It’s time to be controversial, urges Roy Student ahead of ICE North America

Following the recent announcement that the Department of Justice will extend the window for operators to comply with its latest Wire Act ruling until June 2019, all eyes in US betting and interactive gaming are on new interpretations of potential regulatory changes, something which Student believes ICE North America is ideally suited to deliver. He explained: “We’re in a controversy industry and so fundamentally we need controversial opinions to be heard in order to forge new pathways surrounding legislative issues like PASPA, the Wire Act and whatever might be next on the horizon. As an ICE Ambassador, I welcome the fact that Clarion Gaming has consolidated its US events into ICE North America at this crucial time for the industry, providing a space where decision makers, start-ups and regulators can meet, network and help shape the industry’s future.”

ICE North America’s pioneering agenda will focus on five key verticals – Sports Betting, iGaming, Affiliate Marketing, iLottery and Esports and will bring together a disruptive community of ‘MVPs’ speaking at the event. “ICE North America is THE arena in which to discuss and debate the key issues from every perspective” stated Student. "I look at it that it’s very important to have a central gathering place to digest ideas, opinions and views surrounding future direction and get a better understanding of the ideas which will shape that direction. Bringing in the right people to an event is only half the climb, to really create a meaningful conference you need people on a panel who have opposite views and, crucially, that means also including controversial people who see things differently.”

“It’s important in a highly regulated industry that we listen to, debate and allow ourselves to consider different interpretations on the trending topics of the day. In my experience, most seminars get panelists who are intelligent and able to talk specifically about their particular area of expertise, however this doesn’t always translate to meaningful interaction with other speakers or the audience. The US market is at the juncture of a highly exciting and potentially profitable period of growth, across betting and gaming as well as in terms of hospitality, experiences, attractions and amenities, so we need to have speakers across these sectors who will who will bring the most forward thinking and stimulating ideas to the surface. I am confident that ICE North America’s agenda combines all the ingredients necessary to spark ideas across the gaming verticals. As someone invested in the region’s future, I look forward to meeting with everyone present so as an industry we can come to some kind of conclusion about how best to shape the possibilities ahead and to continue moving in the right direction.”

ICE North America (May 13-15 in Boston, MA, USA) will bring together Clarion Gaming’s US assets, GiGse and ICE Sports Betting USA, with the addition of iLottery, esports and affiliate marketing streams, to create a single large-scale event. To find out more about ICE North America, go to icenorthamerica.com.