From the Desk Of…William Downey, Shareholder & Industry Group Chair, Brownstein and President, IAGA
"From the Desk Of…” is a series from the G2E Insider written by G2E community members to share their knowledge with the wider gaming industry. In this edition, William Downey, Shareholder & Industry Group Chair at Brownstein, explores the rapidly evolving gaming regulatory landscape and why staying ahead of emerging risks is essential for today’s industry leaders. From financial crime and sports betting integrity to new technologies and illegal market competition, Downey highlights the critical issues shaping regulated gaming—and why G2E’s regulatory sessions belong on every gaming leader’s agenda.
The gaming regulatory landscape is shifting as fast as at any point in decades. New threats are emerging across every vertical, and from regulators to investors to consumers, expectations around financial crime prevention, consumer protection, market integrity, and responsible innovation are rising. For industry leaders, staying informed is no longer a competitive edge; it is essential to sound governance, effective compliance, and business resilience.
G2E’s conference brings together legal, compliance, operational, and strategic minds to tackle the issues that matter most to those operating in and around the gaming industry. IAGA’s Best Practices Sessions cut through the noise, helping attendees understand what is changing, why it matters, and what smart, proactive organizations are doing now to stay ahead. This September’s five-session lineup addresses the forces reshaping regulated gambling and betting: enforcement priorities, evolving financial crime risks, sports betting integrity threats, technology-driven disruption, and the persistent challenge of illegal and gray market competition.
Across all five sessions, expect substantive discussions on where regulatory scrutiny is intensifying and where operators need to strengthen internal practices. But these sessions deliver more than issue-spotting: they provide essential context and direct access to regulators, expert advisors, and industry stakeholders who are shaping gaming’s future. Attendees will leave with actionable insights to inform risk assessments, compliance planning, governance decisions, product development, vendor management, and cross-border strategy.
At IAGA, we are appreciative of our long-standing partnership with RX and energized about G2E 2026 and the opportunity to engage in conversations that will shape regulated gaming’s next chapter. If you are still weighing whether to add these sessions to your agenda, here is the bottom line: if navigating today’s fast-moving regulatory environment matters to your organization, these sessions are not optional—they are essential.
Explore all of IAGA’s sessions taking place at G2E 2026, here.