GLI’s 9th annual regulators’ roundtable drew largest crowd to date

The Regulators Roundtable is part of the company’s GLI University training program, and featured two days of informative panels. GLI President James R. Maida opened the event by inviting regulators to look at emerging technologies beyond the gaming industry, and the potential benefits and impacts they could bring to the industry.

Next, GLI General Counsel Kevin Mullally led a discussion of the latest news from Capitol Hill with Foley Law Group President Tom Foley and Lowry Strategies President Jana McKeag. The group discussed several topics fresh from Capitol Hill, including developing Internet gaming legislation and Obama Administration views on gaming.

The morning ended with a highly technical discussion on crossover technologies and their impact on various subsets of the industry. Participants included Steve Lefler from the British Columbia Ministry of Public Safety; Todd Nelson from the Missouri Gaming Commission; and Zack Hollis and Ian Hughes from GLI.

The afternoon began with a discussion from GLI’s Patrick Moore about hybrid technologies at use in electronic table games, and then continued with four suppliers – Cantor Gaming, IGT, Incredible Technologies and WMS – presenting brief overviews of the new technologies they plan to unveil in 2010 and beyond. The supplier discussion continued at GLI’s Las Vegas Lab, where the companies gave up-close demonstrations of the technologies.

Day two began with a panel of legal experts discussing what does and does not work in implementing gaming legislation. Mullally led the panel, which included Anthony Cabot from Lewis & Roca; Norm DesRosiers from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians; Michael Fries from the Illinois Gaming Board; and Stephen Martino from the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission.

Next, leader of the Canadian gaming law group Michael Lipton led a fascinating panel about interconnectivity with Robert Burke from the Illinois Gaming Board; Marcus Prater from AGEM; Tom Smock from Aristocrat; Jeff Wyton from the Albert Gaming and Liquor Commission; and GLI’s Moore. The Roundtable concluded with Mullally leading a discussion on how regulators are now doing more with less. Commenting were Mark Brnovich from the Arizona Department of Gaming; James Coburn, from the Santa Ysabel Gaming Commission; Michael Fries; and Patrick Martin from the Kansas Racing & Gaming Commission.

The annual GLI roundtable is a one-of-a-kind event in the gaming industry, where regulators gather each year to learn about the latest technological developments and their potential regulator impact, and to openly discuss regulations with one another in a private setting. GLI offers the conference to regulators free of charge.