SGC Blog – SGA + ISGC Regulation Presentation

The evening SGC sessions focuses on the major gaming topic of social gaming regulation. Stuart Tilly Director of the Social Gaming Association & Luc Delany, CEO of the International Social Games Association head an expert panel on social gaming regulation.

Micheal Caselli begins the briefing by announcing the merger of the Social Gaming Association with the International Social Games Association. The merger of these two organizations will look to bring more clarity to the opaque social gaming regulatory sector.

In this session the panel give insights into possible frameworks for social gaming sectors, the panel also shed light on corporate perceptions and feelings towards social gaming regulations.

The panel further gives a breakdown of the current blocks regarding social gaming operations that may be slowing down the process of regulation for the sector. Finally the panel give their take on how they feel integration will take shape.

SBC Session Notes

• Stuart Tilly Director of the Social Gaming Association  begins session by introducing aims of the SGA, and how they view to operate with regulators and legislators. Delany feels that much clarity is needed after the many failures in sector regulation by appointed government regulators, due to lack of tacit knowledge with regards to Social gaming.
• Tilly states that Social Gaming does not want the same convoluted regulatory process that the igaming industry has witnessed. Many governments have tired to attach the same regulatory process for igaming to the social gaming sector. This is simply regulatory recycling and  will not benefit the parties involved.
• The Panel believe that next year will be critical for regulation of the sector. As the sector grows, more eyes will be set on  the growing market place.  The Panel believe that its is now important to set the right ‘basic’ regulatory framework. The framework should be used to set an appropriate entry level for regulatory research, operational procedure, player care/protection and the linkage between social games and real money gaming.  Panel feel that establishment of a basic framework are the beginning steps and best practices for future regulations to be applied.
• The Associations express that Social Gaming has to express/brand itself as a thriving business sector. This is important since panel believe that governments need to see social gaming as a value proposition to local economies – sectors that create value propositions since they create top level knowledge based jobs – something that is attractive to European economies and member states.