As three more parimutuel facilities prepare to open slot casinos in Miami-Dade County, a special panel will discuss the hot topic at the fourth annual show

Expectations were high when slot machines at Broward County racetracks debuted almost two years ago, but their initial performance was disappointing. Now, as three more parimutuel facilities are preparing to open their own slot casinos in Miami-Dade County, industry participants will discuss their experience and future plans at the  fourth annual Florida Gaming Summit., October 6-7 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Hundreds of attendees are expected to attend this popular event, including gaming operators, regulators, investors, tribal gaming leaders, attorneys, architects, vendors and other industry-related professionals.

"The performance of slot machines in Broward County has been the subject of much discussion and conjecture," said Michael Pollock, Managing Director of Spectrum Gaming Group, co-producer of the conference along with BNP Media. "Our panel this year will try to answer some of the questions about what has happened there and also explore what the Miami-Dade properties hope to do differently."

The session includes key representatives from two facilities in Miami-Dade that will soon be opening their slot casinos, Flagler Greyhound and Miami Jai-Alai. Flagler will open its Magic City Casino late next year, while Miami Jai-Alai will become the first jai-alai facility to offer slot machines. Providing insight into their plans and expectations will be W. Bennett Collet, Chairman of Florida Gaming Corp., which owns Miami Jai-Alai, and Alexander Hecht Havenick, Vice President of Operations and Legal Affairs for Southwest Florida Enterprises, owner of Flagler.

The Miami-Dade properties, which also include Calder Race Course, have their work cut out for them, considering the generally lackluster performance of the racetrack slot facilities in Broward County, the first of which opened in late 2006. Addressing the Broward experience will be prominent industry consultant Richard Thalheimer, President of Thalheimer Research Associates, Inc.

In all, some two dozen expert speakers are confirmed for the Summit, and they will address additional topics such as tribal gaming, the legislative outlook for gaming, the view from Wall Street, gaming and leisure trends and responsible gaming. Keynote speakers include James F. Allen, Chief Executive Officer, Gaming Operations, for the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and Steven A. Geller, a Florida State Senator who is instrumental in shaping the state's gaming policy.

Learn more about the Florida Gaming Summit.