The oldest and the grandest of all is GIGSE, short for Global
Interactive Gaming Expo. For years, this Sue Schneider run
event has been considered a "must see" year after
year even if everyone ends up seeing the "same old
faces" year after year. But it is one of those events
you have to go to.
Despite transitions and
crackdowns in online gambling that have many believing GIGSE
- with a heavy focus on North American online gambling -
may lack a lot of its past punch, the vast majority of those
we have spoken to are still adamant about attending. In
a sign of potential downslide, however, Gambling911.com
has announced it will not be trekking to GIGSE this year.
Ms. Schneider is compensating
somewhat with the fifth annual Pacific Congress on Interactive
Gaming, billed as the only conference to address the strategic
and operational issues specific to the Pacific region. This
one already has taken place.
Since so many operators
are looking to enter the Asian market and having a tough
time doing so, the attendance we hear was quite solid. The
conference was good and the locale extraordinary.....Macao
played host.
ICE has taken much of
GIGSE's thunder in recent times. This "must attend"
event attracts gaming operators from all over the globe
and is hosted in the less hostile Europe.
For the online gambling
affiliate nothing compares to Marc Lesnick's Casino Affiliate
Convention (CAC) held this coming May in Amsterdam. This
is the "must attend" event for all affiliates
and operators and not just those based out of Europe.
We will actually be speaking
at this event as will representatives from NETeller, Hitwise,
Casino City, TAIN and more. Gambling911.com reporter, Jenny
Woo, will be there.
It's the exhibitor list
that has everyone talking though with Zipang, Victor Chandler,
Ladbrokes, William Hill, Virgin, Full Tilt, PartyGaming,
Intertops and the list goes on and on.
Lesnick will be following
up with conferences in Montreal and Macau later this year.
And finally there is
Casino Affiliate Programs (CAP) Spring Break in June to
take place in the Bahamas Atlantis Hotel. Gambling911.com
is currently in negotiations to have Jenny Woo attend a
third consecutive CAP event, but whether she does or not
this is a "must attend" for any online gambling
affiliate and operators who offer programs. It's a laid
back, super fun time for everyone to unwind. We really had
a great time in both Miami and London. This event has also
exploded over the past three years in terms of the number
of people attending.
All the above online
gambling conferences are well worth the time and price in
our opinion but there are many more that simply don't make
the cut. They charge too much for too little. Some organizers
have a history of canceling last minute. There is even one
organizer we know of in the past who has collected data
on attendees and shared with the US government.
Marc, Sue, Lou (from
CAP), Warren (from CAP) we have known for a few years. Their
reputations are stellar in the world of online gambling.
We can't really speak for everyone else unfortunately but
Gambling911.com is such a big name in the world of online
gambling news and entertainment that if we don't have a
relationship, there's probably something lacking.
Of course we will miss
the Bodog Conferences, which were halted after US government
crackdowns. We will also miss The Global Gaming Expo, for
other reasons, mainly we don't have any interest in flying
out to Vegas staring at a bunch of slot machine manufacturers.
-----
Christopher Costigan,
Gambling 911.com
