Anticipation of SCOTUS ruling drives attendance at GiGse

Ewa Bakun, who leads the team responsible for curating the 2018 edition of GiGse (May 31 – June 1, The Biltmore, Miami) believes that confirmed speakers comprising Patrick Garofalo, State Representative, Minnesota House of Representatives, Nicholas Menas, VP Global Strategy, Stars Group, Joe Asher, CEO, William Hill US and Scott Butera, Ex-Commissioner, Arena Football League, who represent different stakeholders, from legislators to operators and the sports sector, are the key decision makers likely to shape the future of the regulated sports betting market in the United States that protects the integrity of the games and the consumer rights, while driving revenue for both the states and the industry.
 
The 2018 GiGse agenda is dominated by sports betting as expectations continue to grow surrounding the Supreme Court’s (SCOTUS) ruling this year, with experts foreseeing a favourable outcome for New Jersey’s appeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which if it prevails could see the path cleared for other states to determine their position on legalised sports betting in their own jurisdictions. Industry thought leaders including Eilers & Krejcik Gaming's Chris Grove and William Hill’s Joe Asher, will be using the platform provided by GiGse to explore how applicable European sports book experiences will be to the US as well as highlighting what operators can do to build their brands, their database and expertise levels in the event that the PASPA is repealed.
 
Key US legislator, Patrick Garofalo, together with Scott Butera, Richard Schuetz, Gaming and Regulatory Consultant, and Seth Young, Director of Online Gambling at Foxwoods will follow-up with their Regulating and taxing sports betting panel examining how regulatory scenarios influence the efforts to combat the illegal market and what the US can learn from successes and failures in Europe. GiGse’s wide ranging focus on the SCOTUS ruling will also explore how mobile gaming, as the leading revenue source from sports betting in Nevada, will develop in the future with Seth Young set to discuss the huge potential of online channels to be adopted as additional states come on board.
 
Commenting on the prestigious panels, Clarion Gaming’s Head of Industry Insight and Engagement, Ewa Bakun, who focused on the burgeoning possibilities of the market at her recent Sports Betting USA panel held at NIGA, said: “The industry’s appetite to learn more about what could be in store in North America if PASPA is repealed is reaching fever pitch and the people we have gathered for GiGse reflect our intention to progress the debate and insight ahead of what could be the most exciting year in US betting history. This year’s lineup of panellists represent the leading authorities who can help regulators and operators to usher in a new dawn of properly regulated sports betting which protects the integrity of sport and consumer rights.”
 
The potential growth for the industry and various sectors in the event of a favourable SCOTUS ruling is vast and the GiGse agenda reflects that with discussions covering the entire spectrum of the sports betting market. Together with the focus on operators and regulators speakers will also examine the US sports fans and players in a dedicated break out session - Customers and products – building a compelling sports book proposition for the US market – where Neale Deeley, VP Sales at Sportradar, Ian Bradley, Chief Product Officer at SBTech and Max Meltzer, Chief Commercial Officer at Kambi, will discuss in-play betting prospects, the potential of successful international products in the USA and whether player conversion from DFS to sports betting is possible.
 
In addition to the headline panels at GiGse, sports betting roll-out options will be reviewed taking into consideration the needs of various industry participants, including both large and medium casinos, regional and resorts style properties, racing tracks and lotteries with insights from Ed Andrewes, CEO, New Resorts Digital and Adam Suliman, VP Ancillary Gaming and Innovation, JACK Entertainment, Brad Cummings, President, EquiLottery and Art Manteris VP Sport and Race Operations, Station Casinos / Red Rock Resorts.
 
GiGse’s two-day program, which takes place alongside the co-located Juegos Miami, will feature a wide range of industry debates including the monetization of sports betting and its relationship with Tribal Gaming, the role of technology in growing the gaming industry outside of regulatory boundaries, the utilization of behavioral data in tracking players from mobile to the casino floor, personalization and artificial intelligence as methods of engaging with digital users, as well as an examination of the pace of online gambling regulation and consumer attitudes towards it. To download the full two-day agenda, visit: https://www.gigse.com/download-agenda

For more information on GiGse, visit www.gigse.com.

Image: Clarion Gaming’s Head of Industry Insight and Engagement, Ewa Bakun