The Regulating the Game conference has announced that Alison Taylor, Clinical Associate Professor at NYU Stern School of Business and Executive Director of Ethical Systems, will be a keynote speaker at its 2025 edition in Sydney. Her expertise in ethical business practices and her perspectives on navigating turbulent times are expected to add “significant” depth to this year’s event, according to organisers.

Alison Taylor is the author of the book Higher Ground: How Business Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World, while her work at NYU Stern School of Business and Ethical Systems has positioned her as a leading voice in ethical business practices. Taylor’s insights on ethics and integrity in business have been “highly sought” after, said organisers, making her a “prominent” figure in both academic and professional circles.

Paul Newson, Principal at Vanguard Overwatch, expressed his enthusiasm about the lineup for the 5th edition of the conference: “With thought leaders like Alison Taylor sharing their unique perspectives, our attendees are guaranteed to gain invaluable insights and be deeply inspired.

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“We have a history of delivering unmatched speaker line-ups and content, spanning critical themes and issues confronting regulators and the sector. It has become a must-attend event for regulatory and industry professionals and essential for operators committed to securing an innovative, thriving, and sustainable industry.”

“Our inaugural call for speakers is receiving strong interest and we encourage sector leaders, regulators, policymakers, manufacturers, compliance and forensic experts, industry professionals, clinicians, researchers, academics, and thought pioneers to apply to speak at the conference in March next year,” a press release noted.

Further, organisers added: “We believe it’s crucial for all stakeholders to engage and participate in the public square, contributing knowledge and insights, and hearing diverse perspectives to best inform public policy thinking and discussions. This engagement helps influence robust regulatory settings that deliver effective industry supervision while facilitating the conditions for a safer, invigorated, and sustainable sector.”

Registration for the conference opens in August.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has found that sports streaming service Kayo, provided by Hubbl Pty Limited (Hubbl), breached gambling advertising rules by presenting gambling advertisements during live sports events outside allowed times.

The ACMA investigated Hubbl following complaints from viewers relating to live streams of a number of sporting events on Kayo. Gambling advertisements must not be shown by online content providers during live sport events between 5 am and 8.30 pm, including in the five minutes before and after the event.

The ACMA’s investigations identified 16 different gambling advertisements were provided outside the allowed times across a total of 267 live sport events. Hubbl said that this was caused by a system error that affected viewers using iOS applications in a six week period over February and March 2023.

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ACMA Authority member Carolyn Lidgerwood said the scale of the error as well as Hubbl’s failure to identify a system bug affecting the playout of gambling ads across a large number of live sport events was very concerning.

“Online streaming services as well as broadcasters all have a responsibility to put robust systems in place so that they adhere to these long-standing gambling advertising rules,” Ms Lidgerwood said.

“The rules are there to reduce viewer exposure to gambling ads, particularly for impressionable young audiences and those vulnerable to gambling harms. In this case Hubbl has let those viewers down.”

The ACMA has issued Hubbl with a remedial direction requiring it to arrange an external audit of its technical systems and processes, including the measures that it has implemented subsequent to the breaches.

If Hubbl fails to comply with the terms of the remedial direction it may be ordered by the Federal Court to pay penalties of up to $626,000 per day.

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The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has requested that Australian internet service providers (ISPs) to block more illegal offshore gambling websites, after investigations found these services to be operating in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.

The latest sites blocked include A Big Candy, Jackpoty and John Vegas Casino.

Website blocking is one of a range of enforcement options to protect Australians against illegal online gambling. Since the ACMA made its first blocking request in November 2019, 995 illegal gambling and affiliate websites have been blocked.

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Over 220 illegal services have also pulled out of the Australian market since the ACMA started enforcing new illegal offshore gambling rules in 2017.