08:55am - 9:05am

Welcome and opening remarks

• Charlotte Mills - Head of Racing, Moonee Valley Racing Club (MC)

09:05am - 9:15am

Keynote

Finish Lines & Front Pages: 12 Months in Racing & Wagering

The Straight, racing and wagering’s most respected independent publication, delivers a fast-paced recap of the industry’s biggest headlines from the last year. From regulation and reform to scandals, innovations and surprise moves - this entertaining introduction will set the pace for the two days ahead and remind us of the major stories that have shaped the sector since we last met.

• Bren O’Brien - Founder & Editor, The Straight

09:15am - 9:45am

Keynote

Financial Form Guide FY24-25

Don returns to set the scene with a timely market overview, recapping key developments across the wagering and racing landscape since the 2024 conference. This session will explore Australia’s current socio-economic trends, emerging financial signals, and bold predictions for the year ahead.

• Don Carducci - Executive Director - Equity Research, J.P. Morgan

9:45am - 10:30am

Panel

Wagering in Australia: The Revenue Roadmap

Leaders from the racing and wagering industries unpack the key trends shaping Australian wagering, including product innovation, revenue-generation strategies, and the impact of recent and upcoming regulatory reforms. Gain insight into the future-facing models driving profitability and long-term sustainability across the sector.

• Lyndon Hsu - Joint Chair, Victorian Bookmakers Association (moderator)

  • Jason Scott - Chief Executive Officer, The Booki Group

  • Bernard Saundry - Board Chair, Harness Racing Victoria

  • Tom Waterhouse - Chief Investment Officer - Waterhouse Venture Capital

  • Andrew Hannan - Executive Director – Commercial & Industry, Entain Australia & New Zealand

11:00am - 11:45am

Keynote

Keeping Up with the Modern Fan

A provocative invitation to rethink what sports fandom means today. This keynote exposes the cultural forces driving its evolution, revealing how fandom is fragmenting and reassembling in new and unexpected ways. Drawing on her work with teams like the All Blacks, FC Barcelona, women’s sport, youth, and alt-leagues, Leanne offers a fresh lens on culture-first, athlete-driven, and participatory fandom - and what sport can do to remain culturally fluent in the digital age.

• Leanne Bats - Head of Innovation & Digital, Sport Waikato

11:45am - 12:30pm

Panel

Connected, Invested, Engaged: Reaching Tomorrow’s Racing Fan

This session explores how innovation, technology, and new business models are helping the industry connect with modern audiences, enhance engagement, and create new pathways for fans to get involved. This is your front-row seat to the future of fandom.

• Chris Smith - Founder & CEO, Big R Social (moderator)

  • Ben Willis - Managing Director, MyRacehorse

  • Emilie Jirsch - Chief Marketing Officer, Dabble

  • Zac Reynolds - Marketing Executive, establishing a global jockeys league

1:30pm - 2:15pm

Panel

C-Suite Showcase: Wagering Service Providers

Join a panel of Australia’s leading wagering C-suite executives as they unpack the forces shaping the future of the sector. From tax caps and POCT audits to regulatory pressures and evolving market dynamics., this session will explore the strategic decision leaders are making today, and where they’re steering the industry over the next 3–5 years.

• Don Carducci - Executive Director - Equity Research, J.P. Morgan (moderator)

  • Andrew Caterall - CEO, PointsBet

  • Michael Fitzsimons - Chief Wagering Officer, Tabcorp

  • Brenden Varcoe - Chief Strategy & Commercial Officer, Dabble

2:15pm - 3:00pm

Myths, Truths and Solutions – Breeding, Bloodstock and Training in 2025

The Straight, Australia’s highly respected independent online racing publication, brings its editorial insight to a special panel on the bloodstock, breeding and training industry.

• Bren O’Brien - Founder & Editor, The Straight (moderator)

  • Mick Sharkie - General Manager & Bloodstock Manager, Leneva Park

  • Suman Hedge - Owner & Principal, Suman Hedge Bloodstock

  • Michael Kent Jnr - Trainer, Price Kent Racing

  • Tim Rowe - Journalist, The Straight

3:30pm - 4:15pm

Keynote

Behind the Firewall: Uncovering Australia’s Shadow Betting Market

Award-winning investigative journalist and documentary maker Jack Kerr reveals how illegal offshore gambling operators are infiltrating the Australian market, using the internet, VPNs and loopholes to target Australian customers directly, bypassing national regulations. He also explores how these operators are harvesting data from grassroots and amateur sports to fuel unregulated betting markets overseas, raising serious integrity and enforcement concerns.

• Jack Kerr - Investigative Reporter and Journalist

4:15pm - 5:00pm

Panel

Inside the Regulatory Agenda: Reform, Integrity and Enforcement

Join senior leaders from key regulatory bodies for a wide-ranging discussion on the current and future state of gambling regulation in Australia. This session will explore key issues including the implementation of BetStop, proposed restrictions on gambling advertising, sports integrity risks, enforcement against illegal offshore operators, and emerging challenges in licensing and compliance.

• Peter Cohen - Director Regulatory Affairs, The Agenda Group (Moderator)

  • Suzy Neilan - Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC)

  • Carolyn Lidgerwood - Authority Member and Gambling Lead, Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)

  • Terrie Benfield - Racing Integrity Commissioner, Victorian Government

9:05am - 9:15am

Welcome and day 1 recap

• Alex Norrish - Senior Associate, Senet (MC)

9:15am - 10:00am

Keynote

Data & Insights from the Racing and Wagering Industry

• Simon Berry - Head of Insights, The Gemba Group

10:00am - 10:45am

Panel

The Trust Factor: Animal Welfare, Public Image and the Generational Divide

Leaders from across the racing codes explore how the industry is responding to changing public expectations, particularly across generational lines. With a focus on animal welfare, public perception, and trust, panellists will examine the shared challenges facing each code and the strategies being used to reshape the narrative and build a more trusted, sustainable future for the sport.

• Vaughn Lynch - Chief Operating Officer, Racing Victoria

• Peita Duncan - Board Chair, Greyhound Racing Victoria

• Doug Freeman - Board Member, Harness Racing NSW

11:15am - 11:45am

Keynote

A View from the Northern Territory Regulator

As Chair of the Northern Territory Racing and Wagering Commission, Alastair Shields chairs the body responsible for licensing and regulating sports bookmakers and betting exchanges licensed in the Northern Territory. Shaped by delegate feedback, this keynote will explore the Commission’s current enforcement priorities and examine trends in complaints received. It’s a valuable opportunity to hear directly from the regulator at the centre of Australia’s most active licensing jurisdiction, and one that oversees Australia’s largest bookmakers.

• Alastair Shields - Chair, Northern Territory Racing and Wagering Commission

11:45am - 12:30pm

Panel

What Works? Reimagining Responsibility in Online Wagering

With responsible gambling under sharper regulatory and public scrutiny, this panel brings together voices from government, industry, and behavioural science to explore what’s actually working in harm minimisation. From data-driven tools to policy shifts and operator accountability, the discussion will focus on where responsibility is heading in 2025 and beyond.

• Joel Williams - General Manager - Regulatory & Government Affairs, Tabcorp (moderator)

  • Natalie Wright - Executive Director Regulatory Policy, Hospitality & Racing, NSW Government

  • Dr Michael Auer - Director, Neccton by OpenBet

  • Kai Cantwell - Chief Executive Officer, Responsible Wagering Australia

  • Alastair Shields - Chair, Northern Territory Racing and Wagering Commission

1:30pm - 2:15pm

Panel

Powering Sport and Brand Growth Through Partnerships

Partnerships and sponsorships in live sport have evolved well beyond simple logo placement. In today’s fast-paced wagering and racing environment, brands seek to forge genuine connections with fans, share brand equity with sporting partners, and achieve measurable commercial outcomes. Industry leaders will share insights on creating strategic partnerships that go beyond traditional sponsorship, showing how wagering operators, sporting bodies, and rights holders can deliver value on and off the track.

2:15pm - 3:00pm

Panel

Racing Across Borders: Global Perspectives on the Future of Thoroughbred Racing

This panel brings together senior leaders from Australia, New Zealand and the UK to explore the future of thoroughbred racing through both international and local lenses. The discussion will focus on the practical realities of leading a racing jurisdiction - including how to keep participants in the game, how to fund prize money sustainably, and what role wagering, scheduling, and cross-border cooperation play in the long-term health of the sport.

• Paul Cross - Director, Crossy Consulting (moderator)

  • Aaron Morrison - CEO, Racing Victoria

  • Matt Ballesty - CEO, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing

  • Brant Dunshea - Acting CEO, British Horseracing Authority (BHA)

3:00 - 3:05pm

Closing address