This year’s Global Gaming Expo (G2E) will for the first time feature a Sports Betting Symposium.
As befits the first event, the American Gaming Association (AGA) and organizers Reed Exhibitions put together an outstanding group of speakers and panelists. Registration is available here.
The event will run from October 8-11 in Las Vegas, and is particularly timely given the proliferation of state-regulated sports betting following the Supreme Court decision overturning PASPA.
The organizers see the event as having a broad appeal to those affected by the changes the new laws bring to the US gaming industry.
Sara Slane, senior vice president of public affairs for the AGA, told Legal Sports Report:
“This year’s first-ever Sports Betting Symposium presents a unique opportunity for sports leagues and jurisdictions considering sports betting to learn more about the implications of this emerging market in the United States. Every year, the Global Gaming Expo brings together experts from all aspects of the industry, from state regulators, gaming industry professionals and those involved in the business of sports betting. The Sports Betting Symposium will be no exception.”
Education in opportunity is front and center
Although Nevada sports betting has been running for a long time, other states are in the position of playing catch-up in an industry that has gone through some major technological changes in the last decade.
Slane explained:
“The Sports Betting Symposium’s dynamic educational schedule covers everything from the business of sports betting, legislative issues and growth opportunities in the emerging sports betting markets. Each day will be dedicated to a particular topic related to sports betting, with morning sessions covering a broad overview of the day’s topic, followed by a more in-depth session in the afternoon. Those looking to learn more about all aspects of sports betting will walk away from the symposium with the education, tools and resources they will need to engage in this evolving sector.”
Sports betting 101 at Global Gaming Expo
The symposium program begins at the beginning, with the Supreme Court’s decision and its consequences.
Expert input comes from Sidley Austin Supreme Court and Appellate law expert Jonathan Cohn, who previously served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Justice and clerked on the U.S. Supreme Court for Justice Clarence Thomas.
The program then moves to:
- How States and Tribes Are Preparing for Legal Sports Betting: Speakers include Director of Gaming Affairs for the Chickasaw Nation Matthew Morgan, who also served two terms as the gaming commissioner, and Director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement David Rebuck.
- The Business of Sports Betting: Speakers include Kenny Gersh, executive vice president of gaming and new business ventures for Major League Baseball and Stephen Master, managing director of Americas, Nielsen Sports and commercial director of Nielsen Esports. The session will be moderated by Scott Van Pelt, anchor of ESPN’s SportsCenter.
- Finding the Right Partner: An Interactive Exhibit Hall Tour: Exhibit participants will have an opportunity to experience an exclusive guided tour of the expo hall and meet relevant partners that will demonstrate their gaming technologies.
- How Sports Betting Works in a Regulated Market: Speakers include Khalid Ali, secretary general of ESSA (Sports Betting Integrity Association); A.G. Burnett, partner at McDonald Carano and former chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board; and Gambling Industry Analyst and Managing Director at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, Chris Grove.
- U.S. Sports Betting: Lessons Learned from Early Adopters: CEO of William Hill US Joe Asher; CEO of SBTech Richard Carter; and Vice President of Mobile, PlaySpot and North America Sports Betting at IGT Charles Cohen.
Sessions will be moderated mainly by Slane and AGA Vice President of State Affairs Mandy Hagan.
Slane encapsulated the importance of the G2E Symposium:
“In the three months since the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn the federal ban on sports betting, there has been substantial movement in the states to create legal, regulated sports betting markets. Three states have already begun offering in-person, single-game sports betting, including online in New Jersey, and a handful more states are expected to follow suit in the coming months. As states and sovereign tribal nations consider whether to introduce regulated sports betting within their jurisdictions, the Sports Betting Symposium at G2E will serve as a resource for the gaming industry to learn more about navigating the business, legislative and technological matters surrounding the legalization of sports betting.”
