The 24th annual East Coast Gaming Congress & NexGen Gaming Forum is set to take place at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City on April 27th and 28th. The event will be hosted in the Waterfront Conference Center and it has now been announced that Governor Phil Murphy will be the keynote speaker on the 28th. This will be the third year running that the governor has attended the AC conference.
Keynote Address
The East Coast Gaming Congress is the largest conference to take place in the gaming industry outside the state of Nevada. Governor Phil Murphy will be kicking off day two of the event, providing a keynote address before other panel discussions are provided.
Deputy press secretary for Governor Murphy, Matthew Saidel, stated that the governor is proud to be delivering the keynote address. Saidel pointed out that New Jersey was a leading advocate for sports betting legalization and for bipartisan efforts to fight the unequal prohibition against the betting option. With the growth of revenue in gaming taking place in New Jersey, Saidel stated that the industry has the potential to not only offer economic development and revenues but also innovation and pride to the region.
It is quite common for former and current governors to attend the gaming conference. The conference first began in 1997 and was attend by then Governor Brendan Byrne, who addressed those in attendance. Governor Bryne was the one who signed the Casino Control Act, which legalized gaming in the state.
The State of Gaming address will be given by Bill Miller, the American Gaming Association President and CEO. Miller was a keynote speaker at last year’s event.
About ECGC
The East Coast Gaming Congress & NexGen Gaming Forum is a conference offering information on critical issues facing the gaming industry as well as covering the latest innovations. Government leaders, suppliers and operators are all brought together in one place to discuss their ideas together.
The NexGen Gaming Forum will include a focus on the emerging forms of gaming like online options, e-sports, fantasy sports, skill based gaming and other categories. Speakers from all areas of the industry will be on hand to discuss important topics, including the younger generation of gamers.
On the first day, attendees will find the Finding Slot Floors of Tomorrow discussion available. This discussion focuses on the younger generation. Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation are the majority of slot players today, but surveys have shown that younger generations are not interested in these games. What will happen when slot players die out? In this panel, discussions will include if the casino floors of the future need an overhaul or if slot makers will need to change their strategies.
Additional panels will be offered focusing on esports, women in gambling, iGaming, iLottery and more. The overall goal is to cover as much information as possible so attendees will be able to see where the industry is heading and make smart decisions in their role within the gaming industry.
Networking opportunities will also be available to ensure that those in attendance can speak to other shareholders in the industry. New partnerships can be formed that will only help the gaming industry in New Jersey to continue to grow.
The conference has several sponsors in the mix, including big name gaming companies like PointsBet, 888, SBTech, BetConstruct and more. Media outlets and tech companies are also among the listed sponsors.