Everything changed for the gaming industry last May when the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), allowing sports betting in any state that approved it. It was one of the most clear-cut and impactful decisions by the high court that has ever affected the gaming business, and its ramifications are just beginning to be felt.
That’s why Global Gaming Expo 2018 (G2E) has developed its first Sports Betting Symposium, taking place in Las Vegas October 8-11.
The Sports Betting Symposium will provide gaming professionals with the tools they will need to consider business operations that best capitalize on the Supreme Court’s ruling overturning the failed federal ban on sports betting. Sessions will cover the business and legislative aspects of sports betting and offer an interactive, guided tour of the G2E expo hall to connect attendees with the top suppliers of sports betting technologies.
“As states and sovereign tribal nations consider whether or not to enact legalized sports betting, the Sports Betting Symposium at G2E will offer the world’s foremost experts, business leaders and operators solutions to build a thriving legal market in the United States,” says Sara Slane, senior vice president of public affairs for the American Gaming Association.
In addition to the symposium, the exhibit hall at G2E has more than doubled the number of sports betting exhibitors since the 2017 event, and continues to add more daily.
The following is the complete agenda for the Symposium.
Tuesday, October 9
10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
SCOTUS Decision: What the Ruling Actually Said and What It Means: Speakers include Sidley Austin LLP Supreme Court and appellate law expert Jonathan Cohn (l.), who previously served as U.S. deputy assistant attorney general and clerked on the U.S. Supreme Court for Justice Clarence Thomas, along with the AGA’s Sara Slane.
1:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
How States and Tribes Are Preparing for Legal Sports Betting: Speakers include Matthew Morgan, director of gaming affairs for the Chickasaw Nation, who also previously served two terms as the gaming commissioner, and David Rebuck (l.), director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, who has led the state into a leadership position in iGaming, and plans to do the same with sports betting. The session will be moderated by AGA Vice President of State Affairs Mandy Hagan.
Wednesday October 10
10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
The Business of Sports
Betting: Following the morning keynote, Scott Van Pelt, anchor of ESPN’s SportsCenter, will moderate a session that includes diverse viewpoints on the business of sports betting from panelists Kenny Gersh (l.), executive vice president of gaming and new business ventures for Major League Baseball; Stephen Master, managing director of Americas, Nielsen Sports, and commercial director of Nielsen Esports; and AGA’s Slane.
1:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
Finding the Right Partner—An Interactive Exhibit Hall Tour: Exhibit participants will have an opportunity to experience an exclusive tour of the expo hall and meet relevant partners that will demonstrate their gaming technologies. The guided tour will be led by Coloring Up Limited Director Alen Lang, along with AGA Senior Director of State Policy Will Green and Senior Member Services Director Jonathan Michaels.
Thursday October 11
10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
How Sports Betting Works in a Regulated Market: Learn from the sports betting experiences of mature, regulated markets across the globe. Speakers include Khalid Ali, secretary general of ESSA (Sports Betting Integrity Association); A.G. Burnett (l.), partner at McDonald Carano and former chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board; and Chris Grove, gambling industry analyst and managing director at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming. Jennifer Roberts, associate director of the International Center for Gaming Regulation and adjunct professor at the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, will moderate this session.
1:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
U.S. Sports Betting—Lessons Learned from Early Adopters: Speakers include Joe Asher, CEO of William Hill US (r.); Richard Carter, CEO of SBTech; and Charles Cohen, vice president of mobile, PlaySpot and North America sports betting at IGT. The moderator will be AGA’s Green.
