2025 Speakers
More speakers being added - check back again soon!
Jody Bechtold
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Jody Bechtold, LCSW, ICGC-II, BACC, PC, is a leading gambling addiction expert and CEO of The Better Institute in Pittsburgh. She co-authored The Gambling Disorder Treatment Handbook and contributed to the Social Work Desk Reference v4. A 2019 TEDx speaker, she serves on the IGCCB board and advises GamFin, Birches Health, and Seagulls Flock Organization. She is a member of NCPG and NSA Pittsburgh. With 100+ trainings and global presentations, she has taught in Italy, England, Mauritius, and at the 2019 International Addictions Conference in the Philippines.
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Andrew Lyman
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Andrew Lyman is currently the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner and the Executive Director of the Gambling Division. Andrew is a qualified UK lawyer (Professional Certificate of Competence in Gibraltar Law) and is a risk and compliance professional.
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Sarafina Wolde Gabriel
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Sarafina, CEO of marketing compliance technology firm Rightlander, brings over 20 years of digital marketing experience and a decade of leadership expertise in performance and affiliate marketing. Formerly with Paysafe’s Income Access, she led award-winning affiliate programs and served as CMO, driving global growth and innovation. After 18 years, she joined GeoComply in 2022, focusing on international expansion and business development. Sarafina is known for strategic leadership and fostering impactful industry partnerships.
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Monica Shafaq
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Monica, CEO of Gordon Moody since January 2024, has been active in the charity sector since 2010. Previously leading the Kaleidoscope Plus Group, she achieved accolades like the Sunday Times Top 100 Companies award and Gold Investors in People accreditation. Passionate about football, Monica holds non-executive roles with Birmingham County FA, Manchester United Foundation, and the FA’s Asian Inclusion Group. She founded South Asian Football Collective in 2023 and actively champions equality, diversity, and social justice across sports and health sectors.
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John Tabone
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John Tabone is a Senior Executive in Player Protection at the Malta Gaming
Authority, with nine years’ experience in the gaming industry. He is responsible for the Player Support and Responsible Gaming units and leads the implementation of the Authority’s player protection strategy. John holds a Masters degree in Transcultural Counselling and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Malta, and he is currently pursuing a Masters in Gestalt Psychotherapy. John presently operates a private practice as a counsellor and collaborates with various organisations, offering therapeutic support to adults and couples across a diverse spectrum of mental health concerns. |
Shimon Akad
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Shimon Akad is the COO for Playtech, the world’s leading Omni-Channel gaming software and services supplier and one of the pioneers of the global online, land-based and mobile gaming industry. Founded in 1999 and listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange Playtech is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. Playtech has more than 4,500 employees in 14 countries. Shimon is the senior executive in charge of the day to day operations in Playtech’s various sites, with P&L responsibility for all business operations. He is also responsible for the company’s B2B and B2C lines of business, managing the commercial, operational and product roadmap of a global internet gaming business. His remit includes establishing and executing the company’s business and technological roadmap and strategy
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Portia Gaone Diteko
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Portia Gaone Diteko is an award-winning speaker, mental health practitioner, and researcher. She is the Responsible Gambling Manager at the Gambling Authority of Botswana and the founder of SOAR Institute, an inpatient alcohol and drug rehabilitation center.
Portia holds postgraduate degrees in Psychology and Addiction Science and is accredited by the International Centre for Credentialing and Education of Addiction Professionals (ICCE). With 15 years of international and national experience, she specializes in prevention and rehabilitation of problem behaviors. |
Jurmy Menckeberg
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Jurmy Menckeberg is a dedicated Responsible Gaming Manager at The Mill Adventure, specialising in sustainable gambling operations. He leads the Responsible Gaming and Social Responsibility program, driving innovation, compliance, and sustainability in gaming. Jurmy’s expertise extends beyond gaming, having earned recognition for his impactful community work as an Area Manager and Advisor for two leading real estate NGOs and the Municipality of Amsterdam. His commitment to social responsibility and sustainable practices underscores his professional and personal endeavours, making him a respected leader in both gaming and community-focused initiatives.
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Katie Reynolds-Jones
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Katie Reynolds-Jones has worked for Gamstop Group for the past 7 years, most
recently as Chief Marketing Officer. Her focus has always been on ensuring that those who may need the services provided by the Gamstop Group, know about them. She is committed to working with providers of research, support, education, treatment, and tools across the sector to raise awareness of the self-exclusion schemes as well as producing clear, targeted advertising strategies to reach potential audiences directly. She has over 30 years’ experience in marketing, evaluation, and public speaking across both the commercial and the third sector. |
Dan Spencer
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Dan heads up EPIC Global Solutions consultation services, offering invaluable insight and training to the gambling industry's key players from those who have lived through gambling related harm.
Dan Brings his own lived experience of gambling-related harm and a robust background in developmental training and compliance; Dan is dedicated to fostering a safer gambling environment globally. His expertise has reached 28 countries, where he and his team have been lauded for their outstanding contributions to safer gambling, earning multiple prestigious awards for their commitment to player protection with the worlds leading gambling operators. |
Scott Burrows
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Scott Burrows is an experienced compliance professional with extensive expertise in driving technical compliance and operational excellence. Serving as Head of Technical Compliance at Happening (Superbet Group), he leads efforts to ensure strict adherence to regulatory standards while cultivating a robust culture of compliance. With nearly a decade of experience, he has successfully managed certifications, developed and implemented compliance strategies, while coordinating key initiatives across diverse jurisdictions.
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Pedro Romero
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Pedro is a psychologist, counsellor and experienced Safer Gambling expert who offers consultancy and training for top operators. He serves as the Chief of SG Partnerships at Betblocker, a leading harm minimisation charity that offers free and anonymous gambling-blocking software. With extensive experience in senior roles at leading iGaming companies such as 888, William Hill, GiG, Gamesys, and Marathonbet, Pedro is well-versed in the industry. In addition to his industry work, he has also been the Head of Gambling Therapy at the Gordon Moody Association. Pedro is currently conducting research for his PhD, focusing on finding innovative treatments for individuals affected by the negative consequences of excessive gambling.
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Bianca Colclough
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Bianca Colclough is a Project Lead at Deal Me Out, bringing invaluable expertise shaped by her personal journey to recovery from gambling harm. A passionate advocate for awareness through education, she is a powerful voice for women directly and indirectly affected by gambling- related issues.
As a dedicated campaigner, Bianca is committed to driving meaningful change and promoting a more sustainable and responsible gambling sector. |
Jordan Lea
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Jordan Lea is the Founder and Chief Executive of Deal Me Out, an
organization dedicated to preventing gambling addiction. His unwavering commitment to this cause has earned him prestigious recognition, including the St David’s Award. Through Deal Me Out, Jordan leads efforts to raise awareness and drive change, advocating for a safer and more responsible gambling environment. Jordan spearheads educational programs and recently organized a major summit, where he addressed the growing challenges facing the UK and emphasized the need for sustained action in tackling gambling addiction. |
Nicholas Macias
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Nicholas Macias is the Secretary General of the Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association (GBGA), representing Gibraltar-licensed operators and suppliers on regulatory, legislative, and policy matters. He chairs GBGA working groups on AML, safer gambling, regulatory affairs, and more, helping to shape data-led approaches to governance and compliance. Nicholas played a key role in establishing the Association’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) working group and remains actively involved in its work. With over 20 years’ experience across regulatory and industry roles, he has led the integration of ESG priorities (particularly around social responsibility and governance) into industry policy and practice.
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Christina Giuffre
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Christina Giuffré is a strategic and people-focused leader with 20+ years of experience across product, marketing, communications, and leadership. She is Director of Online Bingo at Playtech, responsible for the business unit's growth, performance, and strategy. A certified coach and DEI&B advocate, Christina is passionate about building empowered teams and inclusive experiences. She's also the author of 'Dear Friend', a self-help book on compassion, and co-founder of MACH Coaching & Consulting.
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Stephen Murchie
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As Head of Safer Gambling & Compliance Manager at Ellipse Entertainment, Stephen oversees multi-jurisdictional compliance, risk management, and ensures best practices across B2C and B2B operations. A seasoned professional in the iGaming industry with almost eight years of experience in player protection, regulatory compliance, and safer gambling operations, he has successfully implemented automated risk-scoring systems, streamlined compliance processes, and led regulatory audit successes.
Passionate about harm prevention, Stephen designs and delivers specialized training to enhance sustainable play practices. |
Jacques Abeng-Essamba
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Jacques Abeng-Essamba works as Talent Manager at Glitnor, where he gets to combine his passion for recruitment with his love for the gaming industry. With 13 years of experience, he believes how important it is to find the right talent to drive innovation and creativity. For Jacques, DEIB isn’t just about big initiatives; it’s the small, everyday actions that truly make a difference in our work environment. A culture where everyone feels valued and included is what keeps him going!
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Clare Cogan
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With over a decade of experience as a specialist in online gaming recruitment, Clare has had the privilege of working across Gibraltar, Malta, and the UK. Driven by her passion for connecting top talent with industry-leading companies, she recently founded her own recruitment business to further leverage her expertise. Throughout her career, she has honed her skills in customer relationship management, communication and the use of advanced recruitment tools.
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Liesbeth Oost
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Liesbeth Oost is the Head of ESG at JVH Gaming & Entertainment Group, a leading operator of land-based and online casinos in the Netherlands.
With a strong focus on responsible gaming, Liesbeth leads the development and implementation of the ESG strategy, embedding sustainability at the core of the organization’s activities. She holds a Master’s degree in International Political Economy from the University of Groningen and is a Certified Investor Relations professional (CIR®). |
Floris Assies
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Floris Assies has been working in the digital content marketing and casino affiliate space since 2016. In 2020 he decided to combine his passion for sustainability and corporate social responsibility with iGaming and in 2022 founded Better World Casinos. Betterworldcasinos.com is a platform that aims to bring transparency and celebrate best practices by reviewing operators and other igaming companies on their ESG and CSR performance.
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Adrian Sladdin
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Adrian Sladdin is the co-founder of the Ethical Gambling Forum with over ten years’ experience of working with the gambling industry on safer gambling, player protection and education programmes for young people. He is also an experienced conference organiser and host and he currently co-curates the Know Now Safer Gambling conferences in the UK alongside his work with the EGF. He is also a director at Seventh Wave Corporate Training which specialises in leadership and management training, ESG and DEIB, alongside safer gambling training.
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Jo Abergel
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Jo Abergel is co-founder of the Ethical Gambling Forum and the founder of Rock Learning. Jo is passionate about challenging the gambling industry on the ethical dilemmas it faces, including problem gambling, financial crime prevention, DEIB and the broader ESG umbrella. Her interactive Ethical Gambling Forums bring together regulators, operators, recovering addicts, safer gambling charities, researchers, affiliates and all other stakeholders to collaborate and share their challenges.
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Don't miss out
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Secure your tickets for Gibraltar's only industry- wide gaming & gambling conference in 2025!
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