Regulating the Game will hold its seventh conference in Sydney from March 8 to 10, 2027, with illegal gambling, money laundering and cross-border enforcement at the centre of its programme. The event at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth is set to bring together regulatory, law-enforcement and financial-intelligence leaders from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Canada and the United Kingdom.
The agenda is built around the persistence and scale of illegal supply, and financial crime moving through licensed gambling channels. Paul Newson, associated with the conference, said the international dimension strengthened the programme because authorities approach common problems from different regulatory and political starting points.
He said gambling risks frequently extend beyond the state and national bodies charged with regulating the sector, while officials can work in isolation rather than drawing on multilateral capability. The conference is intended to create a setting for officials to share strategic perspectives, expertise and insight in support of more coherent responses.
Stephen Dametto, the commissioner of the New South Wales Crime Commission, is among the confirmed speakers. The commission is the state’s standing body for investigating serious and organised crime and recovering criminal assets. Its 2022 inquiry examined laundering through electronic gaming machines in hotels and clubs, including the movement of criminal proceeds through licensed venues.
Dametto was appointed commissioner in February after nearly three decades in Australian and international law enforcement. Brendan Thomas, chief executive of AUSTRAC, Australia’s anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism-financing regulator and financial-intelligence unit, is also confirmed for the programme.
The focus reflects risks identified by AUSTRAC across gambling businesses. High-value and frequent cash transactions, bill stuffing, multiple accounts, third-party transactions and synthetic identities are among the recurring weaknesses the agency has identified. AUSTRAC has said gambling is routinely targeted by criminals because of high transaction volumes, digital change and cash-intensive channels.
AUSTRAC’s 2024 national risk assessment found that lawful domestic financial channels remain important routes for placing, layering and integrating criminal funds, both within Australia and internationally. It identified persistent exploitation of banks, remitters, casinos, cash, trusts, identity crime, mule accounts and third-party transactions.
Singapore’s Gambling Regulatory Authority chief executive Daniel Tan is a confirmed speaker and will deliver a keynote address. Carolyn Lidgerwood, an authority member at the Australian Communications and Media Authority, will also give a keynote. The authority enforces the Interactive Gambling Act and administers the blocking of illegal offshore gambling sites.
New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs will be represented by secretary Paul James and gambling director Vicki Scott. The department is implementing New Zealand’s licensing of online casino gambling. Tim Miller, founder and managing director of GamReg Consulting and a former executive director of the UK Gambling Commission, will serve as keynote speaker, conference chair and an independent judge for the RTG Global Awards.
Canada is the most heavily represented jurisdiction on the programme after Australia. A dedicated session, “Canada’s Gambling Landscape at a Crossroads: Defining Success in a Changing Environment,” will examine stewardship and the meaning of success in a market shaped by regulatory models, technological change and greater accountability expectations.
Canadian regulation operates across federal and provincial lines, while Ontario established a commercial online market from a standing start. Paul Burns and Amanda Brewer of the Canadian Gaming Association, Peter McMahon of the Commercial Gaming Association of Ontario, and Focal Research Consultants executives Tracy Schrans and Dr Melissa Salmon are confirmed to participate.
The Canadian emphasis comes as FINTRAC has warned of online-gambling laundering risks. Its March 2023 assessment raised the threat from unlicensed gambling, including online gambling, from high to very high. An analysis of suspicious-transaction reports from 2016 to 2023 found criminals using bank accounts, e-wallets, payment providers and virtual currencies to move funds through licensed, unlicensed and offshore gambling sites.
The conference’s Pitch! competition will move to the main plenary in 2027, giving presenters 10 minutes before the full delegation. BNDRY won the 2026 contest with an anti-money-laundering compliance platform for Australian pubs and clubs. Nominations for the 2027 RTG Global Awards remain open through Dec. 21, with finalists due on Feb. 1, 2027, ahead of the March 9 gala dinner.
