Drawing on the experience and insight of thought leaders including Scott Rochelle, Executive Director of the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRA), former NBA All Star, Caron Butler, and NBA Veteran Stephen Howard, the keynote, moderated by Angela Ruggiero, CEO and co-founder of Sports Innovation Lab, will lift the lid on all of the pertinent issues relating to name, image, branding and licensing rights at the same time as scoping out the possible future relationship between the sports betting industry and professional athletes.

Dan Tyler, Senior Conference Producer at SBUSA organiser Clarion Gaming, said the conversations taking place around name and image rights in relation to sports betting, are at a very early stage and the potential to shape them is significant. He stated: “Representatives of the Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpko have moved extremely quickly to trademark the phrase “Greek Freak” on behalf of their client. Significantly, the trademark is not just for the usual portfolio of fast-moving-consumer goods but it also extends to online gambling sites and includes derivatives of his name such as Greek Fr34K, a reference to his chosen No.34 jersey.

“At the moment we are talking about pioneering and to a certain extent speculative strategies but the opportunity for athletes to cash in on their talent and to build their brand harnessing the power of online betting platforms are there for all to see.”

He added: “Sports Betting USA will be speaking to ex-pros and superstars to get inside the minds of athletes so that they can share current thinking on how pro’s will be viewing the prospects. As we have seen in the UK and Europe this is also an opportunity for retired athletes to add value to sports betting companies which are looking for ambassadors, figureheads and icons to build their brands and extend their reach.”

To request an invitation for Sports Betting USA/Sports Betting Investor Summit, the deep dive into player acquisition/activation, and financing the expansion of Sports Betting in America, visit https://www.sportsbettingusaconference.com