GGB Magazine Podcast

Legends Bay may have been the first new addition to the Reno-Sparks market in over 20 years, but it took more than a decade of trials and tribulations to finally open its doors in August of 2022. Ryan Walker stepped into the role of general manager earlier this year with decades of operational experience, including stints in Laughlin, Nevada overseeing the Edgewater and Colorado Belle Resorts as well as executive-level roles at Southern California's Tortoise Rock and Spotlight 29 casinos.  Walker sat down with GGB Managing Editor Jess Marquez at Duke's Steak House inside Legends Bay in June.

Our guest for this week's GGB Podcast is Keith Kruczynski, vice president of studios for North America at Ainsworth Game Technology. Kruczynski is a veteran game designer and R&D executive, having spent 12 years as director of game development for the former Bally Technologies, followed by stints at IGT and, most recently, as the first vice president of game development for Gaming Arts. He joins Ainsworth as that company's game development efforts are expanding.

This week's podcast features Acres Manufacturing, a company that is changing the way casinos market to and serve their customers. Noah Acres, a principal of Acres Manufacturing, speaks with Global Gaming Business Editor Frank Legato about Acres' new cashless technology and new capabilities of the company's Foundation casino management system.

In gaming, the voice of the regulator is seldom heard, which in some ways is part of the job. This episode, however, is lucky to have two such voices—Susan Hensel and Joseph Grad spent years together at the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) overseeing one of the fastest-growing markets in the industry. Now, they've joined forces again to form Hensel Grad, a gaming law firm with world-class experience and expertise. The duo spoke about those formative PCBG experiences, the regulatory environment of today's market and their future plans for Hensel Grad with GGB Managing Editor Jess Marquez in May.

Jeff Jordan is a slots guy through and through —he worked in slot operations for some of the highest-profile names in the industry, he teaches college-level courses on the subject at the University of Nevada, Reno, and now he's developed SlotCycle, a revolutionary new platform for operators to buy and sell slots and other casino equipment. Akin to eBay and other online marketplaces, the company has also expanded greatly since its launch to include procurement services and other offerings. Jordan spoke with GGB Managing Editor Jess Marquez from his Las Vegas office in May.

In this week's podcast, Dean Ehrlich, executive vice president and games business leader for Everi, speaks with GGB Editor Frank Legato about the supplier's new Dynasty Vue cabinet, the company's hardware roadmap, and its entry into the historical horse racing market.

This week's podcast features Bluberi, one of the fastest-growing slot suppliers in the business. CEO Andrew Burke and Chief Product Officer Mike Brennan tell the story of Bluberi's fast rise to Global Gaming Business Editor Frank Legato.

Sequoyah Simermeyer was appointed by the President to a three-year term after the United States Senate unanimously confirmed his nomination in November 2019. As chairman, he is responsible for the federal regulatory agency's daily operations including its eight regional offices as well as its national and local training and technical assistance efforts. He has taken some bold steps as chairman and kicked off some impressive programs designed to benefit Native Americans and operators alike. He spoke with GGB Managing Editor Jess Marquez at the IGA trade show in San Diego in March.

The El Cortez Downtown Las Vegas casino hotel and the operator Kenny Epstein are legends in the industry. Founded by Bugsy Siegel, later owned by Jackie Gaughan, Kenny Epstein has been in charge for at least 50 years. The Downtown renovation has given new life to the old lady, and constant renovations have made it a “hip” destination who's demographics are largely 50-50 instead of the previous 70-30 local. He was jointed in the discussion with his longtime partner Mike Nolan. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros at the El Cortez last fall.

When Todd Haushalter was hired by Evolution Gaming in 2014, few people realized that Evolution would become the world largest revenue producer in the online gaming space. But those same people underestimate the allure of live encounters between dealers and players. And when game shows were added to the mix it's no surprise that the company has developed an entire slew of fun and entertaining games. He spoke with GGB Managing Editor Jess Marquez at the ICE tradeshow in London in February.

Sal Semola has almost 30 year experience in gaming management, with companies such as Greektown Casino in Detroit, Cannery Casinos and Warner Gaming in Las Vegas and several tribal and riverboat casinos. But it wasn't until Semola was hired at Gun Lake Casino in Wayland, Michigan that he really hit his stride. He was able to advise the owners of the casino, the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, how to grow their casino while helping to diversify their economy. The tribe is about the complete phase 5, and most spectacular of its expansion project. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros from his home in Michigan during a winter storm in February. GGB: It's been a long time since you took over at Gun Lake, and you've been doing such a great job that I don't think they'll ever let you go. Semola: I appreciate that. I'm blessed with great support from leadership and also a good executive team. I've been here now approximately five and a half years. And it's been fun. We've done a lot of good things and more to come. Explain what region of Michigan you're in. You're just south of Grand Rapids, correct? Yes, sir. We are just outside of Grand Rapids located off of Highway 131, which is a major north-south artery for Western Michigan, so it's highly trafficked, and we're about equidistant between Grand Rapids, which is the second largest city in the state, and Kalamazoo, Michigan as well. So I'm mistaken thinking that you're out in the woods somewhere? No—our area is somewhat rural. But in the time that I've been here, I've seen just a ton of growth and development in the area, whether it's residential or office buildings. Even the Grand Rapids International Airport is undergoing a major expansion. So there's a lot of things happening in this area. Currently you're completing a $300 million expansion. What are some of the elements of that build-out? We are calling the expansion phase five. It comprises a 252-room, four-diamond hotel—we don't have a hotel currently—a spa, additional food and beverage venues, expanded casino space, albeit slightly, and what we refer to as the Aquadome, all designed by HBG Design. And what was the reason for this expansion? You've already had four phases prior to this one. Why did the triad think it was necessary for such a major project? That's a great question. And the short answer is we're playing catch-up. Back in the day when the tribe began this process and partnered with Station at that time, there were a couple of lawsuits that put a little bit of a hamper on what was going to be built. That lawsuit went on for years and ultimately went to the U.S. Supreme Court. The tribe ultimately did prevail, but you had that overhang, and also at the same time as the project was being developed, the financial crisis under way. So those two things really impacted what was built initially. Like I said, we're playing catch-up here now. I came on midway through what was characterized as the phase-three expansion, which was rather modest in the sense it was maybe a 100-slot machine addition to the floor. But it was really about a connector building for a parking garage that was needed in anticipation of meeting the needs of future expansions due to the increased traffic, and also the depletion of existing surface parking. And then phase four, which we just completed in September 2021, comprised three new F&B outlets, and began to set the table for phase five. Once phase five, which is the current expansion, is complete, we will still be smaller than two other successful properties in the area despite Gun Lake Casino, and Grand Rapids in particular, having much more favorable MSAs. What I hear about the tribal leadership is very impressive—that they're thinking beyond gaming—and I believe they have a new mixed-use non-gaming development under way. Is this a path for the future for not only Gun Lake, but for progressive tribes? Yes. I believe you're spot on. The tribal leadership here is extremely forward-thinking. I think that when you take into account that they've only been on their own, so to speak—outside of the umbrella of employing a management company—they're much further along in that cycle of evolution, in terms of how they look at business and the future. With that, I believe that tribal gaming enterprises in general as they become more mature over time and realize that there's economic opportunities that they can comfortably participate in outside of the sovereignty umbrella, they become more comfortable investing in that area. And you'll see more of that; we've already seen it in the commercial gaming front. As you know, I was part of the Greektown Casino opening, which was the first commercial Native-owned casino in the country. And since then, we've had a few more. And I think it's just the beginning, as they get more comfortable and they meet their more immediate needs. And this is for every tribe. And some tribes are larger than others, so that may take longer than others, and may be in a worse place to start off with than other tribes, and maybe in a better place. But I think ultimately 10, 15, 20 years from now, there won't be a tribe that has gaming for at least 10 years under the belt that isn't seriously considering other economic opportunities.

The International Center for Responsible Gaming was formed in the mid '90s as the industry effort to combat problem gambling by conducting blind research, where gaming companies fund the research but have no say in its outcome. Mark Lipparelli took over last month as chairman, continuing the momentum begun by the past chairman, Alan Feldman, and the president, Art Paikowsky. Lipparelli has deep experience in all gaming disciplines. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros in February in Las Vegas. To hear a full version of this podcast, visit GGBMagazine.com. GGB: You are probably the most qualified person ever to be named chairman of the of the ICRG—you have experience as an operator, as a regulator, a legislator, and now you're on the supply side. How do you think that's going to help you guide the path of the ICRG? Lipparelli: I kind of see myself as a unicorn. I do think that my background is well suited to be the chairman. And I have seen the industry from lots of different perspectives. I never planned for it to be that way, but I'm glad the things that I have done have given me a unique perspective. For the last 10 years, you've been on the board of the ICRG and seen how the organization works, correct? Yes, certainly. And we've had a really good cross section of people associated with the ICRG. It takes a little time to get an understanding of the ICRG's purpose, and the strong contributions that it's made to the industry. And seeing it from all those different perspectives is valuable. When Art Paikowsky became president, he really hit the ground running. No doubt. Art came in at a really interesting time. Like many of the organizations in our industry and in society at large, we suffered from the Covid meltdown. So we were struggling to hold on to funding, and people have been very supportive of the ICRG. But that was a very difficult time when everyone was taking their budgets to zero across the board. And for those who haven't met Art yet, he has been a dynamo. He's really helped us to get back on track. And I probably would say that we're as healthy as we've ever been. With the advent of iGaming and sports betting becoming prominent in the industry, obviously, you want to prevent any kinds of problems coming out of those areas. How important is it to really focus on those new developments? I think it's super important, and it has broadened the perspective of what our mission is. And I would even go so far as to say that it goes beyond the advent of iGaming and mobile gaming, with sportsbooks to now include an even broader focus to gaming in general. It's probable that many of the dynamics associated with even console gaming or online gaming or esports in a broad context can be very much subject matter for our researchers. So, sure, not only has iGaming and mobile sports been another place that we have to place our emphasis, but it's even broader than that. Are these new iGaming, sports betting and esports companies joining the ICRG and making contributions at the rate do you think they should be at this point? We never want to be negative on the companies who have or have not joined. I want everyone to have a better understanding of the value of the ICRG and the product that it produces. We have Art out there in the world exposing the mission of what the ICRG does. And I'm confident that some of those folks are coming on board, and we hope to make an even bigger impact with the people that are in that mobile sports and iGaming business, as well as even those adjacent markets that I just spoke about. Right from the start the ICRG was funded by the industry, but separated by the blind contributions from companies that gave money, and had no say in how the studies would come out or the final research. How important is that still to the mission of the ICRG? We are, and always have been, super focused on that. We have always said that the scientific advisory board really manages the research of the ICRG, and our charge is to make sure that the organization's properly funded. We want to make sure that people are aware, as operators, manufacturers, participants in the industry, even some governments now, of things that we're doing and our researchers are doing. But we've also had that bright line in place that says the research and the researchers' chosen fields will remain with them. Our scientific advisory board manages that. And to this day, we've never interfered in that process. We know that policy began right at the beginning when Dr. Howard Schaffer of the Harvard Medical School became involved. He has the utmost of integrity and would never tolerate any funny business going on. When I talk about the ICRG, I always point that out. Howard is a giant in his field. And I think Frank Fahrenkopf and Judy Patterson and the original group within the AGA established that as a critical component. And Alan Feldman (immediate past chairman) has been a guardian of that as well. I think our scientific advisory board has always been respectful and cooperative, and let us know that they've got interesting researchers that have interesting ideas on where they want to go. Their job is to look into valid, interesting studies, and they take care of that for us.

The International Gaming Standards Association is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and to mark that milestone they are holding the IGSA Technology Summit with a focus on sports betting, cashless transactions, and protecting the data amassed by casinos, both online and off. John English just completed a two-year stint as the chairman of the IGSA and explains why the conference is focusing on each of these areas and why the IGSA sessions will be different that other conferences. The Summit is being held at the historic Italian-American Club in Las Vegas on March 15-16. To register for the summit visit gamingstandards.com/events. English, who is also a partner with Global Market Advisors spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros in a conference room at the Ellis Island Casino in Las Vegas, one of his clients, in February.

The Robert L. Hunter International Problem Gambling Center has some of the highest success rates when treating problem gamblers. Using methods developed by Dr. Hunter prior to his death in 2018, the center is able to ease problem gamblers away from their afflictions and prepare them for further treatment. Stephanie Goodman, formerly a chief of staff for her ex-father in law, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, has become educated in the nuances of the gambling treatment world, and has developed a six-week program that gets them ready for the next chapters in their lives. She spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros at the center in Las Vegas in December.

Gaming in Ireland has been operating in a grey area since the early 2000s when British-style membership clubs began to be established. A new set of gaming regulations has been set up recently along with a new regulatory scheme. JJ Woods has been consulting on gaming projects around the world for more than 30 years and is the unqualified expert on gaming in Ireland. While he is optimistic that the new regulations will help grow the Irish gaming industry, he says specifics are few and far between because lots of issues need to be decided. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros from his office in Dublin in January.

When Hard Rock International bought the Mirage from MGM last year, they needed someone with Hard Rock and Las Vegas experience. They got it when Joe Lupo was named to lead the transition from the Mirage to Hard Rock Las Vegas. Lupo spent the formative years of his career in Las Vegas working for Boyd Gaming before heading to Atlantic City to help run the Borgata. When Boyd exited its relationship with MGM over the Borgata, Lupo signed on with Hard Rock, where he led their most successful casino in Tampa and then came to Atlantic City to open the new Hard Rock on the Boardwalk. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros at the Hard Rock offices in Las Vegas in December.

Everi has a long history in payment processing and currently owns Central Credit, a credit reporting agency for gaming used by casinos around the world. Therefore, Everi also processes more payments for gaming than any other firm and its dominance in that field currently extends to the recent cashless phenomenon sweeping the industry. But Everi is much more than just payments. It has a robust compliance program and after buying Multimedia Games more than 10 years ago, is a big player in the slot manufacturing field. Randy Taylor took over as president and CEO from Mike Rumbolz a year ago and hasn't missed a beat. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros from the Everi office in Las Vegas in November.

The American Gaming Association has a long history with research. From the first annual “State of the States” report to the most recent survey focusing on illegal gaming and its costs to the industry, the data presents a valid picture of gaming in the 2020s. David Forman joined the AGA over five years ago and now, as the vice president of research, he's responsible for all the studies released. He spoke with GGB Managing Editor Jess Marquez to talk about how research is conducted at the AGA, at G2E in Las Vegas in October.

One of the few states that really understood sports betting during the legalization process was Michigan. Brand Iden, now the vice president of government affairs for Fanatics Betting & Gaming, formerly in a similar position with Sportradar, was the state senator in Michigan who really drove the process. And by including iGaming in the package, Michigan immediately vaulted to the top of the list when it comes to states that are getting the most out of online gaming. Iden explains how the bill was handled and what hurdles he had to overcome to get it passed. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros at G2E in Las Vegas in October.

BetMGM is a partnership in the U.S. between MGM Resorts and the British gaming company, Entain. In 2018, when Adam Greenblatt, on of GGB's 25 People to Watch from the January 2023 issue, took over as CEO, there was something of a divide between the two but his previous expertise in finance and M&A made a difference and today he says the relationship couldn't be better. BetMGM is consistently one of the top three sports betting sites in the U.S. and moving up every month. But the strict compliance regulations in every state means that must be job-one to every operator, and with the recent seamless launch of BetMGM into the Canadian province of Ontario bears that out. He spoke with GGB Managing Editor Jess Marquez in December.

Earle Hall was just named one of GGB's 25 People to Watch for 2023, and it was a long time coming. Hall has been in gaming for more than 20 years figuring out how data can improve operations, customer service, and technology in the industry. Axes.ai provides anti-money laundering services, player loyalty efficiencies, marketing campaigns, real time rewards and promotions and transparent transactions. Hall, who's background is in the Canadian military, is an inspirational leader whose impact on gaming is only going to get stronger. He spoke with GGB Managing Editor Jess Marquez in December.

David Rebuck has been retiring from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement for several years but he can't get out. The state's chief regulator, he was appointed in 2011, coinciding with a change in regulatory structure in New Jersey that gave the DGE complete investigative power in that process. Since then he's presided over the legalization of online gaming, the sports betting lawsuits that led to the PASPA decision by the Supreme Court in 2018, and becoming the first state to introduce sports betting outside of Nevada. He's now served two governors and anticipates his retirement sometime in 2023. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros at the DGE offices in Atlantic City in August.

Mike Bean was named CEO of Desert Diamond Casinos & Entertainment in April 2021. Desert Diamond is the casino arm of the Tohono O'odham Gaming Enterprise, which operates four casinos in Arizona. He has extensive experience in gaming working for Mohegan Sun, Foxwoods and Harrah's Entertainment, and was most recently the CEO of the Saginaw Chippewa Gaming Enterprises in Michigan. Bean recently was responsible for the opening of the Desert Diamond West Valley Casino in Glendale. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros at G2E in October. (Listen to audio above or view the video below). GGB: You just replaced your temporary casino in the West Valley with the permanent Desert Diamond. What's special about this facility? Mike Bean: It's a nice new product in a great location. Over the past year we've spent a lot of time partnering with what's referred to as the Westgate Entertainment Center. It has State Farm Stadium where the NFL Cardinals play. We recently became the naming partner for the arena nearby, so that is now Desert Diamond Arena. And within the Westgate Entertainment District, there are lots of shopping outlets, bars and restaurants. We are part of that area and it's really nice to have that full entertainment zone next to our casino. Give us some background of Desert Diamond Casinos. We have four casinos. We have two in the Tucson market, one in Tucson itself, another one that is about 10 miles to the south, Sahuarita. And then we have the West Valley Casino, which is in Glendale, really basically adjacent to and practically part of Phoenix. And then we have a smaller casino in a town called Ajo, which is in the southwestern part of the state. We also have an opportunity to build a fifth casino as a result of the more recent compact renewals in Arizona. And the nation has acquired land to do that, and that land is pending being taken into trust. And while that's occurring, we are planning for the ground-up build for that operation. Tell us what you found when you arrived at Desert Diamond. Was there a lot of work that could be done? It's a well-run company and I'm fortunate to be part of it. When I got there we were still getting out of Covid. So the change that the team and I focused on was really doing our best to be responsible, but get ourselves back to what we call normal operations. And this past year was the first year since Covid where we are having a true benchmark for our business, even though planning and budgeting were difficult. So that's where a lot of the focus has been. Because it's such a well-run company, my focus will be on some refinement of the operations, but really on the growth. We ultimately hope to grow that Glendale property. It does not have a hotel, so we plan to add a hotel, a spa, convention space, entertainment, and more bars and restaurants. We want to make it more of a regional destination. Obviously, the Phoenix market is the largest market in the state. I was in the temporary casino soon after it opened and it was packed. Now that the permanent is open you must be really busy. Yes, we are. It's such a beautiful casino, with tremendous amenities. We have more slots and tables. And that location is great—easy on, easy off. I'm a big believer in having great access, especially in such an incredibly dense population, but it's not dead center in the middle of it where it's difficult to get in and out. Things there are going very well. We know the Phoenix area casinos are very local casinos. Most of your business must be very close by. That's very accurate. As a matter of fact, in our database, 90 percent of our business is within a 15-minute drive time. And that's great. That also says to us that because we're in the early phase of our life cycle, we see opportunity in getting more market penetration as awareness grows.

There have been a few states that have done it right when it comes to the legalization of sports betting in the U.S. and Indiana was one of them. State Senator Jon Ford was the main sponsor of the bill, and he explains why sports betting has been so successful in Indiana. Then he moves on to talk about the upcoming push to legalize iGaming in Indiana, and also addresses why he believes the state's land-based industry is also in a good place. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros at the winter conference of the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS), of which he is current president, at Resorts World Las Vegas in December.

Colin Ferris has a long history in the iGaming industry. Prior to joining Playtech as their iGaming product director, he was with IGT for 11 years as their head of content - interactive casino. His challenge with Playtech, which is one of the dominant suppliers of iGaming products in Europe and other parts of the world, is to bring their products and services to a U.S. audience. Playtech is going all out to penetrate the U.S. market, one in which Ferris is very familiar. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros at G2E in Las Vegas in October.

Steve Wynn was the first one to use fine art in a casino setting when he built the Bellagio and included a Fine Art Gallery. Since MGM has owned the property that effort has only increased. Demecina Beehn, the curator and manager of MGM Resorts' art collection, explains how the gallery introduces many visitors to fine art, and also the company's reasoning for including art in every one of its properties. She spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros for the cover story of GGB's annual supplement on non-gaming amenities, Casino Style magazine, in November.

The pandemic hit every company in the gaming industry hard and for TCSJohnHuxley it was no different. Tristan Sjöberg , the executive chairman, explains how he used the time to re-think the direction of his company. TCSJohnHuxley is now involved in online gaming supplying the hardware needed to make a visual impact for companies engaged in the live dealer space. He also talks about innovations at the table games, something the always sets TCSJohnHuxley apart from its competitors. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros at G2E in Las Vegas in October. GGB Podcast sponsored by IGT.com

London's Hippodrome casino is one of the most unique in the world. With a history dating back over a century, the Hippodrome was a theater for much of its existence, hosting such events as vaudeville shows, circuses, aquatic extravaganzas, nightclubs and more. When Simon Thomas and his father Jimmy, who recently passed away, took over the property in 2009, they embarked on a complete restoration project that transformed the property into what it is today: one of England's finest casinos. Simon Thomas sat down with GGB Publisher Roger Gros at G2E in October to talk about the past and the future of the Hippodrome.

Industry veteran Harald Neumann was named chief executive officer at Ainsworth Game Technology in September 2021, following a five-year tenure in the same position at Novomatic, Ainsworth's majority shareholder. Since his appointment, Neumann has been focused on growing the North and Latin American markets, and the company's historical horse racing (HHR) revolution has been a big part of that growth. Neumann spoke with GGB Editor Frank Legato at the Ainsworth booth at the G2E trade show in October.

While Bally's is a very recognizable name in the casino industry, it's current iteration is relatively new and has a much loftier goal that previous versions. Soo Kim bought the brand from Caesars when he was running Twin Rivers, a relatively small casino company based in Rhode Island. Kim has set a path to Bally's becoming a true omnichannel gaming company that excels in online gaming, sports betting, land-based gaming and sports entertainment. Kim says it's been more difficult and has taken more time than he originally estimated, but believes his company is on the right path. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros at G2E in Las Vegas in October.

Shape Games has been developing websites and landing pages that have been viewed by thousands of sports bettors for many years. Morton Tonnesen, the CCO of Shape Games, explains how his company has been working with the sports betting platform provider Kambi on specific projects, but the time has come for the two companies to join together. The recent acquisition of Shape by Kambi will benefit the company  by providing its customers with state-of-the art player-facing technology. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros at G2E in Las Vegas in October.

Penn National Gaming had been the leading regional gaming company for at least the past decade, but in the last few years, it has embraced an omnichannel approach to the business. Jay Snowden, the president and CEO, has taken an aggressive stance in positioning the company for growth in the digital field without taking his eyes off the land-based casinos. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros at G2E in Las Vegas in October. (For complete podcast listen to the audio above or view the video at the bottom of this article). GGB: A lot of things have changed since we've seen each other. The first is the name of the company. Why did you do that? Jay Snowden: We changed it for several reasons. We've evolved so much as a company over the course of the last three or four years. We were predominantly a regional gaming company, and we spun off all of our real estate in 2013 and 2014. So what we've been really focused on is evolution into more of an entertainment company. We are now owner of two of the best sports media brands in North America, with Barstool Sports and theScore. We also now are operating in 14 states as an online sports betting operator, and a handful from an online casino perspective. So we felt like National Gaming Inc., didn't really describe who we are anymore, and we felt “entertainment” was broadly more appropriate for us. And so the name change made a lot of sense, and it really speaks to not just the company we've become, but I think importantly where we're going as a company. Tell us why buying Barstool and theScore made sense for the company. That's something that we knew we needed to do as a company, because regional gaming in and of itself isn't high growth. And we consider ourselves a growth company. We felt like once PASPA was overturned in May 2018, that opened the door for us to really think differently about the company going digital, and to really focus on an omnichannel strategy because we have structural advantages. We own the brands that you mentioned. Those aren't joint ventures. We're not just investors. And we also own our brick-and-mortar assets and those licenses. So we can get customers, whether it's through online sports betting or a casino visit or online gaming, or really loyal followers of our sports media assets and brands and the content behind those brands, bring them into the ecosystem and then introduce them to all of the other offerings that we have and do cross sale. That's why I feel strongly that any business sector you look at, if you don't have a very compelling digital and/or omnichannel strategy, you're facing extinction in the relatively near future. So we needed to pivot, we've pivoted, we've embraced it, and here we go! You recently announced expansions of some of your properties on the land-based side. What was that all about? It's another part of our strategy for growth. And you have to remember that even though a lot of the focus for the industry over the last couple of years has been on digital and online sports betting, at the core of our omnichannel strategy are our brick-and-mortar casinos. They generate most of the revenue and a tremendous amount of cash flow for the company. We've got best-in-class assets in most of the markets where we operate, but there are a few that aren't best in class, and we've been wanting to address that. Two of the ones that are best in class just needed more hotel capacity. In the case of M Resort here in Las Vegas, we have 390 rooms today. We've been busting out of our seams for the last several years. So we announced that we're going to build another hotel about the same size—375 rooms. We're also adding a hotel in Columbus—200 rooms and about a $100 million investment. We've been needing a hotel there since day one. We'll break ground at the end of 2023. That one's probably a 12 month-to-15-month build. In Illinois, two of our assets aren't best in class and really have become less competitive over time. They're just dated riverboat barges, one in Aurora and the other in Joliet. In Joliet, we're going to actually move our license about five or six miles away to a new development, a mixed-use development, since we no longer have to be on the water. It's right off of two major interstates. And then the last one, which is the largest investment, is a $360 million relocation of our Aurora riverboats. And similarly, we're moving that one seven miles away right off of Interstate 88. The beauty of that project is that one, it's right off the interstate, but two, it's right next to a Simon Premium Outlet Mall that already attracts 7 million or 8 million people a year. Are you making these changes in Illinois because of the casinos that have been approved in the northern part of the state? We consider the moves to be both offensive and defensive. You can sit back and do nothing. You can sit on your hands and you can continue to lose market share and revenue. And that's not a compelling business strategy from my perspective. This is not just, “Hey, the riverboat barges are old, we need to build something new, but build 'em at the same location.” This is a brand-new build at more favorable locations. And so, even though there's new supply coming into Illinois, we believe this will make us a lot more competitive in Joliet and in Aurora.

Seasoned gaming veteran Joe Billhimer was named executive vice president of Cordish Gaming Group two years ago to direct the expansion of the company into Pennsylvania with the opening of the Live! Philadelphia and the mini-casino Live! Pittsburgh. Building the Philadelphia project during the pandemic was a challenge but well worth it as both casinos have achieved remarkable success over a very short period. He talks about how sports plays a huge role in the property's plans since it is located in the Stadium District in Philly. Billhimer spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros in a suite on the top floor of Live! Philadelphia in September.

Mark Nerenberg began his career in finance, before jumping into the world of fantasy sports a decade ago. He co-founded DraftStreet, which was eventually sold to DraftKings, where he went on to serve as vice president of game operations and development. Now, as COO for Simplebet, a microbetting provider, he's looking to revolutionize the way sports bettors interact with the game. Essentially, Simplebet's technology provides bettors with a new breed of fast-paced, incremental wagering options—instead of betting on spreads or on totals, users can now wager on individual at-bats, drives, and other quick outcomes. Nerenberg spoke about the future of microbetting with GGB Managing Editor Jess Marquez at G2E in Las Vegas in October.

David Rebuck has completed over a decade on the job leading New Jersey's chief regulatory body, the Division of Gaming Enforcement. Rebuck is the longest serving director in DGE history. During his term he has been responsible for the introduction of online gaming, the disruption of the Covid 19 pandemic, the quick implementation of sports betting following the Supreme Court's PASPA decision, and the shuttering of four, and the reopening of two new casinos in the Boardwalk. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros at his offices in Atlantic City in August.

Todd Haushalter had risen to the pinnacle of his profession in 2015 when he served as vice president of table games for MGM Resorts. That followed years of working for table game suppliers, where he became one of the top experts in the industry. SO it was a surprise when Haushalter resigned to join Evolution Gaming, a small, at that time, European company that offered “live dealers” for online casinos. Since then, live dealers have exploded on the internet and Evolution is clearly the market leader. Haushalter has expanded the Evolution product offering to include betable game shows and explains why the live element of online gaming is still in its infancy. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros via Zoom in August.

Imagine This has been serving the casino industry for 20 years with more than 300 casino customers. Adam Bullock, the senior vice president of sales and operations, explains how the company's incentive programs work by creating events that encourage players to visit a property over and over again due to the aspirational element of the Imagine This gifting programs. The company's Casino Continuity Program is offered risk-free to any new client, leveraging the program to create incremental revenue at every turn. Bullock spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros via Zoom in July.

The Eastern market, particularly Atlantic City, has been a tough one for Caesars Entertainment. Prior to its purchase by Eldorado Resorts two years ago, Caesars had not reinvested in its resorts in the city—Caesars Atlantic City, Harrah's Resort and the Tropicana—for some time, resulting in lower revenues and fleeing customers. John Koster was appointed president of the region just over a year ago and has overseen a renewed investment in the city. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros in a suite at Caesars Atlantic City in August. (See video below for complete interview, or listen to the podcast above.) GGB: When Eldorado bought Caesars Entertainment, they promised regulators it would spend $400 million to upgrade the three Atlantic City properties. How much of that has been completed? John Koster: When we talked last year, it was a lot of talk from the company and myself but now the rubber has truly hit the road. We have seen a lot of progress. We just opened up Bobby's Burgers the other day over at Harrah's. It was a pleasure meeting Bobby Flay, and who knows? There might be future opportunities with him. Hell's Kitchen will open up to the general public on September 21. It's a bilevel, 235 seats, and it is absolutely beautiful. In about a month we'll be opening up the 185-seat Nobu restaurant. That is coming along beautifully. I've dined at the Las Vegas location several times and I must say that Caesars Palace does not have the view that Caesars Atlantic City is going to have of the Boardwalk and the Atlantic Ocean. It's just fabulous. We just talked to our partner on the Nobu hotel suites, and we've made some minor adjustments there, but that project's going to begin very shortly. So we'll have 83 rooms and suites in our Centurion tower on the top floors. And that will round out Caesars, and I think we'll soon see that we don't have enough Nobu hotel suites. That will be a future expansion project for sure. We've also opened several more restaurants and outlets at Harrah's and the Trop, and still have a few to go that will open before next summer. What else is left? We haven't quite finalized the entertainment component. We're still working with Spiegelworld, the company responsible for Absinthe and the Atomic Saloon shows at Caesars Palace, but Gary Selesner, who is helping us with all of our entertainment and higher-end restaurant concepts and used to be the regional president for the Western properties, will be out here soon, so that deal should be signed very shortly. And once it is, it will be all systems go, and then we will be hoping to get that project open by next July. That will be a unique show here in Atlantic City. And there will be a unique Italian restaurant concept included in that development. There are lots of celebrity chefs in the Caesars properties in AC, at the same time the Borgata seems to be headed in a different direction. What is the strategy behind a celebrity chef restaurant? We've had very successful relationships with our most recent celebrity chef arrangements. Hell's Kitchen is on fire, to use a really bad pun, in Tahoe and Rincon—you can't get in. The Chef Nobu cache is very, very powerful. He has two restaurants in New York City and then with us having the first Nobu hotel and suites here on the East Coast, that will be very powerful. And added to Gordon, we all know how he does in terms of the celebrity. And then we've got Bobby and Guy Fieri. They all carry a lot of national branding all by themselves. Are buffets dead in Atlantic City? Caesars Palace has the Bacchanal. That's the model. But it's Vegas, right?—45 million people a year walking by with no seasonality. We've had to right-size the whole company, so in terms of buffets there is a direction that the company is going to continue to follow. In Atlantic City, having a variety of quick-service, medium to high-end caliber outlets matched what our customer demographics are. If there's a better model, we'll find it. You have the biggest sportsbook in town at the Wild Wild West. Is it sometimes hard to figure out how to utilize all that space? I think with our mobile Caesars sportsbook, we've got 1.5 million people signed up, which is a massive growth with a huge amount from the New York City area. So we are beginning to see the cross-pollination of the digital and sports customer into brick-and-mortar. Was it too big a footprint to begin with? Probably. But is it going to be something that we can grow into Wild Wild West? I would say yes. Especially now that it's football season. Tropicana, by the way, has got a perfectly sized sportsbook. It's surrounded nicely by gaming. That really is a great model, by the way. Our president and COO, Anthony Carano, came up with that model. The Harrah's one is nice. It's a little bit smaller. So you've got the three different sizes, if you will. So with all these great changes at the Caesars Atlantic City properties, how are you going to inform the public? By the time we get to next summer, everything should be done and open, so stay tuned. We want to make sure that people are aware of what we've got here. We really do need to relaunch Caesars in Atlantic City. I must say our air program is continuing to flourish here in Atlantic City. We're bringing people in from 49 locations around the country. That's worked very successfully, bringing them right into the Atlantic City airport. We have the biggest air program here in Atlantic City, and that's going to continue to grow.

As a media executive for the past 25 years, Anthony Gaud has an idea what people want. He won an Emmy for an innovative children's TV program and now has set his sights on esports. His company, G3, is focused on advancing esports' connection with gaming and has some unique ideas about how that's going to happen. While he believes that betting on esports will largely be an online wager, he says esports an still play a role in the land-based casino by potentially working with the casino's sportsbook. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros via Zoom from his house outside Atlantic City in September. (See video interview below, or listen to podcast above.)

When Korbi Carrison was named by RX as event director of G2E five years ago, she was the first person with a gaming background to take that position. With more than 20 years' experience in gaming, now Event Vice President Carrison understands the concerns and issues that exhibitors and attendees bring to G2E. In her five years with G2E, she has helped to navigate the most disruptive business interruption in modern tradeshow history when Covid struck. When the 2020 show was cancelled, she helped RX partner American Gaming Association to produce a virtual show that made sense of both exhibitors and attendees. When G2E returned last year with major restrictions due to Covid mandates, exhibitors and attendees returned with lower expectations. But 2022 is different. With most Covid protocols set aside, expectations are sky high and Carrison is determined to deliver. She met with GGB Publisher Roger Gros via Zoom in August to explain what to expect at G2E 2022.

The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers has had only three executive directors in more than 15 years. The bulk of that time was used by Marcus Prater, but when he retired last year, the choice was evident. Daron Dorsey had been a member of the AGEM board for several years as general counsel for Ainsworth, so he's familiar with the organization and its processes. As gaming grows, Dorsey believes AGEM has a chance to grow just as quickly as the need for a group to represent the gaming suppliers and their issues becomes more crucial. He talks about AGEM's new offices at the UNLV Blackfire Center and why he believes that puts the organization in the center of it all. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros from the Ainsworth Game Technology offices in June.

The competition of companies providing platforms services for iGaming and online sports betting operators has always been very fierce. As the chief commercial officer for Kambi, which is arguably the leader in that space, Max Meltzer learned all he could about the U.S. market and how to penetrate it. One year ago, he was named CEO of Strive Gaming, another European platform provider that has that special something, according to Meltzer. The company offers superior player management while being able to satisfy all the regulatory and compliance aspects of online gaming and delivering unique and innovative content. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros from the Strive Gaming Vancouver offices in August. (See video below.)

Regional casinos, particularly those owned by the major gaming companies, often need more to fill their rooms and increase their gaming revenues. MGM Resorts' Beau Rivage in Biloxi is one casino that has perfected the process. Just last week, the casino welcomed its 1,000,000 customer in a program that started in 2008. Brandon Dardeau, the regional president for Beau Rivage, explains that a partnership with Sun Country airlines in 2014 has allowed the program to blossom and has welcomed visitors from 90 cities as far away as Minneapolis and New Hampshire. He also comments other marketing efforts and the recent sale of the Gold Strike resort in Tunica to the Cherokees of Oklahoma. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros via Zoom from his offices in Biloxi in August.

The future of iGaming in the U.S. is really open for discussion. For Oliver Bartlett, he believes he's seen the future with the Evolution Gaming products he helped to develop. Now, as the director of gaming for BetMGM, he gets to implement those products into a company that has one of the largest market shares in the online casino space. He says the “live” dealer product is just in its infancy and the possibilities for the development of different products are endless. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros from his offices in New York in August.

As the gaming industry is about to publish record revenues for 2022, there are storm clouds on the horizon and the president and CEO of the American Gaming Association, Bill Miller, has his antenna up. Whether it's higher gas prices or soaring inflation, he believes the industry will endure, however, because it showed amazing resiliency during the pandemic. He talks about issues that are important to the industry such as illegal gambling, whether it be online or in convenience stores, human trafficking and a possible smoking ban. Miller also discusses the much-anticipated G2E scheduled for Oct 11-13 at the Venetian Expo Center in Las Vegas. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros at the AGA offices in Washington D.C. in July.

Josh Swissman is a former gaming executive with deep experience in marketing after more than 15 years with MGM Resorts and Station Casinos. As a founding partner of the Strategy Organization, which is focused on developing strategies that drive meaningful results, enhance customer loyalty and create unique experiences, Swissman is a much sought-after consultant to gaming companies across the U.S. and Canada. He gives his thoughts about the recovery from Covid, the looming recession and inflation, and the spread of iGaming throughout the land-based casino world. He spoke with GGB Managing Editor Jess Marquez at his office in Las Vegas in August.

Higher gas prices and inflation are bound to hit the casinos at some point. So how do you show your customers you care about them and want them to continue to come to your casino? Paul Gordon, the senior vice president of sales for Rymax Marketing, gaming's most successful gifting agency, says that gas cards don't work. When casinos considering the kinds of gifts to give to their players, Gordon believes that it takes a lot of research and understanding your player base. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros via Zoom from his office in New Jersey in July.

The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ) is one of the first responsible gambling organizations set up as gaming spread across the United States. Felicia Grondin was appointed executive director of the agency a year ago after a long career on the regulatory side. She has recently negotiated the use of one of the unforgettable phone numbers in the business—1-800-GAMBLER. Along with the Nation Center for Problem Gambling, CCGNJ will coordinate the use of the number on a nationwide basis, throwing desperate and troubled gamblers a lifeline just when they need it. She spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros via Zoom from the CCGNJ offices in New Jersey in July.

One million chairs is nothing to sneeze at and the folks at Gary Platt Manufacturing are justifiably proud of reaching that milestone. Founded by Gary Platt more than 30 years ago, the company basically invented the concept of chairs at slot machines and made the table game experience that much more comfortable. Despite the million chairs, Joe Esposito, the CEO of Gary Platt Manufacturing, explains why quality always trumps quantity in his company and how it is ramping up to reach the 2 million mark a lot sooner than 1 million. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros via Zoom from the Gary Platt offices in Reno in June.

Derik Mooberry spent most of his career with Bally/Scientific Games/Light & Wonder, eventually leading the gaming division of Scientific Games. Six months ago, he was named president of Zitro USA, a company founded by Johnny Ortiz and led by corporate CEO Sebastian Salat. Mooberry is charged with spreading the word about the Zitro games in the United States. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros at the GGB offices in Boulder City, Nevada in June. (See video below). GGB: Those of us who cover gaming know what great games Zitro makes, but there are quite a few operators who didn't get the memo. How are you going to change that? Mooberry: Yes, there are a lot of people who don't know who we are. And now that we're just entering the U.S. market, we need to emphasize that we're a very well established international company with over 1,000 employees around the world. The company started back in 2007, and Johnny Ortiz has a tremendous passion for games and content and making great products that make customers happy. We have bingo roots where we had tremendous success throughout countries in Latin America, primarily in Mexico, and there are still some people who see us as a bingo company. So when did Zitro begin making Class III games? A lot of our recent success and expansion are in the Class III video slot area. It was probably about 2016 that the company started making the transition to doing video slots in addition to bingo games, and that's really taken off. Our goal now is to get customers in the U.S. market familiar with who we are and what our products are. Why do you think the time is right now? It's what we've seen in other markets around the world. In places like Mexico and Argentina and other key markets, we go head to head with the biggest and best—the Aristocrats, the Light & Wonders and IGTs of the world. And we saw that our products could perform and then in some cases outperform those competitors' products. So that gave us the confidence. I think that our content, our games and our cabinet strategy are ready for the U.S. market. Tell us about the Zitro R&D department, which is often the heart and soul of any slot company. Yes, you're right. R&D is the foundation of everything for every slot company. We have over 300 people working in the R&D department primarily based in Spain today. Our products are developed over there, but they're developed in such a way that we have global aspirations when developing the products. So we're looking at what the market requirements are in the different regions of the world that we operate in. And then even here within the United States, within the different states. You can see dramatic differences in how a product needs to get set up within something that might go in Oklahoma versus what might go in a casino in Southern California. So it's a growing R&D team with a number of resources behind it, focusing on all the normal elements you would expect to build the great slot content. Tell us about your cabinets. We saw them at the Indian Gaming trade show in April, and they really popped. Our new Glare product line features four unique cabinets, all different form factors, four different content streams to go on each of those cabinets. The Glare line has enhanced side lighting so you see 4K resolution on the monitors, which really bring the characters to life. I think maybe the ultimate compliment for us was the number of competitors that came to the booth to look at some of our products.

The Cordish Companies is a family business that stretches back for five generations. David Cordish is the chairman of the company that has been a pioneer of urban development in cities around the world. Ten years ago, Cordish got directly involved in gaming with the opening of Maryland LIVE!, one of the most successful casinos on the east coast. The company has since expanded into Pennsylvania and has grand plans for the future. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros from his offices in Baltimore in June.