The sixth annual iGaming North America conference is upon us and this unique educational event brings together land based and online gambling businesses interested in the regulated US and Canadian markets. One of the strongest features, if not the strongest feature of iGaming North America is the sessions, a shift from ICE Totally Gaming and the LAC, two events with a heavy emphasis on expo floor action.
iGaming North America’s organizers have extensive experience in the industry and a deep knowledge of what topics and speakers will provide value to their audience. Over the three days iGaming North America takes place, the program will address topics such as payment issues, the state of RAWA, eSports, DFS, appealing to millenials, maintaining player ecosystems, advocacy and activism.
There are plenty of delegates who attend every session at iGaming North America, but for those of you who have other commitments, I’d like to recommend five sessions that should not be missed. For anyone who cannot make the trip to Vegas, in addition to our daily highlight videos, three out of these five panels will be live-streamed on CalvinAyre.com and will be worth the watch.
Executive Panel – The New Deal (to be live-streamed on CalvinAyre.com)
The opening session of iGaming North America is always highly anticipated and the session scheduled at the moment certainly ticks that box.
The Executive Panel features a representative from PokerStars/Amaya and from Caesars, the first time reps from these two organizations have appeared publically together to have a productive discussion. The focus of this panel is PokerStars’ entry into the regulated US market via New Jersey and what the overall impact will be, in addition to other key issues surrounding the regulated US online gambling market.
With all the drama surrounding Amaya and the insider trading charges, we love that Eric Hollreiser will still be making an appearance and you can rest assured we’ll be talking about and covering the situation next week during the conference.
When: Tuesday, April 5th @ 13:15
Moderator: Sue Schneider, Founder, eGaming Brokerage
Panelist: Eric Hollreiser, VP of Corporate Communications, Amaya
Panelist: Michael D. Cohen, SV, Corporate Development, General Council, Caesars Acquisition Company
Visionaries Panel – From Conceptual to Reality (to be live-streamed on CalvinAyre.com)
What I find most alluring about this session are the panelists. Some of the most valuable sessions feature informed industry veterans sharing their opinion on topics we’re all familiar with, exactly what you can expect from this panel.
Chris Grove is a well-respected gambling industry analyst, most recognized for his work on Online Poker Report and for his incredible industry tweeting skills @OPReport, Louis Castle is a 28-year video game industry veteran and the award-winning Howard Stutz is one of the most recognized, informed and talented journalists in the gambling industry, most recognized for his time with Las Vegas Review.
When: Wednesday, April 6th @ 12:00
Moderator: Howard Stutz, Strategic Development Manager, Greenberg Traurig – Las Vegas
Panelist: Chris Grove, Partner, Narus Advisors
Panelist: Louis Castle, Video Game Designer, Castle Production Services
Next Gen Forum
Innovation and disruption are permanent buzz words within the gambling industry and far beyond. However, when it comes to highly regulated markets, ie the regulated US gambling market, trying to push through innovative products and technology can be, well, complicated.
This session focusing on innovation features a selection of panelists who are experts on everything from eSports to gamification of slots and other casino games to innovation in the land based industry. In particular eSports is an area of huge potential for our industry and Rahul Sood of UNIKRN is one of the most seasoned professionals to speak on the subject.
When: Wednesday, April 6th @ 15:45
Moderator: JD Morris, Gaming Reporter, Las Vegas Sun
Panelist: Rahul Sood, CEO, UNIKRN
Panelist: Marcus Yoder, VP, Regulated Markets Business Development, Gamblit
Panelist: Daniel Sahl, Associate Director, Center for Gaming Innovation, UNLV
Power Session: DFS 2.0 (to be live-streamed on CalvinAyre.com)
What the future has in store for DFS is a highly debated topic across the gambling industry. While some feel the general subject of DFS has been beat into the ground, we’ve made a shift from the skill game vs. gambling debate to whether land based casinos should embrace the game, what will happen with DFS in the UK and Europe and will Draft Kings and FanDuel survive the regulatory mess in the US?
In addition to addressing the latest surrounding DFS, this panel is stacked with industry experts and promises to be entertaining, especially with the outspoken Joe Asher on board.
When: Thursday, April 7th @11:15
Moderator: Melissa Blau, Co-Founder & CFO, FastFantasy, Inc
Panelist: Joe Asher, CEO, William Hill US
Panelist: Joseph Bunevith, COO, FastFantasy, Inc.
Panelist: Daniel Wallach, Shareholder, Becker & Poliakoff, P.A.
Panelist: Seth Young, VP/COO, Flower City Gaming LLC
Networking Lunch: iGaming North America Awards Presentation
The online gambling industry has a disproportionally large number of award ceremonies for its size, so why has yet another one appeared on our agenda?
Last year iGaming North America introduced their awards presentation and it was well-received by delegates. The ceremony was short and sweet, it was casual and part of the lunch break. By the third day of any event everyone is cooked from a learning and networking perspective, so why not sit back, relax and enjoy toasting our North America-facing peers for a job well done.
When: Thursday, April 7th @ 13:00
Award Categories:
*Best Marketing Campaign
*Operator of the Year
*Best Social Gaming Operator
*Best Payments System
*Best Fantasy Sports Provider
*Best Platform Supplier
*Best innovation in North American Gaming
