AGA
American Gaming Association Announces Gaming Hall of Fame Inductees
Honorees include pioneers in commercial and tribal gaming, gaming regulation and casino technology, and sports betting
The American Gaming Association (AGA) announced the Gaming Hall of Fame classes of 2020 and 2021, recognizing leaders who have distinguished themselves through significant contributions to the gaming industry.
“Each of these pioneers has left a unique, indelible mark on our industry,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “Under their leadership, tribal gaming has boomed, professional sports leagues have embraced sports betting, and the gaming industry is thriving despite the challenges we’ve faced over the past year and a half.”
Since its establishment in 1989, the Gaming Hall of Fame has honored an annual class of industry leaders until last year when the selection and event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both the Class of 2020 and 2021 will be honored during the invitation-only Chairman’s Reception featuring the Gaming Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Global Gaming Expo.
“This year’s honorees have been key players in proving that gaming is a world-class entertainment experience,” added Aristocrat Technologies CEO and AGA Chairman of the Board Trevor Croker. “We’re proud to recognize them and the important role they’ve played shaping gaming into the dynamic industry it is today.”
Hall of Fame honorees are selected by an independent panel of gaming executives. This year’s selection committee members include:
- Joe Bertolone, Executive Director, ICGR at UNLV
- Kirsten Clark, Executive Director, International Association of Gaming Advisors
- Mary Cheeks, President and General Manager, Jamul Casino
- Trevor Croker, CEO, Aristocrat Technologies and Chairman, AGA
- Christie Eickelman, Vice President, Global Marketing, GLI and (former) President, Global Gaming Women
- Alan Feldman, Board Chairman, International Center for Responsible Gaming
- Brian Hansberry, President, Delaware North, Gaming
- Steve Sutherland, President and CEO, Konami Gaming Inc.
- Virginia Valentine, President and CEO, Nevada Resort Association
Knute Knudson, Jr., Vice President of Global Business Development and Tribal Ambassador, IGT
Knute Knudson, Jr. has dedicated his career to tribal gaming and the entire Indian community, serving as an advocate, mentor, and transformative business leader. His efforts have influenced the success of hundreds of tribes as they established and expanded their Indian gaming operations across the U.S. In his early career at the U.S. Department of the Interior, Knudson led efforts to implement the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, working on compacts, trust applications, and National Indian Gaming Commission appointments. He played an integral role in securing economic self-sufficiency for Indian Country throughout the 1990s and authored Getting Started in Indian Gaming, which became the blueprint for the first decade of tribal gaming startups. Knudson is recognized across the industry for the vital role he played, and continues to play, in the growth and economic modernization of tribal gaming.
Jeremy M. Jacobs, Chairman, Delaware North
Jeremy “Jerry” Jacobs is a pioneer of gaming and hospitality. He is currently the chairman of Delaware North, owner, chairman, and governor of the Boston Bruins, and chairman of the NHL’s Board of Governors. He led a transformation of Delaware North into a global company with roots in gaming, hospitality, and entertainment. Whether casino gaming in its early days or sports betting today, Jacobs helps stakeholders understand the benefits of the industry to the economy and communities. He built coalitions of competitors who shared the same goals and always played the long game, which is reflected in today’s thriving, modern gaming industry. This is most evident in the NHL and sports leagues transformation on sports betting. Jacobs is enabling critical partnerships between gaming operators and the leagues and franchises by educating colleagues on the mutual benefits of sports betting. The more than 200 sports-gaming partnerships today would have been inconceivable when Jerry started his career, but his vision and commitment to gaming’s growth paved the way. Today, Delaware North owns or operates gaming destinations in seven U.S. states as well as in Darwin, Australia, and owns Ruby Seven Studios, a leading social casino developer. The company recently announced a partnership with GAMING1 to launch Gamewise, a joint venture for sports betting and iGaming.
James R. Maida, President and CEO, Gaming Laboratories International
James R. Maida is a legend in the casino business. As a lawyer in the New Jersey regulatory system, he quickly saw that his agency was getting overwhelmed with requests to test slot machine systems, so he began to do it himself out of his spare bedroom in his apartment. He started Gaming Laboratories International (GLI®) in 1989, and today has grown it into an international company serving the needs of the gaming industry and regulators alike. Through Maida’s innovation at GLI, jurisdictions everywhere have embraced gaming, unencumbered by the burden of establishing, running, and continually funding their own government-run labs.
Jim Shore, General Counsel, Seminole Tribe of Florida
Jim Shore’s career has defined the Florida gaming industry and reverberated across tribal gaming. As the first member of the Seminole Tribe to become a lawyer, he has served as the Seminole Tribe’s general counsel since the 1980s. Shore is credited with leading the compact negotiations and legal efforts that have helped make the Seminole Tribe and its gaming ventures the success they are today. He recently led compact negotiations with the state of Florida to expand into new forms of gaming.
Jeffrey A. Silver, Of Counsel, Dickinson Wright PLLC
Jeffrey A. Silver’s contributions to gaming, and specifically Las Vegas, reach every aspect of the industry from regulatory to casino operations to legal. Silver first made his mark in gaming when he took a stand against organized crime as a member of the Nevada Gaming Control Board and subsequently laid the foundation for corporate investment in gaming. His reputation opened the door for innovation when he took on leadership roles at various Las Vegas casino resorts. Silver is attributed with bringing the first food and beverage corporate partners into the casino, leading “The Burger King Revolution” that was key to driving middle class tourism to Las Vegas in the 1980s. Silver’s third act as an internationally recognized lawyer and trusted advisor has helped shaped today’s global landscape.
Dr. Mark Yoseloff, Retired Chairman, CEO, Shuffle Master, Inc.; Founder, UNLV Center for Gaming Innovation
Dr. Mark Yoseloff’s innovative mind transformed casino table games and, today, inspires the next generation of gaming. As a Ph.D in mathematics he created classic games like Mississippi Stud Poker and other legendary table games. Yoseloff—the owner of hundreds of gaming patents—led ShuffleMaster from a small shuffling machine company to an international giant introducing groundbreaking products and services to the casino floor. Yoseloff then used his talents to create UNLV’s Center for Gaming Innovation to teach the next generation of game creators. His internationally acclaimed program has led to the creation of countless new games and patents—all owned by his students to empower them on their path into the gaming industry.
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Americans are increasingly embracing casino gaming and sports betting as acceptable forms of entertainment and responsible industries, according to new consumer survey results from the American Gaming Association (AGA). The new data comes ahead of Responsible Gaming Education Month this September and on the eve of the seventh NFL season with widespread legal wagering.
Among new high-water marks in consumer sentiment, 75% of Americans believe the gaming industry behaves responsibly in the communities where it operates, 9 in 10 Americans view sports betting as an acceptable form of entertainment, and 75% of Americans support legal sports betting in their home state.
“These latest survey results highlight a consistent trend over the years: as gaming expands to new audiences, Americans increasingly see the benefits of a legal, regulated gaming marketplace that contributes to communities, prioritizes responsibility and provides unmatched entertainment,” said Joe Maloney, AGA Senior Vice President, Strategic Communications.
The study reveals particular increases in favorable views toward the industry’s commitments to responsible gaming, with 65% of Americans now saying the gaming industry is committed to encouraging responsible gaming and combating problem gambling—a notable rise from 55% last year. This confidence is even stronger among those who engage with the industry directly, with 81% of physical casino players and 88% of sports bettors agreeing with this sentiment, up from 70% and 78%, respectively last year.
This sentiment is driven by increased perceptions across several areas:
- Responsible Marketing and Advertising: Americans are taking notice of the legal industry’s efforts around responsible marketing and advertising marketing, with 65% of respondents saying they believe the industry is truthful in its marketing and advertising, up from 58% last year. Additionally, 73% view the industry as responsible in its marketing efforts, up from 68% in 2022.
- Effectiveness of Responsible Gaming Programs: Data shows 66% of Americans believe the gaming industry’s responsible gaming programs are effective, up from 59% last year. Among those who participate in gaming, 79% of physical casino players and 85% of sports bettors agree that these programs are effective.
- Increased Awareness of Responsible Gaming Messages: The study shows a significant rise in the number of Americans exposed to responsible gaming information. Specifically, 46% of land-based casino players and 57% of sports bettors noted an increase in responsible gaming messaging. Notably, 66% of all Americans say they have encountered responsible gaming messaging in the past year, up from 56% in 2022.
- Familiarity with Responsible Gaming Resources: Awareness of responsible gaming resources has grown, with 76% of Americans familiar with at least one responsible gaming resource, an increase from 65% in 2022. Awareness is particularly high among industry participants, with 92% of land-based players and 96% of sports bettors familiar with at least one responsible gaming resource.
“The gaming industry’s responsibility efforts are stronger than ever, and consumers are noticing,” continued Maloney. “As we embark on another Responsible Gaming Education Month, we’re more energized than ever to continue our work to give consumers the legal, safe and fun gaming experiences that they want and deserve.”
Today, DraftKings Incorporated (DraftKings) (Nasdaq: DKNG) announced plans to launch its top-rated online sportsbook in North Carolina on March 11, 2024. This announcement is the culmination of DraftKings’ continued work with stakeholders and regulators across North Carolina to offer fans a responsible form of sports betting. Earlier this year, DraftKings and NASCAR agreed to terms on a written designation agreement, paving the way for the digital sports entertainment and gaming company to operate in the state. Once live in North Carolina, the DraftKings Sportsbook will be available in 27 United States states, in addition to Ontario, Canada.
North Carolina is known for its strong sports culture, housing the majority of the NASCAR industry, professional teams in the NFL, NBA and NHL as well as several universities competing at the Division-I level. Starting from March 11, DraftKings will provide eligible fans in the state several new and responsible ways to get in on the action. DraftKings’ online sportsbook provides a wide variety of betting markets and key offerings such as same-game parlays, in-game betting, special odds boosts and more on a safe, regulated platform with various customer protections in place such as deposit and time limits, access to responsible gaming resource materials, cool off and self-exclusion features along with DraftKings’ all new My Stat Sheet, an innovative responsible gaming feature that shows customers exactly how much time they’ve spent on DraftKings and the total amount of deposits they’ve placed on the platform.
“With the NCAA Tournament right around the corner and the NASCAR season in full throttle, we are thrilled to be launching our top-rated sportsbook app in North Carolina,” the President for DraftKings North America, Matt Kalish, said. “‘The Tar Heel State’ is home to a passionate fanbase and some of the most iconic college basketball programs of all time, making this an exciting time to introduce legalized online sports betting. We’re proud to be working alongside NASCAR as our market access partner and look forward to enhancing the fan experience across North Carolina with a fun, safe and seamless sports betting product.”
To celebrate the launch of legalized mobile sports betting going live in North Carolina, DraftKings, in collaboration with NASCAR, is teaming up with Carolina Panthers legend Greg Olsen for a ceremonial first bet on March 11, 2024. The event will take place at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte and feature remarks from Olsen as well as DraftKings Chief Commercial Officer Jeremy Elbaum and North Carolina State Representative Zack Hawkins.
In addition to hosting the ceremonial first bet in North Carolina on March 11, DraftKings is also recognizing Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM) in March, led by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) to increase public awareness of problem gaming and the availability of prevention, treatment and recovery services. DraftKings works closely with the NCPG to highlight the company’s responsible gaming initiatives and resources such as cool offs, limitations, key partnerships and mental health services.
Both active members of the American Gaming Association (AGA), DraftKings and NASCAR are committed to promoting the AGA’s Have A Game Plan: Bet Responsibly public service campaign, which educates customers on responsible gaming best practices such as establishing and adhering to a budget and only engaging with legal, regulated operators. DraftKings is committed to creating inclusive and responsible pathways for people to build, create, imagine and innovate through the DraftKings SERVES program.
Eligible customers in North Carolina can access the latest betting markets and more by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app available via iOS and Android. DraftKings is committed to providing customers with resources to help bet responsibly. Customers can review DraftKings’ responsible gaming tools here. For additional problem gaming support or services, North Carolina customers can call 1-800-GAMBLER.
AGA
*MEDIA ADVISORY* AGA to Host State of the Industry Presentation, Release Report on Record-Breaking 2023 Commercial Gaming Revenue
The American Gaming Association (AGA) will hold its annual State of the Industry presentation with AGA President and CEO Bill Miller on Tuesday, February 20 at 11:30 AM ET/8:30 AM PT.
During the presentation, the AGA will release full-year 2023 commercial gaming revenue numbers, discuss gaming’s third consecutive record-setting revenue year, provide analysis on the current gaming landscape, and preview AGA priorities for 2024.
Media are invited to a press call immediately following the presentation for Q&A.
What: AGA State of the Industry: Gaming’s Look Ahead & 2023 Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker Release
Who: AGA President and CEO Bill Miller and Vice President, Research David Forman
When: Tuesday, February 20, 2024 at 11:30 AM ET/8:30 AM PT
Where: WEBINAR REGISTRATION | PRESS CALL REGISTRATION
For questions about this event or AGA’s Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker, contact [email protected].
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