NEWS & EVENTS

Mr. Teo Chun Ching is presently the Chief Executive of the Casino Regulatory Authority of Singapore (CRA).  He leads CRA in regulating Singapore’s casino industry and ensures the management and operation of the casinos remain free from criminal influence or exploitation, gaming in the casinos is conducted honestly and the potential harm to vulnerable persons is contained and controlled. He is also concurrently the Senior Director of the Gambling Regulatory Unit in MHA, responsible for regulating remote gambling under the Remote Gambling Act. 

Prior to his present appointment, Mr Teo was the Director of Manpower in the Singapore Police Force (SPF), responsible for recruiting, retaining and developing 11,000 police officers and civilian staff, and to provide an appropriate exit system. As SPF’s Director of Planning & Organisation Department in 2012 to 2016, Mr Teo implemented strategic planning, capability building and organisational development in the SPF. 

Mr Teo was Deputy Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (2011-2012) where he led efforts to build up capabilities against cybercrime and organised crime. As Commander of Bedok Police Division (2009-2011), Mr Teo was responsible for policing the eastern region of Singapore which had a residential population of about 1 million. From 2006-2009, Mr Teo was the Commander of Airport Police Division, responsible for Singapore’s aviation security. 

Mr Teo was awarded the SPF Overseas Scholarship in 1993, graduating from Oxford University with a Master of Engineering (First Class Honours) in 1997. He has a Master of Business Administration (Distinction) from INSEAD on an SPF Postgraduate Scholarship in 2006. He is married with 2 children.

Mr. Paulo Martins Chan was appointed as the Director of the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) in December 2015 due to his extensive legal knowledge and language proficiency in Chinese, Portuguese and English. Under the leadership of Paulo, the DICJ's law enforcement capability and regulatory framework continues to enhance, further expediting the healthy and sustainable development of the gaming industry.

Prior to joining the DICJ, Paulo worked at the Prosecutions Office for over 17 years. Owing to his wide knowledge in law, strong ethics and unquestioned integrity, Paulo was appointed as the Assistant Public Prosecutor-General since 2009. 

Paulo received his Bachelor of Law at the University of Macau and obtained his Master of Law at the Macau University of Science and Technology. His passion in the field of law is shown by his active participation in various law committees and sharing of professional experiences via lecturing to the University of Macau, Public Prosecutions Office, Legal and Judicial Training Centre, Macau Bar Association, Legal Affairs Bureau, Judiciary Police and Public Security Forces Affairs Bureau. Paulo is also the co-author of the book "Studies on Macau Gaming Law" -- the first English book that explains about the various gaming laws and regulations in Macau.

Mr. Blair Cairncross is the Executive Director of the New Zealand Gambling Commission, a role that he has held since December 2007.  Prior to this, he was the Senior Legal Advisor to the Gambling Commission.

Previously Mr. Cairncross was a lawyer in private practice having worked in New Zealand and the United Kingdom in the areas of civil and commercial litigation.

Mr. Cairncross has a BA and LLB from the University of Waikato in New Zealand.

Mr. Jim Barbee is the Chief of the Nevada Gaming Control Board’s Technology Division.  The Technology Division is responsible for the oversight and regulation of all gaming technology used throughout the State of Nevada.  Jim started his career with the Nevada Gaming Control Board in 2000 after working as a computer engineer in the field of ASIC and VLSI design.

As the Technology Division Chief, Jim provides counsel to the members of the Nevada Gaming Control Board and Nevada Gaming Commission on regulatory and policy matters related to gaming technology.  He has been instrumental in the evolution of Nevada’s regulations and policies in the era of growth in gaming technology, including regulations for internet gaming, skill gaming, and Nevada’s New Innovation Beta process.  The New Innovation Beta process allows innovative gaming technology to be deployed in a limited manner pending the completion of development for regulatory compliance.

Jim collaborates with gaming regulators, manufacturers, and operators worldwide on how to effectively and efficiently regulate gaming technology.  He often consults with emergent gaming jurisdictions on the development of regulations and best practices related to the governance of gaming technology.

Jim earned his Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and is currently a member of the UNLV College of Engineering Advisory Board.

Mr. Mike Sarquis is the Executive Director of the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation Queensland. He is, however, currently acting as Deputy Director General of Liquor, Gaming and Fair Trading.

In his normal role he is responsible for managing the gaming and liquor regulatory licensing and compliance regimes and implementing the responsible gambling strategy and harm minimisation programs. He is also responsible for the administration of the Gambling Community Benefit Fund, which distributes approximately $54 million each year to worthwhile community projects and initiatives.

Mike holds a Bachelor of Business in Accountancy and a Graduate Diploma of Business in Professional Accounting. He is also a current member of the Gambling Community Benefit Fund Committee, the Responsible Gambling Advisory Committee, and is a member and former vice president of the International Association of Gaming Regulators.

When he’s not wearing his OLGR cap, you might find him on the golf course, in his boat fishing, at the horse races, or exploring some new idyllic destination.

Mr. Thomas Delafosse is an analyst with the French Online Gaming Regulatory Authority (ARJEL).

Mr. Peter Naessens is acting General Director of the Belgian Gaming Commission. He studied law at the university of Brussels, criminology at the university of Leuven and social work at Campus Kortrijk. He has a large experience in legislative and regulatory advice and enforcement in the field of gambling.  He coordinates regulatory gambling issues in Belgium and follows the European debate on the gambling market with special interest. He actively took part in public debates and wrote different articles related to gambling. He has been elected as Project Leader and Convenor to elaborate a European online reporting standard on the request of the European Commission. He also edited a report on lootboxes published on the website of the Belgian Gaming Commission.

Ms. Sandra Douglass Morgan serves as Chair and Executive Director of the Nevada Gaming Control Board where she is responsible for the Board’s daily operations, including managing a $44 million dollar budget and approximately 400 employees in five cities throughout Nevada.

Sandra was appointed to this role by Governor Steve Sisolak for a 4-year term from January 28, 2019 to January 28, 2023.  She was previously appointed to the Nevada Gaming Commission in 2018 and to the Nevada Athletic Commission in 2017 by former Governor Brian Sandoval. While serving as a Gaming Commissioner, she was also the Director of External Affairs for AT&T Services, Inc. She formerly served as the City Attorney for the City of North Las Vegas, and was the first African-American City Attorney in the state of Nevada. Prior to her public service with the City, she served as a Litigation Attorney for one of the world’s largest gaming companies.

Her awards and honors include the Corporate to Community Connector award from the National Urban League Young Professionals, “Women in Business and Politics” award from the Urban Chamber of Commerce, Ladies of Distinction Award from Olive Crest, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting abused and neglected children, the National Bar Association’s Nation’s Best Advocates “40 under 40,” and Attorney of the Year Award by the Las Vegas Chapter of the National Bar Association.

Sandra is a member of the State Bar of Nevada. She earned her B. A. in Political Science from the University of Nevada, Reno and her J. D. from the William S. Boyd School of Law at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She resides in Southern Nevada with her husband, Don Morgan, where they raise their two children.

With over 15 years of diverse experience, Nicholas has been an entrepreneur, investor, and board member in businesses, charities, and government. Having directly reported to Fortune 500 CEOs, Nicholas also led a regional team for Visa helping clients like Tencent, Alibaba, and AirAsia manage their risks in digital transactions, having served on Visa’s Asia Pacific Merchant Sales & Solutions leadership.

Nicholas Khoo is the Chairman of the Singapore‘s Cybersports and Online Gaming Association (SCOGA). Mr Khoo has also served as a member of the 13th, 14th, and 15th National Youth Council of Singapore. Under Mr. Khoo's leadership, SCOGA Esports Academy has received more than 1,000 students, and more than a million people have actively participated in SCOGA’s offline activities. Mr. Khoo has chaired various national initiatives, including using games to promote online safety for students as well as  encouraging students to come up with ideas to bring Singaporeans closer together and improve online wellness.

In Asia Pacific, Mr. Khoo has chaired the first official ASEAN esports event and delivered a speech at the Wuzhen World Internet Conference on keeping young people safe online.

Ms. Audrey Seah heads the Gambling Safeguards Division (GSD) in the Ministry of Social and Family Development, Singapore. The team formulates and coordinates policies and programmes to address the harms of problem gambling. The work involves upstream public education efforts to the provision of counselling and treatment services for problem gamblers.

Ms. Seah has been with the public service sector for 20 years. She has worked on a range of community matters, developing policies for aging and disability issues, racial and religious harmony, as well as the promotion of volunteerism and philanthropy. Prior to joining GSD, Ms. Seah was at the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.

Ms. Shelley White is one of Canada’s foremost visionary leaders who has dedicated her life and career to empowering organizations that create better futures for thousands of people in their communities. In 2017, she became the new CEO of the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) which is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to problem gambling prevention. 

Shelley leads the organization in their mission to promote responsible gambling and reduce problem gambling. The organization is a centre of excellence in responsible gambling, and it accomplishes this in four ways; conducting research to develop evidence-based responsible gambling policies, programs and standards; using the research to develop and implement innovative prevention, education and social marketing programs; by offering gambling operators, land-based and online, accreditation as responsible gambling operations under the RG Check Program; and RGC collaborates with academics and regulators to provide thought leadership to the ongoing development of responsible gambling practices.

Over the last 30 years, Shelley has also held a variety of executive positions also in the non-profit sector for the country’s most recognized and trusted national institutions, including United Way, Kidney Foundation of Canada and the YMCA. Earning a reputation as a champion of social change, Shelley has received United Way Worldwide’s Common Good Award, the Queen’s Jubilee Award for outstanding achievement in voluntary service, Ontario’s Leading Women Building Communities Award, The Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) Champion Award, Volunteer MBC’s 2017 Bonnie Yagar Award for Community Engagement Leadership and has been named one of Mississauga’s Top 10 Most Influential Leaders.

Since 2013 Mark Vander Linden has served as Director of Research and Responsible Gaming for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC).  In this role he manages an extensive research agenda to advance the understanding of responsible gaming, gambling disorders and the social and economic impacts of casino gambling in Massachusetts.  Additionally, he works collaboratively with casino operators and other stakeholders to design and implement a range of casino and community-based responsible gaming initiatives intended to promote positive play and reduce gambling related harm.  Prior to joining MGC, Mark directed the Office of Problem Gambling Treatment and Prevention at the Iowa Department of Public Health.  Mark serves on the Board of Directors of the National Center for Responsible Gaming.  He received his Masters in Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley with honors.  Mark has clinical experience in community-based settings with addiction, HIV/AIDS issues, and children and family mental health. 

Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) of Police Deculan Goh joined the Singapore Police Force in 1998 as an Inspector of Police. In his 20 years of service, Deculan has gone through various postings in the Police, especially in the investigations fraternity.

Deculan has served stints in the Secret Societies Branch (anti-gang), intellectual property rights branch and Special Investigations Section (including Murder investigations) of the Criminal Investigations Department.

As Officer in Charge and subsequently Head of the Secret Societies Branch, Deculan had to conduct operations and investigations to suppress the gang situation in Singapore.

As Deputy Head of the Intellectual Property Rights Branch, Deculan had to plan and implement strategies to curb the counterfeit situation at that time.

As Head of the Special Investigations Section, Deculan led a team to investigate into Murder, kidnapping and Little India Riots, Strike by SMRT bus drivers and major incidents in Singapore.

In between, Deculan was also seconded to the Joint Operations Group (JOG) of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Whilst in JOG, Deculan had to manage incidents across the entire Home Team, including Police, Prisons and Narcotics related incidents.

Deculan is now the Assistant Director of the Specialised Crime Division of the Criminal Investigations Department. His area of coverage includes secret societies, intellectual property, organised crime, financial investigations, unlicensed money lending, prostitution, gambling and casino crime.

Ms. Cher is the Assistant Director (Policy and Ops) in the Commercial Affairs Division, Singapore Police Force. Ms. Cher joined the Commercial Affairs Department as a Commercial Affairs Officer in 2001. In September 2017, she was appointed Assistant Director of the Policy and Operations Division, Financial Investigation Group in the Commercial Affairs Department. She oversees the development of law enforcement policy in relation to money laundering, terrorism financing and other financial crime. She also participates actively at international AML/CFT fora such as the Financial Action Task Force and the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering.