Ggb Magazine Podcast

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.

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

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. (Listen to podcast abv., or view the video at the bottom). GGB: Why don’t you give us a little thumbnail of what gambling in Ireland looked like before the recent regulatory reforms were considered? JJ Woods: Somewhere around the late ’90s or 2000, the law was circumvented when private members’ clubs started to open all over the country. This was the first time that live gaming was offered, largely

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 th

Legalizing sports betting in Indiana was one of the smoothest and most efficient processes in all the states. A reasonable tax rate, fees and regulations have proven to be a success story in the state. Senator Jon Ford steered that process through the state Senate and now he’s looking to do the same with iGaming. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros at the winter conference for the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) at Resorts World in Las Vegas in December. (Listen to podcast above or view video below). GGB: Indiana had a very successful launch of sports betting, particularly when you view the debuts in other states. Why was it so smooth in Indiana? Jon Ford: I think one of the big reasons was conferences by NCLGS, where a lot of our legislators like myself got educated. And then we spent a lot of time on educating the General Assembly. We even brought the University of Nevada, Las Vegas out to Indiana to hold a class. So, the key was educational. Did you model it after any spec

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.