Ben Haden: “The IAGR2025 conference program is one of our most ambitious yet”

The president of the International Association of Gaming Regulators spoke with Focus Gaming News ahead of this year’s IAGR conference.

Exclusive interview.- The International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) will host its annual conference October 20-23 in Toronto, in partnership with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). To know more about the goals, speakers, workshops and networking opportunities at the Toronto event, Focus Gaming News caught up with IAGR’s president, Ben Haden.

Haden also revealed how IAGR is adapting its focus to address the evolving regulatory challenges and which are the most urgent issues regulators must address today.

Toronto 2025 will bring together global gaming regulators and industry leaders. What are the main themes and goals of this year’s IAGR conference?

The theme for IAGR2025 is ‘Resilient regulation: Exploring what works, why and what’s next’. 

The theme reflects the challenges and opportunities we face as regulators in a rapidly evolving landscape. This year’s goal is to critically examine our regulatory tools and approaches – to ask where we’re being effective, where we’re falling short and explore how we can adapt. 

Across four days, we’ll explore themes such as AI and behavioural analytics, converging technologies, illegal gambling in all its forms and cross-jurisdictional cooperation.

Our ultimate goal each year is to create a platform for regulators from across the globe – from young and mature markets, as well as those considering how to regulate – to share, challenge, and shape ideas that push our thinking and action forward.

How is IAGR adapting its focus to address the evolving regulatory challenges in emerging areas like AI, data privacy, and responsible gambling?

We know that regulatory frameworks can sometimes lag behind innovation. Even some of the best outcome-based frameworks can’t foresee some changes or adapt to the level of risk posed. One perspective focuses on the issues themselves, and another is about how a general framework can adapt to cover them appropriately. 

“Our ultimate goal each year is to create a platform for regulators from across the globe, to share, challenge, and shape ideas that push our thinking and action forward.”

Ben Haden, IAGR president.

This year’s program includes forward-looking, dedicated sessions on AI – both its promise and its risks – as well as prevalent issues, such as illegal gambling, which often go beyond existing frameworks and require a different set of stakeholders to be engaged. 

We’re encouraging our colleagues to consider how to govern emerging risks without stifling progress. We’re encouraging them to engage more meaningfully with the opportunities that advances in data, research and emerging technology provide.

With such a diverse international audience attending, how does IAGR foster meaningful cross-jurisdictional collaboration and dialogue among regulators?

At its heart, IAGR is a network – one that spans continents and jurisdictions. The annual conference is where that network comes to life. 

We intentionally design the program to draw on these diverse perspectives. Our speakers will come from North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Middle East. It’s always interesting to see where common challenges are, where common solutions work and why they sometimes don’t. We often learn as much from what doesn’t work as what does.

Beyond the formal sessions, we create time and space for informal networking events. The opportunity to engage with each other on a one-to-one basis helps bring the theories heard on the speakers’ platform into operational reality.

“At its heart, IAGR is a network – one that spans continents and jurisdictions. The annual conference is where that network comes to life.” 

Ben Haden, IAGR president.

Our annual awards ceremony is also a highlight. During the Gala Dinner, we announce winners across three categories:

• Best regulatory campaign
• Regulatory excellence
• Regulatory innovation

I’m always impressed by the quality and ambition of the winning entries. Beyond the event itself, we actively share insights from the winners with regulators worldwide, helping others apply these learnings in their jurisdictions.

What can attendees expect in terms of key speakers, workshops and networking opportunities at the Toronto event?

The 2025 program is one of our most ambitious yet. We’ll hear from leaders such as Andrew Rhodes (Gambling Commission, GB), Dr Karin Schnarr (Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, Canada), Anders Dorph (Danish Gambling Authority), Michel Groothuizen (the Netherlands) and regulatory voices from Singapore, Nigeria, Australia, the UAE and more. 

Sessions range from interactive panels and international case studies to deep dives into product risks, crypto use in gambling and emerging AI safeguards. 

And, of course, the social program is a highlight – giving attendees a chance to experience Toronto and connect across borders.

In your view, what is the most urgent issue regulators must address today to keep pace with the rapidly evolving igaming and betting sectors?

I don’t think it is any different for a regulator than it is for a commercial operator. It’s about having the right people with an engaged, inquisitive mindset and access to the technology they need to take advantage of the opportunities that exist. This is not an easy task for a regulator or an operator – often for different reasons!

But it’s why forums like IAGR2025 matter – they provide an opportunity to exchange ideas, build capability and lead transformation together.

As President of IAGR, what legacy or lasting impact do you hope the Toronto 2025 conference will have on the global regulatory landscape?

Legacy is quite a grand word, but I hope delegates leave Toronto with new ideas, stronger partnerships and a renewed sense of purpose. I hope they want to come next year and do the same and that will be success for me.