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Bruce Merati

By Roger Gros Sun, Apr 12, 2020

CEO, UPLAY1

Download file | Play in new window | Duration: 23:35

Bruce Merati has a long history in gaming technology. He was one of the first to develop a unique “live” dealer platform for iGaming and believes that the current Covid-19 crisis has been a wakeup call for the casino industry. Merati says that iGaming is a different product from land-based gaming and actually enhances land-based gaming instead of detracting from it. He says casino companies now realize the benefits of iGaming and once the crisis is over, they need to push for legal online gaming in states and jurisdictions where it currently doesn’t exist. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros from his home in San Diego on April 6.

Roger Gros is publisher of Global Gaming Business, the industry's leading gaming trade publication, and all its related publications. Prior to joining Global Gaming Business, 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 fourth edition. Gros was named "Businessman of the Year" for 1998 by the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Gaming Association in 2012. View all articles by Roger Gros

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Tweets by @GlobalGamingBiz

GAMING EVENTS CALENDAR

March 27-30, 2023: Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention, the largest gathering of tribal leaders and casino executives in the country. San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA. https://www.indiangamingtradeshow.com/510/indian-gaming-tradeshow-home.htm

March 29-30, 2023: Prague Gaming & TECH Summit ’23, Vienna House Andel’s Prague, Prague, Czech Republic. Produced by Hipther. For more information, visit Hipther.com.

April 19-20, 2023: East Coast Gaming Congress, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey. Produced by Spectrum Gaming and Cooper Levenson. For more information visit eastcoastgamingcongress.com. For sponsorship information, contact Donna Vecere at dvecere@cooperlevenson.com.

April 19-20, 2023: SAGSE Latin America, Hilton Hotel, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Closed and exclusive event for operators, regulators and sponsors. For more information visit https://www.sagselatam.com/en.

May 3, 2023: 24th Annual AGEM + AGA Golf Classic, Cascata Golf Club, Las Vegas, NV. Swing into the 24th Annual AGEM/AGA Golf Classic Presented by JCM Global tournament with thrilling contests and a wide selection of amazing raffle prizes. For more information visit https://golf.jcmglobal.com/.

May 9-11, 2023: SBC Summit North America, Meadowlands Exposition Center, New Jersey. The Leading Sports Betting and iGaming event in North America. Organized by SBC. For more information visit https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit-north-america.

May 15-17, 2023: Casino Marketing Boot Camp, General Managers Edition, Rolling Hills Casino Resort, Corning, California Produced by J Carcamo & Associates.For more information visit CasinoMarketingBootCamp.com.

May 23-25, 2023: CasinoBeats Summit (CBS), InterContinental in St Julian’s, Malta. Produced by SBC. For more information, visit SBCEvents.com.

May 23-25, 2023: Gambling & Risk Taking Conference, Park MGM, Las Vegas, NV. Produced by UNLV. For more information, visit www.unlv.edu/igi/conference.

May 25-27, 2023: Gambling Brasil, Frei Caneca Convention Center, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Produced by Afiliados Brasil. For more information, visit GamblingBrasil.com.

June 13-15, 2023: Canadian Gaming Summit, offers multiple and creative ways to connect with your staff, peers, suppliers and clients. Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Produced by the Canadian Gaming Association and SBC For more information visit https://www.canadiangamingsummit.com.

June 14-18, 2023: SIGMA Americas, Sao Paulo, Brazil. SiGMA America’s first event for the market is perfectly timed to connect its wide-reaching network in the West with Latin America’s leading suppliers, operators, and affiliates. For more information visit sigma.world/americas.

June 20-23, 2023: International Gaming Summit, (IAGA) Culloden Estate and Spa, Belfast, Northern Ireland. A premier event that brings together leaders from all global gaming sectors, the Summit will provide operators, suppliers, attorneys, investors, bankers, regulators and other advisor delegates with an unparalleled opportunity to meet and discuss the most important issues facing gaming. For more information visit https://www.theiaga.org/2023-summit-preview.

July 17-19, 2023: AML Bootcamp + Cage Operations Conference, Sycuan Casino Resort, San Diego, CA. Join us at Sycuan Casino Resort in beautiful San Diego, CA for our single day AML Bootcamp and Cage Operations Conference. Our theme is "Learn, Connect and Belong" to this Gaming Community that is focused on best practices and education around tools and automation that enhance the gaming experience in uncertain times. For more information visit https://skiild.com.

July 19-22, 2023: SIGMA Asia, Manila, Philippines. With an eye towards new horizons, the SiGMA Group heads to Manila, connecting the sharpest minds in the sector, and bringing a vast network in the West closer to Asian suppliers, operators and affiliates. For more information visit sigma.world/asia.

August 14-16, 2023: OIGA Conference & Tradeshow, Cox Business Convention Center, Tulsa, OK. Lively, fun, informative, high-energy assembly of some of the biggest names in the gaming and hospitality industries. https://oiga.org/tradeshow.

September 4-7, 2023: SIGMA Balkins & CIS, Limassol, Cyprus. With the New Gambling Act of 2020 creating a more responsible, accountable, and well-regulated Land-based and iGaming sector in Serbia, the nation has the potential to host an even more robust, flourishing economic industry, attracting firms and talent from far beyond its shores as its local market swells. For more information visit sigma.world/cis.

September 18-21, 2023: Tribalnet Conference & Tradeshow, Town & Country Resort, San Diego, CA. For more information visit www.tribalnetconference.com.

September 19-21, 2023: SBC Summit Barcelona, Fire De Barcelona, Montjuic. The global betting and igaming show. For more information visit https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit-barcelona.

October 9-12, 2023: Global Gaming Expo, G2E is the one place to see the people, products, and ideas to drive your business forward and define the future of gaming. Venetian Expo, Las Vegas, NV. www.globalgamingexpo.com/en-us.html

October 31-November 2, 2023: SBC Summit Latinoamerica, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, FL. The conference and trade show for senior executives in the Latin American betting and gaming industry. For more information visit https://sbcevents.com/en/sbc-summit-latinoamerica.

November 13-17, 2023: SIGMA Europe (Malta Week), Malta, MFCC (North Gate). Returning to its roots, SiGMA Europe attracts an international and diverse lineup of industry leaders to its annual Malta Week event, bringing a convergence of expo, conference, and networking. For more information visit sigma.world/europe.

November 22-23, 2023: BEGE, IEC, Sofia, Bulgaria. BEGE is one of the leading gaming and entertainment exhibitions in Europe. The show gathers 85+ exhibitors and over 6000 visitors from over 60 countries. Over the years, the event has gained the attention of leading companies and established itself as a preferred business venue and became meeting point for the gaming society. For more information visit www.balkangamingexpo.com.

November 22-23, 2023: EEGS IEC, Sofia, Bulgaria. The Eastern European Gaming Summit (EEGS) is an annual gaming conference which brings together more than 50 speakers and 300+ delegates from all over world. With hundreds of leaders and thriving companies from the land-based and online gaming industry in attendance, EEGS covers groundbreaking subjects and discussions based on the latest trends, developments, and insights.For more information visit eegamingsummit.com/.