The Converging Worlds conference track at SBC Summit North America taking place at the Meadowlands Exposition Center, New Jersey, will discuss the trials and tribulations of cross-industry collaboration and how it can be utilized for further opportunities in the gaming industry.
The first panel of Converging Worlds track, “Lay of The Landscape,” will examine casino, sports-betting, and multi-brand operators’ place in the industry as more and more states legalize igaming. Panelists will provide insight into how the eventual consolidation of online casinos and mobile sports betting will change the landscape and discuss how operators on both sides of the industry can capitalize on their inherent strengths to enhance their share in the market.
Panelists include Rhea Loney (Chief Compliance Officer, BetMGM), David Rebuck (Director, NJ Department of Gaming Enforcement), Nick Smith (Sportsbook Manager, Snoqualmie Casino), and Dan Shapiro (SVP-Chief Development Officer, Caesars Digital), with Brian Egger (Senior Gaming Analyst, Bloomberg) moderating the panel.
Participants in the “Commercial vs Tribal – What Are the Differences When Entering a New Market?” panel will share their thoughts on the challenges new markets present to both tribal and commercial operators. The group of panelists will explore what lessons commercial and tribal operators can learn from one another and whether digital can heighten brand awareness with new and existing tribal audiences.
The panel will feature Richard Roberts (President, Digital Gaming, Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment), Laurel Pittman (Head of Sportsbook, Desert Diamond Casinos), Marie Jiacopello Jones (Partner, Co-Chair, Gaming Department, Foxrothschild LLP), and James A. Lewis (Counsel, Duane Morris). The panel will be moderated by Melissa Blau (Founder and Director, iGaming Capital).
The “Player Protection and Collaboration Focus” panel will have present experts from an array of diverse organizational backgrounds, discussing the findings of the pre-day “Player Protection Symposium” track. Discussion will focus around how cross-sector analysis can help find the best practices for player-protection strategies, while highlighting how technology can be utilized to recognize both healthy and unhealthy player trends and how players can be proactively protected whilst also meeting regulatory requirements.
The panelists include Jen Shatley (Principle Consultant, Logan Avenue Consulting LLC), Martin Lycka (SVP, American Regulatory Affair and Responsible Gambling, Entain), Christopher Hebert (Director, Gaming Division, Louisiana Dept of Justice, Office of the Attorney General), Warren Russell (Founder & CEO, W2), and Chrissy Thurmond (Senior Director, Responsible Gaming, DraftKings). The panel will be moderated by Paul Buck (CEO, Epic Risk Management).
Throughout the final day of the event (Thursday May 11), industry experts will engage in discussions including the collaboration between land-based and online companies, the use of technology in regard to player protection, the relationship between tribal and commercial operators, and more.
Rasmus Sojmark, CEO & Founder or SBC, said, “The convergence of worlds is a hot topic. Each brand has unique strengths and weaknesses, but there’s so much to learn from other verticals or disciplines. By doing so, we can create greater opportunities for the industry as a whole, while also aligning with the modern-day consumer market and further establishing our industry’s place in the cultural zeitgeist.”
Other panels across the track include comprehensive analyses of the role integrity has within sports and betting, lottery’s place in the digital realm, and special keynotes from Frank Abagnale (best-selling author and subject of the film Catch Me If You Can) and Barry Gibson (Chairman of Entain), as keynote speakers.
