The 2013 Global iGaming Summit & Expo (GiGse) and Social Casino Summit (SCS) has come to a close, and from what we understand, it was a huge success.
Unlike LAC and other affiliate-focused conferences, the 13th annual GiGse conference focused on more of the business-side side of the iGaming industry.
The attendance was a “who’s who” of CEOs from top online gambling firms, as well as regulators, lobbyists and expert consultants. Among the most noticeable faces were Amaya Gaming Group CEO David Baazov, former WHO CEO Henry Birch and PokerTrip CEO Jon Friedberg.
One of the most buzzed-about panels at GiGse was about licensing suitability. Former Las Vegas mayor and VP of Communications and Government Relations for Caesars Entertainment Jan Jones appeared on the panel, and when PokerStars’ application for a New Jersey online gaming license came up Jones said, “To say that they deserve a license because they have a brand is patently absurd. The US gaming industry has been built on integrity, and the reason they have a brand is they were one of the only operators who chose to operate after the US Congress said that internet was illegal in the US”
Within GiGse there was the Social Casino Summit (SCS), which was basically a conference within a conference purely around social and mobile. There were a plethora of speakers and panels, covering topics such as, “Cracking the social sportsbetting challenge to access completely new and lucrative male demographic” to “Learning from success stories in real-gaming- what works and what doesn’t to get casino visitors in the door and keep them coming back.”
One thing is for sure. Everyone there was trying to figure out the US market, from strategizing on how to position themselves for legislation, get started in the market or finding the right partners to connect with.