"GIGSE is a global event that happens to be held in North America"

Which are your expectations for this year's event?

We know that this year's show will be smaller due to the impact of the US prohibition bill on the industry. However, we've been pleased with the number of new people from different regions who are coming as first time attendees. We're getting more people from Eastern Europe, Russia, Asia and Latin America so it's a sign that the industry is branching out to take advantage of the shifts in the market.

How did GIGSE get to be so important to the industry?

As the oldest continuous event catering to the interactive gaming industry globally, GIGSE has developed a reputation as the central event to attend. Our strategy has been to also offer regional events such as the European iGaming Congress (EiG) in Barcelona, the Pacific Congress on I-Gaming (PCIG) in Macau and the upcoming African Gaming Summit in Cape Town. In addition, we offer the specialized events for the poker community (World Poker Congress), sports betting (BetMarkets) and InDepth conferences for skill games and bingo. But GIGSE is the one which pulls all of the regions around the globe and all of the niche product offerings together.

This year's theme is "It's a New Game." Can you expand on this?

The rules are constantly changing in this business, which is why people gravitate to these "face-to-face" gatherings. But, over the past year, the changes have been dramatic in many places around the globe. Markets getting cut off and new markets opening up create a need for people to come together to share information and see the latest services.

Will the makeup of attendees be different this year?

As a constantly evolving industry, we do expect the delegates to be different this year, just like every other year. We're seeing more governments around the world offering these services so we expect more of those operators who are seeking the same types of solutions and expertise as the private sector.

Do you expect it to be a smaller show in 2007?

Given that the industry is contracting with consolidations and staff reductions, it may be smaller than '06. Ironically, with 1,850 in attendance last year, we heard some complaints about GIGSE getting too big. It should be “right-sized” in '07.

Considering all that has happened in North America over the last year, why did you choose to stay in Montreal?

Montreal has been a great host city for this event, and Quebec has not been an inhospitable jurisdiction to the industry. While there are concerns by some about traveling to the US, GIGSE is in Canada, and the event will focus on legal i-gaming activities that are taking place around the world.

It's also a matter of what the industry wants. We've had continuous feedback from attendees in the past that they like Montreal and want to see us return there. If that changes this year, we'll consider other options for '08.

But why hold a North American-located event when there's so much happening elsewhere?

GIGSE is not a North American event; rather it is a global event that happens to be held in North America. It has consistently drawn attendees from 60+ countries, and both the conference and the expo have always been geared for the international audience. Certainly, the events transpiring in North America--particularly the US- will be topics of discussion, but all regions and all sectors of the industry are given attention.

So how do you go about changing the myth that it's a North American-focused event?

Those who have already experienced GIGSE understand that it is a global marketplace, and really the only one of its kind. Those who are new to GIGSE might assume at first that it is an event catering specifically to North American businesses, but a glance at the program and the list of exhibitors, or feedback from attendees of previous years, quickly dispels this. And they'll really get a feel for what it's all about when they see it in person.

With the US crackdown on online gambling, how do you see the future of the industry within that worldwide leading market?

The impact of the US ban and, more importantly, the aggressive law enforcement actions (with people being arrested) has taken a serious toll on the established operators, payment processors and software suppliers among others. In spite of the immediate loss of market cap among i-gaming companies as a result, Global Betting and Gaming Consultants still projects that revenues will be US$16.6 billion (down from a previous projection of US$20.9 billion) this year. By 2012, revenues are expected to rise to US$26.2 billion so it's clearly still a growth industry globally.

What can you tell me about the I-Gaming industry in the Latin American market? Which is your vision about it?

River City Group thinks that's there's a tremendous potential in the Latin American market for i-gaming services. Internet penetration is growing and gaming services in general there are proliferating. Electronic payment systems remain problematic there as they do in the burgeoning Asian market; but, those issues will be overcome by entrepreneurial companies which see the potential there. Some terrestrial gaming operators are beginning to bring some of their products to new electronic delivery systems so the industry is gaining a foothold with regulators showing some interest in seeing this side of the business develop.