THE TEAM

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The Vanguard Overwatch team brings deep regulatory expertise and sector insight to every engagement, and builds that expertise into the frameworks we develop: controls calibrated to the risks an operator actually faces, not bank grade systems imposed from elsewhere. Our frameworks are designed to be understood, so clients strengthen their own capability as a result. Our work is grounded in integrity, transparency, and a commitment to credible, sustainable reform.

BIOS

 

Paul Newson

Principal, Vanguard Overwatch

Paul is a Patron, past President, and Trustee of the International Association of Gaming Regulators. He previously served as Deputy Secretary within the NSW Department of Industry, overseeing gambling, liquor, and racing public policy and regulation in New South Wales. Paul was also a Trustee of the NSW Responsible Gambling Fund.

 

  • With extensive experience in public policy and regulatory oversight, Paul has led high-profile inquiries, strengthened regulatory governance, streamlined compliance frameworks, and championed risk-based supervision. His expertise spans complex and sensitive regulatory challenges across multiple sectors, positioning him as a trusted leader in the field.

    Paul is the founder of Vanguard Overwatch, a specialist advisory firm dedicated to advancing public policy and regulatory excellence, strengthening industry capability, and helping clients navigate complex regulatory environments.

    Vanguard Overwatch also offers its unique, rigorous compliance accreditation, setting the international benchmark for best practice in the gambling sector. This accreditation ensures operators proactively prevent gambling harm, fortify defences against financial crime, and safeguard their organisations from regulatory risk.

    A sought-after speaker, Paul regularly presents at Australian and international gambling and regulatory conferences. He is a graduate of the prestigious Executive Development Program – Confronting Challenges and Embracing Opportunities: Strategic Leadership in the Gaming Industry, a joint initiative of the University of Nevada, Reno College of Business and Extended Studies, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas International Gaming Institute.

    Paul is also the founder of Regulating the Game, an immersive gambling law and regulation conference designed to build individual and organisational capability, deepen sector knowledge, and advance best-practice regulatory approaches. As part of this initiative, Pitch! was introduced to foster innovation, inspire compliance, and excite industry leaders.

    Paul holds a Bachelor of Arts (Politics), a Bachelor of Laws, a Master of Legal Studies, and a Master of Law & Management.

James McAtamney

Principal, Vanguard Overwatch

James is an actuary working as an independent senior advisor and entrepreneur in Australia and internationally. He is the Managing Director of McAtamney & Advisors and has advised extensively on strategic, economic, public policy, regulatory, and operational matters in gambling and across sectors.

  • James has significant experience with industry, government, and the not-for-profit sector on matters related to strategy, policy, investment, market development, economic development, commercial strategy, growth, regulation, and government administration. He brings deep technical expertise in advanced data analytics, financial and economic analysis, impact measurement, demand modelling, and market and risk analytics. He is also an expert in project direction and management, clear non-technical communication, and effective stakeholder engagement in complex environments. He creates confidence in others through candour, dependability, and translating complex issues into plain language and relatable concepts.

    James brings a detailed understanding of the gambling industry, having led and advised on gambling policy, regulation, compliance, and industry development to the Federal Government and its agencies, State governments, and directly to industry. These matters have involved economic and actuarial modelling and impact analysis, financial analysis, policy and tax impact analysis, regulatory policy analysis and guidelines, intersections of gambling policy with AML/CTF and related issues, and extensive research and modelling of regulated and unregulated gambling market size and dynamics (including online).

    James is an Associate of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia and holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Actuarial Studies and Finance) from the University of New South Wales.

Samuel Bewick

Principal, Vanguard Overwatch

Samuel is a senior strategic advisor with deep experience helping public agencies and regulated businesses design, evaluate, and implement complex reforms. A Principal at McAtamney & Advisors, he works at the intersection of regulatory design, compliance, and operational delivery - turning policy intent into controls and practices that hold up in the real world, and supporting businesses to uplift capability and capacity to operate sustainably.

  • Samuel has worked extensively with Commonwealth and state government agencies on regulatory design, business case development, action-oriented research, and system improvement in complex regulated environments. His work focuses on translating research and policy intent into implementable tools, guidance, and operating models, clarifying roles and accountabilities, reducing administrative burden and strengthening evidence-based decision-making. He has led regulatory impact analysis for new legislative obligations, including extensive consultation with regulated entities, and served as an independent reviewer of whole-of-government regulatory frameworks.

    Within the Vanguard Overwatch partnership, Samuel works with registered club operators on AML/CTF program uplift and gaming compliance. This includes AML/CTF program documentation and policy design, customer screening and transaction monitoring protocols, independent review cadence design, transition planning for the 2029 reforms, and independent gaming machine compliance and operations reviews. Beyond clubs, Samuel has worked with land-based casinos on a range of technology initiatives to support more effective and efficient regulatory compliance and improved safer gambling outcomes. 

    Across his career he has partnered with boards, executives, frontline teams, regulators, and central agencies to co-design solutions that are pragmatic, proportionate, and aligned to real-world operations.

    Samuel holds a Bachelor of International Relations from the Australian National University and is a Certified SAFe 6 Agilist.

 

Jay Robinson

Managing Director,
JR Consulting
Specialist Advisor

Jay Robinson is an internationally recognised expert in safer gambling strategy and culture change, advising regulators, governments and operators worldwide. With over 20 years’ experience spanning clinical care, public policy and industry reform, Jay is known for turning policy into consistent, everyday practice.

  • Jay’s work builds capability from the C-suite to the frontline, delivering training, coaching and mentoring that drive measurable harm minimisation outcomes. Jay develops proportionate, risk-based frameworks that are regulator-aligned, culturally aware and operationally achievable: helping systems move beyond box-ticking to achieve credible, sustainable safer gambling leadership that stands up to scrutiny and delivers lasting impact.

    Building Safer Gambling Cultures Through Training, Coaching & Mentoring

    Jay Robinson delivers bespoke sector-leading training and coaching programs designed as catalysts for genuine culture change in safer gambling. These programs start with the C-suite, securing leadership buy-in, and extend through to the frontline, where consistent actions and decisions shape the guest experience.

    Drawing on behavioural insight, operational understanding and lived experience, Jay engages teams at every level to challenge thinking and establish safer gambling practices that last. Known for building deep trust, Jay provides practical tools, role-specific guidance and structured mentoring that strengthen confidence, lift standards of practice and reinforce ethical, risk-aware decision-making. This work is not an afterthought or compliance tick; it is a premium capability layer that builds resilience, reduces harm and fosters a culture of care, vigilance and accountability that stands up under regulatory scrutiny.

     

    Policy Development & Compliance Strategy

    Jay Robinson brings a rare ability to translate research, public health priorities and lived experience into practical, implementable safer gambling and harm minimisation policies. Working at the intersection of strategy and operations, Jay ensures policy is more than a document: it becomes a driver of meaningful change across jurisdictions.

    With a systems lens, strong grounding in behaviour change, and experience across multiple international jurisdictions, Jay helps organisations align policy with purpose. This work supports leadership to integrate safer gambling into the fabric of decision-making, while equipping frontline teams with policies that are compliant, workable, trusted and regulator-aligned.

    Jay is a trusted partner in building proportionate, risk-based frameworks that are culturally aware, legally sound and operationally achievable, enabling organisations to move beyond box-ticking to demonstrate credible leadership in harm prevention and readiness for formal review or audit.

     

    Policy Implementation & Practice Integration

    Jay Robinson supports clients to turn safer gambling policy into consistent, everyday practice across their business: bridging the gap between intention and execution. The focus is on measurable improvement, cultural alignment and building frontline confidence to apply safeguards with consistency and care.

    Working directly with leaders, host responsibility teams and back-of-house functions, Jay helps implement controls that are practical, culturally relevant and regulator-aligned. This ensures that what is written in policy is reflected in day-to-day operations, and that staff can demonstrate it when scrutiny comes.

    Jay’s support helps organisations move from compliance pressure to cultural readiness, and from reactive fixes to sustained safer gambling leadership that meets both operational and regulatory expectations.