The 19th International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking, taking place May 26-28 at Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, has announced additional keynote and panel presentations spanning sports betting, artificial intelligence, regulatory oversight and risk in the entertainment industry.
The 2026 event will feature a keynote session titled “Candid Conversations: Sports Betting,” featuring sports betting experts Chad Millman, co-founder of The Action Network, and ESPN betting analyst Pamela Maldonado. Millman and Maldonado will examine trends shaping the sports betting landscape, including market behavior and the intersection of media, data and wagering insights.
“The conference continues to evolve alongside the gambling and risk-taking ecosystem, bringing together leading voices to explore not only where each discipline is today, but where it is headed,” said Dr. Brett Abarbanel, executive director of IGI. “This year reflects a strong convergence of interdisciplinary research and industry expertise that aims to spark new ideas among attendees.”
Click here to register for the conference and to view the full lineup
Highlights of the newly announced keynote and panel presentations include:
- Tuesday, May 26
- Taste of G2E: Signals from the Frontier: How Early-Stage Founders Are Building Gaming’s Next Five Years – A session offering a look at content and themes featured at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E), the gambling industry’s leading trade show. Benson Bleier of Regen and Rebecca Martin of Spin Pass with moderator Ryan Rubio of Zero Labs and Quinton Singleton of nVenue will examine how early-stage founders are reshaping gaming through AI gamification and behavioral design. The session will explore how convergence between gaming and fintech is changing operator and consumer relationships and what new risks and opportunities may emerge for the industry.
- The Three Gs: Gamification, Gamblification, & Golf – As golf evolves beyond the traditional course experience, a panel of industry leaders will explore the rise of off-course venues, skill-based technology platforms, gamification and the growing integration of sports betting into the game. Speakers Christopher Cain of UNLV, Sameer Gupta of Evenplay, Lori Kalani of DraftKings and Quinton Singleton of nVenue will discuss how innovation is reshaping golf’s commercial and cultural landscape for operators, investors and fans alike.
- Taste of G2E: Signals from the Frontier: How Early-Stage Founders Are Building Gaming’s Next Five Years – A session offering a look at content and themes featured at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E), the gambling industry’s leading trade show. Benson Bleier of Regen and Rebecca Martin of Spin Pass with moderator Ryan Rubio of Zero Labs and Quinton Singleton of nVenue will examine how early-stage founders are reshaping gaming through AI gamification and behavioral design. The session will explore how convergence between gaming and fintech is changing operator and consumer relationships and what new risks and opportunities may emerge for the industry.
- Wednesday, May 27
- Candid Conversations: Sports Betting (Keynote) – Millman and Maldonado will take the stage during an unscripted, peer-to-peer discussion format designed to spotlight honest dialogue between industry leaders. The session will feature a candid conversation on sports betting.
- UNLV IGI’s State of AI in Gaming Report –
- The Industry Index – Melissa Swinehart, research assistant of UNLV IGI, and Rick Arpin of KPMG will present findings from the KPMG State of AI in Gaming 2026 report. This was based on a survey of 83 gambling companies and discusses implications for operators and suppliers.
- Regulatory Pulse – Cesar Lozoya Martinez, research assistant of UNLV IGI, and Zachary Birnbaum of VIXIO will present findings from a global regulator survey and examine AI governance gaps and emerging oversight priorities. Afterward, Simo Dragicevic of UNLV IGI will moderate a panel of regulatory experts to discuss the survey results.
- Research & Advancements – Melissa Swinehart, Antonio Le and Samantha Wells of the UNLV International Gaming Institute research team will present findings on AI-related academic publications, patent filings and key themes from industry conferences. Moderated by Piyush Puranik of UNLV IGI, the session also features Ryan Rubio of Zero Labs and Simo Dragicevic of UNLV IGI in a discussion on startups, innovation and media narratives shaping AI in gaming.
- The Workshop – An interactive closing session of the “State of AI in Gaming” track that fosters collaboration and candid discussion across industry, regulation and research. Participants will rotate through themed tables to engage with peers and experts, exchanging ideas, challenging perspectives and surfacing practical takeaways on the evolving role of AI in gambling. Tables will be led by Rick Arpin of KPMG, Simo Dragicevic of UNLV International Gaming Institute and Kasra Ghaharian of UNLV International Gaming Institute, with Bronwen Gregg of Insight Global serving as the host.
- The Industry Index – Melissa Swinehart, research assistant of UNLV IGI, and Rick Arpin of KPMG will present findings from the KPMG State of AI in Gaming 2026 report. This was based on a survey of 83 gambling companies and discusses implications for operators and suppliers.
- Candid Conversations: Sports Betting (Keynote) – Millman and Maldonado will take the stage during an unscripted, peer-to-peer discussion format designed to spotlight honest dialogue between industry leaders. The session will feature a candid conversation on sports betting.
- Thursday, May 28
- Risk Taking in Arts & Entertainment (Keynote) – Featuring Jeanne Elfant Festa, co-president of White Horse Pictures and Myron Martin, president and CEO of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, this discussion explores how risk-taking shapes creative industries including film, television and live production. The conversation is moderated by Alan Feldman, director of strategic initiatives at UNLV International Gaming Institute.
- Risk Taking in Arts & Entertainment (Keynote) – Featuring Jeanne Elfant Festa, co-president of White Horse Pictures and Myron Martin, president and CEO of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, this discussion explores how risk-taking shapes creative industries including film, television and live production. The conversation is moderated by Alan Feldman, director of strategic initiatives at UNLV International Gaming Institute.
Official programming, speakers and schedules are available at https://bit.ly/19gconfevent and will be updated regularly.
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