Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman to Offer Keynote Address at Biloxi Gaming Summit

Biloxi, Mississippi 
March 18th, 2002

    Colorful Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman will join a diverse and impressive lineup of speakers at the 9th Annual Southern Gaming Summit, May 8th and 9th in Biloxi.

    Goodman, a former criminal defense attorney who portrayed himself in the movie "Casino," will present one of two keynote addresses May 8th. Goodman will share the podium with the honorable Phillip Martin, tribal chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.

    Keynote speakers the following day will be Thomas Gallagher, president and chief executive officer, Park Place Entertainment, and Jim Perry, president and CEO of Argosy Gaming.

    The Summit, the largest gaming conference and trade show held outside Nevada, will be held at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center.

    Goodman, who was elected mayor of Las Vegas in 1999, has been outspoken about the role of the gaming industry in civic and community affairs.

    "He combines charisma, wit, intelligence and irreverence in a manner that those of us who are privileged to be his constituents have found delightful," said former U.S. Sen. Richard Bryan of Nevada. "He is Southern Nevada's most ubiquitous and most popular public figure. This is no plain vanilla guy. He has strong views and he doesn't hesitate to share them, whether they are popular or unpopular."

    Goodman has made the revitalization of downtown Las Vegas as one of his main priorities. He also has waged a battle against efforts by the federal government to locate a storage facility for nuclear waste north of the city.

    "I've been knocking my head against the wall all these years, fighting the system from the outside," Goodman said of his career as a criminal defense attorney. "I thought, 'I'd like to keep the system clear from the inside. Wouldn't it be nice if I ran for mayor?'

    "I have raised a family in Las Vegas and built a successful law practice here. Now, I want my legacy to include building a community where future generations will have even more opportunities and advantages to live a prosperous life."

    The Southern Gaming Summit is the only gaming conference devoted solely to the casino industry in the South and the Midwest. It is also the only conference endorsed by the Mississippi Coast gaming industry. Last year more than 5,000 people converged on the conference, which included more than 140 exhibitors from the gaming and hospitality industries.

    Attendees can register online today for the Summit at www.sgsummit.com. Full conference registration is $495, which includes all seminars and admission to the exhibition. Attendees can save $100 by registering before May 1. To view the full lineup of seminar topics and speakers, visit www.sgsummit.com, or call 702-794-0718  x 200 to request a brochure. 

    This year's Summit is produced GEM Communications, LLC, the Gulf Coast Gaming Association and its members: Beau Rivage Resort, Boomtown Casino, Casino Magic Bay St. Louis, Casino Magic Biloxi, Copa Casino, Grand Casino Biloxi, Grand Casino Gulfport, Isle of Capri Casino Resort, Palace Casino Resort, President Casino Resort and Treasure Bay Casino Resort.
 

Media Contact
Stephen Gibbs
(913) 344-1300 x 234
sgibbs@gemcomm.com