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DraftKings Announces Leadership Changes to Increase Focus on Operational Efficiencies

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DraftKings Inc. announced that Jason Park, DraftKings’ Chief Financial Officer, will become the Company’s Chief Transformation Officer, effective as of May 1, 2024. In this newly created role, Mr. Park will lead initiatives to deploy cutting edge technologies to capture additional operating efficiencies as well as oversee the integration of the proposed acquisition of Jackpocket Inc. (Jackpocket). Alan Ellingson, DraftKings’ Senior Vice President, Finance and Analytics, will be elevated to Chief Financial Officer, effective as of May 1, 2024. Mr. Ellingson will continue to enhance shareholder value over time by driving the Company toward its financial objectives.

Jason Robins, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of DraftKings, said: “I have asked Jason Park to take on a new role at DraftKings to address and capture large efficiency opportunities that I expect will generate significant incremental profitability over the coming years. Jason’s unique skill set, based on his accomplishments over the last five years as our Chief Financial Officer and 11 years as a private equity Operating Partner, will allow us to further improve how we operate. In addition, I’m confident he will unlock the benefits of our proposed acquisition of Jackpocket following its closing to strengthen DraftKings’ position in U.S. online gaming. There are also potentially transformational AI applications on the horizon that could change the way businesses operate and serve their customers to create potential long-term advantages.”

Mr. Park joined DraftKings as Chief Financial Officer in June 2019 and oversaw the Company’s transition to the public markets. During his tenure as Chief Financial Officer, DraftKings’ revenue grew from $323 million in 2019 to $3,665 million in 2023. The Company also produced positive Adjusted EBITDA in the second and fourth quarters of 2023 due in part to Mr. Park’s leadership of operational efficiency programs. In addition, from the Company’s initial trading day on July 25, 2019, through March 15, 2024, the Company’s stock price increased more than 325%.

Jason Park said: “I am thrilled to take on this new role which tackles several significant opportunities to improve how we operate and taps into my passion for building great and highly efficient companies. Alan is perfectly suited to seamlessly step into the Chief Financial Officer role as an established company leader with deep credibility across the entire organization. I look forward to assisting with this transition and continuing to deliver value for our shareholders. We will provide more information on the transformation program during our next earnings call.”

Alan Ellingson joined DraftKings in 2020 and currently serves as the Company’s Senior Vice President, Finance and Analytics. For the past four years, Mr. Ellingson has worked closely with Mr. Park to develop a world-class finance and accounting organization, which includes building the forecasting capabilities that support the creation, tracking and ongoing refresh of the Company’s multi-year financial objectives.

Jason Robins added: “I am very excited to elevate Alan Ellingson to Chief Financial Officer and have him continue to lead the Company on the very clear path that we have laid out. Alan has been with DraftKings for more than four years, has extensive experience across our finance and analytics teams, and most importantly, deeply understands our core value drivers and focus on maximizing shareholder value.”

Alan Ellingson, incoming Chief Financial Officer, said: “We have built a world class finance organization, and I look forward to expanding my leadership role with the team. In addition, I look forward to working closely with Jason Robins to deliver outstanding financial performance and generate incredible shareholder returns.”

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Scientific Games Announces Mike Cardell as Senior Vice President, Americas Systems

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Scientific Games announces the appointment of Mike Cardell as the company’s Senior Vice President of Americas Systems. As the industry’s fastest-growing lottery systems supplier globally, Cardell’s appointment is another example of the company’s continued investments in people and products to innovate for its customers.

Mike Cardell.jpgCardell is an accomplished business technology leader with more than 17 years of experience and a proven track record in innovating technology-based products and services, including enterprise and consumer-facing applications, transaction processing platforms, large-scale IT conversions, strategic growth and impactful results.

He will lead all aspects of the company’s Americas lottery system business, driving incremental revenue and expanding product offerings while nurturing existing client relationships to grow lottery profits responsibly. Cardell will also be executing product and business development strategies as well as overseeing central and regional operations, service and contract management.

John Schulz, President, Americas & Global Instant Products, said, “With a keen understanding of developing strategies for sustainable growth, Mike will be instrumental in growing our systems business and ensuring innovation and operational excellence in our existing system operations. His strategic mindset and leadership experience make him a valuable addition to Scientific Games. We are excited to welcome him to our team.”

Before joining Scientific Games, Cardell spent more than 11 years at Fiserv where he most recently served as the global fintech and payments company’s Vice President and General Manager of Next Gen Solutions: Signature and Cloud Solutions. In this role, he managed the modernization of legacy enterprise account processing software solutions and cloud transformation solutions for large financial institutions and financial technology companies. He also spent five years managing business development and marketing for Hewlett-Packard.

Cardell holds a B.A. in Public Relations from Texas Tech University.

Scientific Games is a trusted partner to 150 lotteries in 50 countries around the globe, providing games, technologies, analytics and services that responsibly drive maximum returns to their beneficiary programs.

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Navajo Gaming Honors 186 Team Members for Employee Milestones

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This month The Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise (Navajo Gaming) honored 186 of its total 1200 team members for reaching significant employment milestones including 15, 10, and 5 years of service for the enterprise. The event at Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort in Flagstaff, Ariz. showcased the impact and journey of each hard-working team member, with a special highlight for 29 employees who have served for 15 years.

Less than 10 years after Navajo Gaming was created by the Navajo Nation and charged with the mission of creating jobs, increasing revenues, and stimulating incremental economic development within the Navajo Nation, the gaming enterprise created over 7425 direct, indirect and induced jobs with an overall economic output of over a billion dollars.

“Navajo Gaming employs 1200 people, 85 percent of whom are Navajo citizens. The award-winning AAA’s coveted Four Diamond Twin Arrows Casino Resort shares Navajo Culture through architectural nuances and local artists. Each of the property dining eateries feature ‘Navajo Beef,’ and traditional cuisine of the Navajo people, and our invitation to stay, play and relax at one of our four properties or Travel Center is an open welcome to the Navajo Nation’s beautiful scenic transformation,” Matthew Shunkamolah, Interim Chief Executive Officer of Navajo Gaming, said.

Team members recognized for 15 years of services have worked their way up to a wide variety of position within the enterprise from General Manager and Executive Director of Slots, to Director of Security, Food and Beverage Supervisor and Executive Director of Government Affairs.

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The International Association of Gaming Advisors (IAGA) Announces 2024 International Gaming Summit in Washington, D.C.

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The International Association of Gaming Advisors (IAGA) will hold its 41st International Gaming Summit Monday, May 27 through Thursday, May 30, 2024 at The Ritz-Carlton Washington, D.C.

As a premier event that brings together leaders from all global gaming sectors, the Summit will provide operators, suppliers, attorneys, investors, bankers, regulators and other advisor delegates with an unparalleled opportunity to meet and discuss the most important issues facing gaming.

“We are looking forward to holding this year’s 41st Annual International Gaming Summit in Washington, D.C., and are pleased to announce an agenda that includes a specific focus on some of the key sports betting issues the rapidly expanding US market is facing. As part of this focus, we will bring together representatives from global sports betting operators, regulatory agencies, professional sports leagues and other experts to discuss how the industry’s sports betting stakeholders can better work together to ensure a sustainable, responsible sports betting environment that is built on best practices lessons learned from other markets,” John Stawyskyj, President of IAGA, said.

“Beyond our sports betting focus, our diverse agenda includes discussions on other issues of importance including the growing impact of fraud and cyber breaches on regulated operators, a look into the federal and state lobbying process, an update on what’s happening in other gaming markets outside North America, a deep dive into new technologies and how they might impact gaming and more. I look forward to welcoming our delegates to Washington and participating with them in lively discussions about these critical issues and more,” Stawyskyj added.

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