Click here for PDF Presentations from the 4th Annual Pennsylvania Gaming Congress

Monday, February 23

2:00-8:00 p.m. Registration

2:30-3:30 p.m. Racing Industry: Trends & Updates
York/Lebanon Rooms, Hilton
What are the opportunities and challenges facing the racing industry in the Mid-Atlantic region today and how should they be addressed? This panel will discuss intra-industry strategic alliances and operational issues, as well as provide updates on the racing industry trends and forecasts in the state, region, and nation.

Moderator:
Nicholas Hadgis, Ph.D., Dean, School of Hospitality Management, Widener University

Speakers:
Kim Hankins, Executive Director, Meadows Standardbred Owners Association
Mark McDermott, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association
Mike Tanner, Executive Vice President, United States Trotting Association
Daniel Tufano, Chief of Racing Affairs, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

3:30-4:00 p.m. Networking Break

4:00-5:00 p.m. The New Landscape: Marketing Racing & Gaming in a Changing Environment
As the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast racino market becomes increasingly competitive, so too has the pressure to attract new customers - for both racing and gaming. The outlook for this industry was once promising but is now less certain amid the current economic climate. In this segment, racing and gaming experts will discuss marketing strategies in tough economic times, the demographic differences between racing and gaming customers (today and in the future), and the elusive goal of having gaming patrons crossover to also place bets at the track.

Moderator:
Jeff Lolli, Senior Lecturer in the School of Hospitality Management, Widener University

Speakers:
Shonette Harrison, VP Casino Marketing, Harrah's Chester Casino & Racetrack
Gary Luderitz, General Manager, Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course
Jim Rafferty, President and CEO, New Hampshire Charitable Gaming

6:00-8:00 p.m. Cocktail Party

Speaker:
Rep. Samuel H. Smith (R), Republican Floor Leader, Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Tuesday, February 24

7:30-8:30 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:30-9:00 a.m. Welcome and Morning Keynote Address

Tim Wilmott, President & COO, Penn National Gaming Inc.

9:00-10:00 a.m. The Western Front: Challenges and Opportunities in the Western Pennsylvania Market
The opening of The Meadows and Presque Isle Downs changed the western Pennsylvania marketplace, which had been dominated by two West Virginia racinos. The planned August 2009 opening of the full-service Pittsburgh casino figures to alter the marketplace again. In this session, top gaming executives from gaming properties in western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and southwestern New York discuss their expansion plans and outlook ... and the increasingly competitive landscape.

Moderator:
Marie J. Jones, Partner, Fox Rothschild LLP

Speakers:
Frank Donaghue, Acting Executive Director, Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
Ed Fasulo, President/Chief Operating Officer, Rivers Casino, Pittsburgh
Mike Graninger, General Manager, The Meadows
Jim Simms, President and General Manager, Wheeling Island Hotel, Casino & Racetrack

10:00-10:30 a.m. Networking Break

10:30-11:30 a.m. Pennsylvania Gaming: The View from Wall Street
Buy, sell ... and hold on for an informative, entertaining and no-holds-barred roundtable among four of Wall Street's premier gaming analysts, who will dissect the economics of Pennsylvania gaming. The fast-paced discussion will cover such areas as revenue and market projections, operational challenges amid the economic meltdown, suggested regulatory and legislative changes, and the winners and losers in the highly competitive Northeast gaming market.

Moderator:
Joseph Weinert, Senior Vice President, Spectrum Gaming Group

Speakers:
Larry Klatzkin, Managing Director - Gaming Equity/High-Yield Research, Jefferies & Co.
Alex Picou, Managing Director of Gaming, Travel and Leisure, KeyBanc Capital Markets
Joel Simkins, SVP- Gaming & Leisure Analyst, Macquarie Bank
Adam Steinberg, Director and Head of Gaming and Leisure, Morgan Joseph Investment Banking Group

11:30-12:15 p.m. Table Games in Pennsylvania: Electronic and Live, Impact and Outlook
The introduction of electronic table games at Pennsylvania casinos was an immediate success. Will this form of gaming, coupled with the live table games now operating at three West Virginia casinos, inevitably lead to live table games in Pennsylvania? Join public and private-sector experts in discussing why electronic table games are so popular and the opportunities and challenges of introducing live table games in Pennsylvania.

Moderator:
Harvey Perkins, Senior Vice President, Spectrum Gaming Group

Speakers:
John C. Newman, Vice President of Slot Operations, Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course
Rep. Curt Schroder (R), District 155, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Rep. Timothy J. Solobay (D), District 48, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
James Wise, Vice President, Marketing, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs

12:30-2:00 p.m. Keynote Luncheon

Speaker: Mary DiGiacomo Colins, Chairman, Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board

2:00-3:00 p.m. Regulation and Legislation: What's Happening, What's Next?
Legislation, regulation, suggestions and accusations concerning Pennsylvania's young gaming industry have been flying throughout Harrisburg for a year now. But amid the chatter, what really makes sense from both a public-policy and gaming-industry perspective? And what are the prospects for changes that could impact the gaming industry. In this panel, experts in law, regulation, legislation and gaming operations address the key issues.

Moderator:
William Downey III, Partner, Fox Rothschild LLP

Speakers:
Sen. Wayne D. Fontana (D), District 42, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Cyrus Pitre, Chief Enforcement Counsel, Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
Rep. Dante Santoni, Jr. (D), District 126, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Doug Sherman, Acting Chief Counsel, Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
Rep. Mike Vereb (R), District 150, Pennsylvania House of Representatives

3:00-3:15 p.m. Networking Break

3:15-4:15 p.m. The Eastern Front: Surviving or Thriving in Highly Competitive Eastern Pennsylvania Market
The five casinos in eastern Pennsylvania intensified the competition in an already combative market bounded by Atlantic City, Delaware and New York. Now, with Sands Bethlehem preparing to open in 2009 and two Philadelphia casinos to follow suit - not to mention 4,500 slots due at Aqueduct - who will be the winners and losers in this gaming battlefield? Are there enough gamblers to satisfy all? And what will it take to succeed in this highly competitive environment? The executives at the center of of the fray answer these and other pointed questions about the near- and long-term outlook.

Moderator:
Michael Pollock, Managing Director, Spectrum Gaming Group

Speakers:
Michael Cruz, Director of Gaming Laboratory Operations, Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
Vince Donlevie, Senior VP and General Manager, Harrah's Chester
Bill Fasy, Chief Operating Officer, Delaware Park
Gary Luderitz, General Manager, Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course
Doug Niethold, Vice President of Finance, Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem
Robert Soper, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs