NIGA announces 2018 Mid-Year Conference & Expo line-up

Sports Betting discussions will take center stage as industry leaders come together at the 2018 National Indian Gaming Association Mid-Year Conference & Expo.

The event, which takes place September 25-27 at the Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, CA, just announced the full schedule of sessions to take place during the conference.

"With the U.S. Supreme Court recently overturning the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), we could think of no better focus for the 2018 Mid-Year Conference than sports betting," commented National Indian Gaming Association Chairman Ernest L. Stevens, Jr. He continued, "with so many implications for tribes and casinos, we wanted to bring together the industry’s thought leaders to discuss the potential business opportunities as well as the regulations tribes will be facing in the future."

The conference program is curated by conference chair Victor Rocha, the owner and editor of Pechanga.net and president of Victor Strategies. The diverse lineup of speakers will include operators, regulators and service providers including Pechanga Resort and Casino, Washington State Gambling, AGEM, Foxwoods Resort Casino, Sportradar U.S., Grey Wolf Peak Casino, Genius Sports, the National Indian Gaming Association, GLI, USBookmaking, and many more.

Commented Rocha, "This is the first time in decades where a new betting product will be introduced in the U.S. on such a wide scale and the road ahead is exciting yet terrifying because every State, like every Tribe, will have a different path to legalization. We hope that the discussions during the event will give operators and regulators a strong overview of the opportunities and challenges as they return back to their operations and prepare for the decisions ahead."

Sessions highlights include:

• Big Data: Analytics in Sports Betting & Gambling
• Mobile Gaming: Disruption or Innovation in Tribal Gaming
• Regulating Sports Betting & Emerging Gaming
• The Business & Economics of Sports Betting
• Industry Roundtables: Business Opportunities in Sports Betting
• The Road Ahead: Tribal Gaming After PASPA
• Technology & Responsible Gambling: The Casino in Your Head

In addition, specific sessions focusing on the politics of sports betting will be presented during the National Indian Gaming Association Membership Meeting on Wednesday, September 26. Topics will include: What Does Sports Betting Mean for Tribal Exclusivity? and Gambling Defined: Sports Betting as Class II & Pari-Mutuel.

The full lineup of sessions as well as registration for the 2018 Mid-Year Conference & Expo is now available at www.midyear-nationalindiangamingshow.com. Additional event highlights include the annual golf tournament, Level III and Master Series Commissioner Certification Training, vendor showcases, and hours of networking.