Gambling in the USA

MGM Resorts’ Entertainment Partners Unite In Unprecedented Support For Company’s Employees During Covid-19 Crisis

Published

6 years ago

April 12, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes

MGM Resorts International recognized the support of many of its resident entertainment partners who generously donated to the company’s Employee Emergency Grant Fund in support of those impacted economically by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

David Copperfield, Jay Leno, Bill Maher, Kathleen Madigan, David Spade, Boyz II Men, Brad Garrett, Carrot Top, Terry Fator, Ray Romano, Jabbawockeez, Shin Lim, Thunder from Down Under, Hans Klok, Australian Bee Gees, Fantasy and Bill Blumenreich Presents each showed their support for the MGM Resorts family this week with a donation to the fund.

“During these difficult and uncertain days, weeks and months, we are working tirelessly to support the tens of thousands of employees who were furloughed or laid off due to the closures of our properties across the country,” said Bill Hornbuckle, MGM Resorts’ Acting CEO and President. “We are incredibly humbled by the support of our entertainment partners, who have come together to assist the people who, during normal times, are committed to creating incredible experiences for our guests from around the world.”

Hornbuckle added, “With donations from this extraordinary line-up of entertainers, commitments from MGM Resorts and its leadership team, our own employees, and a number of other generous contributions, we have already raised approximately $11 million to assist our employees during this time of unprecedented challenges and hardship.”

Jyoti Chopra, Senior Vice President, Chief Diversity & Sustainability Officer for MGM Resorts International, said, “Our focus during this crisis is people, first and foremost, followed by compassion and care. We are proud to join our entertainment community to lend humanitarian assistance to those in need. We are incredibly grateful for the generous donations by our entertainers, a vital part of our ecosystem at MGM Resorts, which will be used to provide emergency relief.”

Additional information:

MGM Resorts Emergency Relief Fund & Commitment to Social Impact
The MGM Resorts Foundation’s Emergency Relief Fund provides employees and their immediate families with short-term relief in making payments or to meet obligations during unexpected hardships and emergencies. The fund is designed to assist those impacted by the coronavirus, including: full-time employees, on-call employees and those facing layoff, separation or furlough.

In November, MGM Resorts launched its bold vision for social impact and sustainability, Focused on What Matters, a companywide program focused on a goal-centered approach to making positive impacts in its communities. Company goals by 2025 include 5 million meals to be donated through its Feeding Forward program and surpassing 1 million volunteer hours within the community. As the company closed its properties across the country last month, it donated the equivalent of 454,000 meals through local food banks to alleviate food insecurity in the United States.

To learn more about The MGM Resorts Foundation, visit www.mgmresortsfoundation.org.

Canada

Wazdan’s North American Growth Accelerates Following FanDuel Alliance

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Wladimir P.

wazdan’s-north-american-growth-accelerates-following-fanduel-alliance

Wazdan, the player-centric developer, has further strengthened its notable North American presence by forming a partnership with FanDuel, a top iGaming company in the area.

The deal represents a crucial milestone in Wazdan’s continuous global growth, as FanDuel introduces two feature-packed games at the same time in Ontario and Michigan, enabled by Light & Wonder’s aggregation platform.

In Ontario, gamers can experience Mighty Fish: Blue Marlin and 36 Coins, two games that highlight Wazdan’s distinctive blend of familiar themes and performance-focused mechanics. In Michigan, 12 Bells and Hot Slot: 777 Crown will offer players captivating gameplay designs centered on clarity, rhythm, and extensive features.

After the initial launch, FanDuel’s famous iGaming platform, FanDuel Casino, will have its collection expanded by a wide array of new slot games, each meticulously selected to include various Wazdan features that enhance player engagement like Cash Infinity, Hold the Jackpot, and Sticky to Infinity, all aimed at increasing entertainment and providing tangible growth for operators.

The newest expansion capitalizes on Wazdan’s progress in North America, succeeding in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and previous entries into West Virginia.

Radka Bacheva, Head of Sales at Wazdan, said: “Partnering with FanDuel represents a major milestone in Wazdan’s North American growth strategy and underlines the strong demand for our engagement-driven portfolio across regulated markets.

“FanDuel’s reach and reputation make them an ideal partner, and launching simultaneously in Ontario and Michigan is a powerful way to introduce our games to new audiences. We are confident that our feature-rich titles and proven mechanics will resonate strongly with players and deliver tangible value for FanDuel as we continue to scale our presence across the region.”

The post Wazdan’s North American Growth Accelerates Following FanDuel Alliance appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Gambling in the USA

IGT Games Deliver Giant Million-Dollar-Plus Jackpots in January

Published

1 week ago

February 25, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

igt-games-deliver-giant-million-dollar-plus-jackpots-in-january

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

Published

1 week ago

February 24, 2026

Wladimir P.

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
Facebook
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.