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Casino Management Forum Session
Descriptions
Monday, Sept. 8
8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast
9:00 a.m. to 10:20 a.m.
Keynote Address
Peter C. Yesawich, Chairman and CEO, Ypartnership
10:30 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, 20 Years Later
Moderator: Elizabeth Homer, Attorney at Law, Homer Law
Knute Knudson, Vice President of Native American Development, IGT
Jess Green, Founder, Green Law Firm P.C.
Shelia Morago, Executive Director, Arizona Indian Gaming Association
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Indian Gaming Regulatory
Act (IGRA). To commemorate this landmark legislation, this panel of
esteemed tribal gaming experts will discuss a wide range of tribal
gaming topics, from the origin and drafting of the IGRA, its impact on
the growth of tribal gaming, the
CRIT decision, the National Indian Gaming Commission’s new
proposed Class II gaming regulations, and many other issues regarding
this historic document.
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Lunch
1:00 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.
Gaming Compliance: Title 31 and
FinCEN
Tom Bechtel, Executive Vice President, New Wave Automation
This presentation will present strategies to effectively meet Title
31 regulations and the new FinCEN requirements, and includes a software
demonstration that will show you firsthand how to implement
cost-effective procedures for compliance. This session is ideal for
anyone involved in the compliance process and will include a question
and answer period to address any issues concerning your specific tribe,
state or property requirements.
2:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.
Licensing: A Surreal Experience
Pat Leen, Co-Founder and Owner, Gaming Regulatory Consultants
Tom Nelson, Co-Founder and Owner, Gaming Regulatory Consultants
Sam Basile, Of Counsel, Greenburg Traurig LLP
Why do regulators license? What are the common licensing traps? What
do regulators look at? How can you make the process more responsive?
This session will explore these critical questions and many more,
concentrating on the essential elements of good licensing models.
Real-life examples will be given to illustrate how an effective and
focused licensing model can be the cornerstone of a successful
regulatory program, and how an ineffective or unfocused licensing model
can be devastating to the gaming operation—and possibly lead to its
ultimate demise.
3:00 p.m. to 3:50 p.m.
Revenue Allocation Plans
Pat Leen, Co-Founder and Owner, Gaming Regulatory Consultants
Tom Nelson, Co-Founder and Owner, Gaming Regulatory Consultants
Sam Basile, Of Counsel, Greenburg Traurig LLP
Because the Indian Gaming Revenue Act limits tribal use of gaming
revenues, a tribe must have an approved Revenue Allocation Plan (RAP) in
place in order to make per capita distributions to its members. This
panel will discuss the pros and cons of per capita distributions and the
elements necessary for an approvable RAP.
4:00 p.m. to 4:50 p.m.
The Pyramid of Compliance and the Asset Target
Pat Leen, Co-Founder and Owner, Gaming Regulatory Consultants
Tom Nelson, Co-Founder and Owner, Gaming Regulatory Consultants
Sam Basile, Of Counsel, Greenburg Traurig LLP
Gaming regulators are almost universally understaffed and
overworked. So how does the effective regulator use its limited
resources effectively and efficiently? This session will explore a
unique regulatory concept that focuses inspections and reporting
responsibilities on identifying and preventing the “icebergs that can
sink the ship.” We can assure attendees that this will not be “just
another panel on gaming compliance.” You will come away with a new
prospective on what true regulation means, why it is essential, and how
it can be effectively implemented.
7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Cocktail Reception
Tuesday, Sept. 9
8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast
9:00 a.m. to 10:20 a.m.
Promulgation of Gaming Regulations: Who Owns the Standards?
Moderator: Richard H. Williamson, Senior Vice President of
Engineering Services, BMM Compliance
Ken Golda, Director of Technical Compliance, BMM Compliance
John Page, Deputy Director of Gaming Enforcement, Michigan Gaming
Control Board
Pat Leen, Co-Founder and Owner, Gaming Regulatory Consultants
Marc McDermott, Technical Director, Gaming Standards Association
Michael Lombardi, Chairman, Augustine Gaming Commission
Tracy Burris, Commissioner, Viejas Gaming Commission
The development and implementation of gaming regulations in the U.S.
marketplace can be traced back to the Nevada Gaming Regulatory
Standards, New Jersey Regulations and the Australian National Gaming
Standards. Both state regulators and tribal gaming regulatory
authorities have, for the most part, “borrowed” language from one or
more of these documents at one time or another. This then begs the
question, who owns the standards? This panel discussion will attempt to
answer this all-important question, as well as discuss best practices
for adopting rules that maintain consistency and integrity in the
industry.
10:30 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.
Technical Training: Knowledge = Empowerment
Moderator: Russell Witt, Director of Field Services, BMM
Compliance
Barbara Collier, Executive Director, Quapaw Tribal Gaming Commission
Michael Lombardi, Chairman, Augustine Gaming Commission
With the rapid development of gaming technology, tribal gaming
regulatory agencies need specific, targeted technical training programs
designed to empower their regulators. With these educational programs,
personnel will be better equipped to understand and manage the demands
of technology, will regulate with more confidence, will work closer with
the casino personnel, and will rely less on contractors. This panel will
focus on establishing the specific needs of your tribal regulators and
how to design curriculum to improve their overall ability to monitor and
regulate your gaming floor.
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Lunch
1:00 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.
Who Regulates Class III
Gaming? The Aftermath of Recent NIGC Losses
International Masters of Gaming Law
Since a federal
appeals court ruled in October 2006 that the National Indian Gaming
Commission does not have the authority to regulate Class III gaming in
tribal casinos, there has been turmoil in California. The California
Gambling Control Commission (CGCC) has it taken upon itself to fill the
“void” in regulatory oversight, although earlier tribal-state compacts
cited federal minimum internal control standards (MICS), not state MICS.
The proposed set of regulations, known as CGCC-8, establishes MICS with
the tribes, but the debate continues. Should it really be the states
that establish Class III tribal gaming regulations? This panel
discussion will get to the heart of question and examine the aftermath
of recent NIGC losses.
2:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.
Class II Gaming, the NIGC and the States: The Saga Continues
International Masters of Gaming Law
Until recently
the National Indian Gaming Commission had pushed for a “Bright Line”
between what defines a Class II gaming device and a Class III gaming
device. The proposed regulations had the potential to unjustly burden
tribal casinos to the tune of $2.8 billion in revenues, on top of nearly
$350 million in expenses for redeveloping Class II machines. In June,
the NIGC dropped two controversial portions of its proposed Class II
gaming regulations, including the “Bright Line,” but will this really be
the end? This panel explores the continuing saga.
3:00 p.m. to 3:50 p.m.
Networked Gaming Essentials
Russell Witt, Director of Field Services, BMM Compliance
Ken Golda, Director of Compliance, BMM Compliance
Networked gaming is
relatively new to Class III gaming, but it has been a mainstay in the
Class II market for more than a decade. Over that time, an invaluable
amount of knowledge has been gained regarding its real-world application
and its security issues. This session will provide an overview of the
most important aspects of networked gaming and system security, as well
as take a look at the future of networked technology. You will leave
with a solid foundation of understanding of networked gaming for both
your tribal gaming regulatory authority and your tribal gaming operator.
4:00 p.m. to 4:50 p.m.
System Audit Essentials
Russell Witt, Director of Field Services, BMM Compliance
Ken Golda, Director of Compliance, BMM Compliance
Slot accounting systems have become a central part of the gaming
operation. With ticketing, system bonuses, networked gaming and remotely
configured floors, these slot systems have evolved to become more than
just a means to provide security, track patron play and perform
accounting functions. With these advances in system functionality, there
exists a need to have the systems finely tuned and calibrated to ensure
peak performance. A system audit is a comprehensive diagnostic tune-up
to ensure the system is properly functioning, that it has a correct slot
file, and that the communication lines are properly transmitting data.
To be able to detect legitimate issues, having a system audit performed
should be at the forefront for eliminating false issues and provide a
solid base for determining system integrity for the tribal gaming
regulatory authority and the tribal gaming operator.
Wednesday, Sept.
10
8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast
9:00 a.m. to 9:50 a.m.
Interactive Skill Games and Fantasy Sports: A Legal Alternative?
Anthony Cabot, Partner, Lewis and Roca LLP
Stephen Schrier, Partner, Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel
Fantasy football
has been around since 1962 and Pong ushered in the modern video game in
the early 1970s, but until recently neither posed a real threat to
casinos’ gross gaming revenues. However, things are starting to change.
With technology easing access to independent fantasy sports leagues that
divert money from legal sports books and online gaming allowing players
to put their money where their mouse is, are casinos’ bottom lines at
risk? In this panel, experts will weigh in on the legality and potential
threat of these new entrants into the gaming world.
10:00 a.m. to 10:50 a.m.
What Your Company Should Know About Intellectual Property
Moderator: Anthony Cabot, Partner, Lewis and Roca LLP
Michael McCue, Partner, Lewis and Roca LLP
Kenneth D'Alessandro, Partner, Lewis and Roca LLP
Increasingly, the
value of a gaming company—including operators and vendors—is directly
tied to its intellectual property rights. This session will examine what
exactly IP is, how a company should protect its IP, how to curb IP
abuse, and what challenges new technologies pose. With more legal and
illegal Internet gaming sites coming online each day, find out what your
company can and must do to protect one of its most valuable assets: its
intellectual property.
11:00 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.
Looking Into the Crystal Ball: Economic Expansion Beyond Gaming
Alan Meister, Analysis Group
Dennis Whittlesey, Dickinson Wright PLLC
With a new president taking office this January, Indian Country waits to
see what changes the new administration will have in store for tribal
gaming. Coupled with a push for non-gaming related economic development,
the future of Indian gaming is anything but crystal clear. How can an
Indian gaming enterprise legally use its gaming revenues to develop
other ventures? What legal challenges can tribal entities expect to face
at the local and regulatory levels, and how can they overcome those
hurdles when they expand their economic goals? How can a tribe most
effectively reinvest the revenue it generates at its casino? In this
session, our experts will explore the issues that frequently spring up
when gaming enterprises diversify their economic reach.
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Lunch
1:00 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.
Indian Gaming Advocate of the Year Presentation Honoring Sen. Ben
Nighthorse Campbell
Ernie Stevens Jr., Chairman, National Indian Gaming Association
2:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.
Strategic Challenges of Tribal Gaming Operations
Joe Basara, Director of Market Solutions, WhiteSand Consulting
Tribal councils have a wide responsibility for the social, educational
and fiscal needs of their tribes. In most tribal enterprises, the gaming
property represents both the largest revenue source and the most diverse
and sophisticated operation. It is probably also the asset that council
members have the least preparation to direct. This session will offer
guiding lessons for tribal gaming enterprises, including balancing the
scorecard and required reporting; when the council should and should not
insert itself into the management process; the best organizational
alignment for effective operations; and the ideal structure for
promoting communication.
3:00 p.m. to 3:50 p.m.
The Evolution of Pechanga
Resort & Casino
Dick Rizzo, Vice Chairman, Perini Building Co.
Mark Mills, Associate Architect, Architects Delawie Wilkes Rodrigues
Barker
Pechanga Resort
& Casino has undergone an amazing transformation since it first opened
its $262 million complex in June 2002. Since then, the property has
expanded its offering and continues to grow with its surroundings. Hear
firsthand as the key construction and design executives share their
experiences on how Pechanga evolved into one of the most successful
Native American facilities in the nation.
4:00 p.m. to 4:50 p.m.
Master Planning a Hospitality and Gaming Resort from A-Z
Dick Rizzo, Vice Chairman, Perini Building Co.
Joseph Rothman AIA, Vice President, Bergman Walls & Associates LTD
Phasing of renovations as a property develops over a planned period of
time can include adding restaurants, retail space, convention space, a
casino, a hotel, entertainment space and more. In this session, learn
how to work with the architect and contractor for the best results, as
well as learning the importance of working closely with casino
management and operations. After this session you will better understand
what project team members require from one another and how to develop a
workable schedule.
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