This morning gaming giant KPMG held their third annual eGaming summit at the Caleta Hotel. Guests included a vast spectrum of representatives from the gaming sector, as well as a number of individuals working in local telecommunications and regulatory authorities.

The event has become particularly highly regarded as KPMG only host seminars in Gibraltar and the Isle of Mann. Introducing the event was Minister for Gaming Gilbert Licudi. Mr. Licudi touched upon a variety of issues from within the sector; including the proposed UK ’Point of Consumption’ tax.

The Minister insisted, during his speech, that the reputation and standing of Gibraltar’s operators is ‘absolutely first class’. He also suggested that there will soon be a possibility of agreement between US States and other jurisdictions, creating a global market of regulated jurisdictions. These opportunities, he insisted, are the ones that Gibraltar must continue to explore.

Minister Licudi assured the industry of the Government’s commitment to continue to work with, lobby and support Gibraltar’s operators ‘in whichever way [they] can’.

Regarding the UK’s proposed new gaming tax, which could mean serious bad news for operators in Gibraltar, the Minister insisted that both himself and the Chief Minister have raised the issue with the EU, the UK Prime Minister David Cameron and a number of UK Cabinet Ministers.

Speaking to YGTV, organiser of the conference and newly promoted Managing Director of KPMG Gibraltar, Mickey Swindale noted that the group of speakers set to address the summit were a particularly eclectic bunch. They included Gaming regulator Phil Brear, Peter Montegriffo, who led a panel of operators, Peter Howitt and Kevin De Haan QC, among others.

Commenting on why she felt these summits were important to the industry, Ms. Swindale noted that considering the current challenges the industry faces, it is really important for operators to get together with their advisors and for the industry to strategize and plan how to meet some of the challenges faced.