|
NCLGS to Double Down on Responsible Gambling as
Key Focus at Summer Meeting
| | SAN DIEGO, CA: The National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) will broaden its focus on responsible gaming at its 2026 Summer Meeting, taking place July 8-11 at the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego. This year’s program features two high‑impact sessions examining how families, operators, training organizations, and digital platforms are advancing measurable, evidence‑based outcomes across the player journey. | | |
The first session, “Protecting Youth: Responsible Gambling and the Risks of Underage Advertising,” will feature Kim Freudenberg and her son Kurt Freudenberg, whose lived experience underscores the urgent need for stronger protections for young people. Overseen by the NCLGS Committee on Responsible Gambling, this panel will elevate education around youth gambling and highlight the real‑world consequences families face.
Kim founded Parents Standing Together after navigating her son’s gambling addiction, which began at age 11 through online games and later escalated into sports betting and crypto casinos. Kurt’s addiction led to academic struggles, financial harm, and ultimately 10 months in rehab.
This panel will also feature Dr. Timothy Fong, a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and a board‑certified addiction psychiatrist at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. He co-directs the UCLA Gambling Studies Program, one of the nation’s leading research centers examining the causes, clinical characteristics, and treatment of gambling disorder. Dr. Fong also directs the UCLA Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship, training the next generation of specialists in evidence‑based addiction care. Dr. Fong's bio.
| | |
Additional panelists include:
- Marlene Warner, CEO, Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health
- Kevin Winters, Co-Founder and CEO of Almond Digital Health
The second session, “Driving Measurable Outcomes in Responsible Gambling: Land-Based and Online,” will bring together leaders advancing evidence‑based practices across both traditional and digital gaming environments. Panelists Include:
- Paul Buck, CEO, EPIC Global Solutions
- Paul Pellizzari, Vice President, Global Social Responsibility, Hard Rock International
- Dr. Jen Shatley, Executive Director, Responsible Online Gaming Association
- Jessica Welman, Deputy Director, Campaign for Fairer Gambling
These sessions reflect NCLGS’s ongoing commitment to advancing responsible gambling policy, strengthening regulatory frameworks, and ensuring legislators have access to the latest research, data, and best practices shaping the future of gaming.
These sessions are part of a robust program that includes:
- General Session – Prediction Markets (extended session)
-
General Session – Sports Betting in America: Risks, Rewards, and the Road Ahead (extended session)
-
Joint Committee on Casinos & Indian Gaming Sovereignty – Sports Betting & the Future of Tribal Gaming: A California Conversation
-
Pari‑Mutuel Committee – The Road Ahead: Decoupling, HHR and HISA
- General Session – State Attorneys General on the Docket
-
NCLGS International Committee – Illegal Gambling at Home and Abroad
- Special Committee on Taxes – Balancing Revenue, Competition and Sustainability in Modern Gaming
- Committee on Lottery
-
Committee on Emerging Forms of Gaming – Does Regulation Stifle Innovation? Legislative Considerations for a Rapidly Evolving Gaming Industry
| | There will also be two evening receptions, and a late-night event sponsored by FanDuel (details coming soon). The meeting will conclude with a Legislator/Regulator Roundtable, presented in partnership with the North American Gaming Regulators Association (NAGRA). | | Sponsorship opportunities remain for organizations seeking to engage directly with lawmakers and industry leaders during NCLGS’s 30th anniversary year. | | |
NCLGS has a block of rooms available at two San Diego hotels:
-
Hard Rock Hotel San Diego: You must book your room prior to June 5, 2026 in order to receive the group rate. Click here to book your room at Hard Rock.
-
Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter: The Hilton is just a short walk from the Hard Rock. You must book your room prior to June 16, 2026 in order to receive the group rate. Call 1-800-Hiltons and use the group code 90C or click here to book your room at Hilton.
| | NCLGS is the only organization of state lawmakers that meets on a regular basis to discuss gaming-related issues. The NCLGS semiannual meetings, which are open to the public, attract numerous state legislators as well as regulators, gaming operators and suppliers, attorneys, lobbyists, media, and other stakeholders to discuss all aspects of regulated gaming, as well as the risk implications of unregulated gaming. NCLGS meetings are proudly produced and organized by Spectrum Gaming Group, which serves as Executive Director. | | 2026 Summer Meeting Sponsors | | | | |
