Source: cyprus-mail.com
Player protection, illegal gambling and the growing use of technology to detect harmful behaviour will take centre stage at Cyprus’ 9th Safer Gambling Conference, bringing together regulators, researchers and industry specialists in Nicosia on October 12.
Organised by the National Betting Authority (NBA) for the ninth consecutive year, the conference will take place at the Hilton Hotel from 09.00 to 14.30 as part of Safer Gambling Week 2026.
Under the theme ‘The Future of Player Protection: Shaping a More Sustainable Gambling Industry Through Innovation’, discussions will examine how regulation, scientific research, technology and innovation can contribute to stronger safeguards for players.
The programme will cover gambling-related harm, psychological and biological factors influencing risk-taking, developments in the European regulatory landscape and measures aimed at strengthening player protection.
Particular attention will be given to the illegal gambling market, including current trends, enforcement challenges and the potential use of data and other tools to identify and tackle unlawful activity.
Among the international speakers is Joerg Hofmann, head of the Betting and Gaming Group at Germany’s Melchers Law Firm and a past president of the International Masters of Gaming Law, who specialises in gambling regulation and gaming law.
He will be joined by Quirino Mancini, partner and director of WH Partners Italy and immediate past president of the International Masters of Gaming Law, whose work focuses on gaming regulation, licensing and compliance.
The research perspective will include Michael Auer, an independent gambling researcher whose work uses real-world gambling data to examine player behaviour, markers of harm and the effects of personalised feedback.
Technology and early intervention will also feature prominently, with Christina Savvouri, Enterprise Partnership Lead at Mindway AI, participating in the conference. Her work focuses on the use of neuroscience, psychology and artificial intelligence to identify potentially harmful gambling behaviour at an earlier stage.
The programme also includes Francesco Rodano, Group Head of Responsible Gaming at Allwyn, who leads the company’s player-protection strategy across its lottery and gaming businesses.
Rodano previously served as Italy’s Director of Remote Gaming and later worked at Playtech, where his responsibilities included BetBuddy, an artificial intelligence-based behavioural analytics and player-protection platform.
From the regulatory side, Graziella Caffari, Senior Executive within the Player Protection Team at the Malta Gaming Authority, will contribute experience spanning regulatory supervision, compliance, anti-money laundering and responsible gambling.
Cyprus will also be represented by Chara A. Demetriou, president of the Cyprus Psychologists Association and Assistant Professor of Psychology at the American University of Beirut – Mediterraneo, who works across clinical psychology, mental health and prevention.
Meanwhile, Lucy Herodotou Mouskou, Director of Financial Management of the Central Government Directorate at the Finance Ministry, will bring a public-policy perspective, including experience in policy matters relating to the gambling sector.
Other speakers include Slovenian legal and regulatory consultant Jaka Repansek, a member of the International Masters of Gaming Law, and Constantinos Daltas, Managing Director of RedWolf Ogilvy and chairman of the Cyprus Advertising Agencies Association.
The conference forms part of Safer Gambling Week 2026, which includes awareness and information initiatives aimed at encouraging a more informed and responsible approach to betting and gambling, with particular emphasis on prevention and the protection of young people and vulnerable groups.
The National Betting Authority is responsible for the licensing, regulation and supervision of betting activity in Cyprus under the Betting Law of 2019.
It also works with government services, industry stakeholders and international organisations on betting-related matters and implements measures aimed at preventing gambling addiction and protecting vulnerable groups.