The International Gaming Institute (IGI) of UNLV has declared that the 15th Gaming Conference will take place at Caesars Palace from May 27 to May 31, 2013. This conference that spans four days is held every three years. It was first held in 1974. In Las Vegas, the conference was last held in 2000, which was the 4th time in this city since it was first held. Now, it will return to Vegas for the 5th time next year, after a long gap of 12 years.
The Director of the Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming of UNR had earlier planned to organize this conference on “Gambling and Risk Taking” at Lake Tahoe. But, the lack of funds deterred them to host the conference alone. Moreover, according to him, partnering with the University of Nevada seemed to be a good decision, as Las Vegas, popular as the Casino City, needed to host one of the most important conferences of the gaming industry to bring gamblers and casino operators on a common platform.
Also, the partnership between UNLV and UNR would combine not only financial resources, but also academic resources. According to the Executive Director of UNLV, this is a historic partnership.
Participants
In the last conference, in 2009, around 300 people had participated and the event saw about 180 research paper presentations. Over the years, the conference has drawn quite a number of researchers and academics.
This time, both UNR and UNLV are considering putting a call for research papers. They are aiming for 500 participants next year, including policy makers, researchers, academics, gaming regulators, and gaming operators.
It is also expected that the 15th gaming conference next year will draw the participation of mathematicians, health care providers, international delegates, and even gamblers and enthusiasts of the gaming industry.
Topics
The focus of the conference will be online gaming, casinos of the US, Asian gambling industry, gambling addiction, the future of gambling in Las Vegas, and new technologies in the gaming industry.
The 1974 scenario
In the 1970s and earlier, hardly anybody ever studied gambling as a subject. Research was absent. Industry executives participating in a gaming conference hosted by academics was unheard of. In fact, the gaming industry found it uncomfortable associating with academia in those days.
But, when the first gaming conference was held in 1974, things started to change. Now, the conference sees the participation of people from a broad range of fields, from professional gamblers and casino operators to mathematicians, researchers, and even behavioral scientists!
With about 40 states making gambling a legal activity, a lot of interest has been created in the gaming industry and this sector has become one of the most important ones, and of course one of the most lucrative ones, in the world.
Besides all this, the gaming conference of 2013 will help preserve the image of Nevada as a gambling destination. This is important in the wake of growing competition in this field, as the industry is spreading its wings far and wide across the globe, including Singapore and Macau.