Focal Points Newsletter - June 2024
In this issue of Focal Points:
- Welcome to Focal – Meet our new Chief Transformation Officer Michael J. Lavigne and Australasian Associates Sonja Bauer and Linda Woo
- EASG 2024 – Focal to present our latest timebound research at the 14th European Conference on Gambling Studies & Policy Issues September 10th-13th
- New Focused BETTOR Customer Care Training Videos –Streamlined for a targeted user experience and incorporating AI to stay on top of leading practices in tech – ready by the end of June!
- Canadian Gaming Summit – Jay will be moderating the Player Protection Symposium and will be joined by industry leaders from Entain, BP3 and Optimove on June 18th
Read time: 4 minutes
Hello,
Spring is upon us in Canada and at Focal we are also seeing growth and transformation.
We are happy to announce several outstanding people joining us to bring fresh perspectives to our team and broaden our capabilities.
First, we would like to introduce our new Chief Transformation Officer, Michael J. Lavigne.
Michael has 30+ years of experience in leadership positions across various industries with a proven track record of driving business transformation.
He has worked with startups, multinationals, and some of the world’s most prominent brands in the US, UK, Caribbean and Japan as CEO, COO, and SVP.
In an era where innovation is the heartbeat of success, Michael embodies the spirit of forward-thinking leadership. His visionary approach will help support Focal as we propel into new frontiers of growth and excellence.
Next, we want to introduce our new Australasian Associate Sonja Bauer.
We’re pleased to have Sonja represent Focal as a point of contact for our clients in Australia.
Her background in the gambling industry and diverse stakeholder relations make her a valuable resource, providing on-the-ground connection, support, and collaboration in the dynamic sectors Down Under.
Last but certainly not least, we want to introduce our new Australasian Advisor Linda Woo.
Linda’s extensive experience in senior leadership roles in the regulatory sector coupled with her development and implementation of many player protection and harm minimisation requirements makes her a wonderful addition.
She will advise us on current regulatory policies and best practices so we can remain agile and responsive to client needs. Please help us in extending them all a warm welcome.
In other news, after two years in a Director role at Focal, we are excited to announce the appointment of Jay Robinson as Chief Stakeholder Relations Officer.
They will assist us in strengthening our relationships with our valued clients and serve as a bridge between our organization and stakeholders, ensuring effective communication, engagement, and understanding.
Join us in congratulating Jay on this wonderful achievement.
On the research side, we recently received the fantastic news that our latest timebound research abstracts have been accepted for this year’s 14th Annual European Conference on Gambling Studies and Policy Issues.
The conference will be held in Rome, Italy September 10th – 13th.
Tracy Schrans and Melissa Salmon will present:
- It’s All About the Money: Decoding Why Players Engage in Long Sessions Without Breaks
- Is There a Right Time to Interact with Players Based on How Long they Play?
These sessions offer new evidence and insights that will challenge existing research on time thresholds and best practices for player protection.
If you are in Rome, we would love to catch up and hope to see you there!
For those in Canada, don’t miss Jay Robinson at this month’s Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto, Ontario.
On June 18th they will be kicking off the Player Protection Symposium with industry leaders Martin Lycka (Entain), Bill Pascrell (BP3), and Adi Markus (Optimove).
The talk will focus on the pressing need for heightened measures to protect high-stakes players and effective solutions for VIP player care.
Finally, we’re happy to announce that our focused training videos, designed to enhance the user experience for both managers and staff, will be rolled out shortly.
Staff will soon be able to spice up their learning with fresh content in their Bettor Customer Care training portal at the end of June!
Please let us know how we can assist you with your safer gambling needs.
Sincerely,
The Focal Team
