European Gaming Lawyer magazine Autumn 2016 | Page 7
[
President’s Message
]
Mike Zatezalo, [email protected]
I
President Mike Zatezalo
n April the IMGL held its Annual
Spring Conference in San Francisco
which was well received. I would like to
thank the co-chairs of the conference
committee, John Maloney and John
Roberts, for their timeless efforts in putting together a
first class program including an appearance by the
former Mayor of San Francisco.
One of the highlights of each year is the IMGL
reception at G2E and the presentation of the
“Regulator of the Year Award” – North America.
The award is given in recognition of the regulator’s
overall contribution to gaming. IMGL is proud to
announce this year’s Regulator of the Year, Allen
Godfrey, Executive Director of the Mississippi
Gaming Commission. Allen has been the Executive
Director since 2011 and has been instrumental in
guiding the Mississippi gaming industry through
continued growth notwithstanding several natural
disasters including Hurricane Katrina. This award is
given annually based upon not only the recipient’s
contributions to the gaming industry but his overall
work as a regulator and a demonstration of service to
the community. Congratulations Allen.
The IMGL fall conference will be held on October
23-25, 2016, in Dublin, Ireland. Co-Chairs of the
conference, Joe Kelly and Sean McGuiness, have put
together a very strong program which will include panels
on Sports, AML in Europe, the United Slots and Asia,
Daily Fantasy Sports in the United States and Europe and
the Brexit and how it will impact the gambling industry.
The IMGL Masterclasses continue to be a popular
and sought after presence at gaming conferences
throughout the world. Recently, the National Council
of Legislators from Gaming States (“NCLGS”) asked
the IMGL to create a regulatory panel at its annual
conference in Boston, Massachusetts. Thanks to
Marc Ellinger and Bob Stocker for putting together
an outstanding panel on short notice. As a result,
the NCLGS wants the IMGL panel to be part of
their conference next year. Below is a list of IMGL
Masterclasses scheduled for the rest of this year.
Finally, the IMGL has set the dates for its 2017
Spring Conference in Miami, Florida, for May 10-12
at the Turnberry Isle Resort. Our co-chairs for the
conference are Marc Dunbar and Daniel Wallach. It
promises to be another great conference in keeping
with the IMGL’s educational mission.
DATE
September 8, 2016
KPMG – eGaming Summit Isle of Man
September 14-15, 2016
European Association for the Studies of Gambling – Lisbon, Portugal
October 30-November 3, 2016
International Association of Gaming Regulatory – Sydney, Australia
November 7-8, 2016
Malta iGaming Seminar (MIGS) – Malta
November 15, 2016
MGS Macau Gaming Show
November 22-23, 2016
Eastern European Gaming Summit – Sofia, Bulgaria
November 29, 2016
OFXG TLV + GO Gaming International Summit, Tel Aviv
European Gaming Lawyer | Autumn Issue | 2016 | 7