OXON HILL, Maryland – Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, whose state was at the forefront of efforts to legalize sports wagering, has been added to the speakers’ lineup of the American Gaming Association-sponsored sports betting summit taking place Wednesday and Thursday at MGM National Harbor in Maryland.
Christie, who left office after two terms last year, spearheaded Christie v. NCAA, the lengthy court battle which ultimately ended up in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in December 2017. Last May, the justices overturned the 25-year-old Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, paving the way for states to legalize sports betting.
In the 10 months since the ruling, seven states – Delaware, New Jersey, Mississippi, West Virginia, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and New Mexico – joined Nevada in allowing casinos and racetracks to offer sports betting facilities.
Multi-year marketing and sponsorship agreements, once viewed as sacrilegious, have been signed between major casino operators and individual casinos with professional sports leagues and individual franchises.
Christie, who ran unsuccessfully for President in 2016 and is now a political commentator for ABC News, is expected to speak during a half-hour session.
He will be among several high-level sports, broadcasting and gaming industry leaders who will take part in the summit.
The AGA is touting the invitation-only conference as a dialogue within the sports betting ecosystem on the most pressing topics related to the expansion of legal, regulated sports betting in the U.S.
AGA Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Sara Slane said the day-and-a-half-long conference is designed to allow participants in the sports betting space to take a breath and assess the scene as the one-year anniversary of the repeal of the PASPA draws closer.
“This event serves as a hub for stakeholders to look at what’s taken place, and the most productive way to move forward,” Slane said. “There will be thought sharing from the operators, the media side and the sports side. We’ll hear some very different viewpoints.”
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman will speak along with a pair of top-level executives from major sports leagues: Jeff Wilpon, chief operating officer of the New York Mets and the owner of the New York Excelsior eSports team, and Ted Leonsis, chairman, majority owner, and CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Washington Wizards and the Washington Capitals.
Gaming industry representatives slated to attend include state regulatory officials, MGM Resorts Chairman and CEO Jim Murren, William Hill US CEO Joe Asher, and DraftKings CEO Jason Robins.
“The idea is to have a good representation of C-level stakeholders to evaluate where we are at,” Slane said. “We expect to see more alignment and more deals.”
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgamingreports.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
