The Racing and Gaming Conference at Saratoga today announced an exceptional lineup of speakers for its 2026 conference Aug. 10-12 at the Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Hilton.
Bringing together nationally recognized leaders from horse racing, gaming, government, academia, and the legal community, the conference will provide an unparalleled forum for examining the industry's most pressing issues and emerging opportunities.
Over three days, attendees will hear from regulators, racing executives, gaming operators, legislators, attorneys, academics, and policymakers as they engage in substantive discussions on the future of racing and gaming. Conference sessions will explore topics including sports betting integrity, iGaming expansion, prediction markets, Historical Horse Racing, New York's evolving casino landscape, horse welfare, racing regulation, and emerging technologies reshaping the industry.
"The Racing and Gaming Conference at Saratoga has long been recognized as the place where leaders come together to have meaningful conversations about the future of these industries," said Patrick Brown, conference organizer and co-founder and partner emeritus of Brown Weinraub. "This year's speaker lineup reflects the breadth of expertise and perspectives necessary to address the complex legal, regulatory, and business issues facing racing and gaming today."
This year's conference will feature NBC's Steve Kornacki to headline with a discussion called "Concentration, Competition and the Future of American Horse Racing"
Other speakers scheduled to participate include:
—Waqas Ahmed, Executive Secretary, Virginia Racing Commission
—William Alempijevic, Chief Operating Officer, AmWager
—Justin Andreozzi, Partner, Lippes Mathias
—Joe Appelbaum, Founder & CEO, Waigr Inc.
—Joe Asher, Founder & CEO of Boomer's Sportsbook
—Oliver Barie, Government Relations Director, National Association Against iGaming
—Patrick Brown, Conference Co-Producer; Co-Founder and Partner Emeritus, Brown Weinraub, PLLC
—Jason Clairmont, Principal BD Industry Specialist, Betting and Gaming, Amazon Web Services
—Michelle Cohen, Member, Ifrah Law
—Kim Copp, Partner, Taft Law Firm
—Brian Culnan, of Counsel, O'Connell & Aronowitz
—Chelsea Davis, Deputy Secretary for Gaming, Cannabis, and Alcohol, New York State Governor's Office
—Mark DiLorenzo, Founder, GiddyUp Bets
—Tim Drehkoff, CEO, Rush Street Gaming
—Dennis M.P. Ehling, Partner, Blank Rome
—Joe Faraldo, President, Standardbred Owners Association of New York
—Russell Fine, President, Game Play Network
—Brad Fischer, of Counsel, Orrick
—Michele Fischer, Vice President, SIS Content Services
—Alan M. Foreman, former Chairman and CEO-Thoroughbred Horseman's Association; National Ombudsman to HISA and HIWU
—Annabelle Goese, OTTB (Off-Track Thoroughbred) Owner; Chief of Staff, American Gaming Association
—William Gotimer, William G. Gotimer, Jr. Law Practice and Business Consultancy
—Marshall Gramm, Professor of Economics, Rhodes College
—Dan Hartman, former Director, Colorado Division of Gaming
—Christian Hellmers, CEO and Co-Founder, Longshot Fantasy Inc.
—Danielle D. Holmes, Partner, Hodgson Russ
—Chris Jewett, SVP, Corporate Development, Bally's Corporation
—Don Johnson, CEO, Quantitative Trading, LLC
—Dwayne Killings, Men's Basketball Coach, University at Albany
—Jack Knowlton, Owner of Kentucky Derby Winner Funny Cide; Managing Partner, Sackotoga Stables
—Adam Koenig, former Kentucky Legislator, Executive Director, Kentucky Quarter Horse Racing Association
—Steve Kornacki, Chief Data Analyst NBC News
—Gunner laCour, President, CHRIMS-PGSI
—Melanie laCour, Legal Director, ZwillGen PLLC
—Stephen Landry, Executive Director, Louisiana State Racing Commission
—Bennett Liebman, Government Lawyer in Residence at Albany Law School and an adjunct professor of law
—Conor Lucas, Vice President of Government Affairs, Revolutionary Racing Kentucky
—Brent Malmstrom, Horse Owner
—Ed Martin, CEO, Association of Racing Commissioners International
—Steve May, Senior Executive - Government Affairs, GLI
—Kenny McPeek, Trainer, McPeek Racing; Kentucky Derby and Oaks Winning Trainer
—Abiskar Mitra, SVP, Business Affairs, Major League Soccer
—Sally Jane Mixon, Founder/CEO, MA, LPCC; Canterbury Park Chaplain
—Katie Neer, of Counsel, Dickinson & Avella, PLLC
—Brian O'Dwyer, Chairman, New York State Gaming Commission
—Andrew Offerman, Senior Vice President, Racing and Operations, NYRA
—Josh Oppenheimer, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig
—Lou Rogacki, Assistant Attorney General, Deputy Director, New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement
—Marc H. Rubinstein, Partner, Reid Rubinstein Bogatz
—Peter Sacopulos, Partner, Sacopulos, Johnson and Sacopulos
—Rajat Shah, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig
—Karl Sleight, Partner, Lippes Mathias
—Meghan Taylor, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs and Public Relations, Resorts World New York
—Jeff True, Sr. VP Sales & Client Services, 1/ST Technology
—Lou Trombetta, Director of Government Relations, FanDuel
—Dan Ullman, Partner, Orrick
—Nancy Underwood, Executive Director, Backstretch Employee Service Team
—Chris Wittstruck, Equine Attorney, Standardbred Owners Association of New York
—Carrie Woerner, Chair, New York State Assembly Committee on Racing & Wagering
Scheduled Topics
—Integrity, Horse Welfare, and the Human Element in Racing
—Regulatory Modernization in U.S. Racing and HISA Update
—Prediction Markets: Innovation or Regulatory and Legal Challenge
—Downstate Casinos and the Future of Gaming in the Northeast
—iGaming: Inevitable Innovation or Passing Fancy?
—The Economics of Horse Ownership
—Prop Bets, Point Shaving, and Game Integrity
—Regulation, Competition, and Conflicts in the Gaming Ecosystem
—The Future of Historical Horse Racing
—Can the $100/Week Bettor Compete with CAWs?
—A Bet Is a Bet ... Or Is It?
