Operator News
US – GLI packs out Planet Hollywood for 15th North American Roundtable
By Phil - 25 March 2015
More than 300 regulators from across North America and the Caribbean packed Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas recently for Gaming Laboratories International’s (GLI) 15th annual North American Regulators Roundtable.
The theme of the event was “Strategically Facing Change,” and the speakers, each thought-leaders in their respective fields, guided attendees to strategically face change on critically important topics.
The annual event, the largest regulator event of its kind in the world, drew regulators from more than 50 jurisdictions.
GLI President/CEO James Maida said, “At GLI, we provide so much more than just testing, and our annual Roundtables are clear evidence of that. We are absolutely thrilled with every aspect of our 15th annual North American Regulators Roundtable – the keynote addresses, the panels, the high level of content, and the incredible support we received from our regulator clients across North America and the Caribbean. We were honored and grateful to host our guests for two incredible days of learning and networking.”
Attendees were thrilled to hear stirring and informative keynote addresses from NBA All Star, Motivational Speaker & Team Building Expert Mark Eaton, who spoke about the four fundamentals of a winning team; Chief of Staff/Chief Communications Officer at Scientific Games Julia Boguslawski, who addressed embracing change in the changing gaming industry; and American Gaming Association (AGA) President and CEO Geoff Freeman, who gave an update from the industry, highlighting the important role regulators play.
In what has become an annual tradition, Maida and GLI Senior Director of Compliance Patrick Moore highlighted ten key technologies regulators must be aware of in 2015.
Next, GLI Director of Engineering Mackenzie Haugh led a panel discussion on on-premises mobile gaming with panelists Morris Choma, Senior Manager for Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries; Joshua Hanson, CIO of CG Technology; Richard Fenster, Director of Enterprise Digital Services, BCLC; and Charles Cohen, Vice President of Mobile at GTECH.
The convergence of gaming payments and financial regulation was the focus of an intense discussion led by Michael Lipton, Partner at Dickinson Wright LLP. Joining as panelists were California Gambling Control Commissioner Richard Schuetz, Scientific Games Vice President of Intellectual Property Thomas Rafferty, SVP/Managing Director at Vantiv Gaming Solutions Joseph Pappano, CEO of CAMS Matthew Katz, and Vice President of Compliance for SMSC Gaming Enterprise, Mystic Lake Casino Hotel/Little Six Casino Scott Scepaniak.
Ensuring the true independence of a testing lab is critical to successful regulation. Kevin Mullally, GLI General Counsel & VP of Government Relations, led a discussion on the role of the lab. Panelists included Director of the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency Stephen Martino, Deputy Director of the Delaware State Lottery Jim Logue, Thomas Russell of the Pokagon Band Gaming Commission, and GLI Compliance Manager Chad Kornett.
Wrapping up the general session was an in-depth discussion on regulated gaming, gray games and entertainment led by CEO of GLI Canada Salim Adatia. Contributing to the discussion were Gamblit CEO Eric Meyerhofer; Attorney at Jones Walker, LLP Marc Dunbar; Special Gaming Advisor to the Seminole Gaming Tribe of Florida Charles Lombardo; and GLI Senior Director Engineering Richard LaBrocca.
The Roundtable also featured three important and informative breakout sessions. GLI Director of Professional Services Gregory Doucette presented “Ethical Hacking and Independent Validation and Verification Testing,” while GLI Tribal Development Representative Stephen Maldonado spoke about signature methodologies and slot file best practices.
The third breakout session featured a case study of GLI’s new GLiCloud inventory tracking system. Leading the discussion was GLI National Director of Tribal Development Russell Witt and participating were Cherokee Nation Gaming Commission Gaming Agent Supervisor DeJuna Frye, Pauma Gaming Commission TGA Compliance Officer Elizabeth A. Castillo, and GLI Manager of Development David Elmore. GLiCloud is in use on more than 50,000+ devices in the United States.
The North American Regulators Roundtable was produced by GLI University. Next GLI University will stage the European Regulators Roundtable May 28 and 29 in Rome, and then the Latin American Regulators Roundtable, slated for August 26 and 27 in Bogota, Colombia.
