iDEA Power Lunch Summit Tackles Current Issues Concerning RG, Fraud & iGaming

By Bill Speros Sep 8th, 2025 11:58 AM EDT

(USA TODAY)

What lies ahead for legal online sports betting and online gaming? The 2025 iDEA Power Lunch Summit hopes to come up with some answers next week.

The door opened to legal, nationwide sports betting in 2018 with the repeal of PASPA. At no time since has the industry faced more uncertainty that it does now.

The challenges come from both without and within. Books are being squeezed in some states by regulators that have or wish to raise taxes after setting those terms before betting launched. Illinois hit its operators with a per-bet fee.

Trading markets jumped head-first into the sports betting space with a fury ahead of the Super Bowl. Kalshi and others are raking in tens of millions of dollars on sports trades in both states where betting is both allowed and still not legal.

Operators continue to wrestle with issues such as responsible gaming, security and fraud protections, and the legal spread of iGaming.

'We don’t rehash old topics. We look forward.'

The iDEA Power Lunch Summit includes webinars each day from September 16-18 from noon to 1 p.m. EST. The panelists will address some of those challenges while offering solutions and ideas. All 3 The iDEA Power Lunch Summit webinars are free. But registration is required.

“We’re very focused on each subject,” said iDEA Cofounder and General Counsel Jeff Ifrah. “These reflect the most-relevant topics. We don’t rehash old topics. We look forward. People are getting access to people who live and breathe these topics for a living. Not professional panelists. These folks are literally speaking to their personal expertise.”

iDEA Power Lunch Summit Schedule, Breakdown

Proactive Player Protection: Making Responsible Gaming the New Normal

On Monday, September 16, the first webinar in the 3-day series is called: “Proactive Player Protection: Making Responsible Gaming the New Normal.”

The panelists will share “how more proactive strategies are being implemented, what measurable results they're seeing, and how regulatory frameworks are evolving to support innovative player protection. Panelists will also discuss the future of responsible gaming technology and how the industry is working to make sustainable play the new normal.”

The webinar panelists are:

• Amy Knapp: Executive Director iDEA
• Rasmus Kjaergaard: CEO·Mindway AI
• Jamie McKelvey: Assistant Bureau Chief and Responsible Gaming Coordinator NJ DGE
• Rich Taylor: Director of Responsible Gambling BetMGM
• Chrissy Thurmond: Head of Responsible Gaming Relations DraftKings

The Fraud Prevention Balancing Act: Meeting Regulatory Standards While Preserving Player Experience

On Tuesday, September 17, the second webinar in the 3-day series is called: “The Fraud Prevention Balancing Act: Meeting Regulatory Standards While Preserving Player Experience.” This panel aims to address how operators cane “strike a delicate balance between robust security and a frictionless user experience.”

The webinar panelists are:

• John Pappas: State Advocacy Director iDEA
• Lee Copello: Director, iGaming Compliance, Bureau of Gaming Operations Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
• Nick Imperillo: Senior Manager Risk Services GeoComply
• Christy Watkins: Sr. Product Manager, Merchant Fraud Worldpay

Beyond Legislation: How Legal iGaming Revenue Serves as a Catalyst for Broader Economic Development

On Wednesday, September 18, the third webinar in the 3-day series is called: “Beyond Legislation: How Legal iGaming Revenue Serves as a Catalyst for Broader Economic Development.”

Ifrah (the panel’s moderator) believes a change must occur for iGaming to win over the hearts and minds of legislators. The industry needs to explain “where the money goes” following the legalization of iGaming.

The panel’s goal: to cite “real-world examples of how online gaming revenue is being reinvested into education, infrastructure, and community programs, while exploring the broader economic ecosystem that the legal industry creates.”

 The webinar panelists are:

• Jeff Ifrah: Co-Founder and General Counsel iDEA
• Shawn Fluharty: Minority Whip West Virginia House of Delegates
• Brandt Iden: VP, Government Affairs Fanatics Gaming & Betting
• David Murley: Deputy Director, Online Gaming & Legal Affairs Division Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB)

(For more info and/or to register for one or all of the panels, visit the iDEA Power Lunch Summit homepage.)