Table Games and Poker in the Spotlight at Florida Gaming Summit

HOLLYWOOD, FL--(Marketwire - October 6, 2009) - The outlook for table games and poker in Florida will be examined at the fifth annual Florida Gaming Summit, which takes place October 19-20 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.

Table games such as blackjack are relatively new to the Florida gaming market, although they have been popular for years on the many gaming cruise ships that call Florida ports home. The recent Seminole compact authorizes these types of games at the tribal casinos.

Poker was actually Florida's first venture into expanded gaming some ten years ago, and today poker rooms at numerous parimutuel facilities throughout the state generate approximately $100 million in gross receipts. The games have provided much-needed revenue to the parimutuel industry over the years, keeping them viable contributors to local economies.

"We recognize the important role poker has played in Florida for the past decade and the growing market for table games at the Seminole properties and on Florida-based cruise ships," said Joseph S. Weinert, Senior Vice President of Spectrum Gaming Group, co-producer of the Summit with BNP Media. "As a result, we expect this dynamic new session to draw a lot of interest."

Participating speakers will be Joseph Coffey, Owner of Ocala Poker; Greg Karan, General Manager of the Palm Beach Princess Casino; Sam Minutello, Director of Poker Room Operations at Sarasota Kennel Club; and Paul Mollo, Director of Casino Administration for Seminole Gaming.

The Florida Gaming Summit kicks off on October 19 with a welcome reception, followed by an intensive daylong conference program. Complete conference details and registration information are available at www.floridagamingsummit.com.

The Summit's presenting sponsors are the City of Hollywood and the Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Other sponsors include Bally Technologies, Becker & Poliakoff, Energenic, Casino Career Institute, International Game Technology, Sunshine State Casino Advertising and WMS. Media sponsors include Casino Journal, Gaming Industry Observer and Poker Pro Magazine. For sponsorship information, contact Lesley Grashow at grashowl@bnpgaming.com.

The Florida Gaming Summit is produced by BNP Media, the world's largest and most experienced gaming industry media resource, and Spectrum Gaming Group, an independent research and professional services firm serving public- and private-sector clients worldwide.