Convergence of racetracks, lotteries and gaming machines focus of event
TUCSON, Ariz. (August 22, 2002) -- The University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program (RTIP) is teaming up with gaming industry media leader GEM Communications to produce a new one-day conference, the Racing & Gaming Summit, Dec. 10 in Tucson. The day-long conference precedes RTIP's 29th Annual Symposium on Racing, which continues through Dec. 13.
Tracks in West Virginia, Louisiana, Rhode Island, Iowa, Delaware, Ontario, and New Mexico have welcomed the addition of gaming machines to their facilities, and New York will join that club next spring. Several other jurisdictions are also considering legalizing gaming machines at racetracks.
“Gaming machines are becoming an important part of the product mix at racetracks throughout North America,” said F. Douglas Reed, Director of RTIP. “This convergence of racing and gaming offers exciting opportunities for track operators, lottery officials and for gaming vendors. Teaming up with GEM, with its relationships in the broader gaming industry, will prove to be an asset to the annual Symposium, and will benefit racetrack operators worldwide.”
Ron Barbaro, Chair and CEO of Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corp., will present the luncheon keynote address at the Racing & Gaming Summit. He will discuss the tremendous success of the marriage of slot machines and racetracks in Ontario, where some 15 racetracks are participating in the slot machine program.
The five seminar topics and many of the speakers and panelists for the day-long conference were announced this week, with additional speakers to be confirmed soon. Seminar topics are:
• The Economic Impact of Gaming Machines at Racing Facilities
• The Racetrack/Lottery Partnership
• The Politics of Racing and Gaming
• Integrating Gaming into the Racetrack Environment
• The Gaming Product: What’s Available
Racing & Gaming Summit speakers, panelists and presenters include: Gerald Aubin, Executive Director, Rhode Island Lottery; Dan Bucci, CEO, Lincoln Park; Marc Falcone, Managing Director, North American Equity Research Group for gaming, Deutsche Bank; Jane Holmes, Executive Director, Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association; Don Johnson, Video Lottery Operations Manager, Delaware Lottery; Wayne Lemons, Director, Delaware Lottery; Bennett Liebman, Coordinator, Racing and Wagering Law Program, Albany Law School; Gary Loebig, Executive Vice President, Multimedia Games; Mike Shagan, racing and wagering consultant; and Michael Tew, Bear Stearns.
“GEM is honored to have the opportunity to work with the Race Track Industry Program, producer of the most prestigious racing event in North America,” said Ashley Smith, President GEM Communications US. “By leveraging our relationships in the lottery and vendor communities and by making the convergence of racing and gaming the topic of a pre-Symposium conference, GEM will help to add value to RTIP’s event and introduce new opportunities to Symposium attendees.”
Both the Racing and Gaming Summit and the 29th Annual Symposium on Racing will be presented at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson. Registration for the one-day Racing and Gaming Summit is $295. Registration for the Symposium on Racing is $400. A reduced combination rate of $595 will be offered to people who attend both the Racing & Gaming Summit and the 29th Annual Symposium on Racing. Registration information will be available at the GEM Communications booth (#3011) at G2E, Sept. 17-19 in Las Vegas; and in a brochure mailed with the October edition of IGWB. Get the most current information about the Summit, seminar topics and speakers at www.rgsummit.com, or at www.ag.arizona.edu/rtip.
The 29th Annual Symposium on Racing is produced by the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program. The three-day event annually attracts 1,000 attendees, primarily from the United States and Canada, with more than a dozen other countries represented. The Race Track Industry Program is teaming up with gaming industry media leader GEM Communications to produce the one-day Racing & Gaming Summit. GEM publishes IGWB, Casino Journal, Slot Manager and seven other gaming and entertainment publications; and produces leading regional trade shows, including American Gaming Summit, Bingo World, New York Gaming Summit and Southern Gaming Summit. Visit www.gemcommunications.com to learn more.
Media contact: Stephen Gibbs, GEM Communications, (913) 344-1300 x234; [email protected]