Big-name speaker line-up announced for SBC Summit North America

SBC Summit North America

SBC Summit North America is set to feature a speaker line-up that includes high-level representatives of all the major sports betting and igaming operators in the region. 

The conference and tradeshow at Meadowlands Exposition Center, New Jersey on November 30 – December 2, 2021 will be the year’s largest gathering of online gambling executives from the US and Canada, as they come together to learn, network, and take a first look at the next generation of industry technology.

The audience can look forward to hearing insights about the current state of the fast-moving industry and ideas for the next steps in its growth path from a host of experts, including keynote speakers Soo Kim (chair of the board of directors, Bally’s Corporation), Jan Jones Blackhurst (board member, Caesars Entertainment), and Bill Miller (president & CEO, AGA).

Executives and specialists from major mobile operators feature heavily on the roster, with Matt Prevost (chief revenue officer, BetMGM), Ezra Kucharz (chief business officer, DraftKings), Carolyn Renzin (chief risk and compliance officer, FanDuel), Jon Kaplowitz (head of Penn Interactive, Penn National Gaming), Daniel Shapiro (SVP – chief development officer, Caesars Digital), Liv Biesemans (general counsel, Kindred Group), Daniel Graetzer (CEO of MaximBet and SportsBetting.com owner Carousel Group), Adi Dhandhania (COO – North America Interactive, Bally’s Corporation), and Laila Mintas (CEO, PlayUp US) among the participants.

They will be joined by representatives of tribal and commercial casinos, including Anika Howard (VP, brand marketing & digital, Foxwoods Resort Casino) Rich Roberts (president, digital gaming, Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment), Erica Kosemund (senior director gaming brand & partnerships, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma), Davis Catlin (senior managing director, Las Vegas Sands Corp), Matthew Metcalf (sportsbook director, Circa Sports), Luisa Woods (VP of marketing and gaming, Delaware North), and Seth Schorr (CEO, Fifth Street Gaming).

The eight-track agenda for the conference covers all the key issues shaping the future of the industry in the region, with content on technology, regulation, the relationship between betting and professional sports, payments and compliance, online casino gaming, the tribal gaming sector, marketing strategies, and investment. To deliver valuable insights on these topics, experts from stakeholders across the industry have joined the 200-strong speaker roster. 

Marquest J. Meeks (senior counsel, MLB), Tyler Mazzereeuw (chief marketing and revenue officer, CFL), Jeff Fernandez (vice president business development and ventures, New York Jets), and Matt Stallknecht (senior manager sports betting, NASCAR) are among the representatives from the world of professional sports at SBC Summit North America.   

There are also a host of regulators, government officials, and representatives of influential associations on the line-up, including Michael Golub (deputy attorney general, State of New Jersey), E. Sequoyah Simermeyer (chair, National Indian Gaming Commission), Dan Hartman (director – division of gaming, Colorado Department of Revenue), Christopher Hebert (director – gaming division, Louisiana Attorney General’s Office), Shelley White (CEO, Responsible Gaming Council), Keith S. Whyte (executive director, National Council on Problem Gambling), David Rebuck (director, NJ Department of Gaming Enforcement), Sheila Morago (executive director, OIGA), Paul Burns (president & CEO, Canadian Gaming Association), and Jessica Feil (VP – government relations and gaming policy counsel, AGA).

As technology has a central role to play in the development of the industry, the roster is completed by representatives of the companies developing the next generation of products that will help to drive growth for operators. They include Joe Asher (president of sports betting, IGT), Todd Haushalter (chief product officer, Evolution), Cathryn Lai (CCO, OpenBet), Matteo Monteverdi (special projects, Elys Game Technology), Niki Metzgar-Schall (head of legal, US, Sportradar), and Don Ryan (COO, GAN).

Sue Schneider, VP of growth & strategy for SBC, said: “We’re delighted to mark our return to the US by presenting what is undoubtedly the strongest speaker lineup ever assembled for a sports betting and igaming industry conference in North America, with all the major operators participating alongside renowned experts from across the sector.

“The high-level speaker roster, coupled with an agenda focused on the key legal, operational and technological issues, make SBC Summit North America the year’s best opportunity to learn about the future of the industry from the sector’s most influential and knowledgeable executives.” 

Ahead of the main conference on December 1-2, SBC and Epic Risk Management are staging the Player Protection Symposium at the 40/40 Club in Manhattan on November 30. It will see representatives from the betting industry, professional sports teams and leagues, and the media discuss how to build a robust gambling harm prevention ecosystem.

Speakers at the invite-only Symposium include Sabrina Perel (chief compliance officer, NFL), Carolene Layugan (responsible gaming program director, Caesars), Jonathan Michaels (SVP strategic development and government affairs, Sightline Payments), Jim Brown (managing director of ERM, NCAA), Casey Brett (VP, gaming and new business ventures, MLB), and Brandt Iden (head of government affairs, US, Sportradar & former Michigan State Representative).

In addition to the conference, SBC Summit North America attendees can look forward to seeing the latest industry innovations on the 50-booth tradeshow floor and to a program of evening networking parties at venues including Jay Z’s 40/40 Club, the MetLife Stadium, and The Rooftop at Edison Ballroom.

To book your pass for the event, visit the SBC Summit North America website.