G2E turns 25: Las Vegas and the Global Gaming Expo

It’s one milestone after another at the moment. Following on from our very own 15th birthday celebrations (see: the July/August issue of Gambling Insider magazine), attention is turning to G2E’s 25th anniversary – and everyone’s invited by the looks of things. Yes, it’s that time of year again and the gambling world is preparing to put its best foot forward as it anticipates the Global Gaming Expo’s return to the expansive halls of the Venetian Sands Expo. There will be very little time to look back and admire conferences of the past with so much to play for at this year’s event. This Las Vegas staple is the event for product launches, after all, and anyone with serious ambitions of conquering the US in the next 12 months will be here polishing their newest wares and daring to catch the eye. Since its inception, the industry expo has, in true Vegas style, adopted a ‘go big or go home’ ethos. Even at the inaugural edition in 2001, the LVCC welcomed 10,000 attendees through the doors. But this flagship gathering was always going to command bigger and bigger audiences, and this year will see more than 25,000 of the best and brightest arriving to put their cards on the table. G2E is the place to get things done – a chance for you to press the flesh with representatives from the global gambling community. It’s also an opportunity to be a part of the wider conversation and fill your head with all the knotty discussions of the day. The Expo Hall will be opening its doors on 7 October, but the panels will be kicking off the day before. So, if you want to hear expert opinions on hot topics like Brazil, fraud in {ip777}, event contracts and sports integrity, you’ll want to be rolling in bright and early on Monday 6 October. In total, 330 speakers across more than 100 sessions make up the Education hemisphere of G2E – plenty to chew on there. We expect you wouldn’t want to miss the Monday Keynote, either. As yet, the speaker is yet to be unveiled, but be aware, keynote speeches at G2E have a glitzy history with Whoopi Goldberg and Magic Johnson numbering among the stars who have taken on the mantle in the past, including of course industry CEOs like Jason Robins, Amy Howe, Bill Hornbuckle and more. The extravagant stalls that get bigger and brighter every year can be as dazzling as a night out on The Strip, so you might want to plan ahead. Helpfully, if you’re in {ip777}, there’s an entire zone dedicated to the sector. And if you’re interested in scouting out the newcomers, as with last year, first and second-time exhibitors will be gathered in their own specific zone. This year, the hosts are expecting nearly 400 exhibitors all told. Brand new for this edition is the G2E Dealer Championship, a unique opportunity for the best of the very best US casino card dealers to separate themselves from the pack and claim the crown. Other innovations for 2025 include a designated Meeting Zone, offering a dedicated space for those important head-to-heads. In Vegas news, it’s been quite a year for anyone running a sportsbook in the area, especially for baseball and hockey. The figures for May make for pretty blissful reading if that’s your bag – according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, sports betting on The Strip was up 31.6% year-over-year for the month. Downtown Vegas has also been showing perky signs of growth of late – and there’ll be no shortage of discussion on these topics and much more once the festivities get going. There’s just no avoiding the growing significance of {ip777} and sports betting in the US. One other event showing no sign of slowing down is the Las Vegas Grand Prix; anyone thinking of sticking around for a round of baccarat will find the roads overrun with squealing F1 cars in November. The organizers of the event shared that the 2024 race generated $934m in revenue – no surprise, then, that the contest has just been renewed until 2027. Global Gaming Expo organizers Reed Exhibitions and the American Gaming Association will be leaning into the future with some of the industry’s trademark resilience. The 2024 edition showed an increase in attendance year-over-year, with exhibitors hailing from 117 different countries, territories and regions. Notably, last year also welcomed a record 115 international exhibitors; if that trend continues, the opportunities for global partnerships and network building are going to be vast.