More than a game
The Regulating the Game 2026 conference takes place in Sydney from 9 to 11 March, bringing together leading regulators, operators, suppliers and other key stakeholders for three days of high-level insights – plus plenty of networking to match. IAG takes a look at what to expect.
The 2026 edition of leading gambling law and regulation conference Regulating the Game (RTG) is just around the corner, with this year’s gathering set to shine a spotlight on the relationship between regulation and black- or gray-market operations.
The issue could be described as the single most pertinent challenge facing regulators across the Asia-Pacific region right now, as they look to strike a balance between enforcing a strong and effective regulatory framework and ensuring citizens have enough gambling entertainment options available to motivate them to stay within the regulated environment.
It is for this very reason that New Zealand’s Ministry of Internal Affairs announced last year plans to legalize online casino gaming, and why Australia is seeing an increasing number of underground casinos and card rooms pop up given its more stringent approach.
Paul Newson, organizer of RTG, told Inside Asian Gaming, “A defining thread through RTG 2026 is the relationship between regulatory architecture and market response, particularly the growth, persistence and adaptation of black- and grey- market activity, and the role regulatory decisions play in shaping those outcomes.
“Across jurisdictions, increasingly complex and prescriptive frameworks are often designed with clear public policy intent, yet in practice can produce unintended consequences: displacement rather than suppression of activity, migration to offshore or unlicensed providers, and erosion of consumer protections where enforcement reach is limited. RTG 2026 examines these dynamics directly, treating black- and gray-markets not as peripheral risks but as indicators of how regulatory systems are functioning in the real world.”
This theme will be anchored by a timely keynote contribution from Paul James, Secretary for Internal Affairs and Chief Executive, Department of Internal Affairs (Te Tari Taiwhenua), New Zealand, while IAG’s own Managing Editor Ben Blaschke will moderate a panel session titled “Black Market Gambling: Drivers, Dynamics and Policy Challenges” which will examine black-market gambling through law enforcement, criminal intelligence, regulatory and industry lenses. The impressive line-up of panelists includes Michael Phelan APM, Strategic Advisor for Kroll and former CEO of the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC); Carolyn Lidgerwood, Authority Member at the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA); David Foster, Group Director of International Regulatory Affairs at Entain; Kai Cantwell, CEO of Responsible Wagering Australia; and Armina Antoniou, Chief Risk Officer at Crown Resorts.
Other notable keynote and featured speakers set to take the stage include Entain Australian and New Zealand CEO Andrew Vouris, AUSTRAC CEO Brendan Thomas, Emeritus Professor of Law at Monash University Arie Freiberg AM and Endeavour Group General Manager, Regulatory & Compliance, Daniel Rule.
RegTech and applied AI will also form a central pillar of the RTG 2026 program, with a focus on how data, automation and decision-support tools are being used in live environments to translate policy intent into workable compliance outcomes.
Newson, however, is quick to point out just how much the conversation has shifted in the years since the inaugural edition of RTG was held in 2021 – a period of great introspection for Australia’s gaming and particularly its casino industry.
While the past transgressions of operators such as Crown Resorts and Star Entertainment Group saw an iron fist approach adopted by governments and regulators to try and knock the industry back into shape, the substantial reform efforts that Crown and co have since adopted has led to a new dawn in which stakeholders are now engaging in a more healthy manner in mapping out the future of gaming in Australia.
“There has been a clear recalibration of what ‘good’ looks like in Australia’s gaming regulatory environment, shaped by several years of intense reform, supervisory pressure and sector introspection,” Newson explained.
“The benchmark is no longer minimum compliance but demonstrable capability: strong governance, a clearly articulated risk appetite, effective and tested controls, and a culture that supports early intervention rather than late remediation.
“Much of this reset was forged during a period of sustained scrutiny of the casino sector, where blunt but necessary controls were applied to address acute failures. As that phase begins to taper, attention is shifting to how those lessons translate, and where they do not, across land-based gaming.
“At the same time, more confident leadership voices are emerging across the sector, increasingly aligned in articulating a posture grounded in ethical leadership, sustainable community contribution and player safety, rather than defensive compliance.
“This evolution is being reinforced by the federally administered AML/CTF framework, which provides coherent national obligations and consistent oversight, while gaming regulation itself remains state- and territory-led, fragmented by design and uneven in application. The challenge now is one of calibration: maintaining proportionate regulatory intensity, supporting credible leadership and avoiding blunt spill-over effects that risk displacing harm or activity into less regulated or unregulated markets.”
A feature of RTG since its inception has been a strong and highly enjoyable networking program. This year’s agenda includes the return of Pitch! – to be held at the iconic Sydney Opera House – where established organizations and emerging innovators have the opportunity to showcase their products and ideas during short presentations. The emphasis is on how technology, research, leadership and reform are translated into practical, real-world outcomes.
Making its debut in 2026 are the RTG Global Awards – designed as a global platform to recognize leadership and stewardship that strengthen integrity, sustainability and public confidence. The Awards aim to spotlight leadership voices and organizations shaping the sector’s posture by advancing compliance excellence, safer gambling, governance and innovation while also cultivating emerging leaders who are building capability and shaping approaches for the future.
“Regulation is ultimately an applied discipline, and applied disciplines improve fastest when understanding is deepened through candid exchange,” Newson said. “That is why the networking element at Regulating the Game is so deliberately designed.
“RTG’s networking is not incidental or purely social; it is part of the method. The unstructured moments between sessions – breaks, informal conversations and chance encounters – are actively fostered because they are often where the most honest and useful exchanges occur. Cabaret-style seating and the encouragement for attendees to change tables each day are deliberate choices aimed at breaking down hierarchies and silos.
“These interactions matter because public policy and regulatory practice are materially improved when informed by a deeper understanding of industry mechanics, operational realities and commercial constraints. Equally, industry engagement in policy debates is strongest when participants understand the complexity of regulatory objectives and the trade-offs regulators must manage.
“Interactive formats such as Pitch! provide an ideas forum designed to surface emerging policy approaches, applied research, RegTech solutions operating at scale and credible disruptors, and to place them under informed scrutiny.
“The Awards Gala Dinner plays a complementary role, recognizing leadership, innovation and impact while strengthening the relationships and trust that underpin sustained engagement beyond the conference itself.
“Taken together, the format is designed to create a shared operating picture that supports better policy design, more credible regulation and more effective industry participation long after the conference concludes.”
The RTG 2026 conference runs from 9 to 11 March 2026 at Sofitel Sydney Wentworth.
