Tom Watson, former Deputy Leader of the UK Labour Party, will deliver the keynote speech at ICE VOX, the international gaming industry’s influential educational and networking event.
Mr. Watson, who stepped down from mainstream politics prior to the 2019 UK general election, will provide an analysis of the regulatory landscape. The speech, titled “Reforming Gambling Policy — Uniting Stakeholders for a Positive Change,” will take place on Monday February 3 at 9:30 a.m. in the Platinum Suite at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre, London. It’s open to ICE VOX pass holders.
Tom Watson, former Deputy Leader of the Labour Party
“The last major review of gambling regulation in the UK was conducted in 2001,” said Watson. “Since then, society has been transformed by a revolution in technology that has reshaped the gambling landscape. With the British Government now committed to a further review, the challenge is to deliver change that is fit for the digital age and provides a safer environment for the consumer and a successful well-regulated industry. At ICE VOX, I hope to reach out to the international industry and regulators to explain the importance of introducing positive change and in the process turn Britain’s regulation of gambling into an example to the world.”
“Tom Watson is a long-standing and vocal advocate of regulatory change in the UK, and has unquestionably been one of the most influential figures in British politics to inspire calls for the review of the 2005 Gambling Act, which has cross-party support and which the government has committed to,” said Ewa Bakun, Director of Industry Insight and Engagement at Clarion Gaming.
“He has also been shaping the wider European narrative as the regulatory debates in the UK are being monitored and adopted by other, younger gambling jurisdictions,” Bakun added. “This represents a unique opportunity for the industry to hear and understand the debate from a policy-maker’s perspective in order to define the measures that are required to adapt to a truly consumer focused regulatory reality.”
