It’s one of the most unique conferences in the gaming industry. The World Game Protection Conference focuses on arguably the most important area of any casino hotel: surveillance and security. After all, if you don’t keep the customers safe, they won’t return and if you don’t maintain the integrity of the games, you won’t be in business long.

Held last month at Paris Las Vegas, the third annual WGPC attracted a record number of attendees and exhibitors. Attendees were from almost every jurisdiction in North America with many international visitors as well. They were attracted by dynamic conference sessions, as well as the option to view the unique products and services of some of the industry’s most important vendors.

The highlight of the conference was a session featuring the “father” of blackjack card counting, Dr. Edward O. Thorp. The publication of his book, Beat the Dealer, in 1962 revolutionized the game of blackjack. A renowned mathematician, Thorp actually started devising a system to beat roulette in the mid-1950s when he switched to blackjack after reading a paper by some MIT graduate students on the game. The card-counting system he introduced in the book is still used today, as well as other systems he has developed over the years. Thorp spent the WGPC session explaining how he developed the system and why, how the casinos combated his system, and what he thought of how the popularity of card counting has endured for more than 50 years.

Another popular presentation featured Bob Arno, the “Thief Catcher,” who demonstrated why pickpockets love the casino environment. He explained how to spot thieves in a casino using body language, tells and other methods.

The conference also featured some “nuts-and-bolts” presentations that focused on compliance, procedures, marked cards, employee theft and more.

The organizer of the conference, Willy Allison, president of World Game Protection Inc., a company dedicated to providing information to maintain the integrity and profitability of casino games, says the event was a success.

“The quality of the speakers, attendees and exhibitors was exceptional and it’s great to see the World Game Protection network continue to grow,” he says.

By Roger Gros

Roger Gros is publisher of Casino Connection International, LLC. Global Gaming Business magazine, Casino Connection Atlantic City and Casino Connection Nevada are among the monthly publications Gros publishes. Prior to joining CCI, Gros was president of Inlet Communications, an independent consulting firm. He was vice president of Casino Journal Publishing Group from 1984-2000, and held virtually every editorial title during his tenure. Gros was editor of Casino Journal, the National Gaming Summary and the Atlantic City Insider, and was the founding editor of Casino Player magazine. He was a co-founder of the American Gaming Summit and the Southern Gaming Summit conferences and trade shows. He is the author of the best-selling book, How to Win at Casino Gambling (Carlton Books, 1995), now in its third edition. Gros was named “Businessman of the Year” for 1998 by the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce.

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