Call for Speakers

Over the many years, the New Horizons in Safer Gambling Conference has welcomed impressive speakers who inspire continued progress in gambling, healthier approaches to gambling, and new ways to address gambling. 

Hundreds of industry professionals converge on the conference each year, making it an incredible platform to ignite thought leadership. The ideas shared by our speakers have the potential to truly make an impact in the industry. 

If you want to inspire and generate ideas among a diverse audience of researchers, industry representatives, and prevention or treatment specialists - we want to hear from you!

At New Horizons this year, we will explore these four focus areas. If you would like to present or take part in a panel at the conference program, complete a speaker proposal application by May 31, 2026.

Submit your proposal here

2026 New Horizons Conference Focus Areas 

Sports Betting as a Disruptor

The rapid expansion of sports betting is reshaping the way that we consume sports and what it means to be a fan. It’s transformed fan behaviour, influenced media coverage and even altered how broadcasts are designed. At the same time, we are seeing growing harms among amateur athletes as the increasingly blurred line between being a participating athlete and a consumer of sports entertainment drives high engagement in sports betting. We’ll explore sports betting as a disruptor through topics such as: 

  • How sports betting is affecting sport integrity. 
  • How shifting fan behaviours – such as emotional investment, loyalty and viewing choices – are increasing gambling risks. 
  • What is the impact of sports betting among youth and amateur athletes? 
  • What other disruptions that are impacting gambling sports entertainment. 

 

Public Health Approaches to Gambling Harm

A public health approach is disrupting the gambling industry as we start to see markers of gambling harm that mirror other public health issues - such as mental health and population-level impacts. This shift in approach moves focus away from individual responsibility and towards broader industry accountability that looks at prevention and safeguards in product design, operator practices, marketing and the accessibility of gambling platforms applications and environments. While the gambling industry is gradually adopting some of these approaches, how does the industry that has a very different lens and perspective respond? 

  • Can the gambling industry thrive while adopting a public health lens?  
  • How does the industry evolve its approach to safer gambling with shifting expectations and perceptions? 
  • How have other industry models, policy approaches, partnerships, and data driven strategies that have reduced gambling related harm while sustaining a healthy, responsible industry. (ex. alcohol, disease control) 

 

Industry Disruption

From self-directed trading platforms, and prediction markets, to the converging worlds of video gaming and for-money gambling, cross-industry convergences are accelerating innovation while simultaneously introducing new and complex forms of risk. These disruptions are changing the way people play, pay and engage, and forcing operators to evolve. We’ll explore the way the industry is being disrupted through topics such as:

  • How we can innovate in relevant ways but with a safer gambling lens? 
  • What is the impact of emerging business models, markets, products and technologies on operations, oversight and regulation? 
  • What are the impacts of financial markets and prediction markets on gambling behaviours and industry practices? 
  • What types of innovations are operators embracing to adapt to—or drive—disruption? 
  • Examine how industry and regulatory collaboration can help to move progress forward. 

 

Technology & Innovation 

Technology is shaking up the gambling industry in ways that both help and hinder safer gambling behaviours. From rapid advances in AI, gamification within app-based platforms, and personalized tools, it is reshaping both consumer behaviour and expectations, while putting pressure on regulators to “keep up”. These advances provide a mix of powerful tools that can protect people, alongside innovations that can make gambling more intense, more accessible, and harder to step away from. We’ll explore the ways technology and innovation are disrupting the gambling industry through topics such as: 

  • How emerging technologies enhance—or complicate—player protection, engagement, and responsible play outcomes (e.g. the risks and opportunities of predictive harm detection and response, user experience design, the ethical use of player data). 
  • How safer gambling strategies can evolve in response to the rapid advances in technology and innovation. 
  • How to leverage emotional intelligence to enhance artificial intelligence systems. 
  • How to determine if these systems are working or not and evaluation criteria. 

 

Youth & Gambling 

Youth aren’t just participating in gambling — they’re reshaping the entire landscape. Their habits, expectations, and digital fluency are pushing the industry into new territory, and operators and regulators are continually trying to evolve their approaches to protect players. What’s happening is a mix of cultural change, technological acceleration, and shifting attitudes toward risk and entertainment. Here we’ll explore how youth are both the engine of innovation and the population most at risk through topics such as:  

  • How changes in entertainment preferences (faster-paced experiences, social media influences, expectations for personalization) are forcing operators, regulators and marketers to change their approaches.  
  • How we reach younger generations with relevant and impactful content that will influence informed decisions and safer play. 
  • What safer gambling for youth could look like in the next decade.