The 25th annual East Coast Gaming Congress will feature more than 50 speakers, including top CEOs, the Governor of New Jersey, and scores of industry experts as it convenes September 21-23 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.
Several hundred gaming industry leaders, legislators, regulators, educators, suppliers, gaming lawyers, media, and other stakeholders will attend the conference’s Silver Jubilee to learn more about the trends, challenges, and critical issues facing all segments of the gaming industries.
The luncheon will feature a keynote address from Hon. Phil Murphy, Governor of New Jersey, and will also include the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award to industry veteran Virginia McDowell.
Bill Miller, President and CEO, American Gaming Association, will provide an update and analysis on national issues.
The revised schedule, announced today, includes:
Wednesday, September 21
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Registration
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Welcome Cocktail Reception, Hard Rock Café, SPONSORED BY: Sightline
Thursday, September 22
7:00 am Continental Breakfast
8:15 am Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, Sr.
James T. Plousis, Chairman, New Jersey Casino Control Commission
Opening Keynote: Bill Miller, CEO, American Gaming Association
8:50 am – 9:40 am Sports Betting: Which Model Is Working Best?
Now legal and active in 31 US jurisdictions, it seems no two states have the same sports betting model. From an online-only model to a model offering dozens of skins to one offering tax rates four to five times higher than others, states have created their own schemes in an effort to maximize results. But which model is working best? And should this be measured by GGR – or by state tax receipts? Do high tax rates matter? Operators and legislators debate.
Moderator: John Atkinson, Director of Business Development, Sports Illustrated Sportsbook/888 Holdings
- Senator Jon Ford, State of Indiana; President, NCLGS
- Gina Smith, Deputy Director of Gaming Compliance, Virginia Lottery
- Elizabeth Suever, Vice President, Government Relations, Bally’s Corporation
- Andrew Winchell, Director of Government Affairs, FanDuel
9:45 am – 11:15 am Industry Leaders Roundtable I
In the first segment of our ECGC signature roundtable events, these top executives from leading gaming companies gather to discuss the status and future of their industry.
Moderator: Lynne Levin Kaufman, Partner and Co-Chair, Gaming & iGaming Group, Cooper Levenson
James F. Allen, Chairman, Hard Rock International and CEO, Seminole Gaming
David Cordish, Chairman, The Cordish Companies
Jay Dorris, CEO, PCI Gaming Authority
Jason Guyot, President and CEO, Foxwoods Resort Casino
E. Brian Hansberry, President, Delaware North, Gaming
11:15 am – 11:45 am Networking Break
11:50 am – 12:40 pm Analyze This
Sports betting and igaming operators are spending tons on advertising and promotions. Is this smart? Casinos are facing competition from digital gaming and now even their own state lotteries. What does their future hold? Traditional casino companies have bought digital providers, technology companies and even media companies. How are these acquisitions panning out? Join a panel of distinguished Wall Street analysts and investors for a no-holds-barred discussion of the gaming industry from a financial perspective.
Moderator: David Isaacson, Senior Vice President, Spectrum Gaming Capital
- Gabriel Fineberg, Vice President, Beach Point Capital Management
- Colin Mansfield, Sector Head – US Gaming & Leisure, Fitch Ratings
- Joel Simkins, Managing Director, Houlihan Lokey
- Teddy Swigert, Managing Director, Credit Suisse
12:45 pm – 2:00 pm Luncheon – Keynote Speaker: New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy
– Lifetime Achievement Award Presentation to Virginia McDowell
2:00 pm – 2:50 pm Is Gaming Growing Responsibly?
Gaming is still growing, thanks to high-growth segments such as sports betting, ilottery, and igaming. But are legislators, regulators and operators ensuring that responsible-gaming programs have the necessary resources to keep pace with the rise in the number of gamblers and their increasing expenditures? What technology is – or should be available – to help both programs and gamblers? Are research projects adequately assessing the behaviors associated with the new generation of gaming?
Moderator: Marlene Warner, Principal, Spectrum Safer Gaming Advisors, and Executive Director, Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health
- Shawn Fluharty, Minority Whip, West Virginia House of Delegates
- Elizabeth Lanza, Director, Office of Compulsive and Problem Gambling, Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
- Lia Nower, J.D., Ph.D., Director, Center for Gambling Studies, Rutgers University
- Richard L. Taylor, Jr., Responsible Gaming Program Manager, BetMGM
2:55 pm – 3:45 pm The Northeast Cauldron
Casino operators throughout the intensively competitive Northeast not only have to compete among themselves these days, but also with digital gaming operators (both casino and sportsbook), rapidly evolving state lottery games, and, in some cases, the rapid spread of unregulated gaming devices in retail locations. How do land-based casinos continue to thrive in this environment, and do they view other forms of gaming as an opportunity or a threat? Operators from four states assess the state of play in the region.
Moderator: Joseph Weinert, Executive VP, Spectrum Gaming Group
- Anthony Faranca, President, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
- Eric Hausler, CEO, Greenwood Racing (PARX Casino)
- David Martinelli, Jr., Chief Marketing Officer, Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment
- Robert Norton, President, Cordish Gaming Group
3:45 pm – 4:00 pm Networking Break
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm Industry Leaders Roundtable II
In the second segment of our ECGC signature roundtable events, these top executives from leading gaming companies gather to discuss the status and future of their industry.
Moderator: Juliann Barreto, Chief Operating Officer, Spectrum Gaming Group
- Kevin Jones, Chief Strategy and Legal Officer, Resorts World Casino and Genting Americas
- Jette Nygaard-Andersen, CEO, Entain
- Ray Pineault, President and CEO, Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment
- Thomas Reeg, CEO, Caesars Entertainment
- Jay Snowden, CEO, Penn National Gaming
6 pm – 8 pm Silver Anniversary Celebration, Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, Hard Rock Hotel &
Casino, SPONSORED BY: Meet AC
Friday, September 23
7:00 am Continental Breakfast
8:30 am Keynote Address – Howard S. Mittman, President, 888 US, Inc.
8:50 am – 9:40 am The Best Things in Gaming Right Now Are …
Sports betting is growing rapidly … historical horse racing is expanding where slots cannot … esports is just beginning to tie itself to gaming … the movement to cashless casino gaming is starting to take root. So, what exactly do casino operators and suppliers think are the best things going for the gaming industry at large?
Moderator: Lucas Levenson, Attorney, Cooper Levenson, Attorneys at Law
- Brooke Fiumara, Chief Executive Officer, OPTX
- Grant Johnson, Chief Executive Officer & Chairman, Esports Entertainment Group
- Mandi Hart, Chief Client Solutions Officer, Sightline Payments
- Deron Hunsberger, Chief Commercial Officer, Ainsworth Game Technology
9:45 am – 10:35 am State Regulators: Keeping Their Promise to Keep Pace?
When new technology brings forth new games, new ways to play those games, or new ways to transact money, gaming operators and suppliers want it – now! Ultimately, state gaming regulators determine whether – or how fast – such technology can be offered to the consumer. Are the regulators doing this quickly enough? Do they have the physical and human resources needed to keep pace in the rapidly evolving gaming industry? Regulators discuss this critical issue.
Moderator: Cyrus Pitre, Chief Enforcement Counsel, Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
- Stephen Cook, Chief Counsel, Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
- Cathy Judd-Stein, Chair, Massachusetts Gaming Commission
- John Martin, Executive Director, Maryland Lottery
- David Rebuck, Director, New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement
- June E. Taylor, Chair, Ohio Casino Control Commission
10:35 am – 10:55 am Networking Break
10:55 am – 11:45 am Whither Igaming?
The limited rollout of igaming nationwide stands in stark contrast to the rollout of sports betting. Whereas 30 jurisdictions launched sports betting within 3½ years of the Supreme Court overturning the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018 – including 21 that offer digital betting – only six states have launched igaming in the 8½ years since it began in 2013. One reason for the states’ caution toward igaming may be their concern for their casinos. Is such concern justified? Why the slow rollout of igaming? Will the rapid adoption of digital sports betting speed up the adoption of igaming?
Moderator: Sherry Amos, Principal, Spectrum Gaming Hospitality Group
- Howard Glaser, Global Head of Government Affairs and Legislative Counsel, Light & Wonder
- Jeffrey Millar, Commercial Director, North America, Evolution
- Richard Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer, Rush Street Interactive
- Luisa Woods, Vice President, Marketing, Gaming & Entertainment, Delaware North
11:55 am – 12:45 pm Creating One Industry: Lotteries, Gaming
Lotteries and casinos have historically been separate industries. The Digital revolution is changing that. As ilottery and lottery courier services emerge, and as lotteries delve into sports betting and other shared verticals, what are the implications for policies and profits? At the same time, lotteries and casinos share a common challenge: unregulated slot machines.
Moderator: James A. Carey, Jr., Executive Director, New Jersey Lottery
- Scott Bowen, Government Affairs Specialist, NeoPollard Interactive; former Commissioner, Michigan Lottery
- Peggy Daniel, US General Manager, The Lotter/New Jersey Lotto LLC
- Drew Svitko, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Lottery
- Richard Weil, President, Richard Weil Group; Principal, Spectrum Gaming Lottery Group
Schedule is subject to change. For additional conference or sponsorship information, visit http://www.ecgc.us or contact Donna Vecere at [email protected].
The full conference schedule and registration is at www.ecgc.us. ECGC is organized and produced by Cooper Levenson, Attorneys at Law; Spectrum Gaming Group; Esports Entertainment Group; and Sports Illustrated Sportsbook.
