Initial Speaks Announced for first International Casino Conference

The organisers of the International Casino Conference, Clarion Gaming and the European Casino Association, are pleased to announce the majority of speakers for their topical, thought-provoking agenda that takes place January 26th at Earls Court, the day before IGE.

The level and influence of speakers is exceptional, with so many of Europe’s leading Casino Operators agreeing to lend their voice to the conference. Potentially the highlight of the conference will be the CEO panel, which will feature a debate on the strategic future of Europe’s Casino Industry, and includes panellists:

  • Ron Goudsmit, Secretary Executive Board, Holland Casino & Chairman, ECA
  • Guido Berghmans, Director General, Casino 2000, Luxembourg
  • Paul Herzfeld, CEO, Casinos Austria International
  • Matthias Hein, ECA Board Member, Spokesman, DeSIA, CEO, Spielbank Schleswig Holstein.
  • Neil Goulden, CEO, GalaCoral and Chairman, Business in Sport and Leisure (BiSL)
  • Nicolas Ricat, Member of Executive Board, Groupe Lucien Barrière and ECA Board Member

Some notable ‘outside’ voices will also be heard, including journalist and the author of best selling book ‘The Washing Machine: Money, Crime and Terror in the Offshore System’ who will give a frank assessment of how well the casino industry is doing when combating money laundering. Very well known ‘non-industry’ faces will also be present, including Dr. Mark Griffiths and Pieter Remmers, both highly acclaimed figures in the world of player protection and studying the effects of gambling.

The conference will take place from 12.00 on January 26th, the day before IGE at Earls Court. The latest agenda and speakers can be seen at the website www.internationalcasinoconference.co.uk.

Below is the current list of speakers, with several more prominent names to be announced shortly.

  • Ron Goudsmit, Secretary Executive Board, Holland Casino & Chairman, ECA
  • Paul Herzfeld, CEO, Casinos Austria International
  • Matthias Hein, ECA Board Member, Spokesman, DeSIA, CEO, Spielbank Schleswig Holstein.
  • Wolfgang Bliem, CEO, Grand Casino Luzern, Switzerland
  • Stamatis Diavatidis, New Projects Manager, Club Hotel Loutraki & VP, Grand Casino Belgrade.
  • Johan van Kastel, VP, Security and Risk Control. Holland Casino
  • Nick Kochan, journalist and author of “The Washing Machine: Money, Crime and Terror in the Offshore System”
  • Dr. Mark Griffiths, Professor of Gambling Studies, International Gaming Research Unit, Nottingham Trent University
  • Pieter Remmers, Director, Assissa Consultancy Europe and Executive Committee Member, European Association for the Study of Gambling (EASG)
  • Thomas Kellner, Managing Director, Casino Copenhagen
  • Marco Deen. Poker Team, Holland Casino
  • Top management, Novomatic
  • Benjamin Chilcott, Managing Director, Concise Consultants
  • Mark Andrew Banks, General Manager, Grand Casino Belgrade
  • Heliodoro Giner, General Secretary, Asociación Espanola de Casinos de Juego
  • Guido Berghmans, Director General, Casino 2000, Luxembourg
  • Matthias Hein, Spokesman, DeSIA, CEO, Spielbank Schleswig Holstein
  • Neil Goulden, CEO, GalaCoral and Chairman, Business in Sport and Leisure (BiSL)
  • [*]Nicolas Ricat, Member of Executive Board, Groupe Lucien Barrière and ECA Board Member