East Coast Gaming Congress - Day Two Recap

Day Two of The East Coast Gaming Congress was insightful because the panels were tackling issues that had the old guard vs. 21st Century thinking. I shuttled between Gender Equality in the Gaming Industry and Atlantic City.. And North Jersey?  They were in adjacent areas so I was able to cover both.

Virginia McDowell

The Gender Equality Panel consisted of Jan Jones Blackhurst,Vice President of  Government Relations at Caesars Entertainment, James Allen, CEO of Hard Rock International and Jane Bokunewicz,Assistant Professor of Tourism Management from Stockton University.  The moderator was the esteemed Virginia McDowell, President  and Board Chair of Global Gaming Women. This session should have been held by itself.  The turnout was light but the message was powerful. Women are underrepresented in management positions and are paid substantially less than their male counterparts. But the message and the numbers do not resonate unless they are heard by everyone. Most of the attendees were women and minorities. The data supports that companies that are diverse do better than one's that are not. Companies that have women in position of leadership are making more money than those where only men are present.

 

The Atlantic City ...And North Jersey panel had the most fireworks. The groups were divided by the trio that wanted a gaming expansion into North Jersey and one that was opposed. The Atlantic City group wants to maintain the momentum that they have by citing the increases in hotel occupancy and revenue over this time two years ago. They feel that casinos in North Jersey would derail that growth.

The North Jersey supporters of Jeff Gural and Paul Fireman, the two primary investors of the proposed Meadowlands and Jersey City project respectively, think that they are going after a market that Atlantic City does not have presently. No happy medium was reached.

 

The Casino Floor of Tomorrow gave a glimpse at what everyone thought the future gaming floor would look like. The consensus of this panel was that while we can't forget about our present customers, we must allocate a percentage of our space that will engage a younger crowd.

Geoff Freeman

Geoff Freeman, President & CEO, American Gaming Association, requested that the gaming industry do 3 things. The industry should expose the problems, see the opportunities and unify the stakeholders. This includes Sports Betting and Daily Fantasy Sports.

Part Two of the Day 2 recap will be on my Facebook and Twitter  mediums.


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East Coast Gaming Congress - Day Two Recap (Part 2)

The afternoon sessions of the East Coast Gaming Congress featured the CEO panels. This is the highlight of the conference. This year was unique because the organizers of the conference had a fashion show as to quote Lloyd Levenson, "To lighten things up."

Lloyd Levenson  (standing) with Mark Frissora

Here our two images of the Fashion Show Presentation by Cintas.

I decided to give bulletin board material to all of my readers. This can be used as food for thought and came directly from the CEOs that were on the last two panels.

James Allen

James Allen- CEO of Hard Rock International: "One size does not fit all. Look for a Return on Investment of 15 to 17% before committing to a deal."

Bobby Soper- CEO of Mohegan Sun :"Innovation drives business. Right size your investment"

Felix Rappaport- President & CEO of Foxwoods Resort Casino: "Go after brands that are highly engaged in social media."

Keith Smith

Keith Smith- President & CEO of Boyd Gaming: "Trying to predict the future is impossible. Don't lose sight of the core customer of today"

Tim Wilmott- President & CEO of Penn National Gaming: "Combine all platforms to your Loyalty Programs"

Greg Carlin - CEO of Rush Street Gaming:  Carlin was the most innovative with his presentation.
He incorporated a video that dealt with the fantasy sports betting issue. He got the biggest rise from the crowd.  My take from his presentation is that you have to engage your audience and your customer to keep them in tune to your message.

The CEO panel also included Mark Julliano, President Sands Bethlehem, Dave Cordish, Chairman of Cordish Companies and John E.Taylor Jr., Chairman of Twin Rivers Worldwide Holdings.

This year's Conference was the best one I have ever attended. This is the only conference that you can get an intimate conversation with the CEOs and network with your peers at the same time. Worth the money! I would double down next year and await  #ECGC21.

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                     Check out my app, Smart Responsible Gaming in the App Store - Official Site

East Coast Gaming Congress Recap Day 1

The East Coast Gaming Congress entered it's 20th year of providing information and updates from the top organizations in the gaming industry. This year opened with the I Gaming Institute.

After the welcoming address, the keynote presentation was given by Itai Pazner, Head of B2C,

888 Holdings. Mr. Pazner cited the growth in E Commerce along with the potential increase of DFS and social casinos as reasons for optimism. 888 is currently in 9 regulated markets.

The 1st roundtable was the I Gaming: The View from New Jersey. This panel consisted of several top operators and one regulator. It was moderated by Eugene Johnson, Senior Vice President from Spectrum Gaming. The key takeaways  from this discussion were the absence of cannibalization with the online gaming product compare to the brick & mortar. George Rover, Director of Gaming Enforcement for New Jersey indicated that in over 2 years there was not one case of underage gambling.

The sessions were divided for the next panels, so I went to the I Gaming Expansion- Who's Next?

Pennsylvania, California and New York were all mentioned as possible players with different levels of optimism. California and New York are leaning to Poker only in an online gaming environment.

Pennsylvania would mimic New Jersey and do casino games and Poker. None of these states appear ready to leap into action in 2016.

One of the final panels of the day was Attracting Millennials: How to connect with the Next Generation. Each participant on this panel felt that the creation of an integrated resort experience that has non gaming amenities along with gambling is the way to go forward. Operators must have multiple catch points and target the millennial customer differently than a Baby Boomer or Generation X patron.  Victor Rocha, Owner and Editor of Pechanga.net, cited skill based gaming as a way of building the casino floor of the future. Chris Davidson, moderator and VP of Global strategy for MMCY Global had an excellent slide presentation. Sarah Robertson, from Income Access  & Dana Takrudtong, Vice President of Sales for GAN, represented their companies admirably. This was the highlight of the first day at #ECGC20th.

A networking event closed the day. It was held at the Pool at Harrah's Resort in Atlantic City.
                                                                Here is a peek.

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                             My day two recap of the Conference will be on LinkedIn.

Smart Responsible Gaming

This is the change I have been alluding to. Over the past weeks, I have mentioned that I was going to add a new feature to the website. I totally changed it. That change is Smart Responsible Gaming.

We will promote an intellectual view that will focus on a younger and new gamer. I am excited and passionate about this endeavor. Our posts will provide information about fantasy sports, sports betting and skill base games. There will still be updates about entertainment from the casino world. We will still provide interviews from the top executives,insiders and policy makers periodically.

What we were doing before this change was giving 70% of our attention toward the traditional casino player. A transition had to be made to stay relevant.

So we have invested in a new look for the website. smartresponsiblegamng.com

Gone are the static references to major sports leagues and gaming capitals. Our post will engage you with fresh content that will include this week in gaming review and  the current sporting event that is trending on social media.

You will get an insider perception of what going on. This will come from people that actually work in the professions they are sharing their opinions about. Imagine watching NFL Insiders and you'll visualize what we are doing. We will be data driven with analytics that will support assessments.

The biggest addition is the mobile app that accompanies this transition. Smart Responsible Gaming is available on Android and I phone versions. It is currently in the App Store - Official Site and can be downloaded for free. It will allow you to look at gaming as a social medium that requires planning to minimize risk.

It includes concepts that are novel such as nutritional advice. The app provide access to real time engagement.  The app will also increase your awareness so you'll make sound decisions. Decisions that will improve your gaming experience and allow for a balance quality of life.   If you are interested in online gaming or the aforementioned information targets, you can review it here.

Thanks to all that read any prior post over the past 3 years and are coming with us.

Welcome all the new audience members for joining in.
Enjoy the journey!
.
A new logo will accompany this change. For more details e mail info@smartresponsiblegaming.com

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                                                                  #ECGC20th

East Coast Gaming Congress and I Gaming Preview

This week, the 19th Annual East Coast Gaming Congress and I Gaming institute will be held at the Borgata Casino Hotel in Atlantic City. This is the top gaming conference on the east coast. The dates are May 27-28.   I will take the opportunity now to preview this event.

The 1st day is dedicated to IGaming. This subject is the hot topic that every gaming operator in the country should be talking about. What looked like something that was not in the foreseeable future 4 years ago is now part of the landscape in New Jersey, Delaware and Nevada. The expansion into 3 of the most populous states in the country will be part of the discussion for sure. Those states are California, Pennsylvania and New York.

There are 3 panels the 1st day. One gives the recap of what I Gaming has done so far. A second panel takes the legislative view of what may happen within the next 18 months. I have a Q&A with Senator Lesniak that will cover some of the points from this panel. I am extremely interested in the following session.

CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES*

While significant challenges remain for commercial iGaming in the United States to overcome, attractive opportunities beckon.  How are the issues encountered during the rollout being addressed?  How great is the opportunity for social games and how will they impact legalized casino and poker iGaming?  Are improvements necessary from the player’s perspective? What is the potential for US iGaming and how can it be achieved?  An expert panel of operators, vendors, and player advocates discuss the problems and potential solutions required to fulfill the promise of legalized Internet gambling.

Moderator:

Victor Rocha, Owner & Editor, Pechanga.net

Speakers:

Jon Friedberg, President & CEO, Overlay Gaming
Joe Pappano, CEO, Vantiv Gaming Solutions
Kim Little Sutherland, Director, Identity Management, Lexis Nexis
Dana Takrudtong, Vice President of Sales, GameAccount Network

 

Day Two has two panels that piqued my interest. The first is a group that deals with the Mid Atlantic Region.

THE MID-ATLANTIC: APPROACHING SATURATION?

Sponsored by eMarker

In the $8.7 billion Mid-Atlantic gaming market, as one state expands, another contracts, leaving the aggrieved state to expand its gaming offerings. And so the arms race continues in the Mid-Atlantic, where the word “saturation” is used frequently amid continuous industry and political activity over the last 10 years. Stakeholders from Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia will discuss how much growth – if any – is left in this six-state area.

Moderator:

Ken LeFevre, Managing Partner, Pathfinder Resouces, LLC

Speakers:

Yuri Cameron, Director, Market Planning, LexisNexis
Wendy Hamilton, General Manager, SugarHouse Casino
Bill Hayles, Vice President & General Manager, Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course
Helene Keeley, Member, Delaware House of Representatives
Lou Kirven, Director of Corporate Development, Empire City Casino
Edward Sutor, President & Chief Executive Officer, Dover Downs Hotel & Casino.

 

The second panel is about Marketing and relating to our next and new customer. The group that is able to unlock this door will be the leader of the gaming industry.

 

THE NEXT GENERATION OF GAMBLING

Sponsored by BMM Test Labs

Casino companies, iGaming operators, and game developers are seeking to tap into the fast-growing online segments of social and skill games, where games once played for fun are intersecting with bona fide gambling. Millennials glued to their mobile devices are driving this trend, which leads to critical questions: What will the casino of 2025 look like as gaming, gambling, and mobile intersect on the floor? Are these games a threat or an opportunity for traditional land-based casino operators? Are regulators in current i-gaming states equipped to test and control these new games? Experts from five different perspectives lead the discussion in this engaging panel.

Moderator:

William J. Pascrell, III, Partner, Princeton Public Affairs Group

Speakers:

David Chang, Chief Marketing Officer, Gamblit Gaming
Jeff Connors, President, Traffic Generation Limited
Kurt Freedlund, President, Lotto Interactive
Travis Foley, Executive Vice President, Operations – Americas, BMM Test Labs
Peter Yesawich, Vice Chairman, MMGY Global

I'll give my mini forecast of what I see coming from the 3 aforementioned panels.

I Gaming is the way to game in the future. Less emphasis on the personal social interaction and more connectivity through mobile and broadband. The opportunities for job creation and expansion are tremendous.

The Mid Atlantic Market is at slightly above saturation point. There is no growth in West Virginia and Delaware. Pennsylvania and New Jersey will rely on new games and innovations to grow the market.

The Next Generation customer is not a slot player. He or she is a social game player. The skill based component must be part of what appeals to a millinial customer. By 2025, there could conceivably be a casino within every major city in the United States.

Geoff Freeman

The  Keynote Luncheon Address will be given by Geoff Freeman, President & CEO, American Gaming Association.

Three of the 2015 sponsors of the 19th East Coast Gaming Congress include Drexel University,Stockton University and Fairleigh Dickinson University.

I will provide tweets from the active participants thru out the conference. For the entire lineup of  #ECGCiGI ,go here.

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2015 Jersey Shore Cast

I attended the Jersey Shore cast last Friday at Stockton University Carnegie Building in Atlantic City. There were two panel discussions. I found them both interesting. The following are excerpts from a press release from Stockton's News and Media Relations Director Maryjane Briant.

                          .

The way forward for Atlantic City is to diversify its economy, agreed panelists at the Carnegie Center event, sponsored by the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality & Tourism (LIGHT).

 

 

The first panel was an academic one with Busler, Tyrrell and Cooke, and moderated by Dr. Israel Posner, executive director of LIGHT.

 

The second, with industry experts Wieland, Pepenella and Joseph Kelly, president of the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce, was moderated by LIGHT’s new associate director, Felicia Grondin.

 

“This is a transition period and this is a good thing,” said Kelly. “”Starting to diversity is the key.”

He noted that the 85,000-square-foot Bass Pro shop just opened in Atlantic City and that Harrah’s is investing in a major new convention facility, showing confidence that the area will rebound.

 

Beyond that, Kelly said existing properties in Atlantic City should be repurposed as higher education facilities with a “renewable” customer base, as new students start their educations each year.

 

Busler said the city should attract or expand health care facilities, which along with the cultural and educational attractions of a university, would lead more Baby Boomers to retire here.

 

“Meds and Eds,” said Busler, summing up that redevelopment strategy.

 

Kelly said casinos, conventions and tourism events will always have a place in Atlantic City’s diversified economy. The Chamber sponsors the Atlantic City Air Show, which provides $42 million in economic impact in the region, he said. This year, it will be held in September, extending the season.

 

If Revel reopens this summer that would change the picture, but it is unclear whether that will happen, both Tyrrell and Busler said. “The hope is that Revel reopening would grow the market, but the reality is, it may take away from some of the other casinos,” Busler said.

 

Tyrrell also noted that LIGHT issued its quarterly report on Atlantic City Tourism Performance Indicators today, which found that despite the closing of casinos in the last year, much of the gaming-related business remained “captured” in the Atlantic City market.

 

“Per property performance for the remaining casinos in the Atlantic City market increased,” the 2014 year-end report found. Click to read the full report.
 



Stockton University acquisition of  Showboat

 

I want to take the balance of this post to address the elephant in the room. Stockton is involved an acquisition of Showboat Casino. This would immediately revitalize Atlantic City with the "Eds" part of the redevelopment. Add the appeal of staying near the beach to a college student versus inland. The chance to do an internship that is catered to the theoretical perspective and real world application. There should be a way to accommodate education in a gaming environment. UNLV is embraced by Las Vegas.  Atlantic City could open up some of the restrictions that presently stifled development and diversity. The old model does not work anymore.

 

Here are some of the latest events planned for the shore. They include Summer Festivals and New Places to Eat at the Beach. I want to thank Dr. Posner for inviting me to this event. Stockton is known for providing the metrics of projecting trends that are relevant to Atlantic City and New Jersey. Expect more innovation from the East Coast Gaming Congress in Atlantic City from Borgata Casino on May 27-28.

                                            
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