Every year the G2E Education Program brings new twists to attendees, and the 2023 version of the program will not disappoint. Panels on sharp sports bettors, smoking bans and compliance issues will challenge attendees to think outside the box. Here’s a selection of sessions that fall into the “can’t-miss” category.
Monday, October 9, 9 a.m.
Looking Sharp: How Big is the Sharp Sports Betting Market?
This interactive panel will feature insights from experts who focus on appealing to the “sharp” gambling community. Learn what it means to be “sharp” and gain insights into the challenges and opportunities for businesses aiming to capture the attention of sharp bettors, how big the sharp market really is and whether or not sharp betting is on the rise.
Panelists include Captain Jack Andrews, a professional gambler and co-founder of Unabated; Jessica Welman from SBC Media; Jake Benzaquen, co-founder of Prophet Exchange; and Alex Monahan, co-founder of Oddsjam.
Monday, October 9, 9 a.m.
North America Regulator Talks
In a rapidly evolving market, regulators must constantly evaluate how to address the changing needs of consumers, licensees and their jurisdiction. Featuring top regulators from North American markets, this session will provide thought-provoking insight into how they are approaching issues like privacy laws clashing with personal data requirements, the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and its potential use, keeping pace with growing risks from technology changes, addressing the shifting sands of suitability and an ever-increasing focus on responsible gambling.
Panelists include New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement Director David Rebuck; Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chairwoman Cathy Judd-Stein; Kirk Hendrick, chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board; attorney William Downey; and Marcus D. Fruchter, administrator of the Illinois Gaming Board.
Monday, October 9, 11:20 a.m.
Love is Just Damn Good Business: – The Foundation of Great Leadership
Aristocrat Gaming CEO Hector Fernandez and award-winning author Steve Farber will partner to deliver a session based on Farber’s bestselling book, Love is Just Damn Good Business. The premise is simple: do what you love in the service of people who love what you do. Aristocrat has been working with Faber to implement this philosophy into their organization, with immense success. This interactive session offers thought-provoking methodology to encourage the industry to invest in their people and implement a practical business strategy that will lay the groundwork for a thriving, competitive enterprise.
Tuesday, October 10, 11:40 a.m.
Gambling Activities and Attitudes Across the U.S.
Since April 2021, YouGov has been gathering monthly survey data from both a nationally representative sample of the U.S. population and a representative sample of regular bettors, providing a definitive view from both groups about their gambling activity and attitudes. This session will focus on sharing insights on 24 countries gained from YouGov’s tracking, including comparing results from legalized states with non-legalized, looking at bet types and devices used and even general public support for gambling, in order to help educate the industry on actions and views. The presentation will be led by Oliver Rowe, global head of leisure and entertainment for YouGov.
Wednesday, October 11, 11:40 a.m.
The High Stakes of Gambling with AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) is ubiquitous in our everyday lives. AI dictates decisions about health, credit and employment. In gaming, AI presents great promise, but also great risk. Despite widespread adoption, visibility into operators’ AI approaches is severely lacking, and there are currently no comprehensive policies to guide the growing use of AI. In this session, explore use-cases of AI in gambling and its impacts and ethical concerns, and hear ways to establish transparency to enable the industry to transform more quickly and safely, while maximizing the opportunities and minimizing the potential harms of AI.
Panelists include Kasra Ghaharian, a research fellow at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) International Gaming Institute; and Nasim Binesh, from the University of Florida, who earned a doctorate in hospitality administration from UNLV.
Wednesday, October 11, 2 p.m.
A Discussion: Smoking & Casinos
In the wake of the pandemic, some tribal and commercial casinos moved to implement 100 percent smoke-free indoor air policies. Legislators in states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania are considering bills that would ban indoor smoking. The audience will hear speakers address current trends in smoke-free casino policies at the local, state and tribal level and the impacts on the business, employees and customers.
Panelists include Andrew Klebanow, whose C3 Consulting did a study on the smoking ban; slot influencer Brian Christopher; Greenwood Gaming’s Marc Oppenheimer, whose Parx Casino in Pennsylvania is entirely smoke-free; and Traci Kennedy from the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation.
