The 29th annual East Coast Gaming Congress (ECGC) will showcase a roster of industry leaders who will address a wide range of challenges and opportunities in the global gaming industry. The theme of ECGC 29.0, to be held April 14–15, 2026, at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, is “Gaming in Transition.”
The entire 2026 ECGC program will tackle key issues including artificial intelligence, prediction markets, iGaming expansion and the anticipated impact of full-service casino resorts in the Downstate New York market.
“As the longest-running gaming conference in the United States, ECGC has long served as a forum where leaders speak to leaders, and in this pivotal year, that conversation is more important than ever,” said conference co-founder and Spectrum Gaming Group Senior Policy Advisor Michael Pollock.
Conference co-founder Lloyd D. Levenson, CEO of Cooper Levenson, said, “Over our history, we have hosted seven governors, along with dozens of CEOs, lawmakers, regulators and others who are shaping the future of gaming.”
Confirmed keynote and panel speakers are:
· Mikie Sherrill, Governor of New Jersey
· James F. (Jim) Allen, Chairman, Hard Rock International and CEO of Seminole Gaming
· Everett Browning, Sr., Chair, Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission
· James Carey, Executive Director, New Jersey Lottery
· David S. Cordish, Chairman of The Cordish Companies
· Jacques Cornet, Partner, ICR
· Jay Dorris, President and CEO of Wind Creek Hospitality
· Daron Dorsey, President & CEO, Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM)
· Dennis Drazin, Chairman and CEO, Monmouth Park
· Tim Drehkoff, CEO of Rush Street Gaming
· Mike Dreitzer, Chair, Nevada Gaming Control Board
· Mary Jo Flaherty, Interim Director, New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement
· Mark Giannantonio, President, Casino Association of New Jersey
· Michael Glauser, Founder and Managing Partner, ADEN (Advanced Direct Engagement Network)
· George Goldhoff, President, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
· Roger Gros, Editor-at-Large, Global Gaming Business Magazine
· Kevin Jones, Chief Strategy & Legal Officer, Genting Americas
· Alex Kane, CEO and Founder, Sporttrade
· Joseph J. Hasson, COO of Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment
· Todd Haushalter, Chief Product Officer, Evolution
· Soo Kim, Chairman of Bally’s Corporation
· Bill Lerner, Senior Managing Director & Co-Head of Americas Investment Banking, CBRE
· Lloyd D. Levenson, CEO, Cooper Levenson
· Lucas R. Levenson, Partner, Cooper Levenson
· Joe Maloney, President, Sports Betting Alliance
· Chris Marcello, Founding Partner, FirstPoint AI
· Bill Miller, President and CEO, American Gaming Association
· Scott Nicholson, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, Imagine This
· Kevin O’Toole, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
· Michael Pollock, Senior Policy Advisor, Spectrum Gaming Group
· Thomas R. Reeg, Chief Executive Officer of Caesars Entertainment
· Eric Schippers, Sr. Vice President, Public Affairs & Govt. Relations, PENN Entertainment
· Marty Small, Sr., Mayor, Atlantic City
· Jay Snowden, CEO and President of Penn Entertainment
· Paul Sternburg, VP of Business Development at Allwyn, Former Director of Massachusetts Lottery
· Kurt Steinkamp, Chief of Staff, Michigan Gaming Control Board
· Bishop Woosley, Principal, Woosley Gaming Advisors; Former Director of the Office of the Arkansas Lottery
· Alana Zimmer, Executive Director, Florida Gaming Control Commission
ECGC will also present its Lifetime Achievement Award to the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) in recognition of its longstanding commitment to the integrity and principles of gaming licensure.
The 2026 conference will again offer premier opportunities for sponsorship, networking, professional development, and high-level business-to-business engagement.
For more information or to register, visit www.ecgc.us or contact Angela Robinson at arobinson@cooperlevenson.com.
