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In this edition of “5 Leaders – 1 Question”, Focus Gaming News brought together five leading figures from the Asia-Pacific gaming industry and asked them the following question: As more Asia-Pacific countries consider or expand casino and online regulation, how can they respect local cultural and political sensitivities while remaining competitive against neighbouring jurisdictions?

The participants are Paul Newson, principal at Vanguard Overwatch and founder of Regulating the Game; Riaan Van Rooyen, hospitality and casino executive; Glenn McCartney, tourism and hospitality professional; Zuhair Rizvi, director of Operations at Gaming Associates; and Sudhir H. Kale, gaming scholar and founder of GamePlan Consultants.

In March, New Zealand’s Racing Integrity Board put a number on a problem the gambling industry has spent years talking around. More than 50 operators dealing in cryptocurrency, the board found, now accept bets on New Zealand racing. They pay no product fees into the sport. They share no integrity data. Many shelter behind licences issued in Curaçao, Anjouan and Costa Rica. Those jurisdictions lend a platform the appearance of legitimacy while asking almost nothing of it in return. The board’s chief executive, Dr Eliot Forbes, described a model that extracts value from racing without contributing to the systems that keep it honest.

When the Federal Court delivered its judgment in Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Bekier in March 2026, most of the commentary that followed came from the corporate governance bar, addressed to directors and officers at large. That is understandable. The judgment is the most comprehensive contemporary statement of what section 180(1) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) requires, and its lessons travel well beyond any single sector.

NSW casino penalties have risen from a AU$1m ceiling to AU$100m. The process that produces them has not kept pace – and the latest Star fine shows the strain, regulatory expert Paul Newson writes.

Paul Newson, Regulating the Game Founder and Global Gaming Insider contributor, puts forward a commonly held industry view: that well-intentioned gambling reform can fuel the black market

The Regulating the Game 2026 conference takes place in Sydney from 9 to 11 March, bringing together leading regulators, operators, suppliers and other key stakeholders for three days of high-level insights – plus plenty of networking to match. IAG takes a look at what to expect.

Online casino: Betting on New Zealand over Australia

Paul Newson, Founder of Regulating the Game and regular contributor, argues that New Zealand’s decision to launch online casino shows rare discipline – in contrast to Australia.

Precaution has a price: the case for regulatory sandboxes in gambling

Regulatory inertia and outmoded legislation, unable to make sense of business models built on rapidly advancing technology, too often favour incumbents and suppress innovation. The cost falls on challengers, on competition, and on the economic and social benefits that competition would otherwise deliver. These barriers are increasingly difficult to justify in financial services, yet a tolerance for exaggerated restrictions and precautionary defaults persists in the gambling sector.

Paul Newson, Principal, Vanguard Overwatch

So far, no court has tested how the “reasonable precautions” defence operates in practice. Most enforcement actions have been settled rather than decided. Eventually, a case will test that defence in court – perhaps through AUSTRAC’s litigation with Entain, and possibly Mounties.

Billionaire businessman James Packer has accused casino regulators of trying to bankrupt the sector, and former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews of “being my least favourite person”, in a scathing assessment of the industry he once dominated through his ownership in Crown Resorts.

James Packer, the former Chairman and major shareholder of Crown Resorts, has accused Australian lawmakers of trying to bankrupt the casino industry – accusing former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews of reneging on a significant tax deal for Crown Melbourne and questioning how the Chief Commissioner of the NSW regulator, Philip Crawford, still has a job.

Former NSW regulator Paul Newson questions whether Australia’s long-held approach to casino regulation is still relevant today.

Australia’s casino probity regime is a relic of regulatory logic forged in a different era. Rooted in the foundational Street and Connor reports, it was designed to shield the industry from infiltration by organized crime, borrowing heavily from the Las Vegas playbook. These reports recommended adopting a dedicated licensing regime modelled on the US approach, centered on rigorous scrutiny of individuals – financial history, associations, character – as the cornerstone of casino integrity.

Vanguard Overwatch has announced a strategic collaboration with Jay Robinson, Managing Director of JR Consulting, to enhance safer gambling strategy, training, and culture change capability for gambling operators, regulators, and governments.

Vanguard Overwatch has announced a strategic collaboration with Jay Robinson, managing director of JR Consulting, to enhance safer gambling strategy, training, and culture change capability for gambling operators, regulators, and governments.

Newly appointed Entain Australia interim CEO Andrew Vouris is wasting no time making a statement.

“I want us to win, yes, but not at all costs,” he said recently. It’s a line that marks a conscious shift in tone and ambition. A step away from legacy cultures that flirted with legal minimalism, toward a future that embraces ethical leadership, transparency and sustained trust.

Paul Newson, Principal at Vanguard Overwatch and trusted Gambling Insider contributor, gives his thesis on where Australia stands after a crucial few years of regulatory change.

On 25 March 2025, AUSTRAC CEO Brendan Thomas spoke at the Regulating the Game 2025 gambling law and regulation conference.

Economist Andrew Russell explores the differences between community benefit and in-principle arguments for the existence of a legal gambling industry and why the latter is vital in winning over sentiment.

Leading gambling law and regulation conference Regulating the Game (RTG) has announced its first joint sponsors for its 2026 event: CherryHub and Ebet.

Regulating the Game 2026 is excited to welcome its first joint sponsors, CherryHub and Ebet, two innovative Australian companies driving transformation across the gaming and hospitality sectors. Their sponsorship underscores a shared commitment to industry leadership, compliance excellence and regulatory innovation.

The organisers of Regulating the Game have announced the launch of the RTG Global Awards, a new initiative recognising outstanding leadership, innovation, and impact across the international gambling and regulatory landscape.

Leading gambling law and regulation conference Regulating the Game will host its first ever RTG Global Awards as part of its 2026 schedule of events at the Regulating the Game conference in Sydney in March.

Vanguard Overwatch and McAtamney & Advisors have announced a strategic partnership that brings together leading expertise in anti-money laundering (AML), safer gambling and regulatory strategy to deliver tailored, end-to-end solutions for gambling operators and regulators navigating complex, high-stakes environments.

Vanguard Overwatch and McAtamney & Advisors have announced a strategic partnership that brings together their expertise in anti-money laundering (AML), safer gambling, and regulatory strategy to deliver "tailored, end-to-end solutions for gambling operators and regulators navigating complex, high-stakes environments."

Vanguard Overwatch is a specialist advisory firm dedicated to advancing gambling-related public policy and regulatory compliance, helping its clients navigate complex regulatory environments.

Vanguard Overwatch and McAtamney & Advisors have announced a strategic partnership that brings together leading expertise in anti-money laundering (AML), safer gambling, and regulatory strategy to deliver tailored, end-to-end solutions for gambling operators and regulators navigating complex, high-stakes environments.

AUSTRAC CEO, Brendan Thomas - Speaking notes at Regulating the Game 2025