Gambling in the USA

Caesars Entertainment Appoints Tony Rodio as Chief Executive Officer

Published

6 years ago

April 16, 2019

George Miller

Caesars Entertainment Appoints Tony Rodio as CEO

Photo Source: cincinnatiprofile.com

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Board Forms Transaction Committee to Oversee Ongoing Value Creation Efforts

Caesars Entertainment Corporation today announced that its Board of Directors has named Anthony (“Tony”) Rodio as Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Rodio, who is currently CEO of Affinity Gaming, will be transitioning to Caesars during the next thirty days. He will join the Company’s Board of Directors and be based in Las Vegas. The Board also announced the creation of a Transaction Committee to oversee the Company’s evaluation of ongoing efforts in creating additional shareholder value.

“Tony brings to Caesars a track record of operational excellence, proven leadership and deep industry knowledge and expertise,” said James Hunt, Chairman of Caesars’ Board. “Tony is a respected and highly accomplished executive who has successfully built and grown businesses in our industry throughout his career. We are confident that Tony has the vision and depth of operating experience to lead our talented senior management team as Caesars continues its long history of delighting our guests, fostering a welcoming and rewarding workplace for our team members and creating value for shareholders and other stakeholders. Our entire Board looks forward to his leadership in evaluating and executing the Company’s go-forward plans.”

Mr. Rodio commented: “I have long admired Caesars and am optimistic about the Company’s future prospects. Our industry is going through a time of transition and opportunity and I look forward to leading Caesars’ exceptional team through the Company’s next phase of growth, innovation and value creation.”

Mr. Rodio has nearly four decades of experience in the gaming industry. Since October 2018, Mr. Rodio served as Chief Executive Officer of Affinity Gaming. Prior to this, he served as President, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Tropicana Entertainment, Inc. During his time at Tropicana, Mr. Rodio oversaw a period of unprecedented growth at the company, improving overall financial results with net revenue that increased more than 50% driven by both operational improvements and expansion across regional markets. Mr. Rodio led major capital projects including the complete renovation of Tropicana Atlantic City and Tropicana’s move to land-based operations in Evansville, Indiana. Each of these initiatives, among others, generated substantial value for Tropicana. Prior to Tropicana, Mr. Rodio held a variety of roles at Hollywood Casino and Harrah’s Entertainment.

Transaction Committee

The Board’s Transaction Committee, composed of independent directors, will continue to consider and evaluate various paths for enhancing shareholder value, including continuing to operate as an independent public company. The Committee members are Thomas Benninger, Keith Cozza, Don Kornstein and Courtney Mather. The decision to form this Committee follows inquiries from industry participants concerning possible transactions with Caesars. PJT Partners LP is assisting the committee with this process.

There can be no assurance that the exploration with other industry participants will result in any transaction or other result. The Committee has not set a timetable for completion of its review, and it does not intend to comment further regarding these matters unless a specific transaction or other alternative is approved by the Board of Directors or it is otherwise determined that further disclosure is appropriate or required by law.

Tony Rodio Bio

Mr. Rodio, 60, served as Chief Executive Officer of Affinity Gaming since October 2018 and has over 37 years of experience in the casino industry.

Mr. Rodio started his gaming career in 1980 as an accounting clerk and transitioned into the management ranks, holding a succession of executive positions for casino brands including Harrah’s Entertainment, Trump Marina Hotel Casino, the Atlantic City Hilton Casino Resort and Penn Gaming.

Before leading the Affinity team, Mr. Rodio served as Chief Executive Officer and President of Tropicana Entertainment Inc. for over 7 years. During his tenure, he oversaw the deployment of significant capital investments and dramatically increased the earnings of the enterprise.

He has also served on the boards of professional and charitable organizations including Atlantic City Alliance, United Way of Atlantic County, the Casino Associations of New Jersey and Indiana, AtlantiCare Charitable Foundation, and the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming Hospitality & Tourism.

Mr. Rodio holds a Master of Business Administration from Monmouth University and a Bachelor of Science from Rider University.

About Caesars Entertainment

Caesars Entertainment is the world’s most diversified casino-entertainment provider and the most geographically diverse U.S. casino-entertainment company. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada, in 1937, Caesars Entertainment has grown through development of new resorts, expansions and acquisitions. Caesars Entertainment’s resorts operate primarily under the Caesars®, Harrah’s® and Horseshoe® brand names. Caesars Entertainment’s portfolio also includes the Caesars Entertainment UK family of casinos. Caesars Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its guests through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership. Caesars Entertainment is committed to environmental sustainability and energy conservation and recognizes the importance of being a responsible steward of the environment. For more information, please visit www.caesars.com

SOURCE Caesars Entertainment Corporation

Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – November 4-10

Published

3 days ago

November 12, 2024

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news and new partnerships. Read on and get updated.

Latest News

PENN Entertainment and ESPN announced that account linking between ESPN BET and ESPN is now available for customers, creating an even more deeply integrated media and betting experience. By linking accounts, fans now have the ability to seamlessly track upcoming, live and settled bets within the ESPN app and on ESPN.com. With this product enhancement, ESPN BET will soon bring fans more personalised bets and timely promotions based on their favourite sports, teams, players and fantasy rosters.

Accel Entertainment Inc. has announced that it has completed the acquisition of 85% of the ownership interests of Toucan Gaming LLC and LSM Gaming LLC, two Louisiana-based route operators and owners of multiple licensed video poker establishments (collectively, “Toucan”), for approximately $40 million. The combined business will operate as Toucan Gaming throughout Louisiana and will be led by Stan Guidroz, an industry-leading gaming executive and current CEO of Toucan Gaming. Mr. Guidroz owns the remaining 15% of Toucan’s ownership interests and will lead the Accel team supporting Toucan’s continued growth.

INTRALOT S.A. has announced the undertaking of a new project between the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), the sole lottery operator for the Government of British Columbia in Canada, and INTRALOT, its US subsidiary, for the provision of an online lottery platform. The project also includes the digitalisation of the existing land-based network. The solution will be based on the Player X platform, part of the Lotos X ecosystem, and adds to the company’s overall partnership with BCLC, which has been extended until 2028.

BetMGM Poker has become the third US operator to offer multi-state online poker. The company has merged its player pools in Michigan and New Jersey. Both states are a part of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement, which allows online poker networks to share liquidity and players in participating markets. The two-state network went live Wednesday afternoon after morning maintenance.

Betsson Group has celebrated its success at the SBC Awards Latinoamérica 2024, winning two prestigious awards: Sportsbook Operator of the Year and Leader of the Year, which was awarded to Kevin Saliba, Commercial Director (Business Development) for Latin America. This marks the second consecutive year Betsson has earned the Leader of the Year accolade, following Andrea Rossi’s win in 2023 – an achievement that underscores Betsson’s consistent leadership in the region.

Partnerships

Play’n GO has announced a new operator partnership with renowned gaming brand Hard Rock Digital for their top-rated Hard Rock Bet online casino platform in New Jersey. The Hard Rock brand is synonymous with entertainment worldwide, and this partnership will see Hard Rock Bet players in New Jersey gain access to hit Play’n GO titles such as Piggy Blitz, Book of Dead and Rise of Olympus 100.

SCCG Management, a global leader in gaming innovation and advisory, has announced a strategic partnership with Chata.AI, a technology provider specialising in self-service, proactive analytics that enables businesses to access real-time insights without requiring extensive technical expertise. This partnership introduces Chata.AI’s technology to the gaming industry, providing operators with powerful tools to streamline decision-making and increase operational efficiency.

Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – October 28-November 3

Published

2 weeks ago

November 4, 2024

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Latest News

Elray Resources Inc. has announced a significant milestone in the company’s growth strategy. The company has completed the sale of proprietary technology to 180 Life Sciences Corp. (NASDAQ:ATNF), a NASDAQ-listed company in exchange for preferred stock convertible into a 40% stake in ATNF and warrants to purchase 3 million shares of ATNF common stock, the conversion/exercise of which is subject to stockholder approval. The technology stack contained within Elray’s technology package will assist ATNF in launching an iGaming Blockchain casino.

PrizePicks, the largest daily fantasy sports operator in North America, has announced that it has been awarded Daily Fantasy Sports Operator Licenses in Delaware and Missouri. The company will launch Arena, its innovative peer-to-peer fantasy sports contest, in both states. With these new state launches, Arena will now be available in 15 states across the US.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (Board) unanimously voted to renew the Category 2 stand-alone casino license of Wind Creek Bethlehem LLC, operator of Wind Creek Bethlehem casino in Northampton County. In making the decision, the Board determined that Wind Creek Bethlehem LLC had fulfilled the obligations under its previously approved casino operator’s license and therefore qualified to have its license renewed for an additional five-year period.

Aristocrat announced that the company was the first international slot and online technology company to be granted a Gaming-Related Vendor license by The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), the federal entity overseeing commercial gaming activities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This announcement grants Aristocrat the ability to provide the company’s land-based electronic gaming machines (EGMs) and online games and technology solutions to commercial gaming operators licensed by the GCGRA.

Partnerships

SCCG Management, a leading global advisory and consulting firm in the gambling industry, has entered into a strategic partnership with Slot Machines Unlimited, a premier provider of refurbished slot machines and gaming equipment. The partnership between SCCG Management and Slot Machines Unlimited leverages both companies’ strengths: Slot Machines Unlimited’s expertise in refurbished gaming equipment and SCCG’s deep industry insight, global network and strategic growth capabilities. The collaboration will enhance Slot Machines Unlimited’s international sales and service operations, ensuring gaming establishments worldwide have access to high-quality slot machines and support.

Galaxy Gaming Inc. has announced that the Galaxy Operating System (GOS) is now live on over 50 ships worldwide with Carnival Corporation & PLC, the world’s largest leisure travel company. Since the installation, tables powered by GOS have awarded over $5 million in jackpot payouts to players. GOS is the jackpot progressive system for all Carnival Corporation ships, including Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises. Launched in 2024, GOS is the next-generation game management system developed by the industry’s leading table game experts.

The hottest new game from Aristocrat Gaming, Phoenix Link, is now live on casino floors, with Yaamava’ Resort & Casino being the first in North America to offer the highly-anticipated game. As the next evolution of the international hit game, Dragon Link, Phoenix Link features player-favourite mechanics from top games with all-new themes, features and bonuses.

Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – October 21-27

Published

3 weeks ago

October 28, 2024

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Latest News

Bally’s Interactive, the digital and sports betting division of Bally’s Corporation, announced the official launch of the Bally Bet Sportsbook app in Tennessee, marking its expansion into the tenth state. This milestone comes on the heels of recent successful Bally Bet launches in Massachusetts and Maryland. Sports enthusiasts across the Volunteer State can now revel in the comprehensive offerings of the Bally Bet sportsbook app. With a wide array of betting options, including spread, money line and total bets, as well as in-game betting and same game parlays, Tennessee sports fans will have an unparalleled wagering experience.

ESE Entertainment Inc., a gaming company that provides a range of services to leading video game developers and publishers, has announced that it has acquired Bombee Global Entertainment (Bombee Americas), the North American arm of Bombee Event Production AB, (Bombee), a global production company specialised in live production, special effects, broadcast and event management for the gaming sector. Bombee has successfully collaborated with ESE to bring its premier event production services and world class customer service to North America and beyond. The North American arm of Bombee, Bombee Americas, will continue to grow and scale in this new organisational structure under ESE, while maintaining its entire team and global support.

Matthew Wantman has become the overall champion of the PokerGO Tour PLO Series II presented by PLO Mastermind. Wantman secured the prestigious honor after an impressive showing at PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas, outperforming a talented field of the best PLO players in the world to earn the $10,000 PGT Passport bonus. The PGT PLO Series II featured a series of high-stakes pot-limit Omaha tournaments. Wantman’s consistent performance set him apart from the competition and solidified his spot atop the leaderboard.

Partnerships

SYNOT Games has announced its further expansion into the Colombian market through a partnership with BetPlay. This alliance highlights SYNOT Games’ commitment to increasing its presence in Latin America and providing its engaging and innovative games to a wider audience. Through this partnership, BetPlay’s online platform will feature a curated selection of SYNOTGames’ top-performing titles, including fan favourites like Aztec Jaguar, Diamond Fever, Realm of Lions.

Internet Sports International, a global provider of turnkey race and sportsbook software solutions, announced its partnership with the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort in Fort McDowell, Arizona. Through this consultancy, ISI is powering the casino’s sportsbook and retail sports wagering operations on its gaming floor with its award-winning system. WKP Sportsbook is currently operating, allowing patrons to elevate their excitement by wagering on their preferred sporting events with up-to-the-minute odds and live action. The automated sportsbook kiosks provide access to a wide range of sports propositions for both the beginner and expert bettor.

Aristocrat Gaming, a leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of regulated slot games, announced it is now a promotional partner for Princess Cruises, one of the world’s most iconic cruise lines. Through this exciting collaboration, Aristocrat Gaming will design innovative gaming experiences for guests onboard Princess ships as well as create promotions with land-based casinos that offer Princess cruises as rewards.