2016 Gaming, Racing & Wagering Australia Conference to highlight eSports Gambling

Each year, Gaming, Racing & Wagering Australia (GRWA) hosts a national conference where operators and other individuals with a vest interest in the gaming industry gather to discuss current trends and marketing tactics. The 2016 GRWA Conference is scheduled for next month, and some of the key focal points are set to include topics on eSports gambling and the exponential growth of online gaming.

The country’s premier gambling conference, the GRWA conference focuses on current trends and upcoming innovations in the gaming and wagering industry, specifically designed to help operators stay ahead of the game in what’s become one of the largest yielding businesses throughout Australia and Asia.

The 2016 GRWA will take place from Monday, August 8, to Wednesday, August 10, at the Novotel Sydney on Darling Harbour, a 4.5-Star hotel on the eastern coast of NSW in Pyrmont. The 3-day conference will play host to a projected 150 members of Australia’s and Asia’s top gaming, racing and sports betting executives.

Rise of eSports Gambling

The rapid rise of eSports gambling is expected to take center stage at the 2016 GRWA, where several presentations are slated to revolve around the subject. Unlike traditional sports betting, eSports gambling takes place when bettors place wagers on the outcome of a virtual game, such as online multi-player video games (Call of Duty, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, etc.).

It’s been estimated that there are 89 million eSports gambling enthusiasts worldwide, and that number is growing at an alarming rate. Attendants will learn what this rapid growth means for the mobile gambling industry as experts consider potential catalysts for player engagement, retention and the proliferation of audience participation.

Spiral Global Founder and CEO Scott Wenkart will speak at the conference, detailing the immense growth of eSports gambling in recent months. Other speakers on the topic of eSports and virtual sports will include gaming law expert Jamie Nettleton of Addisons Lawyers, and Better eSports COO Gordon Tsui.

Future of Racing in Australia

Oonagh Chan, Head of Broadcasting Services for the Hong Kong Jockey Club, is another key speaker set to appear at this year’s GRWA conference. Chan will enlighten the audience on the future of racing in Australia and beyond as he tackles a series of questions relating to current obstacles faced by the industry, and the challenge of overcoming those hurdles through innovative means conceptually designed to sustain relevance in today’s active racing and wagering environment.

There will also be an important conversation about the ever-present threat of match fixing in today’s racing world. Alan Pedley, a Principal Consultant with Government Associations, will head up that seminar.

Pedley will be fielding some difficult inquiries on the subject, including how prominent the threat of match manipulation is in today’s industry, and how to best manage the public perception of the racing industry in regards to potential match fixing. Innovations in the legal approach to detection and prevention of match fixing will also be tabled come August.