ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – The longest-running gaming conference in the United States will honor the late H. Steven Norton, a founder of the modern gaming industry, at a reception sponsored by his family. The 27th Annual East Coast Gaming Congress will be held April 17-18, 2024 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City. The reception will take place at 6 pm on April 17 at Council Oak at the Hard Rock.
Norton, who passed away earlier this month at the age of 89, was Executive Vice President of Resorts International during the 1970s-1980s and played an instrumental role in the legalization of casino gaming in Atlantic City in 1976. Following that successful referendum, Norton led the 1978 opening of Resorts International, the first legal casino in the United States outside Nevada.
Steve Norton was a featured speaker at the inaugural ECGC in 1996, which recognized the 20th anniversary of the Atlantic City gaming referendum, and attended nearly every ECGC in subsequent years.
“My Father was a passionate advocate for Atlantic City and the gaming industry till the end. I can’t think of a more fitting way to celebrate his legacy and commitment to Atlantic City and the surrounding community, than to be honored at the East Coast Gaming Congress,” said Rob Norton, President of Cordish Gaming.
“So many people who work in this industry, as well as countless stakeholders whose livelihood depends on gaming are direct beneficiaries of Steve Norton’s efforts,” said ECGC co-founder Michael Pollock.
“Steve Norton demonstrated to New Jersey and the world that gaming companies could operate with integrity and commitments to their community, and in doing so, he helped open the door in multiple jurisdictions,” said ECGC co-founder Lloyd D. Levenson, Chairman and CEO of the Cooper Levenson law firm.
The 27th ECGC will include keynote addresses from 11 major industry CEOs. Additional speakers include a wide range of leading regulators, suppliers, investors and other experts who will address a broad array of topics that are central to the future of gaming.
The conference will also present a Lifetime Achievement Award to David Rebuck, Director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement.
Past ECGC speakers have included six governors of New Jersey, as well as all CEOs who have ever led the American Gaming Association. The conference will again provide outstanding opportunities for sponsorships, networking, professional development, and business-to-business discussions.
For more information, visit www.ecgc.us or contact Donna Vecere at dvecere@cooperlevenson.com.
