Greece, Italy and Malta in focus at #EGC2020VE with Dr. Joseph F. Borg (WH Partners), Dr. Yanica Sant (Malta Gaming Authority (MGA)), Panagiotis Skyrlas (Kaizen Gaming), Vasileios Neiadas (Fantasy Sports Interactive), and Domenico Mazzola (Altenar)

Highly recognized experts from Malta, Italy and Greece will join the hot discussion at European Gaming Congress VE (Virtual Edition).

#EGC2020VE – The virtual edition of European Gaming Congress 2020 is taking place between 6-7 October and gathers top names of the gaming industry who will present their insights to create Europe’s largest gaming compliance gathering.

THE EASY REGISTRATION PROCESS IS SPONSORED BY ALTENAR AND YOU CAN REGISTER FOR FREE HERE NOW!

Among the +28 jurisdictions that will be covered during the event, you will also find some of the most anticipated topics such as the gaming industry opening in Greece, the twisted regulation of the Italian market, and the future vision of the Maltese regulation.

In the autumn of 2019, the Parliament of Greece has passed a package of legislation that includes a bill reforming the country’s gambling laws. The gaming bill will see operators permitted to continue offering Random Number Generator games, such as slots, something omitted from an earlier draft.

Ever since then, the operators are forming lines to hear more about the ways in which they can obtain a license, while just recently the Greek government has implemented tough norms on online gaming and advertising.

In Italy, the Italian betting leadership criticized the parliamentary discussions for slapping a new 0.75% tax on betting and virtual sports revenues for garnering funds for ‘distressed Italian sports.’

The Italian Parliament has started discussions on a proposed ‘Revival Decree’, which is intended to help business and society’s recovery from COVID-19’s long-term consequences.

Some of the members of the parliament talked about a possible implementation of a 0.75% tax on all betting-related wagers – online, retail and virtual sports content.

All Italian gambling trade bodies criticized the proposal, alleging that COVID-19 discussions had been hijacked to further punish the industry.

When it comes to Malta, in exercise of the power conferred by article 7(2) of the Gaming Act, 2018 (Cap. 583 of the Laws of Malta), the Malta Gaming Authority has issued the Directive on the Key Function of the Prevention of Money laundering and the Financing of Terrorism (Directive 3 of 2020).

From the coming into force of this directive, B2C Licensees shall ensure that at least one of the Key Function Holders vested with exercising the Key Function of the Prevention of Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism must also be an FIAU-registered MLRO in accordance with the procedures laid down in the directive.

The directive has come into effect as of the 20th of July 2020, however, B2Cs holding a license before the coming into force of this directive have been afforded a two-month transitory period to align with the requirements specified in the directive.

During the “GAMING REPORT: SOUTHERN EUROPE” panel discussion, you have the opportunity to hear more about these subjects and of course access even more information which will be shared by the panelists under the moderation of Dr. Joseph F. Borg (Partner at WH Partners).

The panel will be joined by Dr. Yanica Sant (Head of International Affairs and Policy at Malta Gaming Authority (MGA)), Domenico Mazzola (Commercial Director at Altenar), Panagiotis Skyrlas (Head of Information Security & Compliance – Group DPO at Kaizen Gaming) and Vasileios Neiadas (Chairman at Fantasy Sports Interactive).

You can find more details about the speakers’ and moderator bios below.

AS MENTIONED ABOVE THE EASY REGISTRATION PROCESS IS SPONSORED BY ALTENAR AND YOU CAN REGISTER HERE NOW!

The HIPTHER FESTIVAL includes a full week of conferences that are designed to bring together innovation with compliance via several talks and discussions in multiple industries and will run between 5-9 October.

The festival includes the following conferences:

• PICANTE Marketing Summit (#MS2020ve) – 5 October
• European Gaming Congress (#EGC2020ve) – 6-7 October
• PICANTE TECH Conference Europe (#TCE2020AutumnVE) – 8-9 October

The registration is free and you can attend all three conferences with just one registration!

You can find more details about the Agenda here or you can register here!

For further inquiries about the speaking/sponsoring options, make sure to send an e-mail to Andrada Marginean (B2B Sales Executive at Hipther Agency) or subscribe to the weekly newsletter on the following link.

For media-related inquiries, please contact Alexandru Marginean (Marketing Specialist at Hipther Agency).

Dr. Yanica Sant – Head of International Affairs and Policy at Malta Gaming Authority

Yanica joined the MGA in 2014,  and has occupied the position of Head of International Affairs and Policy since 2019. Her main areas of work include horizon scanning for any international initiatives or industry developments that prompt policy or regulatory intervention. She is responsible for the management of the MGA’s bilateral relations with other gambling regulators, and for all efforts of international cooperation. Yanica is particularly involved within matters relating to responsible gambling and data protection.

Yanica also sits on the board of GREF and is an active participant within the egambling and responsible gambling working groups. She is also a member of IAGR.

Panagiotis Skyrlas – Head of Information Security & Compliance – Group DPO at Betano-Stoiximan (Kaizen Gaming)

Panagiotis Skyrlas holds the position of Head of Information Security and Compliance at Betano-Stoiximan and has over 20 years of experience in the areas of Information Security, Risk Management, Compliance, and Data Privacy. He has completed numerous licensing projects and regulatory consultations in many European countries such as Greece, Romania, Cyprus, Portugal, Austria. He has served as DPO for over 10 years. Since 2018 he also holds the position of Vice President of the Institute of Information Systems Audit and Control Association.

Domenico Mazzola – Commercial Director at Altenar

Domenico Mazzola is Commercial Director of Altenar, a leading sports betting software provider based in Malta. Altenar works collaboratively with licensed operators, combining proven stability with a flexible and personalized service to offer clients the highest quality online sportsbook solutions.

With a strong background in sales strategy and software development combined with rich experience working across international and European markets, Domenico is an expert in developing successful commercial strategies and establishing and maintaining long-term business relationships.

Domenico previously held the position of Head of Sales at iGamingPlatform.com, where he was responsible for developing and executing strategic plans to achieve and maximize sales targets, solidifying the company’s reputation as a leading gaming solutions provider. Prior to this, Domenico worked as Account Manager at World Match Ltd, spearheading the company’s successful long and short-term sales strategies. Domenico’s professional background also includes over eight years of working as a software developer, honing his technical expertise.

A highly recognized industry figure, Domenico’s in-depth experience in both the business and technical side of the gaming industry places him in the unique position of being able to advise clients on all aspects of their gambling operations, taking into account their wider business objectives.

Vasileios Neiadas – Chairman at Fantasy Sports Interactive

Currently Chairman of FSI’s Board, Mr. Neiadas brings his wealth of experience in a variety of business and sports-related fields to FSI and the wider gaming industry.

Following his extensive experience as a CEO in a major Greek Pharmaceutical company, Mr. Neiadas utilized his know-how in Operations Management by actively contributing to the national Sports and Cultural sector. He offered his services as a General Manager in the emblematic return of the Olympic Games in Greece at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games Organizing Committee, in a work cycle that lasted 3,5 years.

His valuable contribution was recognized by OPAP S.A., the leading gaming company in Greece, which sought him out for his expertise; Mr. Neiadas served as OPAP’s CEO between 2005-2007, a position which led him to be elected as an Executive Committee Member of the World Lottery Association (WLA), while he served at the Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC / ΕΕΕΠ) as well.

His vast experience in Business Management and Administration and his expert know-how of the global gaming industry led him to more key roles in the Greek and International iGaming industry, such as the Vice President of Business Development in CENTRIC HOLDINGS S.A, the company that promoted Sportingbet’s rights in Greece.

Mr. Neiadas has also been a member of the Board of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) and of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce (AmChamGR).

Dr. Joseph F. Borg – Partner at WH Partners

Dr. Joseph F. Borg is an Advocate and Partner at WH Partners, heading the Gaming and Gambling Advisory and the Blockchain Advisory sections of the firm.  He also practises in the areas of Esports, Corporate, IT, Telecoms and Intellectual Property Law.  He also lectures on Gaming Law at the University of Malta.  Before joining WH Partners, he occupied the post of Chief Regulatory Officer of the Lotteries and Gaming Authority – Malta.  Joseph was also an elected Member on the Board of Trustees of the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR), a position which he held throughout 2012.

Joseph was conferred with an LL.M. in Information Technology and Telecommunications Law at the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow), with Distinction.  Earlier, he was awarded an LL.D. from the University of Malta, after writing and successfully defending a thesis entitled, ‘Protection of Trademarks Against Domain Names’.  In November 2000, Joseph graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Legal and Humanistic Studies.  Joseph went on an Erasmus Exchange in 2002 at the Facolta di Giurisprudenza of the Universita’ degli Studi di Bologna.  In 2009, he completed a Regulator Development Program organised by the International Gaming Institute at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas (UNLV).  In 2012, he was awarded a certificate in Casino Management by the UNLV.

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