Speakers Central Europe

J��nis Ungurs?is a highly experienced legal professional with over two decades of expertise in legal affairs, specializing in gambling regulation and IT. Since January 2006, he has served as the Director of the Legal Department at the Lotteries and Gambling Supervisory Inspectorate of the Republic of Latvia. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing all legal aspects of the institution, including managing the legal framework, drafting legislative projects, and ensuring the licensing of gambling and state lottery operators. He is also responsible for representing the institution in court proceedings and facilitating international cooperation with other supervisory authorities and partners. His experience has provided him with in-depth knowledge and practical expertise in gambling regulation at both national and international levels. He has actively participated in international working groups, such as the European Commission's Expert Group on Gambling Services, and served as a member and coordinator of the national drafting group in Latvia for information exchange in the fight against the manipulation of sports competitions (the Macolin Convention).

Aleksandar Popov is currently director of the Directorate Supervision of gambling and gambling activities in the National Revenue Agency of Bulgaria. Aleksandar has significant experience in the area of control of public funds, mainly European funding. He possess a master's degree in Law and Public Administration and a PhD in Political science. Also, I am a certified auditor in the public sector. Aleksandar has been a speaker at ICE London, SBS Lisbon, EEGS 2023 and EEGS 2024.

Francesco (Frank) Cecchini is the Head of Lottery at Evoplay. With over 25 years of experience in the lottery and gaming industry, including leadership roles at Betware (later NOVOMATIC Lottery Solutions) and GTECH/IGT, he has developed strategies to innovate and disrupt the lottery technology market by addressing cost, speed, and reliability challenges. Fluent in French, Italian, and English, Cecchini holds an Electrical and Electronic Engineering diploma from De Montfort University and has a background in fintech, notably with Dimoco in Austria. He is also passionate about Leicester City FC, cooking, and motorbikes with big engines.

William J. Pascrell, III is a partner at Princeton Public Affairs Group (PPAG), with a distinguished career in state, federal, and international public affairs. A seasoned lobbyist, he has made significant contributions across industries, notably in gaming and cannabis, driving major successes for PPAG��s clients. In the gaming sector, Bill is recognized as one of the nation��s top experts in internet gaming, lottery, poker, horse racing, esports, and sports betting. He played a key role in the decade-long campaign to legalize sports betting in the U.S., culminating in the repeal of PASPA by the Supreme Court in 2018. He also led efforts to pass New Jersey��s landmark Online Gaming Act and helped shape its regulatory framework. BPIII has served as a legal and strategic advisor across the U.S., Canada, Israel, Europe, South America, and Australia, and continues to counsel governments on gaming policy and regulation.

With a career in the gambling industry since 2005, he currently serves as President of APAJO (the Portuguese Online Gambling Association) and is a board member of both APAN (Portuguese Advertisers Association) and ACEPI (Portuguese Ecommerce Association). Additionally, he holds the position of Director of International Markets at the Betclic Group. He graduated in Finance and Investments from Babson College in Boston, USA, in 1995. Although his academic background is in finance, his passion for advertising and marketing led him to transition into these fields shortly after beginning his career in banking. Over the past two decades, he has worked extensively in the media and technology sectors, consistently focusing on the digital landscape.

Neil Micallef leads AI supervision and market surveillance at the Malta Digital Innovation Authority, with a focus on implementation of regulatory frameworks on trustworthy, human-centric AI. Previously, he contributed to AI research at CERN in Geneva and managed local projects in critical infrastructure and transport, where he specialized in solutions architecture. Neil holds a Master��s in Artificial Intelligence with distinction and is involved in AI research with the University of Malta, exploring the intersection of computer vision and biomedicine.

Mariusz collaborates with top partners across Central and Eastern Europe to foster the growth and development of the mobile gaming and apps ecosystem. With over 12 years of experience, Mariusz has leveraged both internal and external Google data to gain deep insights into mobile user behaviour and industry trends. Since 2015, he has specialized in mobile gaming and apps, expanding his expertise to include Web3, 바카라, and sports betting sectors since 2021.

Tony Ventura is a tech influencer, an international speaker, and a dedicated technology researcher. He is known for his work in technology and innovation in Brazil, where he created the Digital Transformation course for the Ministry of Economy. He founded the largest digital tools community in Latin America, positively transforming thousands of lives through technology. In addition, Tony established the Brazil Startups association, supporting numerous startups with technology and investments. He has delivered talks in various cities worldwide, sharing creative ideas for using technology in business. Tony also mentors executives in multinational companies, introducing them to lesser-known new technologies Furthermore, Tony Ventura runs a social project that aims to equip students in economically disadvantaged areas, with apps, websites, enabling them to continue their education, generate income selling services from those tools and support their families financially.