SGC 2021
Safer gambling: a shared responsibility
Enjoy the recordings of our 2021 online conference by clicking on ‘2021 archive’. Scroll down and read more about the highlights.
Safer gambling: a shared responsibility
This year we gathered experts from inside and outside of the industry to share ideas on how operators can offer a thrilling gambling experience that is also safe and responsible.
The theme of the 2021 conference was “Safer gambling: a shared responsibility”. We tackled crucial questions, such as:
- Sustainable gambling – myth or reality?
- What do we need to do as operators?
- How can we work closer within and outside the industry?
- How can we learn from other industries?
Summary
Highlights
There is a broad consensus that the industry’s profitability, even its very existence, is contingent on becoming sustainable. Operators, regulators and affiliates all need to beware of their impact and align with each other to develop coherent practices and policies.
There is a strong willingness to work together and share information to find the best practices, both between different stakeholders and over different markets. With an increased focus on the behavioural components of gambling, concepts such as nudging could be utilised to propel better habits and safer gambling environments.
Improving the industry’s reputation is an integral part of combating misconceptions and promoting a more constructive dialogue.As the industry moves towards a more evidence-based approach, methods and data collection need to become more reliable. Standardising KPIs and definitions, as well as setting common goals are crucial for the development of sustainable practices
As we look forward, we hope to build on this momentum and, furthermore, add more actions and tangible results.
2021 Event Videos
Agenda (CEST)
Lydia Capolicchio, moderator
Henrik Tjärnström, CEO Kindred Group
Maarten Haijer, General Secretary European Gaming and Betting Assocation (EGBA)
Panel discussion: Henrik Tjärnström, CEO Kindred Group; Patrik Hofbauer, CEO Svenska Spel; Pontus Lindwall CEO Betsson, Johan Törnqvist, CEO Play’n GO; Esben Skou Vinther, Senior Director, Group Strategy & Execution Better Collective
Nurit Nobel, Researcher in Economic Psychology and co-founder Impactually
Janne Elvelid, Head of Public Policy, Sweden & Finland Facebook
Panel discussion moderated by Ryan Pitcher and Christopher Gilham, co-hosts of the gambling addiction podcast All Bets Are Off.
Group discussion on “The importance of building trust and managing the issue of gambling responsibility” including Oscar Berglund, CEO Trustly; Erik Sprinchorn, Portfolio Manager Tin Fonder; Thomas Marcussen, Clinical Psychologist Aarhus University Hospital; Britt Boeskov, Chief Experience Officer Kindred Group.
Group discussion on “How to think about responsible gambling advertising?” including Brigid Simmonds, Chairman BGC; Peter-Paul de Goeij, Managing Director NOGA; Thomas Mattsson, Senior Advisor Bonnier News; Hubert Rovers, CEO EFDN
Case video
Camilla Rosenberg, Director-General Swedish Gambling Authority; Christel Fiorina, Head of Markets, Compliance and Player Protection National Gambling Authority, France; Anders Dorph, Director Danish Gambling Authority; Yanica Sant, General Counsel Malta Gaming Authority
Karim Chikh, Head of Legal and Compliance Analytics Kindred Group and Daria Magdoiu, Responsible Gaming Relationship Manager Kindred Group
Deniz Cemiloglu, PhD candidate Bournemouth University, UK and Dr Raian Ail, Professor Hamad Bin Khalifa university, Qatar
Dr. Mark D. Griffiths, Professor Nottingham Trent University, UK
Mark Potter, Head of Delivery US EPIC
Dr. Jonathan Parke, Director Sophro Ltd
Josephine Holloway, Peter Holloway and Terry White, co-creators “Don’t bet YOUR LIFE on it”
Henrik Tjärnström, CEO Kindred Group
Speakers
Long before he was appointed CEO in 2010, Henrik Tjärnström was a part of the Kindred Group (then Unibet Group). Henrik joined the Board of Directors in 2003 and was part of the Board until 2008 where he stepped into the role as Chief Financial Officer for the Group. He holds a MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management from the Institute of Technology, Linköping University, Sweden. Before joining the Kindred Group, Henrik was employed as Senior Financial Manager at Skanska Infrastructure Development AB from 2001 to 2008.
Senior Director, Group Strategy & Execution at Better Collective, a listed sports betting media group that operates a range of different media platforms. His responsibilities in Better Collective includes management of the local sports betting brands, the responsible gambling programme and the development of group strategy. Esben has a background in strategy consulting at H&B and Kearney, where he worked with a wide range of industries including insurance, retail, construction and services. In addition, he has taught strategy at several universities in Denmark.
Maarten Haijer is the Secretary General of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), representing the leading online gambling operators licensed and regulated in the EU. Before joining the EGBA as director for regulatory affairs, Maarten worked as the internal market and consumer protection counsellor at the Netherlands permanent representation to the EU. Prior to that he held several positions in the Dutch ministry of economic affairs, dealing predominantly with EU and WTO trade policy issues.
Anders Dorph is the director of the Danish Gambling Authority. He took up his current position in November 2020 after four years as head of asylum at the Danish Immigration Service. Throughout his career, Anders Dorph has worked several years in the Danish Ministry of Justice and served as executive in the Danish police. Anders Dorph holds a master’s degree in Law from University of Copenhagen and works as an external professor in criminal law at the University of Copenhagen.
Daria Magdoiu joined Kindred in December 2016, as a Customer Support Agent for the Romanian Market, taking up the duty of the Responsible Gaming expert of her team. Following that path, she joined the Responsible Gaming team in 2018 as a Responsible Gaming Analyst, and later filled in her current role of Responsible Gaming Relationship Manager at Kindred Group. The Responsible Gambling team lead by Maris Catania, focuses on preventing and minimizing harmful gambling, while transforming it into a trusted source of entertainment and contributing positively to society.
With over 40 years of experience within the gambling sector. Ranging from being a betting shop manager, professional punter and poker player. Became addicted to fixed odds betting terminals but is now fully committed to helping anybody with gambling problems and raising awareness of 'safer gambling' across the industry.
Dr. Raian Ali joined Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar as a Professor in Information and Computing Technology in Dec 2019. He has previously worked at Bournemouth University, the UK (2012 -2019). His research has an inter-disciplinary nature, with a focus on the inter-relation between technology and human requirements and behavior. His work on Digital Addiction and Digital Wellbeing has been widely featured by mainstream media, including the BBC, Telegraph, Huffington Post, and La Stampa. He gives speeches and provides consultancy on the topic both nationally and internationally. Dr. Ali has received the Marie Curie CIG grant and other grants from prestigious sponsors in the UK and Europe for work in areas he has pioneered, e.g., software social adaptation and designing to combat digital addiction. He sits on the editorial board and organizing and program committees of leading international conferences and journals in the field of information systems, software engineering, and behavioral and social informatics. He has published over 120 articles.
CEO at Svenska Spel, a state-owned company operating in the regulated gambling market in Sweden. Board member of the Nordic retail brand Clas Ohlson, as well as of NHST Media Group, Norway. Beyond a strong commitment to the gambling industry, Patrik has an extensive experience from the telecom and media industry. He has hold the position as CEO for Telenor Sverige AB, Telenor Broadcast Holding, Canal Digital and Clear Channel.
We are very happy to once again welcome Lydia Capolicchio back as our moderator. A well-known and experienced journalist. She has reported from war zones, produced investigative documentaries and hosted many conferences during the years. She will definitely ask relevant questions that inspire us on the future.
Camilla Rosenberg came to the Swedish Gambling Authority in September 2015 as head of the operations department with responsibility for the Authority's permit and supervisory activities, and has been acting Director-General since May 2017. She was appointed Director-General of the Swedish Gambling Authority in October 2017. Ms Rosenberg previously worked at the Swedish Energy Agency, where she held various managerial positions, including most recently that of chief legal officer. She has also previously worked at the Swedish Gambling Authority and as a tax adviser.
Yanica Sant is the General Counsel at the MGA. She joined the MGA in 2014 and has occupied the roles of Legal Advisor, Senior Legal Counsel and Head of Policy and International Affairs. As General Counsel she heads the Legal, Enforcement, International Affairs and Policy teams. She is a member of the Supervisory Council, Commercial Communications Committee, Fit and Proper Committee, and the Compliance and Enforcement Committee within the MGA. Yanica holds a Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Malta, and a Master of Laws degree in Technology, Media and Telecommunications law from Queen Mary, University of London. She is a board member of GREF (Gaming Regulators European Forum), and a member of IAGR (International Association of Gambling Regulators), and IMGL (International Masters Gaming Law).
Erik has worked at TIN Fonder since its inception in February 2019. In recent years, Erik worked at Swedbank Robur with a focus on managing small cap funds, including the Swedbank Robur Ny Teknik fund. Erik has previously worked within equities and portfolio management since 1995 at Swedbank Robur, SEB Enskilda, Alecta and Brummer & Partners.
Mark was a professional Rugby Union player from 1999 to 2011, playing in the UK and Ireland until a twelve-year gambling disorder eventually ruined his sports career. Mark's lived experience and powerful story of overcoming addiction demand an audience's attention and equip Mark with the knowledge and gravitas to truly help prevent others from following the same path.
In her new role, Christel will oversee the economic regulation of the French gambling market, by controlling the commercial and promotional strategies of operators. In addition, Christel will also be tasked with taking charge of preventing excessive gambling and focusing on player safety. Christel Fiorina is a seasoned executive of France’s civil service graduated of Mines ParisTech and ENA. Project Director at the General Directorate of Enterprises from 2016 to 2020, she designed and deployed, for the Ministry of Economy and Finance, national strategies to promote the video game, esport and artificial intelligence sectors. Deputy Vice-Director at the Ministry of Transport since January 2021, she was in charge of digital transformation policies for the national road network.
Oscar Berglund has supported Trustly since 2009, first as a board member and since January 2013 in full-time executive positions. He was appointed CEO in 2016. He started his career at Goldman Sachs where he spent close to five years in the Investment Banking Division based in London and Moscow. From 2007 to 2012, he was a Portfolio Manager at Alpcot Capital Management where he was part of the team that developed and launched Europe’s first actively managed equity ETF.
Johan Törnqvist co-founded Play’n GO in 2005 and as CEO has seen the company remain at the forefront of the gaming industry thanks to the simple ambition to be the best gaming entertainment supplier there is. Play’n GO believes that our positive and supportive working atmosphere enhances and inspires our direct relationships with clients and translates into high-quality content for the players that we entertain. Play’n GO leads the industry with innovative products and content through our carefully crafted portfolio of over 250 well-loved games, enjoyed by millions across the world. With compatibility in over 20 jurisdictions globally, we supply games to the largest operators in the industry. Play’n GO are entertainers, first and foremost, and that will always shape what we do, where we go and what kinds of games we make.
Janne Elvelid is currently leading Facebooks public affairs work in Sweden and Finland. He’s held several roles in with the company and been part of their journey through some of the biggest challenges during the last years. Prior to this he’s worked with tech policy for the Swedish Government and the European Commission.
Thomas Marcussen is an experienced clinical psychologist. He has been working at the Research Clinic on Gambling Disorders at Aarhus University Hospital since 2013, and has been the head of clinic since 2017. Today his primary focus is development of treatment, quality assurance and development of responsible gambling approaches.
Britt Boeskov joined the Kindred Group (Unibet Group) as a Management Trainee in 2005, and joined the Group’s executive management team in 2008, first as Head of Marcom Services, then in 2009 as Chief Operations Officer, and most recently as Chief Programme Officer in 2016. From 1 January 2019, she is Chief Experience Officer. She has experience in leading complex strategic and transformational C-level projects, and from managing Kindred's online and mobile gambling products. Britt holds a Master’s degree in Management from Copenhagen Business School.
Chris gambled for the first time when he was 30 having seen relentless gambling advertising which portrayed it as fun, sociable and safe. None of these turned out to be true and by the age of 35 Chris had planned to take his own life. Chris has also dealt with alcohol dependency since being an adolescent and his successful recovery began when he started to attend both Gamblers Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous on the same week. Four and five days after the planned suicide. Chris co-created the All Bets Are Off in April 2020. Four seasons down the line and still going strong season 5 is on the way. Chris also co-founded TalkGEN which is a non-profit organisation that is built ndependently and by individuals with lived experience. Its purpose is to utilise lived experience of gambling-harm to help guide gambling-harm prevention strategies. He is a volunteer as a Peer Aid Supporter for those entering recovery and enjoy writing blogs about mental health.
Responsible for Technical Strategy and Product Design - Co-designer and creator of Don’t bet YOUR LIFE on it... My background is Business Analysis and Systems Building for large Corporations. On a personal note, I have been seriously harmed by gambling as an affected other. I have not had problems with gambling myself.
Nurit Nobel is a researcher in Economic Psychology at Stockholm School of Economics and holds a Masters in Social Psychology from London School of Economics. She is the CEO and co-founder of Impactually, a behavioral science consultancy that leverages insights from psychology and behavioral economics to create business and societal impact. In her research and consulting work, Nurit investigates why people make certain decisions, and how we can help them make choices that are more in line with their long-term wellbeing. Prior to co-founding Impactually, Nurit held different management positions within large international organizations including as a brand manager at Procter & Gamble.
Thomas Mattsson is one of Sweden´s most respected and well-known journalists. He was Editor-in-Chief and Responsible Editor of the national daily Expressen for more than a decade, and since 2019 he works as Senior Advisor at Bonnier News, the largest media group in the Nordics. Thomas is also a member of the board and the former acting CEO of Tidningsutgivarna (the newspaper trade association) and since 2020 chairman of Utgivarna (the publishers organization which includes tv, radio, magazines and papers). Mattsson has for many years represented both Bonnier News and Tidningsutgivarna whenever gambling is debated in Sweden.
Peter-Paul de Goeij is the Managing Director of the Netherlands Online Gambling Association (NOGA), the Dutch trade association for online gambling operators. De Goeij is also a member of the Advisory Board of the All-in Diversity Project, as well as the founder of Quod Bonum Consulting, an independent Dutch IT & telecom, gambling and lottery consulting firm. Peter-Paul has 20+ years international experience in the fields of gambling, telecommunications, general management, licence application, legal and regulatory and public affairs.
Dr. Mark Griffiths is a Chartered Psychologist and Distinguished Professor of Behavioural Addiction at the Nottingham Trent University, and Director of the International Gaming Research Unit. He has spent 33 in the field and is internationally known for his work into gambling, gaming, and behavioral addictions. He has published over 1100 refereed research papers, six books, 160+ book chapters and over 1500 other articles. He has won 23 national and international awards for his work including the John Rosecrance Prize (1994), CELEJ Prize (1998), Joseph Lister Prize (2004) and the US National Council on Problem Gambling Lifetime Research Award (2013). He also does a lot of freelance journalism and has appeared on over 3500 radio and television programs, and written over 350 articles for national and international newspapers and magazines.
Ryan entered recovery following a 15-year addiction to gambling in March 2020. At his lowest point Ryan had several guarantor loans, multiple payday loans, credit card debt and stole six-figures to help fund his addiction. Unable to come to terms with his compulsion to gamble, Ryan walked to a local flyover and contemplated taking his own life. At the start of the original coronavirus pandemic lockdown Ryan entered recovery and a short while later co-created the All Bets Are Off podcast, a gambling addiction recovery podcast that has amassed tens-of-thousands of downloads and featured guests including former professional footballers, politicians and journalists. Moreover, to date the podcast has had over 70 voices of gambling-related harm lived experience from across the globe. Ryan now works in the sector writing funding applications and helps to create and deliver prevention workshops. In his spare time, he supports others with their recovery.
Karim Chikh is the Head of Legal and Compliance analytics at Kindred Group. Holder of an MSc in mathematics and computing, he started his career working within the pharmaceutical industry and joined Kindred Group in 2013. His team has been focusing since 2017 on detecting fraud and addiction through the analysis of online players’ behavior.
CEO of Betsson AB - one of the world's leading iGaming companies, listed on Nasdaq Stockholm Large Cap. It’s nearly impossible to talk about the Swedish iGaming wonder without mentioning Pontus Lindwall. As current CEO and former Chairman of the Board of Betsson AB, as well as founder and former CEO of NetEnt and former CEO of Cherry, Lindwall has helped lay the grounds to the modern Swedish iGaming market and made many of its gaming companies to market leaders in Europe. In addition to being one of the driving forces of the re-regulation of the Swedish gambling market, Lindwall is a passionate cyclist and a devoted DJ.
Deniz Cemiloglu is a PhD candidate at the Department of Computing and Informatics, Bournemouth University, UK. After completing her Psychology degree at Bogazici University in Turkey, she recieved an MSc on Social and Public Communication from London School of Economics. Her current research areas are digital addiction, digital wellness, and responsibility by design. Her work focuses on how to elicit, document, adapt, prioritize, and validate ethical requirements to embed responsibility in addictive technology design.
Brigid Simmonds has been the Chair of the Betting and Gaming Council since it was established in 2019. She was previously Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association for ten years and before that Chief Executive of the umbrella organisation Business in Sport and Leisure (BISL).
She is a Vice-President of the Sport and Recreation Alliance and is also a board member of the Tourism Alliance. She was for five years a member of the Government’s Future High Streets Forum, a Board member at Sport England and a Director of Leicester City Football Club. In June 2006 she was awarded an OBE for Services to Sport.
Hubert is one of the founders of EFDN and is an international CSR and football for development consultant. In his position at EFDN and as a consultant, he supports clubs and other football organisations with the setup and development of their CSR policy, M&E protocols, community projects and fundraising activities. Hubert has been active in the football for development sector since 2007 and has gained his experience as CEO of the Community Foundation of NAC Breda and as project manager of the Dutch “More than Football” Foundation. Since 2014, he has grown EFDN to over 130 professional clubs, leagues and FA’s from 30 European countries. Additionally, Hubert is the Chair of Show Racism the Red Card the Netherlands, a Dutch organisation focussed on educating children and adults on anti-racism.
An organisation working with the knowledge and insight of a wide-range of lived-experience mashed together with digital technologies to reduce the harm caused by gambling. We are the designers and creators of Don't bet YOUR LIFE on it... On a personal level I have been seriously affected by gambling related harm despite not having had a problem with gambling myself.
Dr. Jonathan Parke is the director of Sophro Ltd, an independent research consultancy exploring gambling behaviour and gambling harms. Jonathan publishes widely on these topics and is currently leading on some of the most innovative safer gambling projects in the field. Over the last two decades, he has examined a variety of issues in gambling studies including game design, gambling motivation, harm mitigation and the use of behavioural science in reducing risk. His previous roles include: Director of Commissioning for the Responsible Gambling Trust (RGT) and research positions at the International Gambling Research Unit, Nottingham Trent University, and the Centre for the Study of Gambling, University of Salford in the UK.
Long before he was appointed CEO in 2010, Henrik Tjärnström was a part of the Kindred Group (then Unibet Group). Henrik joined the Board of Directors in 2003 and was part of the Board until 2008 where he stepped into the role as Chief Financial Officer for the Group. He holds a MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management from the Institute of Technology, Linköping University, Sweden. Before joining the Kindred Group, Henrik was employed as Senior Financial Manager at Skanska Infrastructure Development AB from 2001 to 2008.
CEO at Svenska Spel, a state-owned company operating in the regulated gambling market in Sweden. Board member of the Nordic retail brand Clas Ohlson, as well as of NHST Media Group, Norway. Beyond a strong commitment to the gambling industry, Patrik has an extensive experience from the telecom and media industry. He has hold the position as CEO for Telenor Sverige AB, Telenor Broadcast Holding, Canal Digital and Clear Channel.
Oscar Berglund has supported Trustly since 2009, first as a board member and since January 2013 in full-time executive positions. He was appointed CEO in 2016. He started his career at Goldman Sachs where he spent close to five years in the Investment Banking Division based in London and Moscow. From 2007 to 2012, he was a Portfolio Manager at Alpcot Capital Management where he was part of the team that developed and launched Europe’s first actively managed equity ETF.
Nurit Nobel is a researcher in Economic Psychology at Stockholm School of Economics and holds a Masters in Social Psychology from London School of Economics. She is the CEO and co-founder of Impactually, a behavioral science consultancy that leverages insights from psychology and behavioral economics to create business and societal impact. In her research and consulting work, Nurit investigates why people make certain decisions, and how we can help them make choices that are more in line with their long-term wellbeing. Prior to co-founding Impactually, Nurit held different management positions within large international organizations including as a brand manager at Procter & Gamble.
CEO of Betsson AB - one of the world's leading iGaming companies, listed on Nasdaq Stockholm Large Cap. It’s nearly impossible to talk about the Swedish iGaming wonder without mentioning Pontus Lindwall. As current CEO and former Chairman of the Board of Betsson AB, as well as founder and former CEO of NetEnt and former CEO of Cherry, Lindwall has helped lay the grounds to the modern Swedish iGaming market and made many of its gaming companies to market leaders in Europe. In addition to being one of the driving forces of the re-regulation of the Swedish gambling market, Lindwall is a passionate cyclist and a devoted DJ.
Senior Director, Group Strategy & Execution at Better Collective, a listed sports betting media group that operates a range of different media platforms. His responsibilities in Better Collective includes management of the local sports betting brands, the responsible gambling programme and the development of group strategy. Esben has a background in strategy consulting at H&B and Kearney, where he worked with a wide range of industries including insurance, retail, construction and services. In addition, he has taught strategy at several universities in Denmark.
We are very happy to once again welcome Lydia Capolicchio back as our moderator. A well-known and experienced journalist. She has reported from war zones, produced investigative documentaries and hosted many conferences during the years. She will definitely ask relevant questions that inspire us on the future.
Johan Törnqvist co-founded Play’n GO in 2005 and as CEO has seen the company remain at the forefront of the gaming industry thanks to the simple ambition to be the best gaming entertainment supplier there is. Play’n GO believes that our positive and supportive working atmosphere enhances and inspires our direct relationships with clients and translates into high-quality content for the players that we entertain. Play’n GO leads the industry with innovative products and content through our carefully crafted portfolio of over 250 well-loved games, enjoyed by millions across the world. With compatibility in over 20 jurisdictions globally, we supply games to the largest operators in the industry. Play’n GO are entertainers, first and foremost, and that will always shape what we do, where we go and what kinds of games we make.
Thomas Mattsson is one of Sweden´s most respected and well-known journalists. He was Editor-in-Chief and Responsible Editor of the national daily Expressen for more than a decade, and since 2019 he works as Senior Advisor at Bonnier News, the largest media group in the Nordics. Thomas is also a member of the board and the former acting CEO of Tidningsutgivarna (the newspaper trade association) and since 2020 chairman of Utgivarna (the publishers organization which includes tv, radio, magazines and papers). Mattsson has for many years represented both Bonnier News and Tidningsutgivarna whenever gambling is debated in Sweden.
Deniz Cemiloglu is a PhD candidate at the Department of Computing and Informatics, Bournemouth University, UK. After completing her Psychology degree at Bogazici University in Turkey, she recieved an MSc on Social and Public Communication from London School of Economics. Her current research areas are digital addiction, digital wellness, and responsibility by design. Her work focuses on how to elicit, document, adapt, prioritize, and validate ethical requirements to embed responsibility in addictive technology design.
Maarten Haijer is the Secretary General of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), representing the leading online gambling operators licensed and regulated in the EU. Before joining the EGBA as director for regulatory affairs, Maarten worked as the internal market and consumer protection counsellor at the Netherlands permanent representation to the EU. Prior to that he held several positions in the Dutch ministry of economic affairs, dealing predominantly with EU and WTO trade policy issues.
Camilla Rosenberg came to the Swedish Gambling Authority in September 2015 as head of the operations department with responsibility for the Authority's permit and supervisory activities, and has been acting Director-General since May 2017. She was appointed Director-General of the Swedish Gambling Authority in October 2017. Ms Rosenberg previously worked at the Swedish Energy Agency, where she held various managerial positions, including most recently that of chief legal officer. She has also previously worked at the Swedish Gambling Authority and as a tax adviser.
Janne Elvelid is currently leading Facebooks public affairs work in Sweden and Finland. He’s held several roles in with the company and been part of their journey through some of the biggest challenges during the last years. Prior to this he’s worked with tech policy for the Swedish Government and the European Commission.
Peter-Paul de Goeij is the Managing Director of the Netherlands Online Gambling Association (NOGA), the Dutch trade association for online gambling operators. De Goeij is also a member of the Advisory Board of the All-in Diversity Project, as well as the founder of Quod Bonum Consulting, an independent Dutch IT & telecom, gambling and lottery consulting firm. Peter-Paul has 20+ years international experience in the fields of gambling, telecommunications, general management, licence application, legal and regulatory and public affairs.
Brigid Simmonds has been the Chair of the Betting and Gaming Council since it was established in 2019. She was previously Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association for ten years and before that Chief Executive of the umbrella organisation Business in Sport and Leisure (BISL).
She is a Vice-President of the Sport and Recreation Alliance and is also a board member of the Tourism Alliance. She was for five years a member of the Government’s Future High Streets Forum, a Board member at Sport England and a Director of Leicester City Football Club. In June 2006 she was awarded an OBE for Services to Sport.
Anders Dorph is the director of the Danish Gambling Authority. He took up his current position in November 2020 after four years as head of asylum at the Danish Immigration Service. Throughout his career, Anders Dorph has worked several years in the Danish Ministry of Justice and served as executive in the Danish police. Anders Dorph holds a master’s degree in Law from University of Copenhagen and works as an external professor in criminal law at the University of Copenhagen.
Yanica Sant is the General Counsel at the MGA. She joined the MGA in 2014 and has occupied the roles of Legal Advisor, Senior Legal Counsel and Head of Policy and International Affairs. As General Counsel she heads the Legal, Enforcement, International Affairs and Policy teams. She is a member of the Supervisory Council, Commercial Communications Committee, Fit and Proper Committee, and the Compliance and Enforcement Committee within the MGA. Yanica holds a Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Malta, and a Master of Laws degree in Technology, Media and Telecommunications law from Queen Mary, University of London. She is a board member of GREF (Gaming Regulators European Forum), and a member of IAGR (International Association of Gambling Regulators), and IMGL (International Masters Gaming Law).
Thomas Marcussen is an experienced clinical psychologist. He has been working at the Research Clinic on Gambling Disorders at Aarhus University Hospital since 2013, and has been the head of clinic since 2017. Today his primary focus is development of treatment, quality assurance and development of responsible gambling approaches.
Dr. Mark Griffiths is a Chartered Psychologist and Distinguished Professor of Behavioural Addiction at the Nottingham Trent University, and Director of the International Gaming Research Unit. He has spent 33 in the field and is internationally known for his work into gambling, gaming, and behavioral addictions. He has published over 1100 refereed research papers, six books, 160+ book chapters and over 1500 other articles. He has won 23 national and international awards for his work including the John Rosecrance Prize (1994), CELEJ Prize (1998), Joseph Lister Prize (2004) and the US National Council on Problem Gambling Lifetime Research Award (2013). He also does a lot of freelance journalism and has appeared on over 3500 radio and television programs, and written over 350 articles for national and international newspapers and magazines.
Hubert is one of the founders of EFDN and is an international CSR and football for development consultant. In his position at EFDN and as a consultant, he supports clubs and other football organisations with the setup and development of their CSR policy, M&E protocols, community projects and fundraising activities. Hubert has been active in the football for development sector since 2007 and has gained his experience as CEO of the Community Foundation of NAC Breda and as project manager of the Dutch “More than Football” Foundation. Since 2014, he has grown EFDN to over 130 professional clubs, leagues and FA’s from 30 European countries. Additionally, Hubert is the Chair of Show Racism the Red Card the Netherlands, a Dutch organisation focussed on educating children and adults on anti-racism.
Daria Magdoiu joined Kindred in December 2016, as a Customer Support Agent for the Romanian Market, taking up the duty of the Responsible Gaming expert of her team. Following that path, she joined the Responsible Gaming team in 2018 as a Responsible Gaming Analyst, and later filled in her current role of Responsible Gaming Relationship Manager at Kindred Group. The Responsible Gambling team lead by Maris Catania, focuses on preventing and minimizing harmful gambling, while transforming it into a trusted source of entertainment and contributing positively to society.
Erik has worked at TIN Fonder since its inception in February 2019. In recent years, Erik worked at Swedbank Robur with a focus on managing small cap funds, including the Swedbank Robur Ny Teknik fund. Erik has previously worked within equities and portfolio management since 1995 at Swedbank Robur, SEB Enskilda, Alecta and Brummer & Partners.
Britt Boeskov joined the Kindred Group (Unibet Group) as a Management Trainee in 2005, and joined the Group’s executive management team in 2008, first as Head of Marcom Services, then in 2009 as Chief Operations Officer, and most recently as Chief Programme Officer in 2016. From 1 January 2019, she is Chief Experience Officer. She has experience in leading complex strategic and transformational C-level projects, and from managing Kindred's online and mobile gambling products. Britt holds a Master’s degree in Management from Copenhagen Business School.
Ryan entered recovery following a 15-year addiction to gambling in March 2020. At his lowest point Ryan had several guarantor loans, multiple payday loans, credit card debt and stole six-figures to help fund his addiction. Unable to come to terms with his compulsion to gamble, Ryan walked to a local flyover and contemplated taking his own life. At the start of the original coronavirus pandemic lockdown Ryan entered recovery and a short while later co-created the All Bets Are Off podcast, a gambling addiction recovery podcast that has amassed tens-of-thousands of downloads and featured guests including former professional footballers, politicians and journalists. Moreover, to date the podcast has had over 70 voices of gambling-related harm lived experience from across the globe. Ryan now works in the sector writing funding applications and helps to create and deliver prevention workshops. In his spare time, he supports others with their recovery.
An organisation working with the knowledge and insight of a wide-range of lived-experience mashed together with digital technologies to reduce the harm caused by gambling. We are the designers and creators of Don't bet YOUR LIFE on it... On a personal level I have been seriously affected by gambling related harm despite not having had a problem with gambling myself.
With over 40 years of experience within the gambling sector. Ranging from being a betting shop manager, professional punter and poker player. Became addicted to fixed odds betting terminals but is now fully committed to helping anybody with gambling problems and raising awareness of 'safer gambling' across the industry.
Mark was a professional Rugby Union player from 1999 to 2011, playing in the UK and Ireland until a twelve-year gambling disorder eventually ruined his sports career. Mark's lived experience and powerful story of overcoming addiction demand an audience's attention and equip Mark with the knowledge and gravitas to truly help prevent others from following the same path.
Chris gambled for the first time when he was 30 having seen relentless gambling advertising which portrayed it as fun, sociable and safe. None of these turned out to be true and by the age of 35 Chris had planned to take his own life. Chris has also dealt with alcohol dependency since being an adolescent and his successful recovery began when he started to attend both Gamblers Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous on the same week. Four and five days after the planned suicide. Chris co-created the All Bets Are Off in April 2020. Four seasons down the line and still going strong season 5 is on the way. Chris also co-founded TalkGEN which is a non-profit organisation that is built ndependently and by individuals with lived experience. Its purpose is to utilise lived experience of gambling-harm to help guide gambling-harm prevention strategies. He is a volunteer as a Peer Aid Supporter for those entering recovery and enjoy writing blogs about mental health.
Karim Chikh is the Head of Legal and Compliance analytics at Kindred Group. Holder of an MSc in mathematics and computing, he started his career working within the pharmaceutical industry and joined Kindred Group in 2013. His team has been focusing since 2017 on detecting fraud and addiction through the analysis of online players’ behavior.
Dr. Jonathan Parke is the director of Sophro Ltd, an independent research consultancy exploring gambling behaviour and gambling harms. Jonathan publishes widely on these topics and is currently leading on some of the most innovative safer gambling projects in the field. Over the last two decades, he has examined a variety of issues in gambling studies including game design, gambling motivation, harm mitigation and the use of behavioural science in reducing risk. His previous roles include: Director of Commissioning for the Responsible Gambling Trust (RGT) and research positions at the International Gambling Research Unit, Nottingham Trent University, and the Centre for the Study of Gambling, University of Salford in the UK.
Dr. Raian Ali joined Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar as a Professor in Information and Computing Technology in Dec 2019. He has previously worked at Bournemouth University, the UK (2012 -2019). His research has an inter-disciplinary nature, with a focus on the inter-relation between technology and human requirements and behavior. His work on Digital Addiction and Digital Wellbeing has been widely featured by mainstream media, including the BBC, Telegraph, Huffington Post, and La Stampa. He gives speeches and provides consultancy on the topic both nationally and internationally. Dr. Ali has received the Marie Curie CIG grant and other grants from prestigious sponsors in the UK and Europe for work in areas he has pioneered, e.g., software social adaptation and designing to combat digital addiction. He sits on the editorial board and organizing and program committees of leading international conferences and journals in the field of information systems, software engineering, and behavioral and social informatics. He has published over 120 articles.
In her new role, Christel will oversee the economic regulation of the French gambling market, by controlling the commercial and promotional strategies of operators. In addition, Christel will also be tasked with taking charge of preventing excessive gambling and focusing on player safety. Christel Fiorina is a seasoned executive of France’s civil service graduated of Mines ParisTech and ENA. Project Director at the General Directorate of Enterprises from 2016 to 2020, she designed and deployed, for the Ministry of Economy and Finance, national strategies to promote the video game, esport and artificial intelligence sectors. Deputy Vice-Director at the Ministry of Transport since January 2021, she was in charge of digital transformation policies for the national road network.
Responsible for Technical Strategy and Product Design - Co-designer and creator of Don’t bet YOUR LIFE on it... My background is Business Analysis and Systems Building for large Corporations. On a personal note, I have been seriously harmed by gambling as an affected other. I have not had problems with gambling myself.
About the Sustainable Gambling Conference
The Sustainable Gambling Conference (SGC) is a leading annual event that brings together stakeholders from across the gambling ecosystem - including operators, regulators, researchers, treatment providers, and individuals with lived gambling addiction experience - to foster collaboration and drive innovation in safer gambling practices. Established by FDJ UNITED, the SGC serves as a platform for open dialogue, knowledge sharing, and the development of sustainable strategies aimed at minimising gambling-related harm and promoting a safe experience.
Each year, the conference explores a central theme that reflects the evolving challenges and opportunities within the industry. Previous themes have included "Building Relevance" (2019), focusing on increasing the industry's societal relevance; "Collaborate to Innovate" (2020), emphasising technological advancements for sustainability; and "Safer Gambling: A Look into the Future" (2024), which addressed topics like artificial intelligence, regulatory adaptation, and ethical considerations in the digital age.
The SGC has been hosted in various cities across Europe, underscoring its international reach and commitment to diverse perspectives. Notable locations include Copenhagen (2019), Amsterdam (2022), and London (2024). In 2025, the conference will convene in Brussels under the theme "Collaboration for Impact: Safer Gambling in a Changing World," aiming to unite global experts to address emerging trends and reinforce collective efforts toward a more responsible gambling environment.
Through its inclusive and forward-thinking approach, the Sustainable Gambling Conference continues to be a catalyst for meaningful change, driving the industry toward greater transparency, accountability, and social responsibility.