Contessa Brewer is a correspondent and substitute anchor for CNBC appearing throughout Business Day as well as the network’s 7pm ET newscast “The News with Shepard Smith.” She covers major news stories for CNBC including presidential elections, hurricanes, the coronavirus pandemic and trade wars. Her specialty coverage areas are casinos, the gaming industry and the insurance industry. Brewer joined the network in 2017 and is based at CNBC Global Headquarters.

A National Emmy-Award winning journalist, Brewer is known for her marathon on-air coverage of breaking news and big political stories. While an anchor for MSNBC, she hosted daily news programs and the long-running, primetime series “Caught on Camera.” As a correspondent, Brewer has contributed reports to CBS News, CBSN, WNBC, NBC News and MSNBC, where she covered a wide range of stories including presidential elections, debt ceilings, government shutdowns, natural disasters, terror attacks and celebrity news. She began her career in Reno, NV followed by Palm Springs, CA and Milwaukee, WI.

Brewer is a Remembrance Scholar and magna cum laude graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication and Honors Program. She’s narrated several audiobooks and resides in New York with her husband, twin sons and a dappled dachshund.

Fredric Gushin founded Spectrum Gaming Group in 1993 after working 13 years for the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, where he was promoted to Assistant Director and Assistant Attorney General. At the DGE, Gushin oversaw the openings of 12 Atlantic City casino hotels and managed litigation before the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. He personally argued more than 50 cases before the Commission. 

Gushin has worked with a variety of private-sector and governmental clients since founding Spectrum. He has advised private casino developers on operational/management issues and provided gaming expertise to numerous gaming jurisdictions. He also served as Commissioner with the Oneida Indian Nation Gaming Commission that regulates the Turning Stone Resort Casino, in Syracuse, NY. 

Gushin has worked with private sector clients throughout the United States, the Caribbean, South America, Asia and Europe on a wide range of regulatory, compliance and anti-money laundering (“AML”) issues. As Assistant Director and Assistant Attorney General of New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement, he oversaw all compliance related issues regarding New Jersey’s multibillion-dollar gaming industry including security and surveillance, development and compliance with accounting and internal control procedures. 

Gushin has served public and private sector clients worldwide including in Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Bermuda, US Virgin Islands, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Saipan, Guam, South Korea and the Philippines. He has managed Spectrum’s engagements including AML and regulatory compliance, feasibility and marketing studies, public policy analysis, drafting of gaming laws and regulation, financial analysis and casino related investigations for governments and private sector clients. He has directed all of Spectrum’s prior engagements including Spectrum’s 15-year regulatory association with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Casino Regulatory Authority in Singapore. He also served a 14-month consultancy for the Tinian Casino Gaming Control Commission as gaming advisor.  

Gushin has provided three confidential briefings to the Financial Crimes and Enforcement Network (FinCEN), one confidential briefing to the UK Gambling Commission and one confidential briefing to the US Attorney’s in Guam and Saipan relative to Asian gaming practices with a focus on VIP play, junket operations and money laundering in Macau. 

Gushin has testified before multiple government legislative and administrative hearings. Most recently, in May 2022, Gushin gave a presentation to the Parliamentary Committee for Gaming, Kingdom of Thailand regarding strategic planning of gaming regulatory agencies and AML/regulatory compliance issues. 

He is a former US Treasury Interim Advisor. Additionally, while serving as Assistant Director for New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement, he worked on a task force to implement amendments to the Bank Secrecy Act when it determined that casinos were considered financial institutions. 

Gushin received his BA from the American University School of Government and Public Administration in 1970, his Juris Doctorate from Rutgers University in 1973, and his Masters from American University in 1979. 

Dan Fetters is a Co-Founding Partner and Co-CIO of Acies Investments, a venture capital firm focused on partnering with companies in the sports betting, igaming, esports and sports technology industries.  Prior to founding Acies Investments, Dan was a Founder and Co-CEO of Acies Acquisition Corp. I, a special purpose acquisition company that consummated a merger with mobile gaming company, Playstudios in June 2021.  Dan served as a Managing Director in Morgan Stanley’s Mergers and Acquisition Group and as the Head of Western Region M&A.  Dan had over 20 years of experience at Morgan Stanley leading complex strategic transactions around the globe including cross-border mergers in North America, Europe and Asia.  His diverse experience includes advising domestic and international companies and Boards of Directors on a broad range of public and private M&A transactions in a variety of industries, including gaming, sports, real estate, media, entertainment, consumer, retail, industrial, and telecommunications.

Ed Young joined Morgan Stanley’s European Travel & Leisure team in 2015. The team has been ranked top 2 in the Institutional Investor and Extel surveys for each of the last 15 years. Before becoming an equity analyst, Ed was an intelligence officer in the British Army working on domestic and global counter-terrorism, and served two tours in Afghanistan. He studied Modern History at Oxford University and Middle Eastern Studies at SOAS.

Adam Rosenberg is currently Senior Advisor to Blackstone for the Gaming and Leisure sector. He is also currently Special Advisor to GameCo, LLC, a gaming technology company focused on video game gambling, where he is a Board Observer and previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer. From 2014 to 2021,

Mr. Rosenberg was Managing Director and Global Head of Gaming & Leisure at Fortress Investment Group, an alternative asset manager with extensive experience making private equity investments into, lending to and owning casinos, slot routes, slot machine manufacturers, lottery providers, internet gaming companies, sports betting platforms and other gaming and gaming technology-related businesses in the United States and around the world.

From 1998 to 2014, Mr. Rosenberg held various investment banking positions at Goldman, Sachs & Co., most recently as Managing Director and Global Head of Gaming where he advised and raised capital for casino operator, gaming technology and equipment manufacturer clients. From 1993 to 1997, Mr. Rosenberg practiced product liability and intellectual property law at Skadden Arps.

Mr. Rosenberg currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Harvard Association for Law and Business and is a Member of the Harvard Alumni Real Estate Board. Mr. Rosenberg previously served as a Board Member of the American Gaming Association, on the Conference Advisory Boards for Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Las Vegas and Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Macau, and on the Advisory Board for the Global Internet Gaming Summit and Expo (GiGse).

Mr. Rosenberg graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School where he received a Juris Doctoris, and graduated phi beta kappa and magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Philosophy of Science.

Benjamin has over 13 years of experience in the online gambling/iGaming industry. He has managed numerous sportsbook and casino marketing companies with budgets worth millions of dollars for leading operators before co-founding MediaTroopers Inc. He is an expert in USA Gaming market, media buying and affiliation.  

Lloyd Danzig is the Founder & Managing Partner of Sharp Alpha Advisors, a venture capital firm that specializes in sports betting and online gaming.

Chris Grove is an early-stage investor, multi-exit founder, and strategist focused on the U.S. sports betting and online gambling sectors. He is a nationally recognized subject matter expert whose insights are regularly relied upon by analysts, media outlets, publicly-traded companies, and policymakers.

His work has been cited by outlets including Bloomberg, ESPN, Forbes, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal. Grove has testified before lawmakers in multiple states, including California, Illinois, New York, Nevada, and Washington State.

Grove is a Co-Founding Partner at the VC fund Acies Investments, Co-Founding Partner at EKG Ventures, an Operating Advisor at Arctos Sports Partners, a Tech Stars Mentor, an angel investor, and a public company board member. Prior to his current roles, Grove founded the sports betting practice at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, where he remains a Partner Emeritus.

Jeffrey Haas is the Chief Revenue Officer of Pink.gg, a leading European blockchain technology and media company. He oversees the commercial strategy for the the #1 NFT Marketplace in the world (by transaction volume) AtomicHub.io, and blockchain gaming news site NFTInsider.io, among other lines of emerging business.

Before joining Pink in August 2022, Jeffrey was a leader in the online gaming industry. He has 20+ years’ experience helping build some of the largest gaming businesses in the world, including DraftKings, PokerStars, the World Poker Tour (WPT), Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT), European Poker Tour (EPT) & PartyPoker. His work has varied across executive-level contributions to business strategy, product development, operations, licensing and compliance within this highly regulated industry.

Jeffrey also sits on the Board of Directors of CoinSmart.com, a leading Canadian publicly-listed OSC-regulated cryptocurrency exchange.

Jeffrey is a relentless and creative business development innovator, public policy strategist, growth marketer and digital futurist. He is long on $ETH and $IMX, still enjoys NFT PFPs, and looks forward to one day making everyday payments with cryptocurrency.

He is both Canadian and British, but resides in Copenhagen, Denmark, with his family.

Cosmina Schulman been working in Sports Media and Sponsorship for over ten years and in three different major US cities; NY, Chicago and Boston. She has sold every MLB, NBA, NHL Regional Sports Network in the US and a majority of the major colligate networks. Cosmina has worked with major brands like: Toyota, Nissan, Southwest Airlines, Apple, Berkshire Bank, Chase, MolsonCoors, DraftKings, and FanDuel to name a few.
Cosmina currently is at NESN as the Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships. She is the youngest and only female to hold this title in the Regional Sports Network landscape. She is part of the executive management team and plays an active role in determining strategy and vision for NESN. Cosmina has been crucial to NESN determining their Sports Betting strategy and has been consulted by the Mass Gaming Commission for her expertise in the Sports Betting landscape. Cosmina is also the VP of Women in Sports and Events (WISE) Boston chapter and the Executive Chair of NESN’s ERG group, Women of NESN.

Corey has an extensive background in econometrics and statistics and is a Partner at t2 Marketing International. He has worked on some of the most innovative data-oriented campaigns for both online and brick and mortar operators, speaks on his work and research at events around the world, and is a member of a number of tech-facing advisory boards. He is also the author of Marketing to Millennial For Dummies, and a contributing author of Digital Marketing All-In One For Dummies.

Patrick Keane is the CEO of Action Network, a sports betting content, insights and data platform. He is an investor, advisor and digital media executive. He is an Operating Partner at Stripes, a $7B New York City-based growth equity fund. He was on the board of Bleacher Report (sold to Turner Broadcasting in 2012). Former Board Director of Gimlet Media sold to Spotify in 2019. Patrick was the Chief Executive Officer of Associated Content, Inc. The company was sold to Yahoo! in June 2010. Before Associated Content, he was EVP and Chief Marketing Officer at CBS Interactive. Patrick spent over four years at Google, Inc. where he served as Director of Advertising sales strategy. He was the founder and programmer of Zeitgeist, Google’s annual partner forum, for which he won Google’s highest honor – the Founder’s Award. He was recognized as one of the “Marketing Top 40 under 40” by Advertising Age in 2007. In 2019 Patrick was named to the Sports Betting Power Player list by Sports Business Journal. With the sale of Action Network to Better Collective in 2021 as a board director and CEO, Patrick has seen over $1B combined in exit outcomes.

Ashley Rodriguez is a media editor at Business Insider, where she writes about the intersection of US sports media and gambling, and the future of the TV industry. Before Insider, she covered media and marketing for Quartz. She also worked at Advertising Age. Ashley is based in New York, and has taught business journalism at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.

Benjie Cherniak is currently an investor and advisor to emerging companies in the sports betting space. Previously, Benjie was Principal & MD at Don Best, the leading provider of in-play pricing services and sports information products relevant to the North American sports betting industry, acquired by Scientific Games in 2018.

With a prominent career in state, federal, and global public affairs, William J. Pascrell, III, more commonly known as BPIII, is a lobbyist with PPAG–Princeton Public Affairs Group. His extensive work in a broad array of industries, particularly gambling and cannabis, has made a tremendous impact on the success of PPAG’s clients and the firm as a whole.

In the gaming sector, BPIII has been a lawyer, strategic advisor and consultant throughout the U.S., Canada, Israel, Europe, South America and Australia.

BPIII led the successful 10 year campaign to legalize sports betting in the United States culminating with the repeal of PASPA by the United States Supreme Court in 2018. Most notably BPIII lead a successful multi-year campaign to pass the first in the Nation On Line Gaming Act in New Jersey. He worked to develop the regulatory regime put in force prior to launch. BPIII continues to advise state governments across the Nation on issues involving the gaming industry.

BPIII served as a Member of the Murphy for Governor Finance Committee and Counsel to NJ Governor Murphy Transition Team. He previously served former Congressman Herb Klein and former Governor James J. Florio.

BPIII served as the Passaic County Counsel from 1998 to 2019, starting with his unanimous appointment by the Passaic County Freeholder Board.

BPIII is a Member of the Entain Foundation US promoting Responsible Gambling and Integrity throughout North America. He is also a member of the Board of Betegy, Most Vicious Players, Yield Sec, My Wager Score and the Esports Trade Association.

Awards – The New Jersey Globe and Insider NJ, two prominent statewide news outlets, rank BPIII amongst the top 100 politically powerful personalities every year. He was further named to Insider NJ’s “Insider 100 Policymakers” lists each year since its inception: in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Michael Daly is the CEO for Catena Media, one of the largest lead generation companies for iGaming, Sports Betting, eSports and financial services worldwide. As such he oversees the company’s 400+ team and its global expansion across Europe, LATAM, APAC, and North America, where it is the dominant affiliate by value delivered to operators.

Prior to taking the reigns as CEO in March of 2021, Michael was the VP of North America for Catena Media, growing that business to over 50 affiliate sites, generating in the range of $40,000,000+ annually with a team of approximately 60, all working remotely.

Prior to Catena Media, Michael setup and ran divisions of online gambling technology companies, has rolled out numerous new products for banking and gaming, as well as served 8 years as a Naval Officer. He is a graduate of MIT and holds an MBA from the University of Utah.

Stefan Kovach has been working for internet startups since the late 90s and has worked in the gambling industry for over 15 years, including at PokerStars and Bwin.Party. He got involved with blockchain technology in 2017 when he became CEO of FunFair Technologies, a first-generation Ethereum gambling dapp. Since then he has gone on to create Rarerthings an independent web 3 advisory that focuses on gaming, sport, fashion and celebrities.

Adam is a technology executive with 13 years of experience leading teams, driving enterprise value and improving operations at internet, gaming, technology and media companies generating $0-$2b in annual revenue.

Adam is currently the Chief Operating Officer at SportsGrid, the multimedia content and technology platform providing digital innovative solutions for the convergence of sports content, gaming and data.

Prior to SportsGrid, Adam was the General Manager & Vice President of Content for FanDuel Group, an innovative sports-tech entertainment company that is changing the way consumers engage with their favorite sports, teams, and leagues. FanDuel Group consists of a portfolio of leading brands across gaming, sports betting, daily fantasy sports, advance-deposit wagering, poker and television. The brands include FanDuel, Betfair US, TVG, Fox Bet, Pokerstars and more. FanDuel Group is a subsidiary of Flutter Entertainment plc.

Prior to FanDuel Group, Adam was the COO of numberFire, the next generation sports analytics company for betting and fantasy. numberFire was acquired in August 2015 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of FanDuel.

Before joining numberFire Adam was the Director of National Accounts & Strategic Partnerships, and one of the first 25 employees at Yext (NYSE: YEXT), a digital knowledge management company.

Adam is an advisor to startups, angel investor and board member. His current portfolio includes Rain Maker Games, Fight Camp, Buzzer, Underdog Fantasy, PrizePicks, Phone Wagon (acquired by CallRail), BigBrain Games, Bettor Capital, Casa Verde, Sentinel Peak Capital Partners, BetDEX Labs and POW Interactive.

Adam graduated from The University of Arizona in 2008 with a BS in Regional Development and a Minor in Business Management.

Asked has been an affiliate for 18 years, and in iGaming for 10 years. He was also a part of a Norwegian startup sold to Gaming Innovation Group which became the foundation for today’s GiG Media.

Alex Dubin is the Founder and CEO of BettorOff, the enhanced social media platform, developed specifically for the sports wagering community. Alex has more than a decade’s experience scaling start-up organizations in a variety of roles, including CEO, COO, General Counsel and Board member. 
 
Prior to founding BettorOff, Alex was a Co-Founder of the sports and esports data and analytics company, NXTAKE, LLC, which was later acquired by SportsGrid, Inc. 
 
Prior to founding NXTAKE, Alex was a Co-Founder of Roto Capital, LLC, a quantitative hedge fund concentrating in the daily fantasy sports space, which returned over 71% in profits to its investors. 
 
An attorney by training, Alex practiced in the Corporate Department of New York law firm, DLA Piper LLP (US), specializing in hedge fund and private equity work. 
 
Alex holds a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School and a B.A. from Manhattanville College, where he played both varsity baseball and tennis. 

Allan Stone is the CEO and Co-Founder of Intelitics.  He has spent the last 10 years focusing on solving problems related to User Acquisition, MarTech, Analytics, and Maximising Publisher Revenue Yield in the Real Money Gaming Vertical. When he’s not in the office Allan can be found spending time with his wife and three sons enjoying the outdoors, off-roading or catching a football game.

One of the most experienced executives in live casino, former investment banker Andres Rengifo established OnAir Entertainment™ in early 2021 alongside a team of senior live casino professionals, playing a leading role in building the business from the ground up. Andres’ casino experience spans more than a decade and he has held senior leadership and operational positions with Net Entertainment, Evolution Gaming and William Hill.

Andy is now partner at both Red Knot Communications and Tekkorp Capital Advisors. He has spent three decades building brands for media, sports betting and gaming companies in the USA, UK and Europe. Most recently he was a Strategic Adviser to Flutter and advised The Stars Group on their partnership with Fox Sports to create Fox Bet, for which he was responsible for the launch of the brand. Also, Andy established William Hill’s online marketing presence in the USA in 2018. 

In 2007, Andy founded the influential digital marketing tech agency Grand Parade, where he pioneered the interaction of digital and linear sports media and gambling. Grand Parade delivered technology that connected top tier operators including Ladbrokes, Skybet, Coral, Bwin, OPAP, Betfair and PaddyPower to media brands such as Sky Sports, News Corp, and Telegraph Media Group. Grand Parade was acquired by William Hill in 2016. 

Previously Andy had a media career in New York where he was on the Board of Dennis Publishing and responsible for the success of a number of magazines including the world’s most successful men’s lifestyle magazine, Maxim. 

Andy Rogers, founder and Managing Director, has 20+ years’ experience of running award winning global agencies, over a decade of which has been spent providing services to the iGaming industry. His industry knowledge and business design skills have empowered businesses to address their proposition, product, process and transactional challenges, to go on to build businesses people love.

Because of the depth and breadth of his knowledge and experience Andy could add value around any number of content areas in your program. Perhaps of particular interest would be his knowledge on the application of Web 3.0 for gaming businesses (land-based and online) or addressing the question of ‘Build vs buy in core gaming technology’.

Anika Howard is President and Chief Executive Officer of WONDR NATION.  Responsible for managing all facets of the company, Anika drives and influences the strategic vision, mission, operations, and company culture. Passionate about the how tech innovation and creativity can transform player experiences, Anika is widely recognized for her vision and ability profitably to drive gaming companies and products into evolving territories. 

As one of few executives with a 360-degree view of the industry, Anika leads WONDR NATIONS’s ongoing initiatives and brings a fresh approach to what’s next for the gaming sphere. As an award-winning industry veteran with over 15 years of experience, Anika has worked at some of the most notable players within the gaming space where she focused primarily on the development of interactive products and experiences. 

Anika sees technology as a great equalizer and a way to bring people together. She is an advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion and uses her influence to amplify diverse voices to ultimately create a more dynamic and thriving industry.  

Billy Levy is the Executive Vice President, Corporate Development of Rivalry, a global sportsbook and media company. In his role, Levy oversees the strategic business development for the company globally, including expanding Rivalry into new markets.

Levy is a tech industry entrepreneur and pioneer of the esports industry. He notably co-founded early esports company Virgin Gaming in partnership with Sir Richard Branson, as well as consumer mobile commerce company Virgin Mega, which was acquired by Nike. Levy is also recognized as a leader in the cannabis industry, having founded Mettrum Health Corp. (acquired by Canopy Growth) and consumer packaged goods brand Slang Worldwide Inc.

Brian Egger is a Senior Industry Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, where he covers the gaming and lodging industries. He is a frequent television and radio commentator on gaming, sports betting, lodging and travel. Earlier in his career, Brian was a nationally ranked gaming equity research analyst at Credit Suisse and BMO Capital Markets.

A former member of Institutional Investor’s “All-America Research Team,” Brian was recognized six times as a Wall Street Journal “Best on the Street” analyst. During a twenty-year career on Wall Street, he held positions of increasing responsibility at Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, BMO Capital Markets and Topeka Capital Markets.

Brian received a BS in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He taught as an Adjunct Finance Professor at Columbia Business School and is the author of Social Media Strategies for Investing (Adams Media, Imprint of Simon & Schuster, 2014).

Cait DeBaun is vice president, strategic communications and responsibility at the American Gaming Association (AGA). DeBaun leads the AGA’s responsibility efforts and integrated communications strategies to promote the social and economic value of the $261 billion gaming industry.

DeBaun currently oversees the AGA’s Have A Game Plan® PSA campaign, working with sports leagues and teams and sportsbook operators to educate consumers on responsible sports betting. DeBaun also plays a key role in the association’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, executing advocacy and industry communications strategies to support casino gaming’s ongoing recovery.

DeBaun previously served as the director of communications for Project: Time Off, a national advocacy campaign from the U.S. Travel Association to prove the necessity of taking vacation and grow domestic leisure travel. DeBaun established the campaign’s communication strategy, including launching National Plan for Vacation Day, that ultimately shifted American vacation usage and generated $81 billion in economic contribution.

DeBaun started her career at Ogilvy Public Relations where she led integrated, national social change efforts for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

DeBaun and her work have been recognized by PR News, Public Relations Society of America, Washington Women in PR, and the American Society of Association Executives. A graduate of American University, DeBaun lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband and two children.

Caroline Ponseti is a communications and media relations strategist with expertise in the U.S. gambling, sports betting, and iGaming markets. She leverages her Capitol Hill, trade association, and political campaign experience to build compelling communications campaigns for highly regulated industries.

Ponseti previously led the American Gaming Association’s media relations operations during the fastest expansion of casino gaming in U.S. history. Her work on behalf of the new legal U.S. sports betting market was recognized by PRNEWS and the Public Relations Society of America.

As Press Secretary for the U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Ponseti helped bring landmark accountability reform to the VA and extend veterans’ GI Bill benefits through their lifetimes with the Forever GI Bill.

A native New Orleanian, Ponseti started her career in the press shop of a gubernatorial campaign. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Rhodes College with a bachelor’s in political science.

Ponseti is currently Senior Director at The Herald Group, a public affairs firm in Washington, DC. She was recently named Bulldog PR’s Bronze Rising Star Under 40.

Di Stefano has a vendor license by DGE to operate in the state of New Jersey as a Marketing Consultant, thanks to partnering with Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. During 2018-2022, she helped Hard Rock migrate its gambling operations from offline to online, by using her experience in the European online gambling market that she entered in 2011.

Prior to Hard Rock, Di Stefano has over the last 11 years been working with major brands like Betsson and GiG across several jurisdictions. She also co-founded Weberfy.se which specializes in helping the iGaming and Cannabis industry with VIP management, CRM and Marketing.

Currently, Catie is the Director of Community Marketing for OnlineGamblers.com where she educates on healthy gambling habits and regulations in the US.

Di Stefano was born in Indonesia and grew up in Sweden, before moving to Malta as a teenager to start her career in iGaming. Currently, she resides in Spain with her two daughters.

Chris Bevilacqua is the Co-Founder and CEO of Simplebet. Over the past 30 years, he has established himself as a leader in the sports and media business, including being at the forefront of two transformative eras in sports media history. He was previously the Chairman and CEO of CAA Sports Media Ventures (a joint venture between CAA and Evolution Media Capital) and founded College Sports TV Networks, which was sold to CBS in 2006 and evolved into CBS Sports Network.

Chris is the head of Citizens Bank’s gaming and leisure investment banking practice, overseeing all advisory and capital raising activities in the space. He has a deep history in both traditional land-based gaming along with online gaming having formerly run corporate development for BetMGM.

Daniel Kustelski is a gaming executive with over 15 years of senior level experience. He has sports betting operational experience in Africa and US and is the Cofounder of Chalkline. He sold a sportsbook to a casino group, Sun International, and was the GM of Betting for the next 2 years as they integrated the book into the casino operations. He is currently the founder of Chalkline, an award-winning supplier that works with Casinos, Tracks, Media and Brands to efficiently acquire sports bettors through a proprietary Free2Play sports betting and marketing platform. Previously he served as COO of US-based Horse Racing ADW WatchandWager.com for 2 years. After graduation from high school, Dan attended West Point and was an Engineer Officer for 5 years. He was stationed in Ft. Hood, Ft. Stewart and Tusla Bosnia.

David Forman serves as Vice President, Research at the American Gaming Association. Forman leads the AGA’s research efforts and partnerships across the full spectrum of issues affecting the gaming industry, including taxation and economic issues, sports betting, responsible gaming, consumer perceptions, and regulatory matters. Forman serves as a spokesperson on association research and industry trends.

Since joining the AGA in late 2017, Forman has expanded the association’s consumer research as well as launched long-term industry data tracking tools like the Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker and Gaming Industry CEO Outlook to promote the gaming industry and position the AGA as an industry data center.

Previously, Forman was a Vice President in the Crisis & Risk practice at Edelman, a global communications firm, where he helped clients navigate high risk communications challenges. He also helped lead the firm’s Business & Risk Intelligence group, providing clients with information used to inform strategic decision making, influence legal proceedings and alter the public narrative around high profile issues.

Forman was named to the Emerging Leaders of Gaming: 40 Under 40, Class of 2022.

Originally from the Boston area, he holds a degree in History from The George Washington University and lives in Alexandria, Va. with his wife and two children.

David J Ortiz has been leading and contributing to hit games since before he got out of college. 30 years of AAA titles like Madden NFL, Wayne Gretzky 3D Hockey, NFL Fever and MLB The Show have landed him multiple Game of the Year awards and a spot on the 100 Most Influential People in Gaming list. Combine that with a decade of Real Money Gaming experience and it’s easy to see the progression to SimWin Sports, the premier sports Metaverse where NFT Teams and Players present unique business opportunities and fuel 24/7/365 fantasy sports and sports betting.

David is a consultant, advisor, investor and dealmaker in the sports betting, iGaming and gambling industry, specializing in the U.S. market.

He has worked with teams, leagues, casinos, tribes, racetracks and media companies, and is responsible for over 40 deals across 20 U.S. states since 2018 including deals involving The Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA), New York Jets (NFL), the Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL), the Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB), The Texas Rangers (MLB), The Dallas Stars (NHL), NASCAR, the PGA Tour, CBS Sports, Madison Square Gardens, Meadowlands Race Track and the Football Hall of Fame Village.

Additionally, he works as an investor and an advisor with startups entering the multi-billion dollar U.S. sports betting and iGaming industry, and engineered the first-ever U.S. sports betting deal (between two software companies). He has led several high profile startup exits including the recent sale of marketing automation platform Fresh Eight and the sale of AI and data platform VAIX, both sold to Sportradar.

Dave is the Managing Partner of Bettor Capital and founded the firm in 2020.
Most recently was Head of Strategy & Corp. Dev. at Barstool Sports where he facilitated the sale of a minority stake in the business to Penn National Gaming.
Previously was EVP and Head of Strategy at FanDuel where he oversaw corporate development including leading the sale of the company to Flutter.
Began his career as an investment banker with Barclays in Silicon Valley.
Graduated with a B.B.A. in Finance with an Int’l Business certificate from the University of Notre Dame.

David is the President and CRO of PlaymakerHQ a sports media and management company that has 20m+ followers across social, 30+ Snap Series, 50 players under management. David also oversees the Playmakers betting division that reaches over 20m+ 21-34 bettors a month, and works closely with several of the top sportsbooks. David works in NYC, and also co-owns Regents Field and is an avid Poker and DFS player. He is also an angel investor in the sports media and gaming spaces. 

Davis is the Managing Partner of Discerning Capital, a venture capital firm focused on regulated gambling and adjacent industries. Prior to founding Discerning Capital, Davis was the head of the Digital Investments for Las Vegas Sands and a Senior Research Analyst at Sands Capital Management.

Ed Birkin is a Senior Consultant for H2 Gambling Capital, with over 15 years’ experience in the sector, covering both land-based and online operations across all the gaming, betting and lottery segments. Ed heads up H2 Gambling Capital’s North America Division as well as their Companies Division. Before joining H2, Ed Birkin was as a Director for Credit Suisse covering the European gaming sector, and prior to that spent a number of years as a gaming analyst at Barclays Capital.

Edward King is the Co-Founding Partner and Co-CIO of Acies Investments, a venture capital firm focused on partnering with companies in the sports betting, iGaming, esports and sports technology industries.  Edward was formerly Managing Director and Global Head of Gaming investment banking at Morgan Stanley, where he spent over 20years.  In this capacity Edward provided strategic and financial advice to clients on mergers & acquisitions and debt & equity capital raises in the public and private market across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin Americas.  Edward was also a Founder and Co-CEO of Acies Acquisition Corp, a SPAC that completed its business combination in 2021 with Playstudios.  Edward was formerly a Board Member of the American Gaming Association.  Edward holds M.Phil, MA and BA degrees in economics from Cambridge University, England.

Eric Hession currently serves as President of Caesars Digital for Caesars Entertainment. Over the course of his tenure at Caesars, he has held positions in both property operations and corporate finance.  While in operations, Eric led the Planning and Analysis, Revenue Management, Distribution, and Accounting efforts for Caesars 12 Nevada properties. He most recently served as Chief Financial Officer where his responsibilities included the leadership of Treasury, Investor Relations, Risk Management, Procurement and Mergers & Acquisitions. Previous to his employment with Caesars, Eric spent five years with Merck and Company, working in various capacities in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and at their New Jersey corporate headquarters. 

Eric grew up in Pittsford, Vermont and attended Cornell University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering. He also holds an MBA from The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. 

As U.S. Fantasy & Betting Lead at the NBA, Eric Rimsky oversees business development, activation and strategy across the league’s domestic fantasy and betting partnerships. He also focuses on related strategic initiatives such as product innovation, NBA team collaboration and responsible gaming. 

Eric started his career at Madison Square Garden in the Ticketing and Subscriptions Department and later spent four years as an Account Executive at FOX Sports.  

Prior to joining the NBA, Eric received an M.B.A. from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Lehigh University. He resides in New York with his wife and two children. 

Erik Nyman is a senior executive in gaming with over 13 years of experience. He specializes in market entries both in Europe and the Americas. He was instrumental in NetEnt’s US launch and became their MD Americas and his team successfully positioned the supplier as one of the leaders in the region. In 2020 he joined EveryMatrix as their US President in Miami and build their regional organization. Today EveryMatrix is a proud partner with the leading US operators. EveryMatrix is unique in the industry for its iGaming and sports solutions, all developed in-house based on modularity to fit customer needs.

Gabriel Fineberg is an investor with Beach Point Capital, a multi-strategy institutional investment manager. He focuses on investments in both the private and public markets with an emphasis on providing capital through credit or credit-like instruments. Mr. Fineberg has particular expertise in the Gaming, Real Estate, and Leisure and Consumer Discretionary industries. He presently manages Beach Point’s gaming investing platform, where he and the firm have an extensive track record deploying capital across the industry. Past and current investments span from greenfield casino construction, single asset borrowers, diversified regional operators, distributed gaming, gaming technology, lottery, and online gaming, among others. Mr. Fineberg graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton school and previously worked as an investment banker at Evercore. He lives in the New York metropolitan area and enjoys history and hiking and bicycle riding with his wife and dog.

George Rover is the Managing Partner of Princeton Global Strategies, LLC (PGS), a strategic advisory firm specialising in all aspects of land-based and online casino and sports betting law and policy, including investigations, licensing, casino operations, internal controls, AML, and corporate compliance. Prior to establishing PGS, Rover served for 25 years as a Deputy Attorney General and then an Assistant Attorney with the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Office of the Attorney General.

He joined the New Jersey State Attorney General’s Office in 1992 as a Deputy Attorney General in the Office of Legal Affairs and thereafter in 1995 Rover served as a Special Assistant to the Director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control. In January 1999, he was promoted to Assistant Attorney General and named the Special Assistant to the Director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE). In August 2011, Rover was appointed Deputy Director of the NJDGE and placed in charge of its Atlantic City office until his retirement in November 2016.

Howard B. Glaser, Head of Government Affairs and Legislative Counsel, Light & Wonder
Howard leads the Light & Wonder’s government relations activities, with a focus on expanding markets and developing growth opportunities.

Howard has three decades of experience leading public and private sector organizations. He was a top aide to two New York Governors, and led the successful effort to legalize commercial casino gaming in New York. At the federal level, Howard served in multiple roles at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development including Acting General Counsel, Counselor to the Secretary, and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations.

In the private sector Howard was the Executive Vice President of AM General, a premiere global vehicle solutions provider; President of Mobility Ventures, an accessible transportation OEM; and Executive Vice President of OTG Management, an airport development and technology company. He also previously served as an advisor to the financial services and housing industries and as General Counsel and Senior Vice President of the Mortgage Bankers Association in Washington, DC.
Howard, who enjoys writing on and teaching public policy, was appointed Theodore Kheel Fellow for Transportation Policy, and Grove Fellow Leader at the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College from 2017-2019, and Adjunct Professor at the Executive Masters of Public Administration Program at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University from 2012 to 2015.

Howard is a graduate of the State University of New York and Harvard Law School.

Jai is Co-founder & President of Betting Hero; the industry’s leading customer acquisition, retention, and development company. Betting Hero helps operators acquire, retain, and develop customers at scale through its three complimentary business units: Betting Hero Activation, Betting Hero Research, and Betting Hero Hotline.

With a mission of helping people enjoy their experience betting on mobile, as well as over three million in-person interactions, and having delivered 300,000+ new depositing customers to its partners, nobody understands the sports betting and iGaming customer better than Betting Hero.

Jake is the Co-Founder of Prophet Exchange, a peer-to-peer sports betting exchange where users can set prices for others to bet on, or place bets on the prices already available. This gives users the best odds and separates the platform from traditional sportsbooks. Prophet Exchange is both the first sports betting exchange and start-up to enter the US regulated market, through it’s partnership with Caesar’s Entertainment in New Jersey.

ames Kilsby is Chief Analyst and Vice President – Americas for VIXIO GamblingCompliance based in Washington, D.C. James has worked as a research analyst and editor for VIXIO since receiving an MA in Latin American History and Politics from the University of London in 2006, and has led the company’s U.S. operations since moving to Washington in 2010. He has testified on sports betting and online gambling before several state legislative and regulatory bodies in various states including New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. James has also been quoted by various media outlets including the New York Times, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg.

A longstanding land-based and digital gaming industry veteran Jamie is responsible for pushing the Strive brand and player services to the next level and beyond. With 25+ years of experience in leadership roles with industry leaders holding roles such as VP of VIP Marketing and VP of Sportsbook.

Jamison Selby is a dynamic, player-focused, online gaming executive with many years of experience leading cross-disciplinary design and production teams in the creation, marketing and live operation of multiplayer games and interactive entertainment. He has deep experience with iGaming, real money gambling and skill games. He has launched more than 70 real money titles in the highly regulated U.S. market. He is a named inventor on dozens of industry patents. He has managed business relations and strategy across the globe and is a respected international speaker with a worldwide network across the games and gaming industries. As SVP of Games & Marketing at Game Play Network, he leads GPN’s B2C iGaming efforts and their online casino, b spot. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children who are just beginning to design games of their own.

Mr. Rosenberg has 20 years of online gaming industry experience and has provided expertise and strategic solutions to over 50 gaming operations in the Caribbean, United States, and Europe. In addition to operational consulting, Jason has provided expert market and operations-led insights to help bridge the gap between land-based casino operators, regulatory commissions and gaming industry service providers across the world.

Mr. Rosenberg specializes in vendor selection, next generation technology, product launch strategy, operational strategy, day-to-day marketing and operations, as well as customized player acquisition, conversion, and retention programs. He has developed and presented key content for leading industry conferences and publications.

In his spare time, Jason has been of service at Wolf Mountain Sanctuary, a non-profit Native American owned animal rescue since 2000.

Jeremy Levine is the founder & Executive Chairman of Underdog (backed by Mark Cuban, Kevin Durant, The Chainsmokers, SV Angel, LionTree, Adam Schefter and many more), founder & Executive Chairman of Good Spirits Lab (makers of Los Dos Tequila) and the founder & Chairman of Lucky Trader. Prior, Jeremy was the founder and CEO of DRAFT which was acquired in 2017 by Paddy Power Betfair/Flutter and the founder of StarStreet, which sold to Draftkings. Jeremy is an active investor in startups including Carta, Ramp, Alt, Layer Zero, Dapper Labs and Fight Camp.

Jeremy Kudon is the leader of the Public Policy Group in the New York office of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. He helps organizations “make order out of chaos” of the 50 states at both the legislative and regulatory levels. Jeremy and his team have played a crucial role in the legalization of sports betting on behalf of clients FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Fanatics. Working with the companies’ government affairs teams, Jeremy and his team have helped negotiate/draft model legislation, made over 200 trips to state capitols, and worked with stakeholders to bring mobile sports betting to nearly 50% of the U.S. population. Jeremy also coordinated a multi-state campaign on behalf of Major League Baseball, the NBA, and PGA Tour to ensure that online sports betting laws included provisions that protected league integrity and required operators to use official league data to set and settle in-game wagers. Over a four year period, Jeremy helped the leagues pass laws that included these provisions in Illinois, Michigan, New York, Arizona, Tennessee, and Massachusetts.

Jeremy is a three-time Law360 Sports & Betting MVP (2021, 2020, 2016), two-time Sports Business Journal Power Player (2021, 2018), and was recently named to PlayUSA’s Online Gambling Power Players List (2022).

Mr. Simkins is a member of Houlihan Lokey’s Technology Group, covering the gaming sector. He brings a reputation for trusted industry insights, market relationships, and a rare track record of success advising both sellside and buyside clients for more than 20 years.

Prior to joining Houlihan Lokey, Mr. Simkins was Head of Gaming & Leisure investment banking at Truist Securities, growing its business from a nascent state in 2016 to a top-seven platform during his tenure through March 2022. He was the only sector coverage banker with experience in sellside debt/equity research and buyside investment management and one of a few successful former analysts to convert. Earlier, Mr. Simkins worked for Credit Suisse Securities, Macquarie Capital, and Deutsche Bank Securities.

Before his career pivot, Mr. Simkins was an equity research analyst known for bold and correct stock picks, deep industry expertise, and substantial connectivity. He was named Best Up & Coming Analyst in the 2009 Institutional Investor Poll and subsequently ranked No. 6 overall in 2012. A highly recognized and respected voice in the industry, Mr. Simkins has appeared on CNBC, Bloomberg, Canadian Business Channel, and Fox Business and has been a featured speaker at industry conferences and on other media outlets.

Mr. Simkins earned a B.B.A. in Banking and Finance, with highest honors, from Hofstra University, where he sits on the business school advisory board. He is an outdoors enthusiast and also sits on the advisory board of Protect Our Winters, a climate advocacy foundation.

Joey Levy is the Founder & CEO of Betr, the first direct-to-consumer microbetting focused sports betting company. Betr has also launched a new media venture for the next generation of sports fans. Levy was previously the Founder of Simplebet, the B2B product technology company pioneering microbetting on U.S. sports that licenses technology to market leaders like DraftKings, Caesars, bet365, among others.

John Wright is the CEO & Co-founder of the iGaming startup called StatsDrone. StatsDrone is building the next wave of Business Intelligence tools for the affiliate marketing industry within iGaming. 

John’s career spans over 20 years’ experience in the iGaming industry. He graduated university with a degree in engineering focusing on robotics and AI. His experience has touched upon almost every aspect of the iGaming industry. His experience includes professional gambling, player manager, affiliate manager, casino operations manager and launching affiliate sites. He has spent the last years working on SEO, UX design as well as conversion rate optimization.   

Today, John is merging his life experience in iGaming and affiliate marketing with the world of engineering and data science. He believes data is the future of our industry and that we can have more automation within our business and make better decisions based on data. 

Currently overseeing Playtech’s US expansion, Jonathan has spent the past decade in a multitude of positions in the iGaming and Sports Wagering industries. Previously assuming several roles at Playtech, ranging from product management to corporate development, he has contributed to the strategic growth strategy of the company’s sports betting vertical. Following the acquisitions of Geneity (UK), Mobenga (Sweden) and Best Gaming Technology (Austria), Jonathan most recently served on the executive team as Director of Corporate Development for the newly created “Playtech Sports” arm, now comprising over 600 employees in 7 geographic locations.

An internationally experienced commercial leadership executive, who has been at the forefront of the development and delivery of omnichannel strategy, in the most advanced multi-channel regulated markets. Jonathan has over sixteen years of international experience gained across publicity listed boardrooms, vendors and operators across Asis, Europe and North America.

Justin Cosnett, Chief Product Officer at Continent 8 Technologies. With 20+ years’ experience in the hosting and SaaS sectors in a number of customer facing roles, Justin has a strong technical background. He joined Continent 8 in 2012 and was Head of Solution Architect before being promoted to Chief Product Officer.

Co-Founder of the performance marketing and affiliate company Nordic Affiliates ltd, with a strong presence in the Nordic Countries as well as licensed markets. Currently focusing mainly on the US market with OnlineGamblers.com. Håvard has a proven track record in the Affiliate marketing space, and is a result driven entrepreneur within the iGaming space.

Kai Bond is a Partner at Courtside Ventures, the leading early-stage VC fund focused on sports, collectibles, wellness and gaming. They are backed by several professional sports team owners, public corporates, athletes and industry executives. 

Since launching Courtside Ventures in 2016, they have invested in over 70+ companies globally, which are collectively valued at over $9B.  Some notable investments include Beam (acquired by Microsoft), StockX, The Athletic (acquired by The New York Times), 100 Thieves, WinZO, Freeletics, FanCraze, and Paceline among several others. 

Kai has two decades of experience working across VC funds, Fortune 100 enterprises and early-stage startups.  Most recently, he was an Investor at Comcast Ventures, leading the gaming/esports investments for their flagship fund and also ran their Catalyst Fund ($20M fund focused on underrepresented founders). 

Kai is a 3x founder who has launched startups in gaming and interactive media platforms.  He was co-founder of SwitchGames, a marketplace for used video games.  His second startup was incubated at Hatch Labs, where he held the dual role of General Manger for Hatch and was CEO of CashPlay Games.  CashPlay was a gaming platform that matched chance-based games like slots, dice and roulette to a sweepstakes engine where users could win cash prizes.  Hatch Labs was responsible for launching 6 mobile startups in gaming and media, including Tinder.  His third startup, pixietv, was an interactive streaming platform that delivered custom content overlays to Smart TVs.  pixietv was acquired by Samsung in 2014 where he then led the successful productization of pixietv globally.   Prior, Kai has held product roles at Microsoft in mobile and gaming, corporate development at IAC and was an early member of the team at Gerson Lehrman Group.  Kai is a repeat founder with deep expertise in gaming and interactive media.   

Kai is a guest lecturer at Wesleyan University (Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship) and at Stanford GSB (Building Diverse and Inclusive Organizations).  In addition to these roles, Kai is a mentor at Sports Tech Tokyo, Techstars, Rough Draft Ventures, and Dorm Room Fund. 

Kai is a graduate of Wesleyan University.  He lives in Brooklyn and spends most of his time playing sports with his son Miles and in his spare time, can be found in the kitchen or in front of the grill, experimenting with new recipes. 

Founder and CEO of a new venture – BeyondPlay which has secured GBP 2.1M in funding since 2021 and has since built solid brand awareness within iGaming, securing SBC and EGR award nominations as well as being featured in Hot6 showcase during Igaming Next in 2022, Business Insider, Yahoo news, UK Tech News and Sifted as well as industry media. The highly anticipated product offering consisting of a multiplayer Saas technology for slots as well as a custom Jackpot offering is nearing its exclusive product launch with tier one Operators including Comeon Group, Soft2Bet and LeoVegas in the spring of 2023. The copmpany is backed by a portfolio of prominent industry Investors with executive firepower enhanced by Oakville’s Daniel Burns.

Over 15 years of experience in the global land-based and online Real-Money Gaming Industry, including leadership roles for LeoVegas Group, Betsson Group and SG Digital as well as consultancy placements for William Hill Group and Bally’s . Seasoned online casino and product expert, recognised for championing innovation and delivering many industry-first product features and concepts. Leveraging a strong network of connections, also worked as a broker and M&A advisor. Voted Top 10 Most Influential Women in the Online Gaming Industry by IGB in 2018, featured in Facebook’s “She talks games” campaign and nominated for the UK National Diversity Awards in 2021.

Katie has been Chief Legal Officer or General Counsel to some of the gaming industry’s most influential operators and suppliers, including Scientific Games and its acquired entities, Bally Technology and SFHL entertainment, where she spearheaded the legal strategy for the $1.3B acquisition of SHFL entertainment by Bally Technologies, and, twelve months later, the $5.3B acquisition of Bally Technologies by Scientific Games.

Kelechi Ukah is the Co-Founder & CTO of Novig, the first high-frequency, commission-free sports betting exchange, which guarantees bettors the best odds and eliminates the need for traditional sportsbooks. Novig is backed by leading investors including Y Combinator, Lux Capital, Soma Capital, Paul Graham, Joe Montana, Innospark Ventures, Jared Heyman, and the founders of Instacart and Dropbox.

Kelechi previously worked as a Quantitative Trader at Jane Street and was a Herchel Smith Fellow at CERN, where he worked as a Machine Learning Engineer on the ATLAS experiment. He graduated from Harvard with a degree in Physics and Math.

Dr. Mintas is the Co-Founder and CEO PlayEngine, which is an Award Winning, full-turnkey and highly-automated B2B Sports Betting and iGaming Software Provider to B2C gaming operators and media companies.

Dr. Mintas is a high-profile Entrepreneur, Investor and Thought Leader in the Technology and Sports Industry on a global level. She has been involved in various roles as a High Executive or Strategic Advisor in the Sports, Sports Betting & iGaming, Entertainment and Crypto.

She has extensive and unique experience in the Sports Betting space having worked in many different roles – as a representative of major Sports Organizations such as FIFA and CONCACAF, the leading sports (betting) data company with Sportradar (valued at $2.4 Bn USD during her tenure), a very innovative, omni-channel Betting Platform with Betworks and as a disruptive B-C sports betting, fantasy, iGaming and horse racing operator with PlayUp. Through her roles as Strategic Advisor, she was involved in many deals across the industry, including the media and crypto world. 

Often described as a Veteran in the Sports Betting industry, Dr. Mintas has received for her Personal Achievements, the most prestigious awards and honors in the Sports and Sports Betting industry such as the Leaders in Sports U 40 Award, the SBJ Game Changers Award and the International Award for Women in the Gaming Industry – Inspiration of the Year 2018. She was named one of 25 Executives to watch in 2019 by the Global Gaming Business GBB magazine, selected as SBJ´s Power Player Sports Betting 2019 and Business Insider´s Leaders of the Sports Betting Industry 2019. Because of her extensive experience and knowledge, she was selected as Judge for the Global Gaming Awards, the SBC Gambling Awards and the SportsPro OTT Awards. She received the GGB Emerging Leaders of Gaming 40 Under 40 Award 2021. 

 Dr. Mintas has been actively involved in the Sports, Sports Betting and Entertainment space since 2006. She regularly gets invited as speaker on conferences around the world including Europe, Australia, North America, Central America and Asia. She published more than 100+ publications in the top academic and professional journals about sports, sports betting and iGaming related subjects. She served as Guest Professor at several Universities such as Columbia University NYC, St John’s University NYC, University of New Hampshire and Humboldt University Berlin/Germany on topics such as Sports Betting, Sports Law and Sports Integrity. 

Mark has extensive experience in the gaming industry, having played a variety of esports games from a young age. In the past decade, he has worked with operators and affiliates on a global scale, powering various online casinos and sports betting brands. Since 2017, Mark has been exploring the crypto/blockchain space and founded Prodmark 365 with a focus on developing the next generation of immersive products using emerging technology. This includes integrating digital assets and the metaverse into new and engaging user experiences in the digital space.

Marc Pedersen is the CEO US at Better Collective, a leading, international sports betting media group. Marc Pedersen has worked at Better Collective since 2007 and has been an integral figure in helping the company become one of the foremost affiliates in the betting industry – both in Europe and the US. Today, he is responsible for Better Collective’s activities in the US, where the company has multiple offices and is present with leading brands in regulated states.

Marcel Elfersy is the Chief Commercial Officer for Gaming Innovation Group GiG, a leading iGaming platform and sportsbook provider in the B2B space. With decades of senior and C-level experience, Marcel has spent the past 14 years as a key player in the strategic development of the iGaming and online sports betting industry. Driving GiG’s commercial development across global regulated markets, he recognizes the importance for GiG to continually maintain a suite of superior products and services for its current and future partners.

Maria Xenofontos is the Founder of Femic.io, a consultancy company registered in Dubai, UAE. Maria is an expert in driving business relationships and investments for crypto-focused startups. She has scaled some fintech startups from the ground up. Some of these companies are Certik, PumaPay, and PayFuture.

Moreover, she is a proactive businesswoman and influencer who usually talks about women empowerment, which she can do fluently in 5 different languages.

With more than ten years of marketing experience, she provides consulting services for startups through growth hacking, brand reputation, management, PR, team formation, and beyond. She helps startups assemble teams and companies from scratch while solidifying the company’s value in the market.

One of key career highlights is being able to successfully raise $112 million for ICO. Aside from scaling crypto startups as a lead marketer, she is involved in various keynote speaking affairs as a moderator or main stage presenter around EMEA.

Martin Lycka is SVP for American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling at Entain, overseeing growth of the business across both new U.S. states and into other parts of the Americas, notably LATAM and Canada. In this capacity, he also oversees global esports related regulatory matters for Entain. He joined the business in April 2018, as Director of Regulatory Affairs.  

Martin also serves on the boards of the Entain Foundation, the Entain Foundation US and the American Gaming Association as well as the Advisory Boards to the National Council on Problem Gambling, Seton Hall Law School Gambling Compliance program and My Wager Score. In the past, Martin has been a board member of the European Gaming and Betting Association, JDigital and the European Sports Security Association.  

In total, Martin has been a senior legal, regulatory and RG advisor to listed gambling businesses for over 13 years.  

Previously, Martin worked amongst others with Salans Europe LLP, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and the Senate of the Czech Republic.  

He obtained law degrees from the Charles University, Prague, the College of Europe, Bruges, and the University of Law, London, qualifying as UK solicitor.  

Martin is a regular conference speaker and has (co-)authored more than 80 academic articles and three books on gambling law and other legal matters. His media presence includes appearance on TV and radio stations across three continents as well as having been quoted by ESPN, Forbes, the Associated Press, Financial Times, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and many other mainstream and industry publications.  

He is the 2019 Global Regulatory Awards Head of Regulatory Affairs of the Year as well as a member of the 2020/2021 Emerging Gambling Leaders 40 Under 40 Class (a Judge’s Choice). He leads the Entain team that has been awarded the 2021 & 2022 SBC North America Socially Responsible Operator of the Year as well as the 2022 EGR North America Safer Gambling Provider of the Year awards. He also hosts the Safe Bet Show podcast. 

Matt Carey is a reporter and analyst for VIXIO GamblingCompliance primarily focused on the expansion of sports betting and online gaming in the United States. In that role, he analyzes legislative and regulatory trends as states consider legalizing sports betting, and studies how gaming operators, professional sports leagues, and other stakeholders adjust to the evolving market. In addition to his daily reporting and analysis, he is a co-author of VIXIO’s monthly U.S. Sports Betting Outlook and a regular contributor to the VIXIO GamblingCompliance Podcast.

Max is Vice President at Gambling.com Group (Nasdaq: GAMB), a multi-award-winning performance marketing company for the global, regulated online gambling industry. Max, who joined the Group in 2019, is responsible for managing the company’s U.S. business – consisting of a portfolio of over 20 websites in addition to recently acquired RotoWire.com. In Max’s previous role as a Director at Kambi, where he was the first U.S. employee, he helped build out a dominant position in the competitive sports betting supplier market with existing and new operators. Max also previously consulted for several global online sportsbook operators prior to the repeal of PASPA.

Meredith McPherron is CEO & Managing Partner of Drive by DraftKings (DBDK), a multi-stage venture capital firm that invests in SportsTech and Entertainment. A seasoned investor and operator with more than 25 years of experience driving early and growth stage ventures to scale and exit, she oversees the firm’s investments, portfolio construction and operations.  

Under Ms. McPherron’s leadership, the DBDK team aims to advance the future of play and performance across three key investment themes: sports & gaming, media & fan engagement and human performance. Her vision for the rapidly-evolving SportsTech industry is centered on investing in companies and founders that exhibit a drive for innovation, a growth mindset and a willingness to push the frontier of new markets and categories.   

Since joining DBDK in 2020, Ms. McPherron has built a deeply-experienced team of investors and advisors and has spearheaded the launch of the firm’s first $60M fund, which has invested in 18 high-potential SportsTech and Entertainment companies to date.  

Prior to joining DBDK, Ms. McPherron was a Venture Partner with Glasswing Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm investing in the next generation of AI, cybersecurity and intelligent enterprise startups. She also served as Director of the Arthur Rock Center for Entrepreneurship at the Harvard Business School.  

Ms. McPherron currently serves as on the Board of Directors for DBDK portfolio companies Toya, Nextiles and Spren and as a Board Observer for Burn Ghost and Uncaged Studios (MonkeyLeague). Previously, Ms. McPherron served on the Board of Directors and was a strategic advisor for BFY Brands before its sale to PepsiCo in February 2020. 

Ms. McPherron holds both Masters and Undergraduate degrees from Harvard University, where she remains active as an Entrepreneur in Residence at the Harvard Innovation Lab and an Innovation Fellow and member of the Dean’s Advisory Cabinet for the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering & Applied Sciences. 

Mia Nordlander is Kambi’s SVP Investor Relations, responsible for leading the IR department and for strategic engagement and outreach within the financial investment community. Having joined the company in 2018 and been promoted to its extended management team in 2020, Nordlander plays a key role in defining and driving corporate strategy and also oversees Kambi’s sustainability initiatives. She began her career in real estate M&A advisory at Cushman & Wakefield, before building her investor relations experience across several sectors and industries.

Michael Bramlage is the co-founder and CEO of Quidd, the original digital collectibles marketplace, backed by Sequoia Capital and now a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, a leading blockchain company with a mission to advance digital property rights. Since 2016, Quidd has enabled millions of digital collectors to buy, hold, and sell digital collectibles from over 300 of world’s most beloved brands, including Disney, the NBA, and Game Of Thrones. Prior to Quidd, Michael was VP/GM of the Digital division at The Topps Company where his team incubated, built, then scaled the industry’s first digital collectibles franchise, selling over $100,000,000 in digital trading cards. Michael started his career at Microsoft and Nokia, and is a graduate of the University of Michigan.    

Mike Ventre is a Senior Manager for State Government Relations with FanDuel. He has over a decade of State and Local Government experience in New York, most recently serving as a Deputy Commissioner for the Orange County Department of Health.  Mike is a Town Councilman in the Town of Minisink, elected first in 2017. He has successfully run various State Senate and County Executive campaigns and has a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Marist College.

Moritz Maurer is the founder and CEO of GRID, a B2B software company that provides game data infrastructure to game developers and tournament organizers, enabling distribution of game data assets to non-commercial and enterprise customers via the GRID Data Platform.
Maurer has over 10 years of experience in the competitive gaming ecosystem. Prior to founding GRID, he founded GGwins, acquired by Genius Sports in 2015. GGwins was the first company to be granted a UKGC license for a regulated esports sportsbook.
As CEO of GRID, Maurer is committed to empowering the next generation of innovators in video games by harnessing the power of data in digital sports.

After his studies in Frankfurt and at Stanford University, Nico joined the IT department of Investment Banking of Commerzbank in Frankfurt and London. Being familiar with the demand of Real Time data in the finance industry and having a passion for Sports and Sports Betting, Nico left Commerzbank in 2012 to start Bet IT Best as a State of the Art and One Stop Shop for the Sports Betting industry.

In 2015 Bet IT Best received a seat at the Web Summit Alpha program for one of the most promising overall IT startups and in 2016 Bet IT Best received the “Highly Commended” seal in the “Innovation in Affiliation – Best New Affiliate Product” category from the well-known Sports Betting Community SBC. In 2017 Bet IT Best gained the first ever Sports Betting Broker License handed out from Malta Gaming Authority.

Although freshly entering the industry in 2012, Nico has been a reputable and highly respected speaker at different and various industry events (iGB, SBC, WGES for 5 years in a row etc.) as an Expert for Compliance, the German Market, Innovation and IT trends (mainly mobile focus)

Paris Smith’s career in online gaming spans more than two decades, which includes more than 13 years as CEO of Pinnacle, one of the world’s most respected online bookmakers. Paris’ unmatched understanding of the online gaming business has led to her advising governments to develop regulatory frameworks, as well as working closely with key industry service providers.

Her gaming career began as Executive VP of WWTS in 1995. There, she played a pivotal role in the success that resulted in the company’s sale to Betcorp Ltd, where she served as COO of the publicly listed organisation until June 2006.

Following that, she joined Pinnacle as COO of the Curaçao-based bookmaker. She came on board at a critical time for the organisation, successfully transitioning the business away from North America toward growth in Asian and European markets. Paris successfully led the large organizational and technical restructuring that was required to support this transition, and in recognition of her success with this, Paris was promoted to CEO in 2008.

Since that time, she has successfully positioned Pinnacle as the benchmark in B2C bookmaking, built on the cornerstones of unrivalled risk management and a unique value proposition of market-leading odds. Paris continues to build upon Pinnacle’s core foundation, while focusing on growth in regulated markets and B2B services to position Pinnacle as the dominant force in sports betting.

Trained as a lawyer, Paul has worked in a number of investment and advisory roles and brings 20+ years’ experience of building companies and corporate deal making to bear on opportunities in the betting and gaming sector. After ten years in senior executive roles in the gaming industry (and a period as CEO of a TSX listed natural resources company), Paul has recently returned to an advisory role, leading the Capital practice at Partis, the specialist consulting and M&A Advisory boutique

Prior to Partis, Paul was Managing Director International and Director of Strategy and Corporate Development for Rank Group Plc, the London Stock Exchange listed retail and online gaming operator.
Prior to Rank Paul was SVP International for Galaxy Entertainment, the Macau Casino operator, defining and executing their strategy to enter new integrated resort markets globally.

Peter “Pete” Sullivan was inspired to create the Jackpocket app when he noticed his lottery-loving dad playing social games on his smartphone. As the company’s chief executive officer, Pete is focused on Jackpocket’s continued product and team growth, as well as working with lottery commissions and state regulators to bring Jackpocket to new jurisdictions across the country. With a background in interaction design, Pete has served in a variety of roles across project management, web and mobile UI/UX design, product development, and more. Prior to founding Jackpocket, he served as a design consultant, a General Assembly course creator, and founded Tripl, one of the first social travel applications to launch using Facebook Connect. A New Jersey native, Pete holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Rutgers University, and a master’s degree in finance and banking from Stockholm University.

Quinton has worked across the global gaming industry for the past 15+ years from tribal and commercial land-based and digital/mobile operations and suppliers for sports and race betting, fantasy sports, casino, social, skill, slot and table games.

Currently, he is launching and accelerating businesses and products in the industry and serves as an investor and advisor to key companies.

Previous projects include Bet.works, which Quinton founded and developed from initial concept through operational go-live, and ultimately was acquired by Bally’s Corporation.

Rahul is the CEO of Irreverent Labs, a venture-backed generative ai entertainment studio with a mission to build insanely fun, highly intelligent, automated entertainment experiences using generative ai. Irreverent Lab’s first release, MechaFightClub is described as a hilarious fighting game in which advanced, artificially-intelligent non-player characters battle, breed and live on the blockchain as NFTs.  

Prior to founding Irreverent Labs, Sood was the co-founder and former CEO of Unikrn, which developed itself as the leader in esports and video game wagering from 2014 until it was acquired by Entain PLC in 2021. 

In the earlier years of Rahul’s career, he developed the first seed funding and start-up investment program at Microsoft, which grew into the Microsoft Ventures incubator program (today operating as M12). Rahul also led Hewlett-Packard Company’s computing performance business following their acquisition of VoodooPC, the luxury gaming computer company Sood founded at the beginning of his career.. 

As an innovative and entrepreneurial leader, Rahul places great value on industry engagement. He has held a wide range of  investment and advisory roles in which he has supported a variety of technology companies. His current active engagements include Maingear, which develops technology gear and high-end personal computers, and ZED RUN, a digital blockchain NFT horse racing organization offering one of today’s most popular global NFT games. Rahul previously invested and consulted on technology products for Vrvana Inc., revitalizing the company’s brand and overall strategy and contributing to an increase in its valuation, resulting in its acquisition by Apple Inc. 

Rahul was a 2020 finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) Region, and his products and companies have received numerous industry accolades. He currently lives and works in Seattle, Washington. 

Ramy Ibrahim is a Managing Director at Moelis & Company where he focuses on advising clients in the gaming, real estate, hospitality and leisure industries. Ramy has over 20 years of investment banking and entrepreneurship experience. He joined Moelis & Company at its inception and has since worked in the Firm’s New York, Dubai and London offices. Ramy has advised clients in the U.K., Europe, Middle East, and U.S. on a broad range of M&A, debt and equity capital raises, and corporate and sovereign restructurings and recapitalizations.

Ramy holds a B.B.A. in Entrepreneurship and International Studies from the Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston and an M.B.A. from the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University, where he received the honorable M.A. Wright Award.

Rhea Loney is a Chief Compliance Officer and oversees BetMGM’s compliance department, including online and retail operational compliance, registration and licensing, AML and financial compliance, and responsible gaming.

Loney joined BetMGM from Penn Interactive, the online subsidiary of Penn Entertainment, Inc., where she served as VP of Compliance, Regulatory Affairs & Strategy. While at Penn, she helped build the compliance team, including licensing, regulatory affairs, operational compliance, risk & fraud, AML, and responsible gaming departments. Additionally, Loney oversaw the online launch of Barstool Sportsbook in 13 states, iCasino in 4 states and over 20 retail sportsbook launches.

Prior to Penn Interactive, Loney served as an Assistant Attorney General with the Louisiana Department of Justice, Division of Gaming. While there, she represented and provided legal counsel to the Louisiana State Racing Commission from 2011 to 2019 and was first to administratively prosecute the Dermophin (Frog Juice) cases in the U.S.

Loney holds a J.D. from Tulane Law School, and a B.S. from Southeastern Louisiana University.

Rob is CEO of Spectrum Gaming Capital, a boutique providing investment banking and consulting services focused exclusively on the global gaming industry, assisting clients in development, investment, M&A, strategy, financing, restructuring, valuation and as an expert witness. Rob is also the co-founder of the Spectrum Gaming Sports Group and Spectrum Esports Advisors, sports betting industry consultancies.

Rob has completed over $50b in transactions, and has been a gaming investment banker for over 35 years as Managing Director of major Wall Street firms including UBS, Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, and Salomon Brothers. He was also founding President of the $3 billion Bahamar Resort, the largest single project ever developed in the Caribbean. Rob has worked on financings and gaming development projects in North America, Asia and Europe, including City of Dreams Mediterranean, a €650m development now under construction in the Republic of Cyprus.

Rob started his career as a CPA with Price Waterhouse; has lectured at the NYU Real Estate Institute and at the Cornell Hotel School; and has been a board member of publicly traded, UK-based resort developer, Dolphin Capital Investors, and of the American Gaming Association.

Robin Eirik Reed Co-Founded GiG 10 years ago and successfully grew the company to €150 million revenue. He is currently the Managing Partner of HappyHour, a group investing in early-stage iGaming startups, and serves as chairman of a number of other businesses.

Rodney Knuppel is the director of events at Knup Solutions. Previously, the director of business development and Content Manager, a leader in sports and sports betting content. In that role, Rodney thrived in finding creative, engaging, and factual content creators. As director of events, Rodney has successfully launched Betting Meetups and is expanding them throughout all legal sports betting states. Before making the full-time move to Knup Solutions, Knuppel spent time as an on-air sports radio host at ESPN Radio in Peoria, Illinois.

Ron Segev is a founding Partner of Segev LLP, a full-solutions business firm recognized worldwide as a leading gaming and betting law firm. Ron has been a specialised gaming and betting lawyer for almost 20 years and has scored wins for some of the biggest names in the industry. As a practical-minded business lawyer, sensitive to risk, with a keen eye for opportunity, he is bottom-line focused and brings operations, managerial, business development and M&A skills and experience to the table. Ron assists his clients with gambling, technology, regulatory compliance, corporate finance, corporate, and commercial matters. Ron has been recognized as a Band-1 lawyer by Chambers & Partners, the highest ranking available.  

Ryan Gittleson began his career in the blockchain technology industry in August of 2015 and was one of the first 20 employees of Consensys. He shortly thereafter started Virtue Poker, a blockchain based online poker platform. Virtue Poker is the first licensed blockchain based poker platform via the Malta Gaming Authority and has a patented play-and-earn gaming model that the company offers to US customers. The platform currently has 30,000 players and has processed over $10 million in wagers all via on-chain transactions.

Seth Schorr is CEO of Fifth Street Gaming and Chairman of Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino. The urban casino resort is the embodiments of Schorr’s vision to create a downtown Las Vegas hospitality experience delivering a superior guest experience and genuine sense of community. 

Since beginning his career in gaming and hospitality in 1991, Schorr served as an integral member of the Wynn Resorts team, developing the international marketing department in Macau and the iGaming division in 2000. Earlier in his career, Schorr also worked in numerous capacities at Bellagio Hotel & Casino, The Mirage Hotel & Casino, and Treasure Island Hotel & Casino. 

Schorr and his partner, Jeffrey Fine, co‐founded Fifth Street Gaming which owns and operates five casinos. The principals of Fifth Street Gaming also control, through its affiliate, the LEV Restaurant Group, a food and beverage operation that owns and manages more than 60 restaurants in the Las Vegas area and Southern California. 

In early 2015, Schorr was introduced to the world of esports and lead the effort of developing the first fully integrated esports program in a casino resort at The Downtown Grand. In 2017 Schorr launched Commercial Streaming Solutions which developed a patented media platform BettorView, that brings sports betting content to casinos, bars, and stadiums throughout the country. Today BettorView is a well‐ established, US facing Omni‐Channel affiliate technology business. In 2021, Schorr founded JefeBet, a multimedia and entertainment brand focused towards engaging the Latino audience in the USA. The land‐ based JefeBet Casino will open in Q1 2023. Schorr is the co‐founder of GMA: A Modern Gaming and Hospitality consulting firm. 

Schorr is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, is a member of YPO and sits on numerous public and private boards including Skillz (NYSE:SKLZ), Nevada State Board of Museums & History, Nevada Gaming Control Board Esports Technical Advisory Committee, Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development Committee on Startups and Venture Capital and the Downtown Las Vegas Alliance. Schorr is an avid cyclist, amateur photographer and has three little angels Dax (13), Mia (11) and Ada (2) & most importantly, Schorr is happily married to Dr. Emily Schorr. 

Seth Young is an internationally known gaming expert with over 15 years of experience and a successful track record of continuously being at the forefront of new online gaming technologies and strategies. Young is currently the Chief Strategy Officer at Fifth Street Gaming Digital, and Managing Partner at The Strategy Organization, a full service gaming consultancy. Prior to joining FSG Digital, Young served as Chief Innovation Officer at PointsBet (ASX: PBH) where he was responsible for strategic corporate development efforts. Prior to joining PointsBet, Young served as the Executive Director of Online Gaming at Foxwoods Resort Casino, where he was responsible for the strategic development and oversight of Foxwoods’ existing and emerging interactive gaming initiatives. Prior to joining Foxwoods, Young helped pioneer the daily fantasy sports industry in the USA as Chief Operating Officer and Board Member of Flower City Gaming, where he was responsible for the strategic development of Star Fantasy Leagues’ technologies and oversight of all aspects of the company’s development. Young also operated his own consulting firm, SY Ventures, from 2009 to 2012 where he offered clients in the iGaming vertical a full range of services, and served as the Director of Strategy for TexasHoldem.com from 2005 to 2009. Young won the Innovation Group’s 2018 Emerging Leaders of Gaming Award and was named to Global Gaming Business Magazine’s 40 Under 40 list in 2018. Young holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, with a double minor in Internet Studies and Legal Studies, from Brandeis University, and attended Harvard Business School for Mergers and Acquisitions, strategy, execution, and post-merger management.

Simon is a specialist in technology, product development, innovation and organisational scalability, with over 15 years of experience in iGaming.
Having held senior positions at Betfair and within the Betsson Group, he co-founded Fast Track in 2016 as a direct response to the challenges that operators face in running an efficient, scalable business. He is now on a mission to digitalise the iGaming industry.

Stanislav, the CEO of Altenar, is highly skilled in software development and online gaming. From working in his early career at Amaya Gaming to NYX where Stanislav headed operations for the Casino business.

With Stansilav’s expertise in sportsbook, casino integrations, software and large-scale technical problems and his thirst for knowledge and deeper understandings of any challenge that may arise, it’s no surprise that Stanislav is the go-to problem solver.

Stanislav will go the extra mile with each new task and venture.

Susan Hensel leverages nearly 20 years of experience in gaming in her role as a lawyer and advisor.  As a former gaming regulator and two term President of the International Association of Gaming Regulators, Hensel has a deep understanding of U.S. gaming law and regulation.  She is co-founder of Hensel Grad P.C., a gaming law and advisory firm.  Hensel was chosen as one of the 25 People to Watch by Global Gaming Magazine and named one of the Ten Most Influential Women in gaming by iGaming Business.   She is among the best known and respected former U.S. regulators on an international stage.

Tom is the Founder and CEO of Toppem Sports, a Web3-based Fantasy Sports platform, and BITCOVERSE, a global educational platform that will allow users to become proficient in Web3 concepts and more.  

He is a lifelong entrepreneur and brings his experience in real estate, interior design, and iGaming into the Web-3 environment with the creation of Toppem Sports, a first-of-its-kind global community that leverages the power of blockchain technology and NFTs to offer a player-first rewards system.   

As a futurist and progressive thinker, Tom has a clear view of the innovations Web3 will offer to the iGaming industry. He has incorporated these ideas into developing the Toppem Sports business model which not only has the potential to disrupt the industry but to also add value to traditional delivery channels. Ex: Cable television becoming more interactive with its audience utilizing blockchain as a tool 

Tom’s previous enterprises include a sports consultancy agency which generated $10 million in client revenue over a six years span and a global hospitality and design consultancy which reached three continents. 

Tomash is a technology industry veteran focused on algorithmically curated in-game microbetting. As a CEO & Founder of Kero Sports he works with the largest names in pro sports and gaming to deliver sportsbetting experiences that match the entertainment value of mainstream apps like TikTok and Instagram.

Tomer Imber is a Senior Sales Director at Optimove – a leading multi-channel marketing hub named as a Challenger by Gartner. In his position Tomer is managing iGaming sales and execution across the US and LATAM regions. Tomer is a data enthusiast working for more than a decade to help brands to transform data to marketing actionable insights. Before joining Optimove Tomer worked at SimilarWeb as a Market Intelligence Consultant. Tomer holds a Bachelor’s degree (graduated with honors) from Beer-Sheva University (Israel) in Computer Science and Economics. In addition, Tomer is a Kung Fu enthusiast who has practiced martial arts for almost 20 years. Tomer lives in Hoboken with his wife and two children.

Troy Paul Co-Founded SGG Media – a Division of Sports Gambling Guides, Inc. (“SGG”) in 2020 and is a recognized national leader in sports social media marketing. 

SGG is a social media sports marketing company, featuring over 1,300 sports Content Creator / Influencers with over 29 million avid sports Followers. SGG delivers social media branding, advertising and customer acquisitions for the nation’s largest sports and sports gambling firms including DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics, Prize Picks, Fliff and others.  

SGG Media represents the 2023 $17.4 Billion Influencer Economy in a unique way – via a “Micro Sports Influencer “network comprised of avid, engaged, sports fans that follow their specific sport, league, or team via social media.  

Troy, a finance graduate of New York University, has developed SGG into one of the largest sports social media firms in the industry, leading a team of 17 social media and tech professionals creating sports content 24/7. 

Tsachi Maimon currently holds the President role within NeoGames. Tsachi has been prevalent in the iGaming industry since 2008, having previously worked at Playtech before joining Aspire Global as a board member and CEO in 2013. He overlooked notable events as CEO of Aspire Global: acquisition of game aggregator Pariplay, sportsbook supplier BtoBet, as well as part of bingo supplier END2END; the Nasdaq listing of Aspire Global, but also the process of NeoGames acquiring Aspire Global and its daughter companies. After the chain of acquisitions, Tsachi now leads the entire iGaming branch of the business, while also assisting NeoGames in its growth journey across the world.

Umberto Canessa Cerchi, 30, founder and CEO of Kryptomon. He founded his first startup at 19, a formative experience which gave him the strong foundations and clarity of objectives to launch a new entrepeneurial adventure inspired by Pokémon e Tamagotchi. Umberto’s talent lies in his ability to have an idea and make it real in a very short time… and Kryptomon is that idea: a futuristic one for a fully remote startup, with 30+ employees from 13 different countries, focusing on all new virtual worlds.

Varun Sudhakar is the CEO And Co-Founder of BetDEX, developer of the BetDEX Exchange, a sports betting exchange built on the Monaco Protocol allowing for peer-to-peer wagering. The Exchange is licensed and regulated under the jurisdiction of Isle of Man via the Gambling Supervision Commission. Prior to co-founding BetDEX, Varun held a senior level position at FanDuel.

Vijay Dewan is the founder and CEO of Pine Sports, the first sports analytics site that puts the power of Artificial Intelligence in the hands of the bettor.  At Pine Sports we’ve combined these cutting-edge data analytics technologies with a social-media platform that lets bettors generate and share actionable sports-betting insights.  Vijay earned a J.D., cum laude, from Notre Dame Law School, and a B.S. in computer science from Columbia University, with a focus on Artificial Intelligence.  Prior to founding Pine, Vijay was a former federal prosecutor and award-winning documentary filmmaker. 

Vlastimil Venclík holds a Bachelor’s degree in Cybernetics and measurement and Ing in Intelligent Buildings from Czech Technical University in Prague.

He started his career as IOS, Android programmer at KSWR, KAKTUS Software (KSWR) is a dynamic and technically advanced Czech based software company founded in 1997.

In 2018 Vlastimil founded his own company, Oddin.gg, a multi-award winning B2B provider of esports odds feed, risk management, and iFrame solutions. It delivers the most engaging esports betting experience with industry-leading uptime and number of live markets. Vlastimil currently holds CEO position in the company.

Warren has been actively involved in payment processing helping to grow the nascent online gaming industry in the US. Warren has 20 years’ industry experience so understands the challenges and opportunities that gaming provides.
During his career Warren has held senior roles with a number of well-respected vendors and operators, he is an active speaker contributing to industry magazine articles and events, and also holds a Masters in the Management of International Payments Ecosystem.

Wayne Kimmel is a sports tech venture capitalist, entrepreneur and author of Six Degrees of Wayne Kimmel. He is the Managing Partner of SeventySix Capital, the venture capital company he founded in 1999, and invests in startup sports betting, esports, and sports tech companies. 

The Sports Business Journal named Kimmel a Sports Tech Power Player in 2022 and was also awarded the 2022 Most Admired CEO award from the Philadelphia Business Journal.

Kimmel was an investor in SeamlessWeb (now public as GrubHub), Take Care Health Systems (now Walgreens’ healthcare clinics) and NutriSystem. Among the top public companies that have acquired his portfolio companies are Aramark, DraftKings, fuboTV, Intel, IBM, Walgreens and Yahoo!

Lloyd Danzig is the Founder & Managing Partner of Sharp Alpha Advisors, a venture capital firm that specializes in sports betting and online gaming.

Chris Grove is an early-stage investor, multi-exit founder, and strategist focused on the U.S. sports betting and online gambling sectors. He is a nationally recognized subject matter expert whose insights are regularly relied upon by analysts, media outlets, publicly-traded companies, and policymakers.

His work has been cited by outlets including Bloomberg, ESPN, Forbes, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal. Grove has testified before lawmakers in multiple states, including California, Illinois, New York, Nevada, and Washington State.

Grove is a Co-Founding Partner at the VC fund Acies Investments, Co-Founding Partner at EKG Ventures, an Operating Advisor at Arctos Sports Partners, a Tech Stars Mentor, an angel investor, and a public company board member. Prior to his current roles, Grove founded the sports betting practice at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, where he remains a Partner Emeritus.

Dave is the Managing Partner of Bettor Capital and founded the firm in 2020.
Most recently was Head of Strategy & Corp. Dev. at Barstool Sports where he facilitated the sale of a minority stake in the business to Penn National Gaming.
Previously was EVP and Head of Strategy at FanDuel where he oversaw corporate development including leading the sale of the company to Flutter.
Began his career as an investment banker with Barclays in Silicon Valley.
Graduated with a B.B.A. in Finance with an Int’l Business certificate from the University of Notre Dame.

Paris Smith’s career in online gaming spans more than two decades, which includes more than 13 years as CEO of Pinnacle, one of the world’s most respected online bookmakers. Paris’ unmatched understanding of the online gaming business has led to her advising governments to develop regulatory frameworks, as well as working closely with key industry service providers.

Her gaming career began as Executive VP of WWTS in 1995. There, she played a pivotal role in the success that resulted in the company’s sale to Betcorp Ltd, where she served as COO of the publicly listed organisation until June 2006.

Following that, she joined Pinnacle as COO of the Curaçao-based bookmaker. She came on board at a critical time for the organisation, successfully transitioning the business away from North America toward growth in Asian and European markets. Paris successfully led the large organizational and technical restructuring that was required to support this transition, and in recognition of her success with this, Paris was promoted to CEO in 2008.

Since that time, she has successfully positioned Pinnacle as the benchmark in B2C bookmaking, built on the cornerstones of unrivalled risk management and a unique value proposition of market-leading odds. Paris continues to build upon Pinnacle’s core foundation, while focusing on growth in regulated markets and B2B services to position Pinnacle as the dominant force in sports betting.

Joey Levy is the Founder & CEO of Betr, the first direct-to-consumer microbetting focused sports betting company. Betr has also launched a new media venture for the next generation of sports fans. Levy was previously the Founder of Simplebet, the B2B product technology company pioneering microbetting on U.S. sports that licenses technology to market leaders like DraftKings, Caesars, bet365, among others.

Peter “Pete” Sullivan was inspired to create the Jackpocket app when he noticed his lottery-loving dad playing social games on his smartphone. As the company’s chief executive officer, Pete is focused on Jackpocket’s continued product and team growth, as well as working with lottery commissions and state regulators to bring Jackpocket to new jurisdictions across the country. With a background in interaction design, Pete has served in a variety of roles across project management, web and mobile UI/UX design, product development, and more. Prior to founding Jackpocket, he served as a design consultant, a General Assembly course creator, and founded Tripl, one of the first social travel applications to launch using Facebook Connect. A New Jersey native, Pete holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Rutgers University, and a master’s degree in finance and banking from Stockholm University.

Contessa Brewer is a correspondent and substitute anchor for CNBC appearing throughout Business Day as well as the network’s 7pm ET newscast “The News with Shepard Smith.” She covers major news stories for CNBC including presidential elections, hurricanes, the coronavirus pandemic and trade wars. Her specialty coverage areas are casinos, the gaming industry and the insurance industry. Brewer joined the network in 2017 and is based at CNBC Global Headquarters.

A National Emmy-Award winning journalist, Brewer is known for her marathon on-air coverage of breaking news and big political stories. While an anchor for MSNBC, she hosted daily news programs and the long-running, primetime series “Caught on Camera.” As a correspondent, Brewer has contributed reports to CBS News, CBSN, WNBC, NBC News and MSNBC, where she covered a wide range of stories including presidential elections, debt ceilings, government shutdowns, natural disasters, terror attacks and celebrity news. She began her career in Reno, NV followed by Palm Springs, CA and Milwaukee, WI.

Brewer is a Remembrance Scholar and magna cum laude graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication and Honors Program. She’s narrated several audiobooks and resides in New York with her husband, twin sons and a dappled dachshund.

Dan Fetters is a Co-Founding Partner and Co-CIO of Acies Investments, a venture capital firm focused on partnering with companies in the sports betting, igaming, esports and sports technology industries.  Prior to founding Acies Investments, Dan was a Founder and Co-CEO of Acies Acquisition Corp. I, a special purpose acquisition company that consummated a merger with mobile gaming company, Playstudios in June 2021.  Dan served as a Managing Director in Morgan Stanley’s Mergers and Acquisition Group and as the Head of Western Region M&A.  Dan had over 20 years of experience at Morgan Stanley leading complex strategic transactions around the globe including cross-border mergers in North America, Europe and Asia.  His diverse experience includes advising domestic and international companies and Boards of Directors on a broad range of public and private M&A transactions in a variety of industries, including gaming, sports, real estate, media, entertainment, consumer, retail, industrial, and telecommunications.

Ed Young joined Morgan Stanley’s European Travel & Leisure team in 2015. The team has been ranked top 2 in the Institutional Investor and Extel surveys for each of the last 15 years. Before becoming an equity analyst, Ed was an intelligence officer in the British Army working on domestic and global counter-terrorism, and served two tours in Afghanistan. He studied Modern History at Oxford University and Middle Eastern Studies at SOAS.

Adam Rosenberg is currently Senior Advisor to Blackstone for the Gaming and Leisure sector. He is also currently Special Advisor to GameCo, LLC, a gaming technology company focused on video game gambling, where he is a Board Observer and previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer. From 2014 to 2021,

Mr. Rosenberg was Managing Director and Global Head of Gaming & Leisure at Fortress Investment Group, an alternative asset manager with extensive experience making private equity investments into, lending to and owning casinos, slot routes, slot machine manufacturers, lottery providers, internet gaming companies, sports betting platforms and other gaming and gaming technology-related businesses in the United States and around the world.

From 1998 to 2014, Mr. Rosenberg held various investment banking positions at Goldman, Sachs & Co., most recently as Managing Director and Global Head of Gaming where he advised and raised capital for casino operator, gaming technology and equipment manufacturer clients. From 1993 to 1997, Mr. Rosenberg practiced product liability and intellectual property law at Skadden Arps.

Mr. Rosenberg currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Harvard Association for Law and Business and is a Member of the Harvard Alumni Real Estate Board. Mr. Rosenberg previously served as a Board Member of the American Gaming Association, on the Conference Advisory Boards for Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Las Vegas and Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Macau, and on the Advisory Board for the Global Internet Gaming Summit and Expo (GiGse).

Mr. Rosenberg graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School where he received a Juris Doctoris, and graduated phi beta kappa and magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Philosophy of Science.

Lloyd Danzig is the Founder & Managing Partner of Sharp Alpha Advisors, a venture capital firm that specializes in sports betting and online gaming.

Chris Grove is an early-stage investor, multi-exit founder, and strategist focused on the U.S. sports betting and online gambling sectors. He is a nationally recognized subject matter expert whose insights are regularly relied upon by analysts, media outlets, publicly-traded companies, and policymakers.

His work has been cited by outlets including Bloomberg, ESPN, Forbes, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal. Grove has testified before lawmakers in multiple states, including California, Illinois, New York, Nevada, and Washington State.

Grove is a Co-Founding Partner at the VC fund Acies Investments, Co-Founding Partner at EKG Ventures, an Operating Advisor at Arctos Sports Partners, a Tech Stars Mentor, an angel investor, and a public company board member. Prior to his current roles, Grove founded the sports betting practice at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, where he remains a Partner Emeritus.

Jeffrey Haas is the Chief Revenue Officer of Pink.gg, a leading European blockchain technology and media company. He oversees the commercial strategy for the the #1 NFT Marketplace in the world (by transaction volume) AtomicHub.io, and blockchain gaming news site NFTInsider.io, among other lines of emerging business.

Before joining Pink in August 2022, Jeffrey was a leader in the online gaming industry. He has 20+ years’ experience helping build some of the largest gaming businesses in the world, including DraftKings, PokerStars, the World Poker Tour (WPT), Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT), European Poker Tour (EPT) & PartyPoker. His work has varied across executive-level contributions to business strategy, product development, operations, licensing and compliance within this highly regulated industry.

Jeffrey also sits on the Board of Directors of CoinSmart.com, a leading Canadian publicly-listed OSC-regulated cryptocurrency exchange.

Jeffrey is a relentless and creative business development innovator, public policy strategist, growth marketer and digital futurist. He is long on $ETH and $IMX, still enjoys NFT PFPs, and looks forward to one day making everyday payments with cryptocurrency.

He is both Canadian and British, but resides in Copenhagen, Denmark, with his family.

Cosmina Schulman been working in Sports Media and Sponsorship for over ten years and in three different major US cities; NY, Chicago and Boston. She has sold every MLB, NBA, NHL Regional Sports Network in the US and a majority of the major colligate networks. Cosmina has worked with major brands like: Toyota, Nissan, Southwest Airlines, Apple, Berkshire Bank, Chase, MolsonCoors, DraftKings, and FanDuel to name a few.
Cosmina currently is at NESN as the Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships. She is the youngest and only female to hold this title in the Regional Sports Network landscape. She is part of the executive management team and plays an active role in determining strategy and vision for NESN. Cosmina has been crucial to NESN determining their Sports Betting strategy and has been consulted by the Mass Gaming Commission for her expertise in the Sports Betting landscape. Cosmina is also the VP of Women in Sports and Events (WISE) Boston chapter and the Executive Chair of NESN’s ERG group, Women of NESN.

Corey has an extensive background in econometrics and statistics and is a Partner at t2 Marketing International. He has worked on some of the most innovative data-oriented campaigns for both online and brick and mortar operators, speaks on his work and research at events around the world, and is a member of a number of tech-facing advisory boards. He is also the author of Marketing to Millennial For Dummies, and a contributing author of Digital Marketing All-In One For Dummies.

Patrick Keane is the CEO of Action Network, a sports betting content, insights and data platform. He is an investor, advisor and digital media executive. He is an Operating Partner at Stripes, a $7B New York City-based growth equity fund. He was on the board of Bleacher Report (sold to Turner Broadcasting in 2012). Former Board Director of Gimlet Media sold to Spotify in 2019. Patrick was the Chief Executive Officer of Associated Content, Inc. The company was sold to Yahoo! in June 2010. Before Associated Content, he was EVP and Chief Marketing Officer at CBS Interactive. Patrick spent over four years at Google, Inc. where he served as Director of Advertising sales strategy. He was the founder and programmer of Zeitgeist, Google’s annual partner forum, for which he won Google’s highest honor – the Founder’s Award. He was recognized as one of the “Marketing Top 40 under 40” by Advertising Age in 2007. In 2019 Patrick was named to the Sports Betting Power Player list by Sports Business Journal. With the sale of Action Network to Better Collective in 2021 as a board director and CEO, Patrick has seen over $1B combined in exit outcomes.

Benjie Cherniak is currently an investor and advisor to emerging companies in the sports betting space. Previously, Benjie was Principal & MD at Don Best, the leading provider of in-play pricing services and sports information products relevant to the North American sports betting industry, acquired by Scientific Games in 2018.

With a prominent career in state, federal, and global public affairs, William J. Pascrell, III, more commonly known as BPIII, is a lobbyist with PPAG–Princeton Public Affairs Group. His extensive work in a broad array of industries, particularly gambling and cannabis, has made a tremendous impact on the success of PPAG’s clients and the firm as a whole.

In the gaming sector, BPIII has been a lawyer, strategic advisor and consultant throughout the U.S., Canada, Israel, Europe, South America and Australia.

BPIII led the successful 10 year campaign to legalize sports betting in the United States culminating with the repeal of PASPA by the United States Supreme Court in 2018. Most notably BPIII lead a successful multi-year campaign to pass the first in the Nation On Line Gaming Act in New Jersey. He worked to develop the regulatory regime put in force prior to launch. BPIII continues to advise state governments across the Nation on issues involving the gaming industry.

BPIII served as a Member of the Murphy for Governor Finance Committee and Counsel to NJ Governor Murphy Transition Team. He previously served former Congressman Herb Klein and former Governor James J. Florio.

BPIII served as the Passaic County Counsel from 1998 to 2019, starting with his unanimous appointment by the Passaic County Freeholder Board.

BPIII is a Member of the Entain Foundation US promoting Responsible Gambling and Integrity throughout North America. He is also a member of the Board of Betegy, Most Vicious Players, Yield Sec, My Wager Score and the Esports Trade Association.

Awards – The New Jersey Globe and Insider NJ, two prominent statewide news outlets, rank BPIII amongst the top 100 politically powerful personalities every year. He was further named to Insider NJ’s “Insider 100 Policymakers” lists each year since its inception: in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Michael Daly is the CEO for Catena Media, one of the largest lead generation companies for iGaming, Sports Betting, eSports and financial services worldwide. As such he oversees the company’s 400+ team and its global expansion across Europe, LATAM, APAC, and North America, where it is the dominant affiliate by value delivered to operators.

Prior to taking the reigns as CEO in March of 2021, Michael was the VP of North America for Catena Media, growing that business to over 50 affiliate sites, generating in the range of $40,000,000+ annually with a team of approximately 60, all working remotely.

Prior to Catena Media, Michael setup and ran divisions of online gambling technology companies, has rolled out numerous new products for banking and gaming, as well as served 8 years as a Naval Officer. He is a graduate of MIT and holds an MBA from the University of Utah.

Stefan Kovach has been working for internet startups since the late 90s and has worked in the gambling industry for over 15 years, including at PokerStars and Bwin.Party. He got involved with blockchain technology in 2017 when he became CEO of FunFair Technologies, a first-generation Ethereum gambling dapp. Since then he has gone on to create Rarerthings an independent web 3 advisory that focuses on gaming, sport, fashion and celebrities.

Since 2005, Tom has led the development and management of building and growing over 36 affiliate programs for companies as illustrious as bet365, Betsson Group, Entain and the Rank Group. Tom has built and executed a wide range of affiliate program strategies. Within that, he has successfully developed ground-breaking business and marketing optimisation strategies to provide marketing teams with the toolkits they need to better focus their work and efficiently grow performance marketing activity. TAG Media is now an affiliate in its own right, recognised as an EGR Power Affiliate in 2022 underpinned by flagship sports betting portals US-Odds.com and PuntersLounge.com.

Tom was inducted in to Global Gaming Business’ 40 Under 40 class in 2015 and is a leading voice driving social responsibility within the iGaming affiliate industry.

Tom is TAG Media’s CEO, overseeing day-to-day operations of the business from his base in Cambridge in the United Kingdom.