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HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (September 17, 2008) – Expectations were high when slot machines at Broward County racetracks debuted almost two years ago, but their initial performance was disappointing. Now, as three more parimutuel facilities are preparing to open their own slot casinos in Miami-Dade County, industry participants will discuss their experience and future plans at the fourth annual Florida Gaming Summit, October 6-7 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino here. Hundreds of attendees are expected to attend this popular event, including gaming operators, regulators, investors, tribal gaming leaders, attorneys, architects, vendors and other industry-related professionals.
“The performance of slot machines in Broward County has been the subject of much discussion and conjecture,” said Michael Pollock, Managing Director of Spectrum Gaming Group, co-producer of the conference along with BNP Media. “Our panel this year will try to answer some of the questions about what has happened there and also explore what the Miami-Dade properties hope to do differently.”
The session includes key representatives from two facilities in Miami-Dade that will soon be opening their slot casinos, Flagler Greyhound and Miami Jai-Alai. Flagler will open its Magic City Casino late next year, while Miami Jai-Alai will become the first jai-alai facility to offer slot machines. Providing insight into their plans and expectations will be W. Bennett Collet, Chairman of Florida Gaming Corp., which owns Miami-Jai-Alai, and Alexander Hecht Havenick, Vice President of Operations and Legal Affairs for Southwest Florida Enterprises, owner of Flagler.
The Miami-Dade properties, which also include Calder Race Course, have their work cut out for them, considering the generally lackluster performance of the racetrack slot facilities in Broward County, the first of which opened in late 2006. Addressing the Broward experience will be prominent industry consultant Richard Thalheimer, President of Thalheimer Research Associates, Inc.
In all, some two dozen expert speakers are confirmed for the Summit, and they will address additional topics such as tribal gaming, the legislative outlook for gaming, the view from Wall Street, gaming and leisure trends and responsible gaming. Keynote speakers include James F. Allen, Chief Executive Officer, Gaming Operations, for the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and Steven A. Geller, a Florida State Senator who is instrumental in shaping the state’s gaming policy.
Complete conference details, including registration and travel information, are available at www.floridagamingsummit.com.
Florida Gaming Summit sponsors include Bally Technologies, Becker & Poliakoff, Energenic, Gaming Laboratories International, Greenberg Traurig, IGT, JCM Global, Konami, Suzo-Happ, TransAct Technologies and US Bank.
Attendees can also explore the products and services offered by a number of exhibitors. Confirmed to date are: Accuvant, American Gaming Systems, Avatier, Aware Digital, Axis, Buckhead Beef, Café Bravo, CashCode, Dallmeier Electronics, Energenic, Ewing Cole, Global Casino Supply, Global Connect, Imperial Casino Games, KHS&S Contractors, New Orleans Promotions, NVT, and TekVisions.
To learn more about sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities, contact Lesley Grashow at grashowl@bnpmedia.com.
About the producers:
BNP Media Gaming Group (www.bnpgaming.com) is the world’s largest and most experienced gaming industry media resource and the leading producer of trade magazines, specialized conferences and expos, websites, e-newsletters and targeted specialty publications serving the gaming industry worldwide.
Spectrum Gaming Group ( www.spectrumgaming.com ) is an independent research and professional services firm that provides economic and feasibility studies, impact analyses, regulatory services, customer-service audits, and operational assistance for private-sector and public-sector clients on five continents. Spectrum publishes the Gaming Industry Observer newsletter and produces the East Coast Gaming Congress and Pennsylvania Gaming Congress.
Source: BNP Media Gaming Group and Spectrum Gaming Group
Media Contact: Joseph Weinert, Senior Vice President, Spectrum Gaming, weinert@spectrumgaming.com. |
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