for change? Where are the quick wins? This session will help you form an action plan to start putting your own ideas to work.
Speakers
avatar for Dr. Melissa Salmon

Dr. Melissa Salmon

Applied Research Lead, Focal Research Consultants
Dr. Melissa Salmon is an Applied Research Lead at Focal Research Consultants. Melissa has specialized in the field of gambling studies for over 10 years with a background in psychological research and knowledge mobilization to guide her work. Throughout her career, Melissa has led... Read More →
avatar for Lorelle Muller Lumsden

Lorelle Muller Lumsden

Director, PlaySmart Centre, Responsible Gambling Council
Lorelle Muller Lumsden brings over 20 years of expertise in developing and leading prevention and education programs that raise awareness of gambling risks and advance responsible gambling practices. In her current role, she is responsible for the program planning and oversees direct... 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 Ryan McCarthy

Ryan McCarthy

Director of Player Health, BCLC
Ryan McCarthy has more than 20 years of leadership experience in evidence-informed strategy. He is currently the Director of Player Health at BCLC, a Crown Corporation that conducts and manages gambling in the province of British Columbia.Under his leadership, Ryan provides strategic... Read More →
avatar for Stacy Shaw

Stacy Shaw

Vice President Product & Program Marketing, Oregon Lottery
Stacy leads Product Marketing and Brand Programs for the Oregon Lottery. She provides executive leadership and strategic direction for Lottery’s games and critical brand programs such as responsible gaming and customer experience. She stewards continuous improvement in RG programming... Read More →
Wednesday October 30, 2024 2:15pm - 3:30pm PDT
Room 211-214 - Level 2
 
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