Ggb Magazine Podcast

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 m

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. Billhimer spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros in a suite on the top floor of Live! Philadelphia in September. (Listen to complete podcast above or see video below). GGB: Let’s talk about the location of Live! Philadelphia and what it was designed to be. Joe Billhimer: Well, we are in the Stadium District of the city that has stadiums and arenas for the four major professional sports, and I believe we have transformed the Stadium District into a great place to come watch sports. This is a full resort destination with a tremendous location right off I-76 and right off I-95. We have great access in and o

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 Harr

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.) GGB: Various casinos have tried many things to connect with the esports crowd without much success. Is there any real realistic partnership possible between esports and casinos at this point? Anthony Gaud: Yes, I think actually that’s where it’s going. If we look at what has worked and what hasn’t worked, most people believe the esports business is a $200 bill

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.

Bill Miller became the third leader of the American Gaming Association in 2019, and has dealt with a variety of issues from the legalization of sports betting to an industry initiative that battles human trafficking. But the challenges ahead of a slumping economy and the spread of iGaming will test his and the organization’s fortitude. He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros at the AGA offices in Washington, D.C. in July. (See video below for full interview). GGB: Gaming just had a record-breaking year revenue-wise, and it looks like 2022 will surpass that. But of course, now we have this this shadow of inflation and higher gas prices staring us in the face. How should the industry respond to these kinds of real-world concerns? Bill Miller: First, I think it is important to remember where we just came from. We came from the nadir. The 989 casinos all across America—every single one of them shut down for months, with furloughs of tens of thousands of people. No area in the country was more badly affected tha

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.