It’s that time of year again. The gaming world is gearing up for its annual trip to Las Vegas for the 24th iteration of the esteemed Global Gaming Expo (G2E). The G2E Summit is a chance for organisations from across the industry to bring their best and brightest in products and people, to showcase all they have to offer.  

Hosted by Reed Exhibitions (RX) and the American Gaming Association (AGA) at the Venetian in Las Vegas, the exhibition will take place in the Venetian Expo Hall. The event kicks off on Monday 7 October and will reach its conclusion on the afternoon of Thursday 10 October.  

Last year, Las Vegas saw an influx of 25,000 gaming professionals and 268 exhibitors from 125 countries to the Venetian. This year’s G2E will, of course, aim to build on that, as well as the years that came before. Therefore, guests and exhibitors alike, can expect bigger and better from G2E 2024.  

With over 300 scheduled keynote speakers and 95+ sessions and presentations, G2E 2024 has partnered with the likes of the Indian Gaming Association, Global Gaming Women and the International Association of Gaming Advisors as part of the design process of this year’s programme.  

The goal of G2E is to be a hub of gaming sessions, presentations and expositions. Focusing on the latter, the Exposition Hall will, this year, become the temporary home of over 350 exhibitors looking to showcase their latest gaming innovations. Further, there will be an iGaming Zone for online gaming suppliers and operators. This space is dedicated to exploring the latest in both online casino and online sports betting across the Americas. Naturally, in recent years, G2E’s focus on iGaming has become greater and greater. 

Moreover, a recent addition to the G2E Summit has been ‘The Lab’. Formerly known as ‘The Innovation Lab,’ ‘The Lab’ acts as a centre for both networking and discussion around the topics of iGaming innovation and the future of the industry.  

This year’s G2E features a New Exhibitor Zone for first and second-time G2E exhibitors, with a view to offering a dedicated space for visitors to explore exhibitions from companies they may not have seen in previous years.  

The AGA initially hosted the first ever Global Gaming Expo in October 2001 at the Las Vegas Convention Center – which would remain the home of the exposition for 10 years until the location was updated to the Venetian by the AGA in 2010. At the first meeting, keynote speakers including then Chairman and CEO of MGM Studios, Alex Yemenidjian and actress Whoopi Goldberg, who presented to the 10,000 attendees. Since then, G2E has grown to accommodate 25,000 attendees in 2023, making G2E one of the world’s fastest-growing trade shows by attendance.  

Whatever unfolds is no doubt sure to shape top-level strategy for the gaming industry heading into 2025. Whether it’s AI, M&A, tribal gaming or online casino, a transformative year most likely awaits. After all, in this dynamic industry, what year isn’t transformative?

Post-covid growth 

G2E 2023 signified the show’s full recovery from Covid-19 and was just 2,000 attendees shy of topping the summit’s record attendance figures of 27,000, recorded shortly before the pandemic at G2E 2019. 

Looking ahead, G2E 2024 will aid the discussion of key industry topics via carefully selected panels and presentations constructed by the event’s organisers. Broader topics for G2E 2024 include conversations around advancements in crisis communications for gaming leaders, and the roadmap for online gaming and sports betting expansion. Further, customer journey mapping for casino marketing will also be on the agenda.  

Taking a closer look at this year’s schedule, however, a range of events will take place across seven different stages entitled Veronese 2401, Titan 2301, Titan 2303, Titan 2305, Titan 2205, Bellini 2101 and Bellini 2103. Kicking off on Monday at 9:00am on the Veronese 2401 stage is the ‘Casino Loyalty 2.0: Creating Lifelong Patrons’ talk. Other interesting early discussions include the ‘Lessons from a Year of Change’ discussion at 9:00am on Titan 2301, ‘Where Sports Betting Sits on the Regulatory Agenda’ at the same time on Bellini 2101 and ‘The Role of DEI in the Gaming Industry,’ also at 9:00am on Titan 2205.  

‘Navigating Cyber Extortion’ will be explored at 10:10am on Titan 2301 – particularly interesting given the high-profile MGM cyber attack of last year – while ‘Opportunities in Tribal Gaming: Growth and Regulation’ will take place on the Titan 2303 stage at the same time. The afternoon also plays host to a number of interesting topics, such as ‘Women in AI: Pioneering the Next Generation of Casino Tech’ on Titan 2301 at 2:40pm and ‘Seizing Opportunities in Brazil’s Sports Betting Market’ on Bellini 2103 at the same time.  

Tuesday begins with the ‘G2E Welcome and State of the Industry’ presentation on the main stage, followed by the Tuesday Keynote Speaker (TBC) from 8:30am – 10:00am. The Expo Hall will then be officially opened for exploration between 10:00am and 5:00pm.  

Wednesday’s Keynote will appear from 9:00-10:00am, followed by a range of talks, including two both held at 11:40am on ‘Regulatory Modernisation in the UK and What the US Can Learn’ on Bellini 2103 and ‘Deep Dive: Online Gambling in Latin America’ on Veronese 2401. While, at the time of writing, G2E’s keynotes are unconfirmed, they usually deliver with high-level conversations from the industry’s big-named CEOs. 

Finally, Thursday concludes the exposition with four separate workshops, held on Veronese 2401, Titan 2305, Titan 2205 and Bellini 2103, covering subjects including casino marketing, sports betting expansion, enhancing efficiency with Lean Six Sigma and crisis communications with gaming leaders. The Expo Hall will also be open from 10:00am – 3:00pm, before the summit reaches its conclusion.  

Networking opportunities 

One of the key motivations for many considering attending the G2E Summit is the opportunity to network with other industry participants. The event has, therefore, included a G2E Networking Lounge for this year’s exhibition, which will attempt to spark discourse through the arrangement of themed meetups and events. RX is certainly emphasising the benefits of networking at this year’s event. 

Overall, whether it’s networking, attending conference panels or simply walking the show floor, there is an abundance of opportunities to look forward to at this year’s G2E. Whatever unfolds is no doubt sure to shape top-level strategy for the gaming industry heading into 2025. Whether it’s AI, M&A, tribal gaming or online casino, a transformative year most likely awaits. After all, in this dynamic industry, what year isn’t transformative?