Southern Gaming Summit To Feature A View From Wall Street

BILOXI, Miss. (March 20, 2008) — The 15 th annual Southern Gaming Summit will included an evaluation of the region’s prospects by several respected Wall Street gaming analysts and other financial experts. The session, entitled “Fighting for Finance,” is just one of many conference sessions covering the latest issues and concerns in the gaming industry.

The Summit will be held May 7-8, 2008, at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Center in Biloxi. It is the largest gaming trade show held outside of Las Vegas, and provides an unmatched local voice for the industry.

While the Gulf Coast gaming industry has roared back from its destruction by Hurricane Katrina, with billions of dollars of new investment flowing to the region, the current economic climate will undoubtedly have an impact on future development. In addition, a proposed Gulf Coast smoking ban has operators, and investors, worried, since such bans often result in lower gaming revenues.

“There are many challenges in this market from the viewpoint of Wall Street and other financial investors, exacerbated by tight credit conditions nationwide,” said Charles Anderer, Senior Events Manager, Gaming for BNP Media, co-producer of the Summit along with the Mississippi Casino Operators Association. “But there are also many opportunities that still exist, considering the record-setting revenues achieved by the industry last year. We have assembled a strong lineup of speakers who will address these issues and more.”

They include Scott Fisher, Ph.D., Managing Director of The Innovation Group; Bill Lerner, Managing Director and Senior Gaming and Lodging Analyst for Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc.; Alex R. Picou, Managing Director, Gaming, Travel and Leisure for KeyBanc Capital Markets; and Stephen J. Turpin, Director/Manager at ORIX Finance. Joseph Weinert, Senior Vice President of Spectrum Gaming Group, will serve as moderator.

The rest of the Summit’s exceptional conference program includes a general session on building a destination; a series on gaming law, developed in partnership with the International Masters of Gaming Law; a series exploring the latest trends in slot gaming, and additional sessions on Class II gaming, business intelligence and analytics, game protection and the political outlook in the South.

Plenty of networking opportunities are also available during the conference, on the exhibit floor and at the Welcome and Taste of the South receptions.

In all, the Summit’s unique mix of education, networking and southern hospitality make it a must-attend event for anyone doing business in or interested in developing business in the region. As a result, exhibit space is already 90 percent sold out. Sponsorships and advertising opportunities are also available to reach this dynamic audience; contact Lesley Grashow at grashowl@bnpmedia.com for more information.

Complete conference details are at www.sgsummit.com.

Media Contact: Beverly Martin, Executive Director, Mississippi Casino Operators Association; WINMCOA@aol.com or (228) 388-0087.