The Global Table Games & Game Protection Conference is taking place at the Hippodrome Casino in London from November 18-20, 2024. G3 speaks to organiser Richard Marcus about the origins of the GTGC/GGPC and his decision this year to bring the conference to Europe.
Richard, how did you conceive the Global Table Games & Game Protection Conference?
The idea came to me during the peak of the Covid pandemic. At the time, I’d already been a casino game protection trainer and consultant to casinos worldwide for 15 years, traveling to their properties and training their table games, surveillance and security staff in all facets of game protection. I had always thought of hosting my own industry conference, but never had the time to develop one. When Covid struck and the world locked down, I had nothing but time, so I decided to prepare a debut conference. It took lots of time and planning, and was very difficult having to skirt multiple setbacks, but eventually everything came together and I received a lot of support. So, in June, 2022, after two postponements due to Covid variants, and a lot of help from industry friends, I finally launched my first major event in Vegas.
What’s the purpose of the GTGC/GGPC?
The purpose of the conference is to impart the best and latest information to operations executives in the Table Games, Surveillance and Compliance sectors of the Gaming Industry, so that they may perform at optimum levels moving forward. By combining the most integral elements of what we’ve learned and what we’re going to learn at this conference, all of our operational goals will be in reach. We will discuss much about new technologies gaining footholds in these three vital sectors, with heavy emphasis on Artificial Intelligence, Facial Recognition, IT, and all the new and developing technologies that will safeguard our casinos from criminal and dangerous activity, and also the dangers that these technologies can pose to ourselves.
In addition, we will pay special attention to the most topical and relevant issues affecting UK and European casinos, including Safer/Positive Play, Customer Experience Maximisation, Behavioural Science, Cybersecurity and specialised marketing initiatives such as Casino Gifting.
Why choose to bring the event to Europe this year?
It seemed like the logical decision for me to make. After three consecutive very successful conferences in Las Vegas, I figured that since there is no similar conference on the other side of the Pond, it was the right time to take on this endeavour. As I’d previously conducted two smaller multi-casino events in the UK, one in 2019 at the Grosvenor Victoria casino in London, the other at the Hippodrome casino in 2020, and that I had some consultancy clients in the UK and Europe, I anticipated that the European market would be open to giving my new event consideration. I also consulted with Simon Thomas, the CEO of the Hippodrome, and received nothing but strong votes of confidence. And the kicker was that Simon was willing to allow me to hold the conference at the Hippodrome, which I think is the hippest casino in all of Europe (pardon the pun!).
It seems that I’ve have made the right decision. Interest has been keen and I am looking forward to a successful ground-breaking event that now, I’m pleased to say, has the European Casino Association (ECA) onboard. In fact, the ECA will be holding its annual Safety and Security Workshop in conjunction with the GTGC/GGPC Euro at the Hippodrome! That’s what I call a double hole-in-one!
What’s your typical audience for the conference and what do they expect from the GTGC/GGPC?
We will see high-level executives and decision-makers from many of the major casino companies in all parts of Europe, as well as some of their counterparts from Asia. People from all departments of operations, security, compliance and surveillance will be present. We will also have executives from surveillance technology companies as well as from entities specialising in AI, positive/safer gambling, behavioural science and marketing. The entirety of this diverse audience is no doubt expecting a great conference with world-class speakers delivering topical and interesting presentations, and I guarantee that that’s exactly what they will receive.
Who are the headline speakers at the Hippodrome in November?
The headline speakers are some of the most important and renowned casino industry leaders in the world. First, we have Keynote speaker Simon Thomas, who has been one of the most innovative leaders in the European gaming market and who played a major role in the British Government’s passing of the 2005 Gambling Act, which favorably modified strict regulations that were choking brick and mortar casinos. Next, we will hear from Ted Whiting, the Corporate Vice President of Surveillance and Asset Protection for MGM Resorts International, who has introduced several avant-garde surveillance technologies and training programs to the Nevada casino industry. Then comes Mike Matranga, an ex-Special Secret Service agent and personal bodyguard to President Barack Obama who subsequently founded the M6 Global Defense Group, which is responsible for the security apparatus for many sensitive US spaces such as school districts and vulnerable workplace installations.
Our European headliners include Richard Noble, the omniscient COO at Crown UK, and the one and only Michael Boettcher, whose casino bio reads like the description of a main character in an action/adventure movie. I can say that we certainly have a presenter’s roster unequaled by any other conference event in these domains.
What’s the biggest compelling reason to attend this year’s event?
The most compelling reason to attend the 2024 GTGC/GGPC Euro is not multifold. It is singular in every sense of the word. It is the ONLY event of its kind that can provide attendees with both a great learning experience and an intimate networking experience to share knowledge, ideas, good times and laughs. Being a mid-sized event rather than a giant one like ICE and G2E, attendees will certainly get the feel that they are part of it. At the big gaming events, it can be difficult to access the stellar cast of speakers and the industry VIPs who are participating. But at the GTGC/GGPC, attendees will be able to get up close and speak with some of the most important and influential personalities in the worldwide casino industry.