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NCLGS WINTER MEETING AGENDA
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3
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2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Sports Betting Regulators Association Winter Meeting (All NCLGS attendees invited)
2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. NCLGS Registration Open
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. NCLGS Attendee Kickoff Reception (Badge required for entry)
(1555 SE 17th Street, Fort Lauderdale)
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 4
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7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Registration Open
7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. NCLGS Officers Meeting (Invitation Only)
9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. Opening Remarks – President’s Address
9:15 a.m. – 10:10 a.m. General Session: The Daily Fantasy Sports Debate
An Update on the Last Half-Decade of the Daily Fantasy Sports Industry. The focus of state legislatures, regulators, and the industry as a whole has been on traditional gambling, sports wagering and igaming for the past decade and especially since the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018. During that time a growing number of companies focused on daily fantasy sports (DFS) have entered the fray, offering games that some call innovative but others say bear too close a resemblance to sports betting. This panel will provide a survey of newer DFS game-types that have grown in popularity since the 2018 PASPA repeal. How are these companies disrupting the gaming industry? How is the gaming industry dealing with these companies as some states are licensing them, while other states limit their offerings. A panel of experts, journalists and regulators sort this out. Plus, a Q&A session.
Chair: Delegate Shawn Fluharty, West Virginia; NCLGS President
Presenters:
Matt Carey, Reporter, VIXIO GamblingCompliance
Andromeda Morrison, General Counsel & Director of Skill Games, Ohio Casino Control Commission
Derek Schmidt, former Kansas Attorney General and Partner, Husch Blackwell
Stacie Stern, Vice President Government Affairs and Partnerships, Underdog Fantasy
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10:10 a.m. – 10:40 a.m. Networking Break
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10:40 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. General Session: Illegal Gambling in the Retail and Online Markets
Law Enforcement, Here We Come. Illegal gambling is proliferating across the country and overseas. The Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC) has spearheaded a crackdown on illegal gaming at retail facilities. FGCC personnel cite a higher risk of theft, fraud and lack of consumer protections at these facilities as just some of the pitfalls. Similarly, illegal offshore gambling sites are as accessible as ever – often confusing and misleading consumers. Our experts review the current illegal retail and online gambling market.
Chair: Representative Chris Kannady, Oklahoma
Presenters:
Eric Frank, CEO and Co-Founder, Odds on Compliance
Fredric Gushin, President and CEO, Spectrum Gaming Group
Lindsay Slader, SVP Compliance, GeoComply
Louis Trombetta, Executive Director, Florida Gaming Control Commission
11:30 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. General Session: Legislator and Regulator Roundtable
Legislators and Regulators discuss the challenges and opportunities when working together. The legislators and regulators will also discuss the top issues on their radar screens as legislative sessions convene in 2024. The panel will culminate with the President of NCLGS announcing an important iGaming initiative.
Chair: Steve Geller, Founder of NCLGS and former State Senator, Florida
Presenters:
Rick Anthony, Deputy Executive Director, Ohio Casino Control Commission
Jay Edwards, Representative, Ohio
Rochelle Nguyen, Senator, Nevada
David Rebuck, Director, New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement
Peggy Richardson, Executive Director, Missouri Gaming Commission
Kevin Ryan, Representative, Connecticut, Former NCLGS President
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12:20 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Keynote Luncheon: Commissioner Julie Imanuel Brown, Florida Gaming Control Commission
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1:45 p.m. – 2:35 p.m. Special Committee on Technology
Betting & Gaming on the Cloud. Regulators, legislators, and industry experts will come together to discuss the use of cloud services for components of betting and gaming systems. As technology continues to improve, how do we ensure that the industry and regulators keep pace?
Chair: Mike Finn, Representative, Massachusetts
Co-chair: Dan Hartman, former Director, Colorado Division of Gaming
Presenters:
Andy Katz, Senior Corporate Counsel at Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Jody Rempel, Head of Regulatory Compliance, ArdentSky
June Taylor, former Chairperson, Ohio Casino Control Commission
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COMMITTEE SESSIONS
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2:35 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. State and Federal Committee
Closing the iGaming Education Gap. While sports betting expanded quickly in the United States, igaming has not had the same success. Why is that? As legislatures convene in January across the country, what is being done to close the education gap on igaming among everyone from legislators to regulators. Many of the igaming companies are currently operating in foreign countries, but how can they better approach the United States market?
Chair: Delegate Shawn Fluharty, West Virginia; NCLGS President
Presenters:
Daron Dorsey, Executive Director, Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM)
Saam Hafezi, Regional Director, US, Play’n GO
Charmaine Hogan, Head of Regulatory Affairs, Policy Development, Strategy, Gambling and Gaming, Playtech
Martin Lycka, SVP for American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling, Entain
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3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Networking Break
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4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Special Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Esports and DEI. Esports started out as a few lines of computer code and an experiment, but it has transformed into a multi-billion-dollar industry featuring highly competitive tournaments, diverse game offerings, thousands of esports teams, substantial prize pools, and streaming channels. Women are credited with technology development, cutting-edge game development, and programming innovations – and they make up nearly 50% of esports consumers. But throughout the esports ecosystem, women often aren't treated equally. What can tournament organizers, trade associations, regulatory bodies, and lawmakers do to help create a safer, more equitable environment and promote integrity standards that include player protections?
Chair: Representative Christie Carpino, Connecticut; NCLGS Vice President
Special Presenter: Becky Harris, Distinguished Fellow in Gaming and Leadership, International Gaming Institute at UNLV
Presenters:
Juana Bischoff, Senior Business Development Manager, Oddin.gg
Michele Fischer, Vice President, SIS Content Services
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. NCLGS Cocktail Reception (Badge Required for Entry)
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9:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Rooftop After Party hosted by FanDuel (Badge Required for Entry)
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(1 West Las Olas Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale)
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 5
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7:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Registration Open
7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. NCLGS Officers and Executive Committee Meeting (Invitation Only)
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Committee on Responsible Gaming
Extra! Extra! Read All About It! As NCLGS convenes in Florida, the state’s most recognizable company, Disney, enters the gaming market with the ESPN-Penn deal. At the same time, the US Congress is contemplating its first piece of legislation that could ban all sports betting ads. How do legislators and regulators balance the mainstreaming of gambling advertisements? What are the barriers and limitations for these companies? Who is monitoring the explosion of ads and influencers on television and online? How do we define media?
Chair: Delegate Shawn Fluharty, West Virginia; NCLGS President
Co-Chair: Senator Gary Smith, Louisiana
Presenters:
Chris Adams, CEO, SharpRank
Howard Glaser, Global Head of Government Affairs and Counsel, Light and Wonder
Katie McCord, General Counsel, Better Collective
Alan Miller, Senior Attorney, Louisiana Senate
Daniel Trolaro, Vice President of Prevention – US, EPIC Risk Management
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10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Networking Break
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10:30 a.m. – 11:20 a.m. Lottery Committee
Public Policy Positions and the Lottery’s Everchanging Customer Base. Who is the lottery customer and how will they change over the next decade? Lottery players are different from other gaming customers. In fact, they don’t even necessarily see themselves as gamblers. Why? What is it about lottery that feels different to players than casinos, sports books and igaming? Will the rise of ilottery platforms and courier services change who is the lottery player is and, if so, in what ways? What’s the future of retail? What’s the future of online? How will legislators and regulators base their decisions on evolving demographic changes and offerings.
Chair: Representative Al Williams, Georgia; NCLGS Secretary
Presenters:
Brad Cummings, Founder and & CEO, EQL Games
Gregory Smith, President and CEO, Connecticut Lottery
Robert Wesley, VP of North America Customer Development, NeoGames
11:20 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. Pari-Mutuel Committee
The Future of Horse Racing. Horse racing nationwide is under pressure from a horse and rider safety perspective and from rapidly expanding gaming options across the country. While there is new federal oversight of racing safety and implementation of the Horseracing Integrity Safety Authority, pari-mutuel handle is growing rapidly via Historical Horse Racing machines and other unique uses of pari-mutuel methodology for new gaming options. Our racing experts will review the current state of the industry and discuss pari-mutuel gaming and technological options now available for legislators and regulators to consider in 2024.
Chair: Senator Jason Barrett, West Virginia; NCLGS Treasurer
Presenters:
Chris Cipolla, Senior Director Horse Racing, DraftKings
Lonny Powell, CEO, Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association; Member, Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia and Equine Authority Technical Committee
Tom Sage, Director, Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission
Paul Williams, Chief Executive Officer, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY
12:10 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. Legislator Roundtable (Open to all legislators)
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1:00 p.m. Off-site Event: Afternoon at the Races – Gulfstream Park (All attendees encouraged to attend)
NCLGS registered guests and their spouses and family are invited to join us at Gulfstream Park Racetrack and Casino for a day at the races. Enjoy an afternoon overlooking the main track and the turf course. A beautiful buffet of gourmet dishes, seafood, and desserts will be served from 1:00 p.m. till mid-afternoon. Photos in the Winners Circle and visits to the paddock are in store, plus a full card of world class thoroughbred racing. This event sponsored by 1/ST Technology.
Gulfstream Park
901 S. Federal Hwy.
Hallandale Beach, FL 33009
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SATURDAY, JANUARY 6
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8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast
9:00 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. General Session: Special Committee on AI
“Will AI Robots Take Over?” – “Is AI a Tool or a Weapon?” With the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI), policymakers on the federal and state levels are convening educational working groups. More than half of the state legislatures saw some form of AI legislation introduced in 2023. With this rapidly advancing technology disrupting how we live and work, tech and regulatory experts explain what AI is and what type of impact it could have on the gaming world.
Chair: Representative Christie Carpino, Connecticut; NCLGS Vice President
Presenters:
Andre Gowens, Vice President, Enterprise Architecture, Software Engineering & Data/Analytics, Seminole Hard Rock Support Services
Suhail Khan, Director of External Affairs, Microsoft
Michael Tobin, CEO and Founder, Continent 8
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9:50 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. Networking Break
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10:20 a.m. – 11:10 a.m. Committee on Indian Gaming
Florida on My Mind. The eyes of Indian Country and the gaming industry at large have been focused on the highest court in Florida and the US Supreme Court regarding the status of the State of Florida-Seminole compact. These court decisions not only will decide the fate of sports betting in Florida but could affect Indian Country compacts across the country.
Chair: Representative Chris Stearns, Washington
Co-chair: Representative Steve Bashore, Oklahoma
Presenters:
Dan Little, Chief Intergovernmental Affairs Officer, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
Joe Webster, Partner, Hobbs Strauss Dean and Walker
11:10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Committee on Casinos
How Can Gaming Help Communities Prosper? In communities large and small, from New York City and Chicago to small towns such as Osceola, IA, and Terre Haute, IN, local officials and business owners have looked to gaming operators – who often have been granted monopoly status in their communities – to help attract tourists, generate employment, and provide capital investment. What lessons have communities learned, and what mistakes have been made? What are realistic expectations, and how should communities define their goals and pursue plans when they host a gaming operation?
Chair: Representative Al Williams, Georgia, NCLGS Secretary
Co-Chair: Representative Kevin Ryan, Connecticut, former NCLGS President
Presenters:
David Frankhouser, COO, Delaware North Gaming
Rob Norton, President, Cordish Gaming Group
Stacey Rowland, SVP and General Counsel, Genting Americas
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2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Off-Site Event: Reception at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, FL
Join us for a closing reception hosted by Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. (Space is limited - registration is required.)
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NCLGS Winter Meeting Concludes
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