Kelly Vero is a futurist, a game developer, and an architect of the metaverse. She has shipped several very successful AAA video games with mass market appeal for adult and children’s franchises and household name IPs. Before creating and refining characters in the Transformers continuous universe, Kelly was already hooked into the possibilities of technology where humans meet everything from robots and autonomous vehicles to fashion, wearables, and food. Influenced by the world around her, Kelly is also a bestselling novelist and science fiction writer, she has even developed and published children’s books to expand her audience beyond video games. Guided by pop culture, and covering every subject from Max Headroom to BTS, Kelly is passionate about the evolution of end-user and consumer generations towards future gazing and expressing ourselves through our own image and aspiration. Kelly’s unique style can be found in a variety of video games that she has worked on or participated in, much to the delight of her unique sense of style. It is in her presence and style that she has been brought closer to the intersection of a variety of verticals where she works today. Combining her passion for video games with music, fashion and even the male dominated world of science fiction has brought forth the opportunities to design and develop experiences in phygital spaces. Working with everyone from luxury houses (Farfetch, LVMH and Audemars Piguet) to blockchain and NFTs (Sotheby’s, Christies and Luma); Kelly believes gamification puts the end-user front and centre as the beating heart of any application or experience. Kelly was a late graduate of academia, mastering in Greek and Roman Mythology no less! But this has not stopped her from speaking fervently about the role of video games as education and its place in the metaverse. In her conferences she speaks eloquently about the cradle to grave approach in technology. Through the touch points of the present to the future from the pain points of working in a fast-paced, high-risk industry, she’s building tomorrow for everyone. It’s through these experiences that she can develop a vision of the future and commit to a democratic covenant of fairness, discoverability, and accessibility, online and in real life.

Magnus Lindkvist is a trendspotting futurologist and author who weaves together important current trends to forecast what life, society and business might look like in the future.It is the fantastic timing, storytelling and politically incorrect humour that keep the audience – a global audience – laughing and talking well after his talk ends. He has given in excess of a thousand keynote speeches over the past decade to everyone from Fortune 500 CEOs and civil servants in the Middle East to anyone looking to be inspired and enlightened by trendspotting and future-thinking. As a writer, Magnus Lindkvist is driven by a relentless curiosity about our mental space where the outside world collides with the human brain. His book Minifesto (2016) tells us why small ideas matter in the world of grand narratives. By sharing a vision of the future we can strive to surround ourselves with as many strange, conflicting ideas that we can in order to immerse ourselves in future possibilities and possible futures. His next book, The Reset Book, will be published in 2022. With a Master of Science in Business and Economics from Stockholm School of Economics and a degree in film production from UCLA, Lindkvist weaves together the worlds of quantitative insights with the imaginative storytelling of Hollywood. His talks are often described as ‘shows’ or ‘performances’; he calls it ‘intellectual acupuncture’ with the expressed intention of changing our minds with needles of insight, examples and observations.He has won several awards for his ‘performances’ on stage and for his books, but perhaps the best acclaim ever given was from an HR director in the UK who said ‘Magnus Lindkvist is the best Swedish export since ABBA and meatballs.

Erwin van Lambaart joined Casinos Austria and Austrian Lotteries as CEO in March 2022. Erwin has a substantial experience in the media, hospitality, event, marketing and entertainment sectors. After graduating from the Hotel School in The Hague, he worked for 15 years in the international hotel industry. After this, he moved on to the global live entertainment world, where he worked for another 15 years.
 Erwin van Lambaart held a series of top executive and board positions at Accor, Avis, Joop van den Ende Theatre Productions, Stage Entertainment International and Niehe Media.
 In 2016, he took over as CEO of Holland Casinos NV, where he established himself as a proven casino and gaming expert. On 14 March 2022, Erwin van Lambaart moved to Austria and took up his position as CEO of Casinos Austria AG and Österreichische Lotterien GmbH.
 Erwin van Lambaart’s career has always been marked by a keen focus on hospitality and conceptual development. In 2016, he was awarded a Knighthood in the Order of Orange Nassau for his services to the live entertainment industry and his efforts on behalf of numerous charitable organisations.
 Erwin van Lambaart is a member of various supervisory boards and is much in demand as a speaker at conferences on subjects such as leadership, talent coaching and the use of cross media know-how, multichannel strategies and expertise across various business sectors.

Per Jaldung is a proven leader in the casino and entertainment industry with 19 years of leadership experience. He currently serves as the CEO of Casino Cosmopol in Sweden which operates three midsize land based casinos in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo. Per also proudly serves as the Chairman of the European Casino Association (ECA) since 2015, supporting approximately 1,000 casinos across Europe in 30 member-countries. Prior to entering the casino entertainment business, Per served in multiple capacities for the Stockholm Police Department and the National Criminal Intelligence Service for 13 years. His background in law enforcement lead him to start working for Casino Cosmopol in 2002 as head of Security and Surveillance, then promoted to General Manager of the Gothenburg property in 2005. In 2008, Per was appointed CEO of Casino Cosmopol and continues to guide the future of the company. Per is also head of Svenska Spel’s VLT operations consisting of 4300 VLTs in 1300 restaurants and bingo halls. He studied law at Uppsala University in Sweden and is an alumni of the Executive Development Program (EDP) at UNLV Las Vegas. Over the past six years, Per has been invited to speak at several international casino conferences on a range a various casino related topics and is widely considered an industry expert.

Bo Jason Bernhard, Ph.D. is the Vice President of Economic Development at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas (UNLV), where he leads a team of faculty, staff, and students that supports faculty innovation and discovery at UNLV, aligning its research strengths with new and emerging business opportunities, and forges reciprocal partnerships within the state’s economic ecosystem. In his role he also oversees the teams at Black Fire Innovation, the Nevada Small Business Development Center at UNLV, and the UNLV Research Foundation. He is also a professor of sociology and hospitality and serves as the Executive Director of the UNLV International Gaming Institute. He also serves as the Philip G. Satre Chair in Gaming Studies, a dual appointment with UNLV and the University of Nevada Reno that generates partnerships with the State of Nevada’s largest industry on education and research projects that reach six continents and dozens of international jurisdictions. He has previously served as the Associate Vice President of Economic Development, Director of Research of the International Gaming Institute and Ph.D. program in the Department of Sociology during his 24-year tenure at UNLV. Dr. Bernhard has delivered over 200 keynote addresses in clinical, regulatory, government, and policy settings. He has published in the top journals in both the business sciences (including Cornell Quarterly) and the social sciences (including a guest edited special volume of American Behavioral Scientist). He currently serves as executive editor for a leading peer-reviewed academic journal, Gaming Research and Review. Dr. Bernhard’s projects have been prominently featured in local and national media outlets. Overall, he has directed over $2 million in grant-funded research projects on subjects ranging from problem gambling to the social impacts of casino industries to responsible gaming features to internet gambling. He has earned numerous teaching and research awards during his nearly two decades at UNLV, including the Denken Career Award for Research, the Barrick Scholar Award, and the top teaching and research awards at the Harrah College of Hospitality. He is also the only professor at UNLV to have won both the Spanos Award for teaching and the Harry Reid Silver State Research Award, UNLV’s top career research award. Mr. Bernhard earned his sociology and psychology degree from Harvard University and his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from UNLV.

Tiina Siltanen is a well-known leader in the European land based casino industry. During her 20+ years in the industry she has worked her way up from customer service to executive level with several different high management position in Finland and oversees on the way. With strong background on table games, she played a key role in creating and developing Casino Cosmopol’s poker scene during her years in Sweden. Siltanen is currently responsible for casino operations at Veikkaus casinos in Finland. She holds a position as General Manager for Casino Helsinki and Casino Tampere, a new venue opened at the end of last year. Together with her team of 160 casino professionals she is determined to create a casino atmosphere that provides unique experiences in a safe gaming environment. In 2021 Siltanen was appointed member of the board for the European Casino Association. Siltanen is an alumni from Executive Development Program in UNLV Las Vegas and holds a BBA from business studies in Finland. Her ambition is to promote the professionalism of our employees and our industry in a positive light in publics eyes.

Simon is executive chairman and majority shareholder of Hippodrome Casino limited, the extensive leisure casino complex above Leicester Square tube station which opened in July 2012. The project started in 2005. The investment of £45 million in the theatre building and adjacent Cranbourn Mansions, both Grade 2 listed heritage buildings, created one of the West End’s premier entertainment venues, 80,000 ft2 with three floors of casino, eight bars, an award winning steak house, two private dining rooms, a dedicated cabaret theatre, home of the famous ‘Magic Mike Live’ show, and a Pokerstars live poker deck, and adding shortly a Chinese restaurant, a café, with a secret bar to follow. It employs over 650 people, is one of the largest single-site employers in the area and entertains over 30,000 customers a week.

Laurent Lassiaz has been in the casino industry for 15 years. He is currently the CEO of JOA a leading European casino & leisure Group operating 34 casinos on the French market and an online betting platform JOAbet. Laurent Lassiaz is also the Vice President of “Casinos de France” the trade association of the French casino industry. Before joining the gaming sector, Laurent have had several Management position in the leisure industry, Senior Vice President of Club Med for Europe-Middle East and Africa region, OPS General Manager at PepsiCo Restaurant International managing both Pizza Hut and KFC brands for the French market.

Pascal Camia Executive became Vice President of the Gaming Activity of Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer in December 2015. As a native Monegasque, Pascal Camia became fully immersed in the casino world at a young age. Starting in early childhood, he dreamed of contributing to the international reputation of the Principality. With a Master of Science degree in Economics, a Hotel Management diploma and a Corporate M.B.A, Pascal Camia joined Société des Bains de Mer in 1994, after several international experiences including Waldorf Astoria Cavalieri in Rome, The Westbury London, and Lutetia Hotel in Paris, among others. During his brilliant career with the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer Group, Pascal Camia has been Director of Catering of Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, Deputy Director of Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort in 2005, and Director of Sporting. In 2011, he took over management of Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo, where he developed ambitious projects including high-end business tourism. As a field man and a highly regarded and respected manager, Pascal Camia is now working with his teams on redesigning the Group’s gaming offerings, specifically the legendary Casino de Monte-Carlo, which he manages personally.

Ismail Vali is the founder of Yield Sec, where he leads a team of industry experts and marketplace intelligence specialists to deliver the world’s first effective platform to help monitor, police, enforce and optimize the licensed marketplace across online betting, gaming and lottery activity. The Yield Sec mission has an anti-crime focus upon removing black-market threats to revenue, taxation and consumer protection, working alongside all legal stakeholders to benefit the ecosystem overall. Yield Sec’s technical intelligence platform is becoming an essential tool for operators, suppliers, trade associations, regulators, government, media and ad platforms, law enforcement and other legal actors. Ismail’s background is in product development, marketing and operations, fuelled by commercial discipline, creative ideas, a curiosity for what makes players play, and dissatisfaction with the status quo. Throughout his professional experience, Ismail has achieved commercial and creative success in both consulting and senior management roles. These include working as Head of Development for leading operator Ladbrokes, and as Chief Marketing Officer for ParadisePoker, SportingBet and PokerStars, each of which Ismail directed to international success with the teams and initiatives he implemented during his leadership. This distinctive background aided in the innovation and development of Yield Sec, the first product from marketplace optimization and protection specialists Atropos Intelligence, a business Ismail founded and leads as CEO. Atropos Intelligence utilizes its unique platform and processes to provide intelligence and insights that improve internet marketplaces, built upon advanced algorithms and AI forged and proven across military and anti-terrorism applications. The products and services offered by Atropos Intelligence provide a framework to inform decision-making by operators, suppliers, trade associations, regulators, government, media and ad platforms, law enforcement and other legal actors to enable actions that protect and perfect valuable but at-risk online marketplaces, and the consumers and economic activity that flow from them. Demonstrating both his ability to provide industry insight and address the global need for new products that create tangible commercial solutions and community benefit, Ismail has written extensively across betting and gaming industry publications, with examples of his published work being found in SBC News, EI Industry News, iGaming Times, CasinoBeats and Casino Review. Ismail’s focus on tackling the insidious impact of crime is bolstered by his educational background, having graduated from Brasenose College, Oxford University with a BA and MA in Law. This detailed academic legal background, along with numerous C-level operator positions in industry, led to the invention and founding of a unique solution to restrict and remove the harm caused by what has long been an endemic online industry problem: crime and its impact upon commerce, consumers and the community.

Dr Sven Rudolf Thorstensen founded the firm in 2016, focusing on litigation, in particular in connection with the assertion of investor damages, capital markets law and gaming law. Prior to founding the firm, he worked at DORDA in Vienna, where he already specialised in civil and criminal litigation in the financial sector.

Pieter Boers is Vice President Gaming and Services at Holland Casino, where he is, as member of the board, responsible for companywide Real Estate developments & Facilities, product development (Gaming, Food & Beverage, Casino Services) and the back office slot operation. Before joining Holland Casino he was IT manager for different nationwide companies. In his 25 year career in the gaming industry, he worked in different corporate areas, like IT, Online Casino startup and Real Estate Project Manager. He was also involved in the Holland Casino Now-How contracts of Casino Lugano and Casino Cosmopol. As Manager Real Estate & Facilities and later on as member of the board, he was responsible for de development of new casino's in the Netherlands, like Amsterdam-West (2017), Venlo (2021) and Utrecht (2021). Buildings developed with a vision on sustainability, but also implemented sustainability in the casino operation, like waste regimentation, cleaning chemicals and Co2 and energy reduction in HVAC installations.

Wolfgang Bliem has been Chief Executive Officer of the Grand Casino Luzern Group in Switzerland since 2003. He has more than 30 years of experience in the gaming and leisure industry and began his career with Casinos Austria. After joining the gaming industry in 1985, he quickly took on broader responsibilities as a casino manager before being appointed Managing Director for one of Casinos Austria's regional joint ventures. During his career, Wolfgang Bliem has served as Head of Marketing and Sales for Casinos-Austria Research and Development, Head of International Customer Care and Project Manager for all gaming-related issues in the development of six Swiss casinos. Since 2003, he has been CEO of the Grand Casino Luzern Group, which operates the Grand Casino, the Olivo restaurant, which has been awarded 16 GaultMillau points, a banquet hall, several bars, the Dolce Vita restaurant on the lake promenade and the Casineum. Under his leadership, the online casino mycasino.ch was launched in 2019 and has quickly established itself as Switzerland's No. 1 online casino. Wolfgang Bliem holds a Master of Commerce from the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, completed the Executive Development Program at the University of Nevada, Reno and was a member of the University of Nevada's Gaming Management Education Advisory Board.

Georg Wawer is heading win2day - the online gaming division at the Austrian Lotteries. As the leading online gaming brand & only licensed operator in Austria for online lottery & casino games their mission is to offer a superior gaming entertainment portfolio for Austrian users. Georg has a top management business background with consumer goods companies, C-Level experience in disruptive tech & is a successful leader for digital business innovation for companies of diverse sizes, markets and industries. He has invented 50+ digital patents and his focus is exploiting digital technologies to drive exponential business growth & disruptive digital innovation.

Gilbert has more than 15 years’ experience in the online casino industry. Before joining Holland Casino, he worked for industry leading operators such as 888.com, Betfair and PokerStars, focusing on the European markets such as France, Germany, Spain and the Benelux. Gilbert was responsible for the marketing launch strategy of Holland Casino when the Dutch market regulated online gaming in October 2020.