Latest News
The Cordish Companies Names John J. Chaszar Executive Vice President and General Manager of New $270+ Million Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana

The Cordish Companies announced the appointment of gaming industry veteran John J. Chaszar as executive vice president and general manager of the new Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana, a $270+ million world-class gaming, dining, hotel, and entertainment destination set to open in Bossier City in the first quarter of 2025. In his new role, Mr. Chaszar will manage the development, grand opening, and day-to-day operations of the first land-based casino property in the Shreveport-Bossier market.
With over three decades of gaming and resort operations experience, Mr. Chaszar has held leadership positions with several notable entertainment and hotel companies across the country in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Missouri, Kansas, Indiana, Colorado, Illinois, and South Carolina.
He most recently served as senior vice president and general manager of Tropicana Casino in Evansville, Indiana, which had also transitioned from a floating to a land-based casino under his leadership. Mr. Chaszar’s experience with that transformation will be invaluable as the new land-based gaming facility takes shape at Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana.
During his career, he spent more than a decade with Penn Entertainment as vice president and general manager at several of its properties including Hollywood Casino in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Hollywood Casino Resort in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Mr. Chaszar also spent over 13 years with Quorum Hotels & Resorts in leadership positions across eight different locations.
“As The Cordish Companies continues to expand, we are focused on building a team that can deliver the high standards of quality and excellence that have become synonymous with the Live! brand nationwide. We are confident that under John’s leadership, the new Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana will become a premier destination offering first-class hospitality and entertainment, exceptional customer service, and generating millions of dollars in economic benefits for the Bossier City community for years to come,” Rob Norton, President of Cordish Gaming Group, said.
When opened, Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana will offer a first-class gaming and entertainment experience featuring more than 47,000-square-feet of gaming space, including 1000+ slots and electronic table games and 40+ live action table games; a sportsbook; an upscale 550-room hotel, resort pool and fitness center; a 25,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art, multi-purpose Event Center for top name entertainment, meeting, conventions, and social gatherings; 30,000-square-feet of best-in-class dining entertainment venues including multiple new food and beverage outlets featuring nationally acclaimed concepts Sports & Social and PBR Cowboy Bar; and more.
The project is expected to generate $35 million in gaming tax revenues for the City of Bossier and more than $168 million in gaming tax revenues for the State of Louisiana within the first five years of operation. Annually it will generate $34 million in salaries, wages and tips, create approximately 750 new construction jobs and approximately 750 permanent gaming and hospitality jobs for local and regional residents.
Industry News
Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. Names Carlo Santarelli Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations

Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. announced that Carlo Santarelli has been appointed Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations, a new position at the Company. Mr. Santarelli will begin his new position on August 18, 2025 and will report to GLPI President and Chief Operating Officer, Brandon Moore.
Mr. Santarelli brings over 25 years of Wall Street experience in Equity Research and Investment Banking to his new role and joins the Company from Deutsche Bank where he was Managing Director of Gaming & Lodging Equity Research. Prior to Deutsche Bank, Mr. Santarelli held similar positions at Bear Stearns, JP Morgan and Wells Fargo. He consistently ranked highly in Institutional Investor and other sell-side analyst research polls as a thought leader in the space, providing unique perspectives on industry events and trends with his data-driven approach and stock picking talent. Carlo Santarelli graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Economics in 2000.
Peter Carlino, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GLPI, said: “We’ve known and respected Carlo’s research work on the gaming, lodging and gaming REIT sectors for many years. Carlo brings to GLPI an in-depth knowledge of the industry and its participants, having experienced GLPI’s original formation of the gaming triple-net-REIT structure from a research analyst and capital markets perspective. We value his deep network of contacts among institutional investors, sell-side analysts and a wide range of gaming industry operators and we look forward to the value of his contributions.”
In his new role, Mr. Santarelli will work with Mr. Carlino and GLPI’s senior management to develop and evaluate growth opportunities and strategic relationships, and will oversee investor relations interactions.
Industry News
VIP Play Announces Departure of Chief Financial Officer

VIP Play, a technology-driven leader in interactive consumer engagement, announced that Jim Mackey, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, will step down from his role, effective August 8, 2025.
The Company has initiated a transition process and is in the process of identifying a successor. Mackey will assist in an orderly transition over the coming weeks.
“We thank Jim for his contributions to the Company, particularly during a transformative period for our business. We remain focused on executing our strategic priorities, including financial visibility, operating efficiency, and delivering value to our stakeholders,” said Les Ottolenghi, CEO of VIP Play.
Latest News
BETBY LAUNCHES COMPREHENSIVE REPORT ON PERU’S REGULATED GAMBLING MARKET

BETBY, the premium supplier of cutting-edge sportsbook solutions, has published a detailed report titled “The Peruvian Breakthrough: A Market Ready for Takeoff”, offering a thorough analysis of the country’s newly regulated iGaming industry.
Following the implementation of Peru’s online gambling framework in 2024, this report explores the legislative transformation, market growth trends, and consumer behavior shaping one of Latin America’s most promising emerging markets.
The report covers several key aspects, including:
✅ Evolution of Peru’s gambling legislation and its impact on market structure and operator licensing;
✅ Market performance analysis, including land-based vs. online growth and mobile channel adoption;
✅ Economic indicators, such as GDP contribution, per capita GGR, and projected market size through 2030;
✅ Player profiles and betting behavior, with insights into frequency, motivations, and engagement across age and gender groups;
✅ Digital readiness, including mobile usage, internet speeds, and device preferences;
✅ Competitive landscape, with a breakdown of leading operators and changes in market share.
🔗 DOWNLOAD the report to discover strategic insights and unlock growth opportunities in Peru’s regulated gambling ecosystem.
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