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LAS VEGAS, NV (November 7, 2017) – Almost 70 gaming and lottery regulators and government lottery representatives of 30 entities and two associations from 19 Iberoamerican and Caribbean countries attended Gaming Laboratories International’s (GLI®) Latin American and Caribbean Regulators Roundtable in Panama City, Panama, earlier this month.

Countries that were able to attend the conference include: Argentina; Aruba; Bolivia; Brazil; Chile; Colombia; Costa Rica; Curacao; Dominican Republic; El Salvador; Jamaica; Mexico; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; United States (Puerto Rico); Spain; Trinidad and Tobago; and Uruguay. Also, the Association of Argentinean State Lotteries (ALEA) and the Iberoamerican Corporation of State Lotteries (CIBELAE) participated with their presidents and members.

 

In its 10th year, the Latin American and Caribbean Regulators Roundtable offered attendees the unique opportunity to network with their peers, share ideas with industry thought leaders and discuss current challenges they face in their day-to-day operations. Hosted by GLI University®, the event was free of charge and took place over the course of two days.


GLI Director, Latin America and Caribbean Government Relations and Business Development, Karen Marcela Sierra-Hughes said, “This year, we celebrated our 10th anniversary, and we selected Panama as the destination for this very special milestone. We listened to the regulator and government lotteries’ comments in 2016 and produced this year’s event with topics that targeted their most immediate and important needs. The topics were separated into three big groups: technology and innovation, policy and regulatory development, and the risk-based approach to the supervision of the industry. New to this year’s Regulators Roundtable was the introduction of working groups led by the regulator/lottery experts in their respective fields in order to provide attendees the opportunity to discuss specific topics of their interest. At the conclusion of the Roundtable, they were able to present the conclusions of the discussions to the group. Also new to this year’s conference was the first-time participation of Spain regulator, DGOJ, which added an important component to the event content with their experience in online gaming regulation.


“The Regulators Roundtable is a unique opportunity that gaming and lottery regulators and government lotteries have to meet in an exclusive environment where they share their experience, concerns and plans for their jurisdictions,” Sierra-Hughes said. “We would like to express our special gratitude to Eric Ivan Rios, Executive Secretary of the Panama Gaming Control Board, and his staff who kindly hosted the event with us. Without his support, we would have not been able to achieve a successful event. We would also like to express our gratitude to CIBELAE and the National Lottery of Panama who allowed us to celebrate our event the same week of their biannual conference so attendees could benefit from both events. We are very grateful to the government officials that decided to attend the event this year. They are the reason our Regulators Roundtable continues to exist.

 

She concluded, “Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to send our warmest regards to the many Caribbean jurisdictions that could not join us this year because they suffered the natural disasters of hurricane Maria and Irma. You were missed, and our hearts are with you with wishes for a soon recovery. We are already looking forward to the 2018 Regulators Roundtable and will start working with our regulators and lotteries to create another successful program.”

 

This year’s conference covered the following topics:

  • New Gaming Laws and Regulatory Development Projects in the Latin American and Caribbean Region
  • What Have We Learned About Online Gaming Regulation Thus Far?
  • Gaming and Lottery of the Future and the Role of the Technical Compliance Process in Innovation
  • Embracing and Regulating New Technology and New Types of Games – The Regulator and Lottery’s Point of View
  • A Risk-Based Approach to Fraud Prevention – What Role Does Security Play in the Preventative Policies That Must Be Implemented in Gaming and Lottery Operations, Both Land-Based and Online?
  • Security and Sports Integrity in Lottery and Wagering Operations
  • The Role of the State in Social Responsibility Policies: A Modern Approach to Responsible Gambling and Public Security as Part of the Government Policy – Prevention, Education, Communication and Treatment
  • The Current State of Anti-Money Laundering Policies and the Impact That It’s Having on the Accessibility of the Financial Services for the Gaming and Lottery Industry Region Wide
  • An Update on Efforts to Prevent and Eradicate Illegal Gaming
  • Regulations, Requirements and Guarantees for Commercial Promotions

 

The working groups took place on day one. Attendees were encouraged to discuss with each other a variety of topics, including:

  1. Controls and Actions Against Illegal Gaming
  2. Online Gaming and Sports Betting Regulations
  3. Responsible Gambling
  4. Effective Actions to Stop the Discrimination of Financial Services for the Gaming Industry
  5. The Impact of Player Tax in Revenue and Tax Collection in the Gaming and Lottery Industry

 

The Panama Gaming Control Board also hosted an onsite visit to the Majestic Casino at Multicentro where on-site demonstrations were performed to show money-laundering prevention methods, field inspection verification procedures for gaming devices, and field inspection verification procedures for monitoring and control systems and communication testing.


Deputy General Director of Gambling Regulation at the DGOJ (Directorate General for Gambling Regulation), Ministry of Finance and Civil Service, Spain, Guillermo Olagüe Sánchez said, “It has been an honor for me to have attended the GLI Latin American and Caribbean Regulators Roundtable for the first time. This Regulators Roundtable has been a real success in terms of the quality of presentations, content and active participation of its participants. I am very pleased to have been able to participate in this forum, and I truly thank GLI, the Panamanian authorities and all the representatives, from regulators who attended the Roundtable, the good treatment received and the profitable exchange of experiences and knowledge that I was pleased to enjoy.”


Gaming Director, Puerto Rico Tourism Company, Jaime A. Irizarry Delgado said, “Our industry is highly regulated, and it is therefore important to be able to respond effectively and immediately to new technological and regulatory trends. Precisely, the answer to those tendencies and their management are those that GLI allows us to study and focus on during Regulators Roundtables – a unique opportunity for all regulators from the industry to be able to share experiences and ideas so we can carry out our ministerial work effectively. I would like to thank both GLI and my fellow regulators who are our extended family for the solidarity support with Puerto Rico after the weather events we recently suffered.”

 

Superintendent of the Superintendency of Casinos, Chile, Vivien Villagrán Acuña said, “The Latin American and Caribbean Regulators Roundtable was a great opportunity to learn from the state first hand where the gaming industry stands in their region, with its different complexities and peculiarities. The opportunity to exchange experiences with other regulators, without a doubt, allows us to broaden our perspective and reflect on what value we want to add to this activity and how we take on the challenge of regulating it, taking care not only of the technological advances, but also to ensure that their development takes place within an ethical framework.”

 

The Roundtable concluded with a cocktail event at the Radisson Decapolis Hotel, allowing attendees to network and further discuss the conference’s educational track.

 

The 11th edition of the Regulators Roundtable will take place in Lima, Peru, where the General Direction of Casino Games and Slots Machines of the Ministry of Tourism will be the host.

 

About Gaming Laboratories International

Gaming Laboratories International, LLC delivers the highest quality land-based, lottery and iGaming testing and assessment services. GLI’s laboratory locations are found on six continents, and the company holds U.S. and international accreditations for compliance with ISO/IEC 17025, 17020, and 17065 standards for technical competence in the gaming, wagering and lottery industries. GLI also holds ISTQB certification. For more information, visit gaminglabs.com..

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