Gaming, Racing & Wagering Australia is back bigger and better than ever in 2017 with a range of insightful panel topics and a comprehensive eSports workshop.
The 8th annual Gaming, Racing & Wagering Australia (GRWA) returns to the Novotel at Sydney’s Darling Harbour from 14 to 16 August 2017 in what promises to be one of the most intriguing events of the year.
Held in conjunction with the Australasian Gaming expo, which moves to its permanent home at the new ICC Sydney this year right alongside the Novotel, GRWA provides a unique opportunity to network with leading land based gaming operators, marketing experts, sports betting operators, sports and racing bodies and key legislators from state and federal governments.
The two-day summit will focus on a range of important regulatory and business development issues within the gaming industry, with this year’s speakers including the likes of Michael Sarquis, Queensland Government Attorney-General and executive Director at The Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation – Department of Justice; Tim Shephard, co-founder of Silver heritage Group; Ken Gamble, executive Chairman, IFW Global/ IACP – International Association of Cybercrime Prevention; and Sadhir Kale, Founder and Advisor at Gameplan Consultants.
One of the most interesting panels of the event will focus on consumer protection and harm minimization. Dylan Pickering from the University of Sydney and Sarah Stewart from Tabcorp holdings Ltd will examine the recent announcement of a national self-exclusion register in Australia, along with a ban on the industry lines of credit and the formation of a national gambling research model.
Another must-see panel will focus on the South Australian government’s controversial “point-of-consumption tax”, which came into effect on 1 July 2017 with the goal of clawing back some of the gambling tax revenue it has seen disappear over the border.
Hosted by Inside Asian Gaming Managing editor Ben Blaschke, the panel will feature Commissioner, Liquor & Gambling Commission – South Australia, Dini Soulio and Deputy Director- General, Liquor, Gaming and Fair Trading Department of Justice and Attorney-General David Ford providing their insights on the impact of the tax so far.
Perhaps the most innovative addition to GRWA in 2017 is a workshop on how to stage and market an eSports tournament.
The two-part workshop will start with a comprehensive guide on the eSports tournament production cycle, from planning to technical requirements, followed by an explanation of marketing strategies and how to attract the new generation of gamers through eSports.
Among the speakers discussing the eSports phenomenon is Hai Ng, co-founder of Neomancer LLC & Spawn Point Pty Ltd, who said, “Some say eSports is a fad; some say it is the future; some say it will breathe new life into the gaming industry but curiously, not everybody knows what eSports really is and how it can intersect with gaming to bene t both industries.
“For starters, eSports is not only an activity, but a community, and some will even say, a way of life. Adding to the complexity, eSports is a ‘collective noun’ and there is nothing homogeneous about it.
“Games have unique attributes, player and audience archetypes, complications and challenges – but there is nothing mysterious about working with eSports. Knowing what eSports you will be working with is key to achieving what you want from eSports. It all begins with asking the right people, the right questions and knowing what to do with the answers.”
