It’s only fitting the second annual Casino eSports Conference be held in September at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas.
The Strip casino opened its 30,000-square-foot multi-level Esports Arena in March, and it has generated fanfare and national attention. Some experts predict esports betting will surpass $6 billion in 2018.
This year’s CEC on Sept. 5th and 6th and entitled “For the New Age of Gaming,” will connect the casino world directly to esports players, marketers, developers, products, services, event providers, lawyers and educators. It’s also for gaming establishments looking not only to incorporate esports gaming but iGaming and skill-based gaming, according to Ben Fox, a producer of GAC Events, subsidiary of New Jersey-based Fox Marketing of which he is a partner.
“We’re pumped,” Fox said. “We’re upping the ante this year and it’s bigger and better. This year we included meals, and we have some higher-profile speakers than we did our first year. So it’s definitely a bump up. It’s growing and gaining more traction.”
MGM Resorts International partnered with Allied Esports to build the arena in a former nightclub at the Luxor as the first permanent esports venue on the Strip.
MGM is sort of leading the pack with esports by taking off a part of their casino floor at the Luxor for an arena, and it plans to expand the concept to other MGM properties, Fox said. It’s was the suggestion of an MGM executive to have the conference at the Luxor, he said.
“Because of the arena, this makes it more relevant for us to be there,” Fox said. “Last year, a lot of people didn’t know about it, and some were skeptical about it. Now that we’re established, were getting more speakers.”
One of this year’s speakers Blaine Graboyes, CEO of GameCo., which created the first skilled-based slot machine for the casino industry.
“Blaine is going to address skilled-based gaming, and he’s planning to talk about creating space inside of a casino for an esports arena,” Fox said.
Another speaker is Rahul Sood, creator of Microsoft Ventures and CEO of Unikrn, a Seattle-based esports start up whose investors include actor Ashton Kutcher and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.
The list of speakers include:
- Melissa Blau, founder and director of IGaming Capital, an iGaming consultant and investor;
- Alex Igelman, a gaming lawyer and consultant.
- Brett Arbanel, director of research at the UNLV International Gaming Institute.
- Karl Bennison, chief of the Nevada Gaming Control Board’s enforcement division.
- Jamison Selby, an iGaming specialist.
- Seth Schorr, chairman of the Downtown Grand who led the effort to develop the first fully integrated esports program in his downtown casino.
- Daniel Sahl, the associate director of the Center for Gaming Innovation at UNLV, a program focused on researching and creating new casino games.
- Kingsley Edwards, the founder and CEO of the video gaming technology startup Leet and co-owner of esports team Rogue. Leet works with casino groups in Las Vegas to bring video game events and technology to their property to attract the elusive millennial demographic.
There will be a panel of UNLV students that will talk about their concerns about skilled-based games, Fox said.
“The difference this year is we included the skilled-based element a little more because it’s a stepping stone to full-blown esports,” Fox said. “What we are trying to focus is letting all of the casinos know we have the tools at this (event) that they will be able to start it the day after they leave. That is important because we are not talking about why it is important but that it will become part of the landscape. When you attend, we will introduce you to the people that allow that to happen. The importance of being at the Luxor is here is an actual case model. They are already doing it, and it’s not that complicated that you can’t start doing it as well.”
The event will also feature the hardware suppliers to equip esports in addition to lawyers who can discuss the issue as well, Fox said.
“We have a gathering of all of the elements,” Fox said. “For someone who needs to get involved in this space, it is important they attend because they will leave and be able to start doing it on a smaller scale sooner than later. What we are trying to teach them is it doesn’t take that much to be involved in this space monetarily. A lot of it can be done with baby steps that isn’t lost. Somebody can start running esports events similar to slot tournaments or bingo where it will not cost them that much, and it’s really not that complicated. But they need to know the elements of it, and we are presenting that so they can walk away with it and move forward.”
For more information on the entire program and to register go to www.casinoesportconf.com.
