MONDAY, AUGUST 11, 2025
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. ARCI Model Rules Meeting
Open to the public. Registration required.
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ARCI Board meeting (Members Only)
12:00 p.m. RGCS Registration Opens
Welcome and Opening Remarks: Patrick Brown, Conference Owner, Co-Founder and Partner Emeritus, Brown Weinraub, PLLC
2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m. Racing Ahead: Immigration Policy and the Future of the Hospitality Industry, Horse Racing and Casino Labor
The entire domestic hospitality industry – including casinos and horse racing – has long depended on attracting and maintaining a skilled and dedicated workforce, including many immigrants who view hospitality as a key entry point to the US labor force. As the Trump administration tightens visa programs and enforcement, racetrack and casino operators across the country feel the pressure. How are they responding to this new reality? How are President Trump’s policies impacting their bottom lines? What policies do gaming operators want the federal government to pursue? What are the day-to-day impacts on backstretch and service workers?
Moderator: Peter Sacopulos, Partner, Sacopulos, Johnson and Sacopulos
Speakers:
Leonard J. D'Arrigo, Member, Harris Beach Murtha
Gary Contessa, Horse Trainer, Winner of 16 training titles at individual NYRA meets, three time NY Breeders Trainer of the Year
Oscar Gonzales, Vice Chairman of the California Horse Racing Board
Nancy Underwood, Executive Director of the Backstretch Employee Service Team (BEST)
2:50 p.m. – 3:40 p.m. Off-Track Betting in an Expanding Gambling Market
The legal gambling landscape is rapidly evolving. Changes that range from new casino licenses in Downstate New York to the emergence of iGaming and iLottery as well as mobile and retail sportsbooks and beyond are all entering the mainstream. How should Off-Track Betting corporations (OTBs) address these unprecedented challenges? What are the opportunities for innovation and integration for these longstanding gaming verticals? How can OTB operations modernize and grow?
Moderator: Karl Sleight, Partner, Lippes Mathias
Speakers:
Byron Brown, President and CEO, Western Regional Off-Track Betting Batavia Downs
Brett Bonin, Assistant Attorney General and counsel to the Louisiana State Racing Commission
Phil Boyle, President and CEO, Suffolk Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation
Robert W. Hemsworth, VP of Legal Affairs and General Counsel, Capital District Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation
3:40 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Networking Break
4:00 p.m. – 4:50 p.m. Predicting the Future of Prediction Markets: Will they Go or Grow?
Licensed, regulated gaming operators already face pressure from a rapidly expanding array of unregulated competitors. In 2025, yet another vertical – prediction wagering – offers the potential to further upend the status quo. Do such operators, regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), represent a challenge or a dire threat to operators that are regulated by states? This panel of professionals offers a view from the trenches of this increasingly complicated competition for gambling dollars.
Moderator: Michelle Cohen, Partner, Ifrah Law; Advisor and Counsel, iDEA Growth
Speakers:
David Aron, Special Counsel, Lowenstein Sandler
John Berlau, Senior Fellow & Director of Finance Policy, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Saam Hafezi, Regional Director (North America), Play’n GO
Chris Stearns, Representative, Washington
Tres York, Vice President Government Affairs, American Gaming Association
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Welcome Reception at the Adelphi Hotel
Sponsored by Sports Betting Alliance
TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2025
7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast
7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Registration
8:30 a.m. – 8:50 a.m. Opening Address by Patrick Brown, Conference Owner,
Co-Founder and Partner Emeritus, Brown Weinraub, PLLC
Call to the Races by the Bugler
8:50 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Brian O'Dwyer (Chairman of the New York State Gaming
Commission) will address the downstate casino
siting process
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. New York Panel – Morning Line on Downstate Licenses
After a long, strange trip, New York is finally poised to award up to three licenses for full-service destination casinos in the critical Downstate region. Will this race result in a trifecta, an exacta, or produce a photo-finish victory for favorites or longshots? Our panel of policy and business professionals will handicap what is clearly one of the most critical licensing competitions in the history of legal gaming.
Moderator: Patrick Brown, Saratoga Racing and Gaming Conference Organizer; Co-Founder and Partner Emeritus, Brown Weinraub, PLLC
Speakers:
Josh Maio, Managing Director, Real Estate, Gaming & Leisure, Citizens Bank, N.A.
Jay Masurekar, Head of Gaming & Travel Investment Banking, Keybanc Capital Markets
Gary Pretlow, Chairman, Ways and Means Committee, New York State Assembly
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. iCasino or Brick and Mortar: Roadmap to Future or Dead End?
Casinos have been an economic mainstay in the eastern United States for nearly a half-century, while iGaming has been a presence for barely a decade. Which form of gambling has a brighter future? Which will generate more revenue or advance public policies? Can these two verticals work together to their mutual benefit to advance policies on issues that range from urban development to employment to tax revenue generation? Our experts will examine this rapidly evolving issue and chart the future of these two gaming verticals.
Moderator: Kim Copp, Partner, Taft Law Firm
Speakers:
Jeff Gural, Chairman, American Racing and Entertainment and Owner, Tioga Downs Casino Resort
Brian Hansberry, Group President, Gaming Division of Delaware North
James Hartmann, State Government Relations Director, FanDuel
David Isaacson, Senior Vice President, Spectrum Gaming Capital
11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Networking Break
11:30 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. Anti Money Laundering (AML) Enforcement in the Gaming Sector: Are State Regulators Adequately Equipped?
As financial crimes grow more sophisticated – especially with digital payments, crypto, and cross-border actors – state gaming regulators are increasingly on the front line of AML enforcement. This session explores whether current tools, authorities, and interagency relationships are sufficient to meet the challenge.
Moderator: Marc Rubinstein, Partner, Reid Rubinstein Bogatz
Speakers:
Bob Boyle, Managing Director, Assurance Services/Forensic & Integrity Services, Ernst & Young LLP
Jennifer Russo-Belles, Deputy Attorney General, New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement
Danielle Holmes, Partner, Hodgson Russ LLP
Adrienne Lodge, COO, NFC Global
12:20 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Luncheon
Luncheon Keynote Speaker: Bill Carstanjen, Chief Executive Officer of Churchill Downs Incorporated
2:00 p.m. – 2:50 p.m. Can Horse Racing Ride the Sports Betting Wave?
Does the racing business model need to adapt to new opportunities in sports betting? Should tracks consider marketing their traditional product as a sports bet? The traditional racing business model relies heavily on pari-mutuel wagering and is often disconnected from mainstream sports-betting markets. Will this evolving reality bring racing operators into the gaming regulatory tent, or will they still operate under racing commission rules? As legal sports betting heads into the stretch, this panel of top executives will examine whether racing can adapt with new marketing and analytical strategies or risk finishing out of the money.
Moderator: Rajat Shah, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig
Speakers:
Chris Cipolla, General Manager New Verticals, DraftKings Inc
Michele Fischer, Vice President, SIS
Stephen Landry, Executive Director, Louisiana State Racing Commission
Joe Longo, Chief Revenue Officer, 1/ST
Dan Shapiro, SVP Chief Development Officer, Caesars Digital
2:50 p.m. – 3:40 p.m. Stakes Race for Sweepstakes and “Skill Games”: New Players? Outlaws or Innovators?
The existence and growing presence of gray-market verticals such as sweepstakes and “skill games” is already producing black-and-white choices for traditional, licensed gaming sectors and state governments: Should such verticals be licensed or outlawed? Between these two extremes, policymakers must consider a wide range of serious implications. How are licensed operators being impacted? Do sweepstakes and “skill games” cannibalize or threaten capital investment in legal operations? Should regulators and licensed operators confront this new reality or wave a white flag? How can the legal gaming industry either compete against or work in tandem with those who are embracing new forms of wagering that do not abide by traditional rules? A panel of experienced experts from the public and private sectors will address the critical question as to whether the licensed industry should adapt to – or confront – this challenge.
Moderator: Bill Pascrell III, Partner, Princeton Public Affairs Group
Speakers:
Joe Addabbo, Senator and Chair, New York Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering
Howard Glaser, Global Head of Government Affairs and Legislative Counsel, Light and Wonder
Michael Pollock, Senior Policy Advisor, Spectrum Gaming Group
Stephen D. Schrier, Partner, Blank Rome
3:40 p.m. – 4:10 p.m. Networking Break
4:10 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. The Triple Crown and Fractured Leadership in the Industry
The venerated Triple Crown schedule for the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes has been locked in a five-week stretch since the early 20th century. While that rapid succession of races was once feasible, this trifecta of races has evolved into a hot debate in the horse racing and gaming industries. Is the traditional structure still feasible? Would a longer stretch between races result in fewer injuries and more recovery time for horses? Will tradition prevail, allowing future horses to be compared with legends like Secretariat or American Pharoah? How does the current calendar align with such issues as spring sports coverage and track tourism? This expert panel will address these and other issues that are central to this critical debate.
Moderator: Chris Wittstruck, Equine Attorney, Standardbred Owners’ Association of New York
Speakers:
Steven Crist, Journalist, Author, Racing Hall of Fame media honoree, Eclipse Award of Merit winner
Bill Finley, Author, Thoroughbred Daily News
Kenneth McPeek, Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks Winning Trainer
Joe Appelbaum, Founder, Waigr Inc.
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. The Finish Line Happy Hour
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2025
7:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Registration
7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast
8:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Opening Address
9:00 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. The Decoupling Battle – Past, Present and Future
Recent headlines have highlighted the battle in Florida over the attempt to decouple or separate horseracing and gaming licenses. But is this just a Florida issue? A number of states predicated their expansion into gaming on a license to conduct horseracing. The expansion of gaming was sold to the public and to legislators as a way to help fund the racing industry, including purses and breeders’ awards. Supporters emphasized the importance of horse racing as an agricultural business and employer in the state. What happens to racing if racing and gaming are no longer conducted by the same entities or at the same locations? Is there a scenario where decoupling makes sense and should be permitted?
Moderator: Josh Oppenheimer, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig
Speakers:
Laura D'Angelo, Partner, Jones Walker LLP
Eric Hamelback, CEO, National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association
Scott Chaney, Executive Director, California Horse Racing Board
Joe Faraldo, CEO, Standardbred Owner's Association of New York
9:50 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. Networking Break
10:20 a.m. – 11:10 a.m. ADWs, State Regulators, Federal Courts and What’s Next?
Is a bet made where it is placed, where it is accepted, or both? Michigan says an online horse racing bet is made where it is placed and therefore Michigan law and regulations apply to bets made in Michigan. Twin Spires says the bet is made where it is accepted; i.e., where the Twin Spires computers are located, and therefore Oregon law applies. Confused yet? Does this issue matter to anyone other than racing wonks and gaming lawyers? Short answer: Yes. Addressing this essential question matters to every horse player who chooses to bet online, as well as every sports bettor, gaming regulator and lawmaker across the nation. A panel of lawyers and executives from across the horse racing and gaming spectrum have been enlisted to decipher this seemingly simple gambling conundrum.
Moderator: Bennett Liebman, Government Lawyer in Residence at Albany Law School and an adjunct professor of law
Speakers:
Todd Bowker, Owner and Chief Consultant, Starting Gate Consulting
Jack Jeziorski, President, NCMS, New York Racing Association
Melanie laCour, Legal Director, ZwillGen PLLC
Brad Fischer, Orrick Law Firm, Senior Advisor Sport Betting Alliance
11:10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Top Legislators and National View
Elected officials in gaming states – including New York – are tasked with setting their respective gaming policies, and then making sure those policies work on behalf of their constituents and their states. A host of technological, political and demographic trends are creating challenges for those elected officials. Such challenges range from the emergence of iGaming to gray-market gambling to gaming expansion in other states, among others. Are lawmakers still in the driver’s seat, or are they simply passengers watching helplessly as others set gaming policy? What is the experience of veteran legislators, and what lessons do they have for their colleagues?
Moderator: Adrian King, Partner, Ballard Spahr
Speakers:
Page Cortez, fmr. Senate President, Louisiana
Senator Tim Lang, New Hampshire
Carrie Woerner, Chair, Committee on Racing and Wagering New York State Assembly
12:00 p.m. The Racing and Gaming Conference at Saratoga concludes.
Attendees are encouraged to attend "A Day at the Races" at Saratoga
Race Course (1:00 pm post time).
NOTE: Attendees can use the Saratoga Summer Trolley for transportation to and from the Race Course. The Trolley has a pick-up location in front of the Saratoga Hilton. The Trolley schedule can be found here.
Note: Agenda subject to change
presented by:
