Richard Leather
Richard is a specialist in international gaming and gambling regulation and licensing. Richard was Head of Regulatory Affairs at Betclic Group and part of the Legal Committee of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA). From 2016 to 2019, as Chief Content Officer, Richard led the team of 20+ lawyers and analysts at VIXIO GamblingCompliance delivering daily content, e-learning courses and bespoke research projects. He is also a Solicitor of England & Wales having trained with Eversheds Sutherland LLP.
In 2019, Richard founded TheRegulationService, a boutique consultancy. TRS is able to provide a truly global service through its deep international experience and because of its unrivalled network of local lawyers and consultants.
Richard has extensive cross-border experience and he is sought out by clients for the breadth and depth of his knowledge as well as his ability to manage processes and problems. Richard has drafted and coordinated regulatory research for operators, suppliers, test houses, investors, governments and regulators. He has also moderated panels at numerous conferences, presented in the Belgian Parliament and at a round-table event in the European Parliament.
Neil Bergin
Neil has worked in the gaming sector for the entirety of his career. He has experience in risk, compliance, technical compliance, licensing and regulatory affairs. Neil was Head of Compliance at Gaming Innovation Group (GIG) during a time of incredible growth in the business. He also helped develop and launch GIG’s proprietary compliance tool which tracks compliance with rules in different regulated markets. Most recently, he was Chief Compliance Officer at Mandalorian Technologies where his role also included international regulatory affairs and licensing.
Neil has particularly strong experience in operational compliance matters and delivering measurable improvements to compliance functions. Since joining TheRegulationService, he has supported clients on licensing projects and compliance best practice. He also helps TRS’s clients evaluate new and innovative products from a regulatory perspective and benchmark against products offered by other companies.
Neil takes a particular interest in technical compliance and can provide an interface between business owners, compliance and IT teams.
Eric Chules
Eric joined TheRegulationService from international consultancy firm, Accenture. He primarily supports clients with regulatory tracking and analysis, licensing projects, and in-depth bespoke reports. Eric recently passed the International Compliance Association's (ICA) Specialist Certificate in Money Laundering Risk in Betting and Gaming.
Eric is also a qualified lawyer in Brazil, having trained with Tomasetti Jr. & Xavier Leonardo Sociedade de Advogados. In Brazil, he also was a co-founding partner of the law firm, Chules, Vilela & Gomes Rocha Advogados. His former practice was primarily focused on forestry concessions, and he holds a Masters in Sustainable Development alongside other postgraduate qualifications in Brazilian Civil Procedural Law.
Eric has a particular interest in Brazil’s evolving regulatory environment and across the Latin American region generally. He is member of Brazil's Federal District Bar Association Gaming Commission (OAB/DF) which is a forum for discussing gaming policy. Moreover, his background in complex licensing procedures helps TRS’s clients with gaming and gambling licence applications in various jurisdictions.
Soraia Lourenco
Soraia is a regulatory compliance expert with over 14 years of industry experience and brings a wealth of knowledge to TRS. Soraia manages compliance processes and policies, implementation of compliance frameworks, new market entries and licence applications for our clients who benefit from her attention to detail, organisational skills and ability to overcome all manner of problems.
During her career she has worked for Gaming Innovation Group (GIG), Betsson, Boylesports and Play’n GO, among others. Most recently Soraia worked for specialist esports operator, Midnite. Soraia has worked on regulatory compliance and licensing in both regulated markets, such as Ontario, Sweden, Spain and the UK, and international hub jurisdictions, such as the Isle of Man, Gibraltar and Malta. She also has wide ranging experience of the compliance requirements of both B2C and B2B businesses. Soraia has a special interest in advertising/marketing compliance, compliance driven UX optimisation, and audit and certification projects.
Soraia particularly enjoys leading projects, ensuring objectives are delivered, and helping clients identify and achieve best compliance practices. Soraia is a native Portuguese speaker and also has professional level Spanish.
Marcella Santiago
Marcella has joined TheRegulationService as a Research Analyst supporting the team's growing demand for international regulatory tracking, analysis and project work. Marcella takes a particular interest in Europe and Latin America but also supports research in many other jurisdictions, for example, in Asia.
Marcella has recently graduated from PUC Minas in Brazil, and Kozminski University in Poland, having studied International Relations. Her dissertation focused on how politics, (international) trade and international relations could be affected by the threat of the disappearance of a country due to climate change.
During her studies, Marcella worked for TRS part-time for more than a year, building and developing her research and sector experience quickly. In particular, Marcella has focused on advertising/marketing regulations affecting the gambling sector and benchmarking of industry activities.