Gambling in the USA
National Council on Problem Gambling Board of Directors Welcomes New Member and New Vice President
National Council on Problem Gambling Board of Directors Welcomes New Member and New Vice President
The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), an advocacy organization for people and their families who are affected by problem gambling and gambling addiction, is proud to announce the appointment of a new Director for an Organizational Members seat and the election of a new Vice President. Jointly, the Board represents all NCPG organizational, individual, and affiliate members.
Raquel Buari joins the board to fill the Organizational Members seat vacated due to the recent resignation of Chelsea Turner. Raquel will serve for the remainder of the term through July 2022. She is the Vice President of Compliance for Four Winds Casinos, owned and operated by the Pokagon Band. Raquel began with Four Winds in 2009 and since 2014 has led the compliance team, which includes responsible gambling efforts.
Raquel served on the NCPG Planning Committee for the Tribal Summit on Responsible Gaming and the Awards Committee. She is an active Board member for both the Michigan Association on Problem Gambling and the Indiana Council on Problem Gambling. Raquel is a graduate of Ball State University and Valparaiso University School of Law.
Raquel said, “I look forward to continuing to contribute to the NCPG by bringing forward my experience with Tribal Gaming, law and regulation particularly in regard to casino operators. I’m keenly interested in how operators can continue to effectively improve their initiatives, policies and procedures for guests who are experiencing problems with gambling.”
NCPG is also excited to announce the election of Stacy Shaw to the office of Vice President. Stacy is serving in an Organizational seat for the Oregon Lottery and brings decades of experience to the organization. She provides award-winning leadership and strategic direction for the Lottery’s CSR initiative, including responsible gambling and problem gambling programs.
“NCPG is honored to have leaders like Raquel and Stacy,” said Keith Whyte, Executive Director of NCPG. “Their perspectives and experiences will be invaluable in helping to guide our organization through these difficult times.”
About the National Council on Problem Gambling:
NCPG is the national advocate for people and their families who are affected by problem gambling. NCPG is neutral on legalized gambling and works with all stakeholders to promote responsible gambling.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call or text the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network at 1-800-522-4700 or visit www.ncpgambling.org/chat for confidential help.
IGT announced that its Wheel of Fortune Slots, Powerbucks, and MegaJackpots games awarded four momentous jackpots in January.
Lucky slots players won the following million-dollar-plus jackpots last month:
• On January 5, a Wheel of Fortune Slots player won $1,132,199 playing Wheel of Fortune Super Cash Link at Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Miss.
• On January 8, a Powerbucks slots player won CA$1,657,823 playing Whitney Houston Powerbucks slots at Lake City Casino Vernon in British Columbia, Canada.
• On January 15, a Powerbucks slots player won CA$1,056,637 playing Gong Xi Fa Cai Grand at ACE Casino Red Deer in Alberta, Canada.
• On January 18, an online slots player won $1,247,834 playing MegaJackpots Cash Eruption on Caesars Palace Online Casino in New Jersey.
Wheel of Fortune slots have minted over 1200 millionaires and awarded over $3.6 billion in jackpots since their launch in 1996. IGT Powerbucks slots have paid 74 jackpots of CA$1 million or more since their Canadian debut in 2016.
The post IGT Games Deliver Giant Million-Dollar-Plus Jackpots in January appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
AI in lottery
Scientific Games Appoints Rich Wasserman as Senior Vice President of Product Engineering
Scientific Games has appointed Rich Wasserman as Senior Vice President of Product Engineering, reinforcing its commitment to advancing lottery systems technology and digital innovation.
Based in Atlanta, the global lottery provider continues to expand its technology leadership as one of the fastest-growing suppliers of retail and digital lottery solutions worldwide.
Leadership Experience from Amazon, Facebook and Stitch Fix
Wasserman brings more than 20 years of experience leading engineering, data science and product teams across high-performance technology platforms.
He previously held senior leadership roles at:
- Amazon
- Stitch Fix
At Stitch Fix, he served as Vice President of Engineering and Data Science, leading automation, AI-driven systems and platform optimization initiatives. Wasserman holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and a Computer Science degree from the University at Buffalo.
Driving Innovation Across Global Lottery Platforms
In his new role, Wasserman will oversee Product Engineering across Scientific Games’ global portfolio serving more than 150 government-regulated lotteries. His responsibilities include advancing:
- Retail lottery systems
- Digital lottery platforms
- Hardware and software innovation
- Data analytics and AI capabilities
- Consumer engagement technologies
CEO Pat McHugh stated that Wasserman’s experience scaling AI-powered platforms at world-class technology firms will help accelerate innovation and deliver next-generation lottery solutions focused on sustainable growth.
Strengthening Lottery Technology Leadership
Scientific Games continues to invest in technology, analytics and digital transformation to enhance consumer experiences across retail and online lottery channels. The appointment underscores the company’s strategy to integrate advanced analytics and machine learning into its global lottery ecosystem.
The post Scientific Games Appoints Rich Wasserman as Senior Vice President of Product Engineering appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Gambling in the USA
Scientific Games Appoints Rich Wasserman as Senior Vice President of Product Engineering
Former Amazon, Facebook and Stitch Fix Exec to Lead Product Engineering for Global Lottery Provider
Scientific Games has named Rich Wasserman as Senior Vice President of Product Engineering. Wasserman brings more than 20 years of experience leading global engineering, data science and product organizations across complex, high-performance technology platforms.
As the industry’s fastest-growing lottery systems technology provider, Scientific Games continues to invest in technology and talent to deliver seamless consumer experiences across lottery retail and digital channels.
Wasserman previously held senior leadership roles at Amazon and Facebook, where he led large-scale systems powered by advanced analytics and machine learning. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Engineering and Data Science at Stitch Fix, leading integrated teams focused on automation and platform optimization. Wasserman holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and a degree in Computer Science from the University at Buffalo.
In his new role, Wasserman will lead Product Engineering across Scientific Games’ global product portfolio serving government-regulated lotteries, advancing hardware and software platforms to accelerate innovation, expand analytics capabilities and consumer-engagement to deliver long-term value for lottery customers worldwide.
“We’re excited to add Rich’s deep technical expertise scaling innovative, AI-driven platforms at world-class organizations to further strengthen Scientific Games’ technology leadership,” said Pat McHugh, Chief Executive Officer of Scientific Games. “As we continue investing in innovation and analytics across retail and digital lottery solutions, his experience and leadership will help us deliver the next generation of high-performance products that drive sustainable growth for our lottery customers worldwide.”
Scientific Games serves more than 150 lotteries globally with a comprehensive portfolio of retail systems, digital platforms, instant games and analytics solutions.
© 2026 Scientific Games, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
The post Scientific Games Appoints Rich Wasserman as Senior Vice President of Product Engineering appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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