
Industry Forum 2022
The European Casino Association’s Casino Industry Forum in Austria drew a fascinating panel of both industry experts and external market watchers to its Casino Baden-based event. Here are the highlights of the conference.
The ECA Casino Industry Forum took place in the picturesque Austrian town of Baden from September 27-30, 2022. It is the gathering place for Europe’s leading casino operators to discuss the challenges, opportunities, trends, and developments in land-based and online casino gaming.
Casino Baden plays host to over 60 guests at this year’s event, marking the return of the ECA Casino Industry Forum after a two-year absence due to the pandemic. In addition to the formal ECA member General Assembly, this year’s event programme is both wide and diverse, covering a host of exclusive presentations from European casino operators, internationally recognised speakers, and social activities exploring the historic, culinary, and modern delights of both Baden and Vienna.
The speaker roster at this year’s Forum was exceptional, drawing together both casino operators discussing the most pressing topics facing the sector, in addition to trend spotters and futurologists exploring the wider context of what life, society and business might look like in the future. ‘The Best Deal Forward’ educational programme includes keynotes from internationally lauded Futurist, Magnus Lindkvist, University of Nevada’s Bo Bernhard and Kelly Vero, whose Metaverse analysis is keenly observed and bookends the speaker line-up at the Forum this year.
Representing the ECA member speakers list, Per Jaldung, Tiina Siltanen, Simon Thomas, Erwin van Lambaart, Pascal Camia and Laurent Lassiaz will discuss their future visions for the casino sector in Europe. Pieter Boers will dissect the building of Holland Casino’s new Venlo Casino. A presentation from Europol will reveal the latest money laundering threats in Europe, while a speaker from Yield Sec will reveal the scale of illegal gambling in Europe and what can be done about it from a technological perspective.
A special social itinerary was planned for the three-day event, including a guided tour of the stables of the Vienna Spanish Riding School, a walking dinner at Casino Wien and a Reading Room tour of the Austrian National Library, in addition to the traditional ECA Casino Industry Forum Gala Dinner hosted in spectacular style at Casino Baden.
Opportunities for ECA partners to demonstrate their latest products have also been incorporated into the Forum programme, with suppliers given ample time to discuss their latest developments with the CEOs of over 40+ European casino operations. ECA partners are permitted to attend each of the social and conference programme events in addition to having the opportunity to display their products during the Forum in dedicated allocated spaces. Interested parties in the ECA partnership program should contact
THE PROGRAM
September 27
18.45 | Welcome by Erwin van Lambaart, CEO of Casinos Austria/Austrian Lotteries and the Director of Casino Baden, Harald Brandstätter |
20.00 | Dinner at Casino Baden in the Kuppelrestaurant followed by a tournament in the Casino Baden Game Zone. The winner will receive an exclusive two-night stay at the world-famous Hotel Sacher in Vienna for two with a Dinner at Casino Wien |
September 28
09.00 - 11.00 | For ECA Board Members - Board Meeting at Casino Baden Salon 1&2 (Level 3, left from the “Festsaal” entrance) |
11.30 - 12.15 | Lunch at the Badener Saal |
12.30 - 13.45 | General Assembly Part I - Presentation of ECA Partners - at Badener Saal Tabelswin: Marco Proserpio and Anton Churchill OKTO: Simon Dorsen, Diana Theodoridi and Theodosis Engelis Playtech Neon - short introduction by David Zelen and Janis Ratnieks |
13.45 - 14.00 | Coffee Break |
14.00 - 15.30 | General Assembly Part II - Formal association subjects and approvals - at Badener Saal |
16.00 | Bus transport to the city of Vienna |
17.00 - 18.00 | Visit and guided tour of the stables of the Vienna Spanish Riding School |
18.00 - 18.15 | Walk over to the Austrian National Library - Reception in the Augustinian Reading Room with the Director of the Library, Dr. Johanna Rachinger |
19.30 | Scenic walk-through Vienna's first district to Casino Wien |
20.00 | Welcome by Casino Director, Reinhard Deiring, followed by a walking dinner with a culinary tour through Austrian cuisine.
Live Music and guided tours of Casino Wien. |
September 29
09.30 | Welcome address: Erwin van Lambaart CEO Casinos Austria/Austrian Lotteries Per Jaldung, ECA Chairman |
09.45 | Opening Keynote - Looking to the future with Magnus Lindkvist - Futurist We expected flying cars but got face masks and lockdowns instead. Turbulence, uncertainty, and disruption are just some of the words used to describe the strange times we are living in. And yet, as leaders in the casino industry, we are expected to plan and build our companies for the long-term. How can we strike a balance between uncertainty and vision? That is the question on which author and future-thinker Magnus Lindkvist will base his keynote at the Casino Industry Forum. Lindkvist is the author of seven books, including the bestsellers Everything We Know Is Wrong and The Attack of The Unexpected*. He has spent twenty years thinking, writing, and speaking about the future for businesses around the world. He has the ability to blend humor into serious messages and mix insights from business, economics, science, and popular culture into mind-altering cocktails (”Champagne for the brain”). |
10.30 | Panel discussion moderated by Bo Bernhard, University of Las Vegas Nevada Future visions of European Casino C-levels with Per Jaldung (Casino Cosmopol), Tiina Siltanen (Veikkaus), Erwin van Lambaart (Casinos Austria/Austrian Lotteries), Simon Thomas (Hippodrome Casino), Laurent Lassiaz (Joa Group), Pascal Camia (Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer). |
11.30 | Keynote by Bo Bernhard - Dr. Bernhard has recently trademarked "The Fun Economy" to convey the ways in which gaming and casinos fit into a larger and very impressive global economic phenomenon. While often underreported, the rise of the global middle class has very important implications for those who lead businesses in the fun economy, and this keynote will explore the implications for gambling-related businesses. |
12.00 - 13.00 | Lunch Break at the Badener Saal |
13.00 - 13.30 | Europol presentation - Claudi Zarazaga - Expertise and Stakeholder Management Unit, European Financial and Economic Crime Centre. Latest trends in crime and money laundering related to the gaming industry. |
13.30 - 14.00 | Ismail Vali, Founder & CEO of Yield Sec, will be delivering unparalleled insights on the topic of Marketplace Protection: Legal versus Illegal, exploring how best to combat the $1.7 trillion consumers unknowingly spend each year with illegal online operators.yieldsec |
14.00 - 14.30 | Sven Rudolf Thorstensen - Lawyer. Overview of current regulatory and legal developments in the Austrian gaming market with a focus on illegal gambling. |
14.30 - 15.30 | The future of Responsible Gaming and Corporate Social Responsibility in the casino sector Tiina Siltanen, Veikkaus - Responsible gaming at the heart of casino concept Know Your Game-customer program was introduced to Finnish casinos, and with 100% carded play, it provides a unique portfolio of responsible gaming measures available for all customers. An introduction to the journey Finnish casinos took to meet the new regulation standards and how CSR is part of the daily operations.
Pieter Boers, Holland Casino - Casino Venlo, a corporate social responsibility story Our 14 Holland Casino venues are major consumers of energy. Government-owned companies, like Holland Casino, must set an example. With the opportunity to build a new venue in Venlo, a landmark has been born within the framework of sustainability, with high demands. Holland Casino has made logical, sustainable choices that fit its casino operation.
Followed by a panel discussion |
15.30 - 16.00 | Coffee Break |
16.00 - 17.00 | Online casino gaming - a separate industry or a further distribution channel for landbased casinos
Wolfgang Bliem, GM Grand Casino Luzern, mycasino.chThe strategy and success story of the leading Swiss casino. Classic casino, online casino, fine-dining, events - all from a single source! Can that work?
Georg Wawer, Managing Director win2daywin2day is the only licensed online gaming operator in Austria. With a full portfolio of exclusive Casino Games, a branded online LIVE Casino and a tailored user experience win2day has been the dominant player for more than 20 years. While companies like Netflix constantly set new benchmarks, Georg Wawer will share insights how win2day plans to stay ahead of the game.
Gilbert den Hertog, Chief Marketing Officer, Holland CasinoImplementing a live gaming studio into an existing casino operation using the example of Casino Scheveningen
Followed by a panel discussion |
17.00 - 17 45 | Kelly Vero - Betting on the Metaverse - Why the future of Casinos is Web3
In this exciting presentation, metaverse thought-leader and futurist Kelly Vero will look at the landscape of casinos across technology, busting myths and inviting a new way of thinking about the future of playing as a lifestyle. This promises to be a lively two-way conversation to illustrate the power of fun in future gambling, betting, and casinos: from VR and AR to metaverse and gaming. |
19.00 | Reception at the Foyer of the Casineum |
20.00 | Gala Dinner at the Casineum - first floor Welcome by Casinos Austria CEO, Erwin van Lambaart |
20.10 | Video message from the Governor of Lower Austria, Ms. Johanna Mikl-Leitner, to the participants of the ECA Casino Industry Forum, followed by the welcome of the official representative for Lower Austria.
Summary of the event by the ECA Chairman, Per Jaldung.
Live entertainment - open end |
September 30
SPEAKER PROFILES














