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Tuesday, June 24
4:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Registration Open
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Welcome Reception with Keynote Remarks
7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Cocktail Reception at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway
Extend your evening as Saratoga Gaming and Raceway welcomes Summit
attendees with a cocktail reception at the fabulous Vapor night club.
Exclusive tours of the facility, which boasts a 100,000 square foot
gaming floor and the most beautiful half-mile racetrack in the country,
will also be available. And you can test your skills with an exciting handicapping contest for
fun and even cash prizes!
Wednesday, June 25
7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Registration Open
7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
The Politics and Economics of Gaming in New York
New Gov. David Paterson’s first order of business this spring was to tackle a $4 billion budget deficit in a challenging economic environment. With the economy expected to be sluggish for the reminder of the year, what are the ramifications for the state’s gaming industry? A major issue is the split of gaming tax revenue between the state and localities. Prior to his resignation, Gov. Spitzer planned to cut in half Saratoga’s share of slot revenue in 2009 and eliminate it in 2010, while Buffalo had been designated as the sole recipient of the tax revenues from Buffalo Creek Casino. What will Gov. David Paterson’s philosophy be toward these and other issues such as regulatory oversight of the industry? This session will assess the impact of the new political landscape in Albany on state and local relationships and what changes might be in store on the regulatory front under the new administration.
10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
Networking break
10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
New York Tribal Gaming: A Statewide view
Casinos operated by New York’s gaming tribes continue to thrive in the western and central parts of the state. The Seneca Nation and the Oneida Nation have built world-class gaming resort facilities which are supporting tribal members and local economies in difficult times. Meantime, the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe continues its longstanding efforts to bring a planned casino in the Catskills to fruition. Earlier this year, the Department of Interior dealt the project a setback when it said that situating casinos too far from tribal lands would not produce meaningful employment opportunities for tribal members, an opinion which is being challenged by the Mohawks and tribes generally. At the same time, the Oneida Nation was given approval to convert thousands of contested acres, including Turning Stone, into sovereign territory. Hear from tribal leaders from across New York about the current and future state of Indian gaming in the Empire State.
11:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Networking break
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
New York Gaming by the Numbers
Since the original gaming enabling legislation was signed in 2001, gaming’s competitive profile both within New York State and regionally has intensified. Racetrack gaming facilities across the state of Pennsylvania compete in many cases for the same players served by New York operators, world-class casino resorts in New Jersey and Connecticut are within driving distance for most New Yorkers, and western New York faces a robust gaming market across the border in Niagara Falls and southern Ontario. And while a bill that would have created three casino resorts in Massachusetts failed earlier this year, a measure that would add 2,500 slot machines to the state’s racetracks is expected to be revived. Hear from some of the leading gaming industry analysts in the country how New York’s gaming operators are performing, and how they measure up against the competition.
12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Luncheon with Keynote Speaker
2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
The Racetrack Gaming Model: Strategies for the Future
Racetracks have been operating alternative forms of gaming for more than 15 years, and tracks in more than a dozen states either have gaming now or are preparing to open their facilities this year. Early on, success was easy. But as new facilities open, and gaming proliferates, tracks need to rely on more than the theory of “if you build it, they will come.” Combine competition with increasingly burdensome tax rates, and it becomes a difficult prospect indeed. Speakers in this thought-provoking session will examine the existing racetrack gaming models, identify political and regulatory remedies that may be pursued, and explore how, regardless of the conditions, tracks can make the most of what they are dealt.
3:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Networking break
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Racetrack Gaming Update
It has been almost seven years since video gaming was authorized in New York, and the industry has seen its share of legislative battles during that time. Struggling with high tax rates and eventually winning some concessions, eight racetrack gaming facilities are now open. The lone remaining authorized track not yet operating gaming is Aqueduct, and its future was delayed once again with the sudden change in the governor’s office earlier this year. Still, gaming revenues have generally been under projections, and the industry continues to look for relief. Participants in this session will examine the current state of video gaming in New York, and look forward to the future.
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