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