Tribal Gaming a Hot Topic at Florida Gaming Summit

HOLLYWOOD, FL--(Marketwire - September 29, 2009) - Tribal gaming will be explored in depth at the fifth annual Florida Gaming Summit, which takes place October 19-20 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino here.

A special session will examine not only the current issues surrounding the recent Seminole compact signed by Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, but also the national picture of tribal gaming based on what is happening in Washington, D.C.

The Seminole compact would guarantee the state at least $150 million annually, but that amount would be reduced if casino-style gambling is ever approved outside Broward and Miami-Dade or if parimutuel facilities in those counties were allowed to add table games to their existing mix of poker and slot machines. The Florida legislature is expected to review the compact in November, and several legislative leaders have already spoken their opposition to the deal.

Meanwhile, the Obama Administration is reviewing the established policy that off-reservation casino sites be within commuting distance of the reservation. Any decision to allow tribal casinos far from reservation land could have far-reaching impacts on commercial casino operators everywhere.

Participating in this much-anticipated session will be Kristi Jackson, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Tribal Financial Advisors; J R Mathews, Vice Chairman of the Quapaw Tribe Business Committee; noted industry expert and attorney Judith A. Shapiro; and George Skibine, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs for the U.S. Department of the Interior.

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. Regular 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.