Entain CEO Gavin Isaacs confirmed as latest addition to ICE World Gaming Forum keynotes

ICE Barcelona organizer Clarion Gaming has confirmed Gavin Isaacs, the newly installed CEO of global operator Entain, as the latest addition to the line-up of A-List keynotes participating in the ICE World Gaming Forum.

Isaacs will be one of the headline speakers at the Casino & Leaders Conference (CLC) taking place on 20 January and join the CEO panel on Day 2 of the World Regulatory Briefing (WRB) on 21 January, Clarion confirmed.

The Entain CEO joins a line-up of thought leaders that includes Vicente Fox, 62nd President of Mexico; Akhil Sarin, CMO, Stake; Andrew Rhodes, CEO, UK Gambling Commission; Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, Chair of the French Gambling Authority and Gaming Regulators European Forum; Simon Thomas, Chairman of the Hippodrome Casino; Mikel Arana, Director General, Spanish Directorate for the Regulation of Gambling; Lisa Osofsky, former FBI Deputy General Counsel and Director of the UK's Serious Fraud Office; Rachel Bezzina, Head of AML, Malta Gaming Authority; Albert Manzone, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer; Abbas Khambaty, Director, Themed Entertainment, Warner Bros. Discovery; Matthew Proulx, SVP, Global Experiences, Partnership & Music, Hasbro; and Warren Cho, Worldwide Gaming Leader, Microsoft, as well as special guest celebrity robot Jonny-5, from the classic 80s film franchise Short Circuit. 

Isaacs brings a wealth of industry knowledge to the summit, notes Clarion, having built relationships across the gaming and entertainment industry over the last 25 years. His leadership experience has been accumulated through roles with brands including Games Global Limited, Jackpocket, SB Tech, Scientific Games, SHFL (Shuffle) Entertainment, Bally Technologies, and Aristocrat.

He has also provided advisory services and counsel to new businesses in the gaming and entertainment industry, as a Non-Executive Director at DraftKings and more recently at Galaxy Gaming Inc. 

Damien Ashton-Wellman, Clarion Gaming’s Senior Conference Producer, said: “We are delighted to confirm that Gavin Isaacs, who in 2022 was inducted into the American Gaming Association’s Hall of Fame, will be part of what promises to be one of the most influential gatherings of industry personalities ever assembled.

“Headlining the CLC alongside Aristocrat Gaming Chief Innovation Officer Joe Kaminkow, Gavin will deliver a keynote speech, delving into his formula for transforming a business to deliver for all stakeholders, building a team, empowering innovation and delivering operational excellence. In a sector as globalized, competitive, and fast-moving as the betting and gaming industry, Gavin’s insight will be invaluable.

On the World Regulatory Briefing, Gavin will be joined by Per Widerström, CEO of Evoke; Fabio Schiavolin, CEO of Snaitech Group; and Anna Sainsbury, Co-Founder & CEO of GeoComply, for a panel discussion titled ‘Growth, Risk & Regulation in the Online Gaming Industry’.  

The panel will bring together top executives from leading online gaming operators to discuss the critical challenges and innovative strategies in managing the delicate balance between providing a seamless, engaging player experience, and ensuring compliance with evolving regulations.

Besides gaining access to a stacked speaker line-up, gambling professionals attending ICE Barcelona will have the opportunity to explore the biggest-ever edition of the show comprising 120,000 square meters (sqm) of space compared to the 100,000 sqm at ICE 2024.  

"Leading trade associations, strategic bodies, regulators, CEOs of tier-1 operators and games creators will all be at Barcelona in record-breaking numbers underlining the show’s reputation for being the ‘Davos of Gambling’," Clarion said.