2024 New Horizons in Safer Gambling Conference: Full Schedule

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.

5:00pm PDT

Registration and Guest Services Open

Monday October 28, 2024 5:00pm - 7:00pm PDT

Burrard Foyer - Level 2

Monday October 28, 2024 5:00pm - 7:00pm PDT
Burrard Foyer - Level 2

5:00pm PDT

Welcome Reception

Monday October 28, 2024 5:00pm - 7:00pm PDT

Ocean Foyer - Level 2

Monday October 28, 2024 5:00pm - 7:00pm PDT
Ocean Foyer - Level 2

7:30am PDT

Networking Breakfast

Tuesday October 29, 2024 7:30am - 8:30am PDT

Burrard Foyer - Level 2

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

Burrard Foyer - Level 2

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

Room 211-214 - Level 2

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

Room 211-214 - Level 2

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

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

11:00am PDT

Plenary 2: How Regulation of iGaming Drives Safer Gambling Innovation

Tuesday October 29, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Room 211-214 - Level 2

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

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 →

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 →

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

Burrard Foyer - Level 2

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

Room 211-214 - Level 2

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

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

Room 220-222 - Level 2

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

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

2:15pm PDT

Session 4A: How Loyalty Programs Can Encourage Positive Play

Tuesday October 29, 2024 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT

Room 211-214 - Level 2

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

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

Room 220-222 - Level 2

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

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 →

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

3:30pm PDT

Plenary 5: Sisterhood of Sports Bettors

Tuesday October 29, 2024 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

Room 211-214 - Level 2

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

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 →

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 →

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

Room 211-214 - Level 2

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

Ocean Foyer - Level 2

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

8:00am PDT

Networking Breakfast

Wednesday October 30, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am PDT

Burrard Foyer - Level 2

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

Burrard Foyer - Level 2

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

Room 211-214 - Level 2

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

Room 211-214 - Level 2

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

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 →

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 →

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 →

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

11:00am PDT

Session 7A: Slots, Sports and Streams – New Directions in Gambling Research

Wednesday October 30, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Room 211-214 - Level 2

The Centre for Gambling Research is based in the UBC Department of Psychology in Vancouver where much of their research examines the risk potential of different gambling formats.
In this three-part session, we will hear about the new directions of gambling research in slots, sports and streams from three research experts. For many years, slot machines have been recognized as a higher-risk product but little research has examined online offerings. In this session, Dr. Mariya Cherkasova will present research on the key design features of modern online slots. With the increased attention to the risk profile of modern sports betting, Dr. Luke Clark, the CGR Director, will describe research analysing media coverage of sports betting around its recent legalization. Last of all, digital technologies are enabling new ways of accessing gambling. Claudia Fu, a CGR graduate student will present the latest research on the impacts of viewing gambling via streaming platforms such as Twitch.

Speakers

Dr. Luke Clark

Director of the Centre for Gambling Research, University of British Columbia

Dr. Luke Clark is the Director of the Centre for Gambling Research at UBC, and a Full Professor in the Department of Psychology. His research on the psychology of gambling combines multiple methods including behavioural analysis and data science. His current research focuses on three... Read More →

Dr. Mariya V. Cherkasova

Assistant Professor, West Virginia University

Dr. Cherkasova is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology, Area of Behavioral Neuroscience, at West Virginia University, where she directs the Brain Behavior and Addiction laboratory. Her research is in the area of addiction neuroscience and focuses on psychological... Read More →

Claudia Fu

Graduate Student, University of British Columbia

Claudia Fu is a graduate student in UBC Psychology’s cognitive science program. Her research focus is on the risks associated with emerging forms of gambling and advertisement exposure, particularly their effect on the perception of win probability in young people.

Wednesday October 30, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Room 211-214 - Level 2

11:00am PDT

Session 7B: Motivating Change: Incorporating Motivational Interviewing Approaches to Promote a Culture of Safer Play

Wednesday October 30, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Room 220-222 - Level 2

We all want to feel seen, heard, and understood. This is why BCLC’s Player Health team has integrated Motivational Interviewing approaches into its programing. As a result, it helped to shape a culture of safer play. From its GameSense Advisor Program to its new active reinstatement process, BCLC has embedded key principles of MI with a focus on empathy, collaboration and empowerment, offering an effective way to connect with players and inspire positive change.

Join us in this session to learn how BCLC’s Player Health team has effectively applied MI, naturally evolving the way they interact and support with players through conversations in person, over the phone and online chat. Learn how embedding MI in its GameSense programing has changed the way they communicate information and helped make the shift from a responsible gambling approach to a holistic player health outlook.

Speakers

Heather Grieve

Team Lead, Virtual GSA Program, BCLC

For 23 years Heather worked as a clinician in mental health and substance use services where she was known for her clinical skill and her commitment to holding space for those who are struggling.  These years of experience have accumulated to a broad clinical skillset that have... Read More →

AJ Maisonneuve

Player Health Regional Team Lead, BCLC

AJ Maisonneuve has been a GameSense Team Lead in the BCLC Player Health program since 2008. He brings more than a decade of experience as an addiction’s clinician and is passionate about applying behavioural change processes and supportive intervention approaches to create positive... Read More →

Tamara Morgan

Manager, GameSense Programs and Training, BCLC

Tamara Morgan is the Manager for GameSense Programs and Training at BCLC. She has nearly 20 years of dedicated experience in responsible gambling at BCLC and serves as a critical pillar in the development and execution of BCLC’s effective player health programming. She has led the... 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

Ocean Foyer - Level 2

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

Room 211-214 - Level 2

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

Marlene Warner

CEO, Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health

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

Room 220-222 - Level 2

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

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 →

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

2:15pm PDT

Plenary 9: Wrapping it all up

Wednesday October 30, 2024 2:15pm - 3:30pm PDT

Room 211-214 - Level 2

Wednesday October 30, 2024 2:15pm - 3:30pm PDT
Room 211-214 - Level 2