Racing and Gaming Conference at Saratoga speaker bios

JOE ADDABBO JR., SENATOR, NEW YORK STATE  

Elected to the New York State Senate in 2008 after serving seven years in the New York City Council, State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. continues to proudly carry on the public service tradition of his father, Congressman Joseph P. Addabbo, Sr., who served 13 terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1960 to 1986. 

A lifelong resident of Queens, Senator Joe Addabbo represents the 15th Senatorial District encompassing the communities – in whole or in part – of Broad Channel, Elmhurst, Forest Hills, Glendale, Hamilton Beach, Howard Beach, Kew Gardens, Kew Gardens Hills, Maspeth, Middle Village, Ozone Park, Rego Park, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood, South Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Woodside and most of the Rockaways.

In the State Senate, Joe has continued to make constituent service a priority, just as he did as a representative of the 32nd New York City Council District, where he secured millions of dollars for infrastructure improvements, school technology, and senior and youth services. Through his  Senate offices, Joe and his staff have assisted thousands of constituents with problems involving housing, health, transportation, taxes, public safety and many other issues, including efforts to aid local residents whose lives were so deeply affected by Hurricane Sandy in late October of 2012.  As a member of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force on Hurricane Sandy, Joe worked to help his community recover and rebuild from the devastating storm. 

As a member of the Senate, Joe is deeply concerned with the welfare of New Yorkers in all stages and walks of life.  His legislative record, which includes bills he has introduced and supported, reflects Joe’s commitment to fighting on behalf of children, the elderly, families, working people, consumers and veterans.  He has also devoted himself to efforts to protect the environment, create new jobs and economic opportunities for small businesses, provide tax relief for state residents, and improve transparency and accountability in New York’s government. As a State Senator, Joe is well known for organizing and sponsoring dozens of community events for his constituents each year, including job fairs for local residents and veterans, comprehensive recycling events, informational sessions for seniors and consumers, health screenings, Metrocard van visits, and many other free programs.   

In addition to other legislative responsibilities, Joe serves as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering. He is also a member of the Senate Committees on Aging, Civil Service and Pensions, Children and Families, Education, and Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs. As a past Chairman of the Senate Elections Committee, Joe worked to pass ethics reforms and led the fight to force large corporations to disclose information about money they spend to influence the outcome of elections.

Joe has proven himself in the political and civic world.  He is a multi-term New York State Democratic Committee member and a ranking member of the South Queens Regular Democratic Club.  His community service can be seen in his work on behalf of the Ozone Park Kiwanis, as the former president of the Ozone Tudor Civic Association, and his past tenure as Executive Secretary of Community Board #10Q. 

Born in 1964, the youngest child of Joseph and Grace Addabbo, Joe attended Nativity BVM School in Ozone Park (Class of 1978), Archbishop Molloy High School (Class of 1982), and St. John’s University (Class of 1986), before graduating from Touro Law School (Class of 1992.) Prior to his election to the City Council in 2001, Joe practiced law for 10 years. 

Senator Addabbo is a dedicated family man who enjoys spending time with his wife, Dawn, and two daughters, Alexis and Arianna.  

NY Bar

JOE ASHER, PRESIDENT, IGT SPORTS

Joe Asher was the CEO of William Hill US from when the business was created in 2012 until it was sold to Caesars in April 2021. Asher joined William Hill when it acquired Brandywine Bookmaking, a company Asher had created. Brandywine was a pure startup, which Asher launched in 2008 under the brand name Lucky’s Race & Sports Books after he relocated to Las Vegas from New York. Since the sale to Caesars, Asher has been hanging out in Del Mar, where he loves to go to the races.

Asher has a long background in the gaming industry and a lifelong passion for the race and sports betting business. Starting when he was a teenager, Asher held management positions at several racetracks, including Brandywine Raceway, Dover Downs, Harrington Raceway and Foxboro Raceway and was the Wilmington News-Journal’s thoroughbred racing handicapper for Delaware Park. He became the youngest track announcer in North America, calling races at Harrington, Foxboro, Brandywine and Dover Downs. He comes out of retirement once a year to call a race or two at the Elko County Fair in northeastern Nevada.

Back in the day, Asher was an attorney with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Asher is a graduate of the University of Delaware and the Delaware Law School of Widener University, magna cum laude, served a judicial clerkship with the Supreme Court of Delaware and was admitted to the bar in Delaware and New York. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, the Board of Trustees of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, and the Nevada Board of Trustees for Olive Crest. Asher has been featured on national television shows such as CBS’s 60 Minutes, CNBC’s Power Lunch, FOX News’ Fox & Friends and Varney & Co. Asher has testified on sports betting issues in state legislatures, spoken at numerous gaming industry seminars and guest lectured on race and sports betting at UNLV’s Boyd School of Law.  

Gaming, Government, Commercial, Litigation

Recognized by ExpertGuides as one of the top 32 Gaming Lawyers in the USA and one of the top five in Las Vegas.

Admitted to the bar in Delaware and New York.

BRETT BONIN, ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL, LOUISIANA

Brett Bonin holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Philosophy and a Juris Doctorate from Loyola. He was elected to the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) in 2008, appointed to the Board of Directors of the Louisiana School Board Association (LSBA) in 2009, and is on the Board of Directors of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA). He was appointed to District Attorney Leon Canizzaro's Transition Team and Mayor Elect Mitch Landrieu's Education Task Force. He is a practicing family law attorney, the Chair of the Louisiana Bar Association's Practice and Assistance Committee, and he moderated and taught the Bar Association's Ethics School. While a philosophy student at Loyola, he volunteered with the New Orleans Police Department Crisis Unit and Continued to serve for a total of nine years. He also volunteered with the Orleans Parish Civil Sheriff for eight years. 

JULIE BROWN, COMMISSIONER FLORIDA GAMING CONTROL COMMISSION

Julie Imanuel Brown was reappointed by Governor Ron DeSantis, on May 6, 2022, to serve as a Commissioner of the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC). She previously served as the inaugural Chairman of the Florida Gaming Control Commission, initially appointed on December 21, 2021   Brown brings substantial regulatory and legal experience from a number of significant roles in the public and private sectors. Prior to her appointment, Brown was the Secretary of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation where she led the state’s regulation of more than 1.4 million licenses across more than 30 fields of industry. From 2011 to 2021, Brown served three terms as a Commissioner on the Florida Public Service Commission. Brown was elected as Commission Chair from 2016 to 2018, and led the Commission’s recommendations of electric utility storm-hardening actions following a period when Florida experienced major hurricane impacts for the first time in more than a decade. Before serving on the Commission, Brown was Associate Legal Counsel of First American Corporation where she handled a variety of regulatory compliance and legal issues in the Eastern, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic Regions. She also represented corporate clients with a specialized focus on matters involving mergers, acquisitions and securities, served as the Director of Franchise Sales and Development for Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc., and was an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Tampa Brown graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Florida, where she was the recipient of the Outstanding Female Leader award, President of Florida Blue Key, inducted into the Hall of Fame, and received the Dean’s Cup for the College of Journalism and Communications. She earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida, Levin College of Law, is a member of the Florida Bar, a Florida Real Estate Broker and a member of Leadership Florida, Class XXXIII. Brown and her husband have two children and live in Tampa, Florida.

PATRICK BROWN, ORGANIZER, SARATOGA RACING AND GAMING CONFERENCE

Patrick Brown is co-founder of the Brown & Weinraub law firm in Albany. Pat Brown is no stranger to anyone who has attended the Conference in the past or is involved in racing and gaming in New York. For over 30 years, Pat has been a gaming advocate, lawyer, teacher and most importantly, a fan.

After spending several years working In the New York Court of Appeals, in 1987, Mr. Brown joined Governor Mario Cuomo's staff as one of his lawyers. Among many other responsibilities, he served as the Governor’s principal advisor on horse racing and gaming issues. After leaving public service in 1995, Pat entered into private practice; first at Plunkett & Jaffe and then at Brown & Weinraub, a law firm specializing in government relations and lobbying. Over the years, Mr. Brown has advocated for numerous standardbred and thoroughbred interests and he was lucky to be involved with two of the four winning bidders for upstate casino licenses, del Lago and Rivers Casinos.

In 2020, Mr. Brown retired from lobbying and now has time to write and pursue other interests including producing this Conference.

Mr. Brown received his undergraduate degree from SUNY Oneonta and his J.D., summa cum laude, from Pace University School of Law. He is a member of the New York Bar.

FRANK CARONE, FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN, OAKTREE SOLUTIONS

 An accomplished negotiator, Frank Carone is one of the city’s most sought-after business litigators.  Frank served as chief of staff to the 110th mayor of the city of New York, Eric L. Adams. In service to Mayor Adam’s vision of New York as a “City of Yes,” Frank’s initial goals for the new administration included building the team; creating a culture of discipline, responsiveness, and creativity; and having the vision to pursue large, high impact projects. During his tenure as chief of staff, Frank helped break down bureaucratic barriers to business and build a real partnership with the state and federal government. His accomplishments on behalf of the city include leading negotiations to develop Brookdale Science Park and Research Campus, a project that transformed an entire city block into a state-of-the-art destination for the rapidly growing life sciences industry and has created new jobs, higher education opportunities, and space for business incubators. Frank also led the charge on the corridor-wide rehabilitation of the BrooklynQueens Expressway, an initiative that has connected communities long separated due to the design of the historic Robert Moses highway. He successfully concluded negotiations to bring affordable housing and a world class soccer stadium to Willets Point, an area of Queens underutilized for generations. He also promoted New York City’s application to host the Democratic National Convention in 2024. 

Prior to joining the Adams administration, Frank was an executive partner at Abrams Fensterman, LLP, a full-service law firm with multiple offices in New York State: Long Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan, White Plains, Rochester, and Albany. He was instrumental in charting the firm’s strategic expansion, transforming it into the largest legal practice in Brooklyn and establishing it as one of the region’s premier law firms. Known for achieving breakthrough results on complex problems others thought unsolvable, Frank became the go-to private practice attorney for cases in which the New York State Attorney General was conflicted, successfully representing the interests of the state on 15 thorny and politically charged cases. 

Before joining Abrams Fensterman, Frank founded a successful mortgage bank that he grew into a multi-state enterprise with more than 200 employees, ultimately negotiating a successful merger with a larger institution. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Frank served two terms on the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission. He was appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2011 and reappointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2015, unanimously confirmed by the New York City Council in both instances. His tenure as a commissioner was marked by notable advancements in green vehicle standards, the advent of e-hail apps, and significant improvements to accessibility and driver wage increases.

 For almost a decade, Frank was counsel to the Kings County Democratic County Committee, where he represented numerous elected government officials. He frequently appears as a guest lecturer before legal and business trade organizations. Frank graduated cum laude from St. John’s University with a bachelor of science degree in finance. He received his juris doctor at Brooklyn Law School, where he graduated in the top of his class and received the award for American Jurisprudence in Legal Ethics. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1993 to 1995 where, upon completion of Officers Candidate School, he was commissioned second lieutenant. Frank continues to make his home in Brooklyn with his wife Diana and children Gabriella and Francesco.

MICHELLE COHEN, MEMBER, IFRAH PLLC/OUTSIDE COUNSEL TO IDEA GROWTH (IDEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION)  

Michelle Cohen’s unfailing dedication to her clients is illustrated by this fact: her very first client – whom she represented over 25 years ago, as a first-year associate – remains an active client today. Throughout her career, she has established similarly strong, lasting client relationships by committing herself to understanding each client’s business goals, minimizing legal risk and delivering exceptional service. At Ifrah Law, Michelle’s practice focuses on helping clients establish powerful and enduring relationships with their customers and prospects while remaining compliant with state and federal law governing privacy and advertising laws and regulations.

As Practice Group leader for the Firm’s Data Privacy & Cyber Security group, ¬Michelle helps clients create compliant digital policies and practices for their online terms and conditions, sweepstakes and contests, social media, and customer communications through the use of various media, including telemarketing, texts and emails, and social media. She also handles state-level data regulations, including breach notifications, and assists clients with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance and notifications.

Michelle has extensive experience defending individual and class actions in the consumer protection context, including dozens of Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) cases, beginning from when the TCPA was first implemented. Her litigation experience helps clients avoid enforcement actions and minimize civil litigation by proactively implementing policies and procedures that demonstrate good faith compliance efforts. Her counsel is critical when those clients face enforcement proceedings by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), or state agencies. She draws on deep legal knowledge and a strong footing in the privacy community to resolve these issues expediently.

JACQUES CORNET, PARTNER, ICR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY  

Jacques brings over 20 years of capital markets and investment research experience to advising clients on comprehensive investor and capital markets strategic plans. His approach and advice are rooted in career perspectives as an analyst and investment banker. At ICR he advises clients on all aspects of capital markets strategies, including day-to-day investor relations activity, IPO, M&A and activist events in the context of shareholder value. In his career, Jacques has advised on over 100 transactions, including capital raising in the equity and leveraged finance markets, mergers and acquisitions, proxy matters, activism prevention and defense, and corporate restructurings. He applies his capital markets knowledge to provide clients with comprehensive strategic advice and help address their most challenging issues. Jacques’ career includes senior roles as a high-yield bond sell-side analyst, an investment banker and a buy-side analyst. He spent nine years at CIBC World Markets as the head of the high-yield research department and, subsequently, head of the gaming, lodging and real estate investment banking practice. He holds an MBA from New York University.

PATRICK CUMMINGS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THOROUGHBRED IDEA FOUNDATION (TIF)

Patrick Cummings is the executive director of the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation (TIF), a non-profit think tank, and founder and president of Global Racing Solutions, a consultancy serving clients around the world of Thoroughbred racing. 

He moved to Lexington, Kentucky to launch TIF at its founding in 2018 after three years with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, leading its Racing Public Affairs division. Prior to that, he served four years as director of racing information for technology provider Trakus. Pat also spent eight years covering racing from the United Arab Emirates for a variety of media outlets and called races in a substitute capacity for a decade, mostly in his native Philadelphia (Parx Racing). He began his career with seven years at investment giant Vanguard. 

Pat has owned horses in syndicates in the U.S, South Africa and Dubai and is an active member of the Kentucky Equine Education Project's (KEEP) Advocacy Committee. He has also served on multiple occasions as an election officer in Fayette County, Kentucky. Pat earned his B.A. (2002) from Dickinson College and an M.B.A. (2011) from Baylor University.

JOHN DONNELLY, DONNELLY LAW

John Donnelly has worked for 48 years as a casino attorney in several jurisdictions, mostly as an outside lawyer. He also also served as in-house counsel for Resorts International, the Trump Properties in NJ, and other casinos. John has litigated numerous casino-related cases and Bank Secrecy Act matters.  He currently represents Rivers Schenectady casino in NY. 

TIM DREHKOFF, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, RUSH ST. GAMING

Tim became Rush Street Gaming’s (“RSG”) CEO in 2022 after serving as its first CFO since 2012. Prior to that, Tim was a vice president for LAMB Partners, Neil Bluhm’s family office. Tim started his career as an analyst in investment banking and then as an associate at a private equity firm prior to working with the Bluhm family. As CEO, Tim is responsible for all land-based operations, capital market strategies, new development opportunities and mergers & acquisitions. One of RSG’s earliest leaders, Tim has contributed to the company’s rapid growth, being point person on the development of six full-service casinos in markets including Chicagoland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Capital Region of New York, Vicksburg Mississippi and, most, recently in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia - each from the ground-up. Tim also served for over a decade on the Board of Managers for the Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Tim graduated with honors earning a BA in Economics from The College of the University of Chicago and he earned his MBA, with honors, from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he was also awarded the Gary S. Becker Distinguished Fellowship. Tim is active with charitable and church organizations in the suburbs of Chicago where he resides with his wife and four children. Rush Street Gaming and its affiliates have developed and operate Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh, Pa.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Des Plaines, Ill. (Chicago area); Schenectady, N.Y. and Rivers Casino Portsmouth in Virginia. 

BRAD FISCHER, SENIOR ASSOCIATE, ORRICK

Before joining Orrick, Brad worked as U.S. regulatory counsel for a major on-line gaming company, during which he facilitated expansion of the U.S. operations, negotiated multiple market-access agreements and oversaw licensing and compliance functions across multiple jurisdictions.

Prior to his private sector experience, Brad was a regulator with the New York State Gaming Commission, Deputy County Executive for Albany (N.Y.) County and Legislative Counsel to the Hon. Eric Adams and other elected officials in the New York State Senate. During his time at the New York State Gaming Commission, Brad was director of interactive fantasy sports and legal counsel on commercial gaming issues, after having served a key role in the selection and vetting of applicants for multiple “Las Vegas” style resort casinos licenses. While in the New York State Senate, Brad served as Counsel to the Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering and developed a depth of experience with legislative issues facing the gaming, equine industries and state-run lotteries.

Brad is a graduate of Indiana University-Bloomington School of Law and Union College, where he received a B.A. in Political Science.

MICHELE FISCHER, VICE PRESIDENT, SIS CONTENT SERVICES INC.

In 2018, Michele Fischer founded Darting Star LLC, a consulting firm specializing in horse racing.  Darting Star’s clients have included, Hong Kong Jockey Club, SIS, Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, Exacta Systems and Duralock. 

Prior to Darting Star, Michele was Vice President of Sales and Business Development at Sportech Racing, which was at the time a pools and tote betting company with customers in over 35 countries and processed over $11 billion in wagers annually. She was at Sportech Racing (formerly part of Scientific Games and Autotote) for 16 years.  

Fischer also has experience in television sports production, simulcasting, and as an adjunct professor teaching equine marketing and international racing at the University of Louisville Equine Program. She earned a degree in Business Administration (Equine) and an MBA at the University of Louisville.  

ALAN FOREMAN, CEO, THOROUGHBRED HORSEMEN'S ASSOCIATION

Alan M. Foreman is considered one of the leading racing law attorneys in the United States.

In addition to his law practice, Mr. Foreman is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Associations, Inc., based in Columbia Maryland, which represents more than 20,000 owners and trainers throughout the United States.  He is a founding director of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and currently serves on its Board of Directors and Audit and Compensation Committee.  He is counsel to many horsemen’s and racing industry organizations.  He has served as National General Counsel to the Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association.  He is also general counsel to the National Steeplechase Association and the Drugs and Medications Program of the United States Equestrian Federation.  He is a member of the Board of Directors of Maryland Million Ltd. and is Vice-Chairman of the National Drug Testing and Research Consortium.  His law practice involves all areas of equine and horse racing law representing horse owners, breeders, farms, jockeys, stables, trainers and horsemen’s organizations.  He is widely credited with creating the Maryland Jockey Injury Compensation Fund, Inc. in 1984, the nation’s first workers compensation program for jockeys.

Mr. Foreman graduated with honors from American University in 1972 and received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1975. In 1979, he was appointed an Assistant Attorney General of the State of Maryland and served as counsel to the Maryland Racing Commission as well as other State Boards and Commissions.  He established the Law Offices of Alan M. Foreman in Columbia, Maryland in 1991.

Mr. Foreman has authored numerous articles and has lectured at the University of Kentucky’s National Equine Law Seminar, Albany Law School Racing Law Institute, American Horse Council Tax Workshop, Harness Racing Congress, the University of Arizona Symposium on Racing, the International Congress of Horse Racing Authorities and the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program, where he is a Joe Hirsh Fellow.  He has been recognized by the Thoroughbred Times as one of American racing’s most influential figures.

Mr. Foreman and his wife, Randi, have three sons and live in Pikesville, Maryland.

HOWARD GLASER, GLOBAL HEAD OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, LIGHT AND WONDER

Howard has three decades of experience leading public and private sector organizations. He was a top aide to two New York Governors, including serving as the state’s chief operating officer and as Senior Policy Advisor to the Governor. At the federal level, Howard served in multiple roles at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development including Acting General Counsel, Counselor to the Secretary, and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations.

In the private sector Howard was the Executive Vice President of AM General, a premiere global vehicle solutions provider; President of Mobility Ventures, an accessible transportation OEM; and Executive Vice President of OTG Management, an airport development and technology company. He also previously served as an advisor to the financial services and housing industries and as General Counsel and Senior Vice President of the Mortgage Bankers Association in Washington, DC. 

In his spare time, Howard teaches and has been an Adjunct Professor of Public Administration at Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs; and led urban and transportation policy programs at the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College. 

Howard is a graduate of the State University of New York at Oneonta and Harvard Law School.

MARK GLASER, GREENBERG TRAUIG

Mark F. Glaser represents businesses and individuals with respect to governmental ethics and compliance, legislative issues, governmental procurement practices, competitive bidding requirements, and manufactured housing. He routinely helps his clients navigate increasingly complex regulatory, compliance, and ethics requirements, including providing representation before New York State and New York City ethics and lobbying regulators. Mark’s practice also includes work in connection with racing and gaming law and regulation. He is a frequent lecturer on lobbying laws, ethics, procurement and related compliance matters. Previously, Mark served as Counsel to the Majority of the New York State Assembly, acting as legal advisor to five Speakers of the Assembly as well as other members of the Assembly's leadership. As chief ethics counsel for the Assembly, he advised Members of the Assembly and Assembly staff and was a principal draftsman of the 1987 Ethics in Government Act. In 2013, Mark was appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo to be a Commissioner of the New York State Commission on Uniform Laws.  Mark is a member of the New York Bar.

DR. MARSHALL GRAMM, PROFESSOR, RHODES COLLEGE

Dr. Marshall Gramm is a Professor in the Department of Economics at Rhodes College. He has over a dozen academic publications related to the sport of horse racing in journals including the Southern Economic Journal, Applied Economics, The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, and The Journal of Gambling Business and Economics. An avid horseplayer, Marshall won the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) and has qualified for the National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) for the last ten years. Marshall has been an owner of racehorses since he claimed his first horse in 2008. He co-founded Ten Strike Racing in 2016 with Clay Sanders and Ten Strike Racing has over 530 wins at 30 different racetracks. Ten Strike Racing has won 35 stakes races and won the Owners Title at Parx Racing in 2016 and 2017. Marshall has also bred four stakes winners from his modest broodmare band. He is on the board of the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation (TIF), the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA), and the Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA). Marshall holds a B.A. from Rice University and Ph.D. in Economics from Texas A&M University.

JEFF GURAL, CHAIRMAN, AMERICAN RACING AND ENTERTAINMENT/TIOGA DOWNS 

Jeffrey Gural is Chairman of GFP Real Estate LLC (formerly Newmark Holdings and Newmark Knight Frank). GFP Real Estate LLC has an ownership interest in more than 50 properties, most of which are located in New York City. Mr. Gural, together with his son Eric Gural and nephew Brian Steinwurtzel, are responsible for all future acquisitions and the managing and leasing of the over 11 million square feet in which they have an ownership interest.

Mr. Gural joined Newmark Knight Frank in 1972, and served as Chairman until 2017, after which he became Chairman Emeritus. Prior to that, Mr. Gural was a member of the staff of Morse-Diesel Construction Co. for approximately six years where he was responsible for the supervision and construction of more than one million square feet of new office space in such notable buildings as 437 Madison Avenue and 645 Madison Avenue.

Mr. Gural is a member of the Board of Directors of The Real Estate Board of New York; President of the enCourage Kids Foundation; Chairman of I Have a Dream Foundation – NY and Co-Sponsor of the Chelsea-Elliot “I Have a Dream” Project; former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Times Square Alliance; member of the Board of Trustees of The New School; Chair of the Board of Governors for Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts; Chairman of the Board of Directors for Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York; Vice President of The Broadway Association; member of the Board of Directors of the Museum at Eldridge Street; member of the Board of Directors of the Statue of Liberty Foundation; member of the Board of the Settlement Housing Fund; member of the Board of Directors of New York City Outward Bound Schools; member of the NYC Board of Directors for the March of Dimes and President of The Realty Foundation of New York. Mr. Gural is a member of the Board of Directors of the UJA-Federation, where both he and his father, Aaron Gural, were honored at the organization’s 1995 Annual Luncheon.

As a sideline, Mr. Gural is a major owner and breeder of Standardbred racehorses and has two farms in Upstate New York and Northern Pennsylvania. Mr. Gural owns a casino in Upstate New York; Tioga Downs and a racino at Vernon Downs. Mr. Gural is also Managing Partner of New Meadowlands Racetrack LLC, which is the current lessee and operator of the New Meadowlands Racetrack. The Meadowlands recently opened a new $120 Million grandstand which is a state of the art new facility.

Mr. Gural is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, with a degree in Civil Engineering. He is married, has three grown children, six grandchildren and resides in Manhattan.

DAN HARTMAN, FORMER DIRECTOR, COLORADO DIVISION OF GAMING 

Having worked for the Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR) in regulatory enforcement for over thirty years, Dan Hartman brought an extensive background when joining the Colorado Division of Gaming. As Director of Gaming, he was responsible for leading the efforts to stand up the state’s Sports Betting program. Under Dan’s guidance and leadership, the Colorado Sports Betting program is considered one of the best in the nation for its regulatory framework and industry growth. Before coming to the Division of Gaming, Dan established the Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division as the Division’s first director. Colorado was the first state to begin regulation of this newly legalized industry, which put him at the forefront of one of the nation’s more controversial issues. Dan was the first person to build a regulatory framework and take marijuana from its illegal environment to a legal one. Dan began his career in regulatory law enforcement in 1992; he has worked as the Director of the Colorado Division of Gaming, Director of the Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division, Director of the Racing Events Division, and acting Director of the Liquor Enforcement Division.

KEITH JOHNSON, CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY

Keith Johnson began his racing technology journey at AmTote in 1989 having just earned a BS/BA degree from Auburn University. Embracing the racing & wagering industry that his family had decades of roots in, Keith progressed from a system operations role through multiple departments including management level operational positions in field ops, hub ops, to regional operations oversight, then on to sales and executive leadership positions to become president of AmTote in 2016. In 2020, Keith’s role expanded to Chief Revenue Officer for the newly formed 1/ST Technology group, which includes oversight of AmTote, PariMAX, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, and BetMIX business units.

DERON HUNSBERGER, AINSWORTH 

Deron Hunsberger joined Ainsworth in 2017 as senior vice president of sales and marketing with a 25-year track record in the slot business. Now, as chief commercial officer, he is responsible for the company’s activity in the North American market. He has increased the company’s penetration into the tribal gaming market, is planning to enter the VLT market and directed a strategy that has made Ainsworth a leader the historic horseracing machine market.

DERRIL JORDAN, PARTNER, MCTLAW

Derril B. Jordan is a senior Indian law attorney and partner with mctlaw, with almost 35 years of experience representing tribes as in-house counsel and in private practice. Mr. Jordan also served for several years as a presidential appointee in the Department of the Interior’s Office of the Solicitor, where he was the top lawyer for the Division of Indian Affairs. At mctlaw, Mr. Jordan now concentrates his practice on developing tribal enterprises, strengthening tribal governance, and improving government-to-government relationships between Indian tribes and the federal government. He also represents clients in Federal Takings cases before the United States Court of Federal Claims. As a tribal member himself, Mr. Jordan has dedicated his career to the representation of Indian tribes and the strengthening of tribal sovereignty. Mr. Jordan has served tribes in several capacities. He has been in-house counsel to three Native American tribes—the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe in Michigan; the Seneca Nation in New York; and the Quinault Indian Nation in Washington State. Mr. Jordan has also represented tribes across the nation as outside counsel, working on a wide variety of Indian law issues, including land claim litigation, gaming compact and ordinance approvals, trust land acquisitions, historic and cultural preservation issues, federal recognition and enrollment issues, and constitutional law and tribal code drafting. His extensive and diverse career has made him an experienced and effective advocate on behalf of tribes and tribal organizations. 

LEGAL ACTIVITIES • Associate Solicitor for Indian Affairs at the United States Department of the Interior • Attorney General of the Quinault Indian Nation • Attorney General for the Seneca Nation of Indians • Tribal Attorney for the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe

BAR ADMISSIONS • Michigan • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan • New Mexico • New York • U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York • Washington • Washington, D.C. • U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia • U.S. Court of Federal Claims • Seneca Nation of Indians, Peacemakers Courts • Saginaw Chippewa Tribe • Jicarilla Apache Nation • Mattaponi Indian Tribe • Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians

EDUCATION • Juris Doctor from Cornell Law School • Master of Social Work from Temple University • Bachelor of Social Work, Cum laude, from Temple University 

MITCHELL KORBEY, PARTNER, HERRICK

Mitch Korbey is a partner, and chair of the firm’s Land Use & Zoning Group. Mitch is an accomplished urban planner and land use attorney with more than 30 years of experience in private practice and government service. Mitch is a former Commissioner of the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA), a former director of the Department of City Planning's (DCP) Brooklyn office, and a former deputy director of DCP’s Staten Island office. Mitch has been recognized by Chambers USA and Legal 500 as one of New York City’s leading zoning lawyers for many years. He advises clients on a wide range of issues, including site acquisitions and assemblages, site development options, zoning lot mergers and development rights transfers, as well as applications for zoning variances, special permits and other discretionary approvals from the BSA, DCP, Department of Buildings, Landmarks Preservation Commission, and other agencies. Mitch also regularly counsels prominent developers, owners and lenders on the management of millions of square-feet of New York City real estate. In doing so, he navigates the complexities of the City’s byzantine zoning resolution – guiding clients to the most efficient intersection of their business goals and what the rules will allow. He also keeps clients abreast of political headwinds that could impact their properties or development plans. Mitch is an adjunct professor of law at Brooklyn Law School, and an adjunct with Hunter College's graduate program in urban planning. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association and its Land Use, Green Development and Environmental Committee; the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY); the Architecture Institute of America, Historic Buildings Committee; and the Cornell Association of Planners.

BENNETT LIEBMAN, GOVERNMENT LAWYER IN RESIDENCE, ALBANY LAW SCHOOL

Bennett Liebman is a Government Lawyer in Residence at the Government Law Center of Albany Law School. At Albany Law School, he has served variously as the Executive Director, the Acting Director and on two occasions as the Interim Director of the Government Law Center. In New York State government, he has served as counsel to Lieutenant Governor Mario Cuomo, special deputy counsel to Governor Mario Cuomo, a member of the State Racing and Wagering Board and deputy secretary for racing and gaming for Governor Andrew Cuomo. He is a summa cum laude graduate of Union College and a cum laude graduate of NYU Law School.

He has written and spoken extensively on horse racing, gambling law, government ethics, the New York State Constitution, and New York State governmental history.

RENÉE MANCINO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OHIO HARNESS HORSEMEN’S ASSOCIATION

Renée Mancino is a Las Vegas-minted gaming, racing, and equine attorney, licensed in Ohio, Nevada, and Utah.  Renée earned her Juris Doctorate degree as a charter class member of the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. At Boyd, she served on the Society of Advocates and earned Top-of-the-Class honors in Gaming Law. Throughout her gaming career, Renée has worked in many sectors of the Casino Gaming and Horse Racing Industry, including Executive Director of the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association. She has spoken at several major Gaming & Racing Conferences and has worked as a legislative subject matter and regulatory consulting attorney. Renée is the current co-chair of the Ohio State Bar Association’s Casino Gaming, Racing, Lottery, and Cannabis Committee, Vice President of the Standardbred Transition Alliance, Farm Bureau Agricultural Literacy Board Member, North American Harness Horse Alliance Member, and Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine Agricultural Advisory Board Member.

ALAN MARCUM, DEPUTY SECRETARY, CHICKASAW NATION

Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby appointed Alan Marcum Deputy Secretary of Support Services in the Chickasaw Nation Department of Commerce. Marcum has nearly 25 years of experience in accounting and business management. He grew up in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, went to East Central University on a football scholarship and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance.

JOHN MARSHALL, PRESIDENT AND COO REVOLUTIONARY RACING (RRKY)

RRKY is a dynamic start-up driven to revolutionize racing, gaming and entertainment in new markets. RRKY is a cutting-edge partnership between ELS Gaming, EBCI Holdings and Keeneland Racetrack embracing inclusion and collaboration.  Previously, as Executive Vice President Of Operations for Rosie’s, John developed Colonial Downs Group from a start-up and catapulted the rebirth of Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E). He was part of the team that developed the Virginia business into a substantial part of a $2.7B transaction with Churchill Downs in less than 5 years. During that time, Rosie’s opened six Rosie’s locations including Richmond, Hampton, Vinton, Dumfries, New Kent, Collinsville and led Colonial Downs Racetrack to its position as the mid-Atlantic’s premier boutique race meet. 

Education • Waynesburg University MBA • Indiana University of Pennsylvania BS, Business.

JOHN MATARAZZO, DIRECTOR OF RACING OPERATIONS, SARATOGA CASINO HOTEL

John Matarazzo’s career in the racing industry started when he took a summer job at Saratoga Harness Track in 1978 working in the Mutuels Department for OTB. Soon after that he moved into a management role for OTB, and was part of the management team responsible for the company’s expansion from a one-branch, one-county operation to a 55-branch, 16-county operation in Upstate New York. While at OTB he also directed the company’s marketing efforts and new business development. Included in his accomplishments was the development of the first Teletheater in New York, a full-service entertainment facility designed to expand racing’s customer base. The Teletheater complex featured simulcast racing with theater size screens and hundreds of televisions, fine dining in a clubhouse atmosphere, a sports bar, food court, satellite broadcasts of college and professional sports, pay-per view boxing, live entertainment, bowling lanes, and indoor golf. He returned to Saratoga Casino Hotel, this time as an employee of the track, first opening the casino gaming floor in 2004 and eventually pursuing his first love of racing, taking over as the Director of Racing Operations. Rich in history, Saratoga is in its 82nd year of harness racing and currently runs programs from February through December. Along with overseeing Saratoga’s expansion of its simulcast signal into wagering outlets throughout North America and Europe, Matarazzo wrote and implemented the business plan for SaratogaBets, the company’s popular and successful interactive wagering platform. This platform became the model used for Yonkers and Batavia racetracks’ internet platforms. Matarazzo is on the USTA Board of Directors and its Executive Committee. He lives with his wife Evelyn in Greenville, N.Y. He has one child, Carly, who is a high school Special Education teacher.

JOE MORRIS, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT, INC

Joe Morris is based out of Lexington, Kentucky, and works at Caesars Entertainment Corporation as Senior Vice President. He attended the University of Maine at Orono where he received a Bachelor's degree, Business Administration and Management.

DAVID O'ROURKE, PRESIDENT AND CEO, NYRA

David O’Rourke is the Chief Executive Officer & President of the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA), the operator of Belmont Park, home of the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of racing’s Triple Crown; Saratoga Race Course, home of the most prestigious racing meet in the U.S.; and Aqueduct Racetrack. 

As one of North America’s premier thoroughbred horse racing organizations, NYRA in 2018 generated $2.1 billion in annual all-sources wagering handle with paid attendance exceeding 1.7 million. It is the cornerstone of New York State’s thoroughbred industry, which is responsible for 19,000 jobs and more than $3 billion in annual economic impact to New York State.

O’Rourke joined NYRA as Director of Financial Planning in 2008 and was named Vice President for Corporate Development in 2010. In 2013, he was appointed Chief Revenue Officer and Senior Vice President. In that position, O’Rourke was responsible for NYRA’s business development strategies across a range of disciplines including industry relations, simulcast markets and contracts, television strategy, advance deposit wagering (ADW) operations and capital projects.

During his tenure at NYRA, O’Rourke served

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