Executive Advisory Board

Witek leads BetMGM’s Strategy & Development function and is part of the Executive Leadership Team. He is responsible for BetMGM’s geographic expansion, strategic partnerships with market access partners, M&A, investor relations and, alongside other ELT members, formulation of the company’s strategy. Witek transitioned to BetMGM as it formed in 2018/19, having been Head of Strategy at Entain (previously GVC) and deeply involved in BetMGM’s creation. He previously held the same role at Ladbrokes Coral before it was acquired by GVC, and the role of Market Development Director at Inspired Entertainment, where he joined the gambling industry in 2012. Witek started his career as a management consultant at PwC Strategy, before fulfilling his dream of traveling around the world for a year. On his return to London, he joined a London-based private equity fund, and then joined forces with a friend to launch a technology venture. Witek grew up in the UK, where he earned his BSc in International Business at Warwick Business School, and in Poland, where he was born to Polish/Vietnamese parents.

Liv Biesemans is Group Deputy General Counsel at Kindred Group Plc, joining the company in 2012. She oversees the legal, regulatory, compliance and customer-facing operations teams for Kindred in North America. She previously managed the Kindred global legal team in London before moving to the US in 2019. Prior to joining Kindred, Liv worked as an attorney in a leading Brussels law firm. She is also a board member at iDEA Growth, the US trade body for online gaming and betting industry.

Jess Feil serves as Vice President, Regulatory Affairs & Compliance at OpenBet where she oversees the business’s global compliance function, including due diligence, licensing, and technical compliance. She also advises the business on regulatory developments and new market entry. Before joining OpenBet, Jess held the position of Vice President, Government Relations & Gaming Policy Counsel at the American Gaming Association. She started her career at a boutique law firm in Washington DC, where she advised gaming clients from all over the world on a variety of areas including regulation, compliance, and licensing. Feil was named to the Emerging Leaders of Gaming: 40 Under 40, Class of 2019-2020 and Gaming Intelligence’s Hot 50 2024. She is originally from the Philadelphia, PA area, and has a degree from Skidmore College in government and a law degree from Case Western Reserve University.

Jennifer Aguiar is the Chief Compliance Officer and member of the executive team at DraftKings. Aguiar joined DraftKings in 2016 as the Head of Compliance and Risk where she led the development of the internal DraftKings compliance and risk programs from the ground up, instilling a culture of compliance across the business. As Chief Compliance Officer, Aguiar is responsible for overseeing corporate compliance and enterprise risk management. Among other responsibilities, she will ensure DraftKings’ compliance with all U.S. and international licensing requirements related to daily fantasy sports, sports betting and iGaming. She graduated from Bridgewater State University where she received a BS in Management Science with a concentration in Marketing and a Math Minor. She currently serves on the executive and advisory boards of the Ricciardi College of Business at Bridgewater State University.

Charmaine Hogan is the Global Head of Regulatory Affairs at Playtech. She brings extensive experience from years in the gambling industry. Formerly engaged in EU legislation and policy development in Brussels, representing both government and the European Commission, she led discussions with European gambling regulators. Currently, she focuses on emerging and regulated markets, sharing her regulatory expertise with policy-makers and stakeholders. Charmaine provides valuable regulatory development advice to the business, consolidating her wealth of experience for effective industry navigation. Charmaine Hogan.

Jürgen Hobel from Bielefeld, Germany, has been with the MERKUR GROUP since January 1, 1994. The qualified business graduate started his MERKUR career as assistant to the CFO of MERKUR.COM AG (at that time still known as Gauselmann AG). From July 1995, Jürgen Hobel was employed as a clerk in the Corporate Controlling department of MERKUR.COM AG and was appointed Manager in Regulatory Compliance in May 2014. His main activities include monitoring the licensed gaming activities of the entire MERKUR GROUP within the framework of international legislation and compliance with all regulatory requirements in this context. A special challenge for him was the supervision of the licensing activities for the former subsidiary Atronic, a manufacturer and distributor of gaming devices, which held more than 200 licenses worldwide. "My work at MERKUR is varied and I still enjoy it very much after 30 years. My major challenges are to always meet the ever-increasing legal requirements with regard to licensing and Anti-Money Laundering" Jürgen Hobel states.

Steven is presently Senior Vice President of Global Government Affairs + Business Development at Light & Wonder (formerly Scientific Games) based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Prior to joining Light & Wonder in 2018, Steven was Senior Vice President of Development for Wynn Resorts. With over 25 years of gaming, technology and hospitality/travel industry experience, Steven has also worked in corporate government affairs and business development for IGT, Cendant Corporation and GTECH. Steven was a Co-Founding Board Member of the International Social Games Association (ISGA) and has also served as an Officer of the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM). In the public sector, Steven served as a Legislative Liaison for Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Almond’s Administration. Steven holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Rhode Island.

Birgitte Sand. 25+ years of leadership experience, most recently as Director of the Danish Gambling Authority (12 years) responsible for the successful construction and consolidation of a liberalized licensing regime (betting, online/land-based casinos, lotteries, gaming machines). Past IAGR President & Patron. Awarded “European Regulator of the Year 2017” by IMGL. A Compliance Lifetime Achievement Special Award 2021 by VIXIO GC. Inducted into the SBC Sports Betting Hall of Fame 2021. A dedicated supporter of a dialogue-based relationship between regulators and the gaming industry. Founder of her own consulting firm which provides expert advice to the gaming industry, regulators/legislators/governments worldwide. Birgitte also holds board positions in the gaming area.

Bahar is a partner with Harris Hagan in London. Specialising in all aspects of online and land-based gambling law, Bahar is ranked in the UK and global legal directories and recognised “at the top of her profession”. She advises many of the world’s largest online and land-based gambling businesses (B2C and B2B), as well as many start-ups, investors and leading law firms. Bahar has extensive gambling law, regulatory and licensing experience having advised major international clients on matters ranging from licence applications, compliance investigations and licence reviews to cross-border M&A transactions, investor disclosure and complex group restructuring. She is General Counsel and a member of the Programme Committee of the International Association of Gaming Advisors, Founding Member of VIXIO GamblingCompliance Executive Advisory Board and a member of Global Gaming Women and The City of London Solicitors’ Company.