Gambling in the USA
Accel Entertainment Announces Two Senior Executive Appointments
Accel Entertainment, Inc. announced two appointments to its executive management team, with Ryan Hammer named as President of Gaming Operations and Michael Marino named as Chief Commercial Officer. Both appointments are effective immediately and will report directly to Andy Rubenstein, Accel’s Chief Executive Officer.
As President of Gaming Operations, Mr. Hammer will lead the company’s video gaming business in Illinois and additional states. Initially he will be based out of Chicago but later this year he will build the Company’s presence in Southern Illinois and new opportunities in other states. As Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Marino will lead the company’s strategic development with a focus on incremental service offerings, partnerships, marketing, analytics and loyalty. Mr. Hammer and Mr. Marino will both be based in Illinois.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Ryan and Michael to the Accel family and to our executive management team,” said Andy Rubenstein, CEO of Accel. “The opportunities for Accel to rapidly expand beyond our current footprint are steadily increasing, and with these two key hires we are now even better positioned to execute our vision of being a multi-state operator with a differentiated range of gaming-as-a-service solutions. Being able to recruit executives of their caliber speaks to the exciting opportunities in front of Accel and we look forward to their contributions.”
“In the past few years Accel has established itself as an absolute leader in the video gaming market and I could not be more honored to join the company,” said Ryan Hammer, President of Gaming Operations. “Accel represents the most exciting growth opportunity within the distributed gaming sector and is one of the best capitalized companies in the entire industry. I look forward to applying my operational and financial skills to build on Accel’s current momentum.”
“This is a truly exciting time in the history of Accel and I could not be more pleased to begin collaborating with this highly respected team,” said Michael Marino, Chief Commercial Officer. “I have long admired Accel’s entrepreneurial spirit and energy and its relentless focus on building and maintaining partnerships which has ultimately contributed to their success and reputation as a leader in the industry. I joined because of my conviction that Accel has an exciting growth agenda and I look forward to bringing my skills and expertise to help make that a reality.”
A native of Illinois, Mr. Hammer joins Accel with more than 16 years of gaming experience working in various roles at Caesars Entertainment Corporation, most recently serving as Senior Vice President & General Manager, where he oversaw operations at five Las Vegas resorts. Mr. Hammer began his career with the company in 2003 as an Analytics Manager and since that time has held a number of executive roles of increasing importance in finance, human resources and operations, and across five markets including Chicago, Louisville, Atlantic City, St. Louis and Las Vegas. Mr. Hammer holds a B.S. in Finance from Southern Illinois University, an MBA from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, and a J.D. from Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law. He is currently a board member for the Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada.
A resident of Chicago, Mr. Marino joins Accel after 8 years of experience in a variety of marketing, strategy and analytic roles at Caesars Entertainment. He most recently served the last three years as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Chief Experience Officer where he managed the end-to-end customer journey including oversight of Caesars Rewards, the gaming industry’s leading loyalty program, partnerships, advertising, brand, digital and online hotel distribution. He also helped expand Caesars’ efforts in sports inclusive of marketing, partnerships and betting. Mr. Marino’s earlier roles at Caesars included oversight of marketing analytics, Vice President and Chief of Staff to the Chairman & CEO and Senior Vice President of loyalty and digital. Prior to Caesars, Mr. Marino worked four years as a management consultant at Bain & Company and five years in a variety of marketing, risk management, strategy and M&A roles at Capital One Financial. Mr. Marino holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Virginia and an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.
Wazdan has continued to accelerate its North American expansion after going live with FanDuel Casino in Pennsylvania through Light & Wonder’s aggregation platform.
The latest launch marks another important milestone in Wazdan’s growth strategy across regulated US markets, extending the supplier’s partnership with one of North America’s leading online gaming brands. The rollout follows Wazdan’s successful launch with FanDuel in Ontario and Michigan earlier this year and further reinforces the developer’s commitment to delivering engaging gaming experiences to players across the region.
As part of the initial Pennsylvania deployment, FanDuel Casino players will gain access to two of Wazdan’s popular titles, 12 Bells and Hot Slot: 777 Crown. The first wave of content will be followed by additional game releases across several subsequent launch phases, steadily expanding Wazdan’s presence on the operator’s platform.
Powered by Light & Wonder’s industry-leading aggregation technology, the integration provides Pennsylvania players with seamless access to Wazdan’s innovative slot portfolio, renowned for its engaging gameplay and player-first mechanics.
The launch represents another key step for Wazdan, building on the company’s established presence across regulated markets.
Magdalena Wojdyla, Head of Account Management at Wazdan, said: “Launching with FanDuel in Pennsylvania marks another significant step in strengthening our North American footprint and further builds on a successful partnership with one of the industry’s most recognised operators.
“FanDuel’s strong brand, extensive reach and deep understanding of its player base make it an excellent strategic fit for Wazdan. We are delighted to expand our collaboration into another key regulated jurisdiction and look forward to delivering additional content to Pennsylvania players in the months ahead.”
The post Wazdan Strengthens US Footprint with FanDuel Pennsylvania Launch appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Delaware North, a global hospitality and entertainment company with a portfolio of casinos and other gaming venues, announced the launch of Ember Casino in New Jersey, marking the first phase of a broader rebrand of the company’s gaming business under a unified brand identity.
The New Jersey debut represents the first step in this transformation as Delaware North transitions its existing digital gaming operations from the Betly brand to Ember across current and future markets. Additional brand integrations and market expansions are planned throughout the year as Ember becomes the unified identity for the company’s gaming portfolio.
“Ember represents the next chapter for our gaming business. We are building a connected platform that integrates our digital and brick-and-mortar expertise, creating a seamless experience for players while positioning us for long-term growth in highly competitive regulated markets,” said Jason Gregorec, president of gaming for Delaware North.
New Jersey, one of the nation’s most established and competitive iGaming markets, serves as the launchpad for Ember’s broader rollout strategy. In 2025, online casinos in the state generated nearly $2.9 billion in gross gaming revenue, reflecting continued growth in internet gaming. The performance underscores the scale and opportunity within the sector as Ember enters the market.
As part of the launch, Ember is introducing a Play to Earn promotion designed to reward early player engagement. Players who register and participate will have the opportunity to earn entries for a chance to win a Toyota GR86, a Ford Mustang or a Ford Bronco, with a series of vehicle giveaways planned during the platform’s initial launch period. The promotion introduces players to the new Ember experience while reinforcing the brand’s focus on engagement and value.
Ember Casino is powered by leading online gaming platform and services provider Playtech. The platform features Playtech’s responsible gaming solutions, including BetBuddy, along with a diverse portfolio of content that includes slots and live dealer games, supported by high-quality streaming and real-time gameplay designed to deliver an engaging and reliable player experience.
In recent months, Delaware North has expanded relationships with leading online gaming content providers, including IGT, White Hat Studios, and Light and Wonder, leveraging those partnerships to support the Ember launch in New Jersey and future markets. The company also works with Vegas Kings for platform design and AquireBet for user acquisition and experience optimization.
“Our mission has always been to deliver exceptional experiences. These partnerships are fueling our expansion in the digital gaming space with the same level of precision, personalization and innovation our players have come to expect,” said Lee Terfloth, chief interactive gaming officer for Delaware North.
Delaware North’s broader gaming portfolio includes properties across seven states and Australia, including the superregional Southland Casino Hotel in Arkansas. The company also serves as developer and gaming and hospitality consultant for the Catawba Nation’s $1 billion casino resort project in North Carolina.
The launch of Ember Casino in New Jersey positions Delaware North for sustained growth in digital gaming, uniting its hospitality legacy with a modern, scalable online platform built for expansion across regulated markets.
The post Ember Ignites Delaware North’s Next Chapter in Digital Gaming with New Jersey Launch appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
SkillOnNet has launched Ready Play Gaming’s slot portfolio across Ontario, Canada and Mexico, with additional international markets planned to follow later this year.
The content is now available across SkillOnNet’s iGaming brands including PlayOJO, PlayUZU, Slingo, Mega Casino and LuckyNiki.
Titles going live include Ready Play Gaming’s Reel Jackpots series, including Reel Bingo and Reel Triple, which the studio describes as “soft slot” experiences aimed at the bingo generation.
Jani Kontturi at SkillOnNet said: “We are proud to welcome Ready Play Gaming as we continue to strengthen our global content offering with innovative and high-performing studio partners. In a crowded market, they’ve focused on building games with personality and strong entertainment value, and we believe that’s exactly the kind of content today’s players respond to.
Christoph Härtel, COO at Ready Play Gaming said: “Partnering with SkillOnNet is a major milestone for Ready Play Gaming as we continue to expand our international footprint. SkillOnNet’s strong presence in regulated markets and extensive operator network make them an ideal partner to help bring our games to even more players globally.”
The post SkillOnNet rolls out Ready Play Gaming slots in Ontario, Canada and Mexico appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
-
Australia7 days agoNSW Scores with Extended Trading for FIFA World Cup
-
Arshak Muradyan7 days ago
Digitain Secures Licence from Danish Gambling Regulatory Authority
-
8MBets7 days ago
Himalayan Harmony Group Announces 2026 Nepal Online Casino Portfolio with Six Licensed Brands
-
Eastern Europe7 days ago
ELA Games reports 244.52% active user growth in Romania
-
Compliance Updates7 days ago
CT Interactive Expands Certified Portfolio in Peru
-
Crystalbet7 days ago
Octoplay goes live with Entain-owned Crystalbet in Georgia
-
Africa6 days ago
WorldGaming Enters into Partnership with African iGaming Alliance
-
Latest News5 days ago
N1 Partners x RAZE Case: ROI+ in Canada within 3 Days
