Gambling in the USA
Gambling.com Announces the American Gambling Awards Finalists
The American Gambling Awards have announced more than 50 unique finalists across 14 categories for the inaugural edition of the awards. Gambling.com will present the winners with the Golden Eagle trophy on June 18th, 2019 at the All-American Sports Betting Summit. Custom designed and developed over the past 3 months, the Golden Eagle is the new icon of achievement in the regulated American market for online gambling.
The American Gambling Awards were launched in March, 2019 as the first awards program to recognize excellence among operators, suppliers, advocates, policymakers, lawyers and regulators supporting the regulated online gambling market in the United States.
To properly honor the achievements of the winners, the Gambling.com awards team insisted on developing a custom trophy to be the new icon of achievement in the industry. The team engaged Society Awards, the design house that produces the most recognizable trophies in the world, including those for the Oscars, the Golden Globes and the Emmys. Manufactured in America, the Golden Eagle trophy is an 11-inch, gold-plated, cast-pewter statuette of an American Bald Eagle, proudly resting in front of a pile of casino chips.
Charles Gillespie, Chief Executive of Gambling.com Group Plc, explains, “After announcing the American Gambling Awards in March, we received tremendous feedback and excitement from throughout the industry here in America. We are pleased to announce a strong list of contenders that represents the first movers, leaders and all around go-getters, paving the way in the American online gambling market. We’ve also had great fun developing the Golden Eagle trophy, an epic statuette that is unlike anything the gambling industry has seen before.”
The nominations for each award category will now be evaluated by a panel of more than 25 expert judges. To ensure the highest possible integrity, votes will be tallied by PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The American Gambling Awards will culminate with a party and trophy presentation on June 18th, 2019 in association with the All-American Sports Betting Summit, organized by Eventus International. Matthew Berry, the fantasy sports analyst, New York Times best-selling author and host of The Fantasy Show on ESPN+, will host the party. Winners will be crowned as attendees celebrate at the historic Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey on the 1 year anniversary of New Jersey’s first legal sports bet. The party is free to attend for all registered attendees of the All-American Sports Betting Summit, finalists, judges and others by invitation.
The finalists for the 14 award categories are:
American Operator of the Year
- Caesars Interactive Entertainment
- Golden Nugget
- MGM Resorts (Borgata + PlayMGM)
- Rush Street Interactive
- 888 Holdings
Sports Betting Operator of the Year
- Caesars
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
- PlayMGM
- William Hill
Casino Operator of the Year
- Betfair Casino
- Caesars
- Golden Nugget
- Rush Street Interactive
- Tropicana
- 888
Poker Operator of the Year
- Borgata
- WSOP
- 888
Fantasy Sports Operator of the Year
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
- FantasyDraft
- Monkey Knife Fight
- Playline
- Yahoo! Fantasy Sports
Horse Racing Operator of the Year
- OffTrackBetting.com
- TwinSpires
- TVG
- Xpressbet
Payments Provider of the Year
- EML
- PaySafe
Service Provider of the Year
- Optimove
- Fresh8 Gaming
- Digital Fuel
- Evolution Gaming
- GeoComply
- Income Access
- Sportradar
- Catena Media
- Vegas Kings
Corporate Transaction of the Year
- Bet365 & Hard Rock
- MGM Resorts & GVC
- MGM Resorts & Boyd Gaming
- Paddy Power Betfair & FanDuel
- The Stars Group & Eldorado Resorts
Responsible Gambling Award
- BetAmerica
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
- National Council on Problem Gambling
- Rush Street Interactive
Industry Supporter of the Year
- Joe Brennan Jr, CEO, SportAd
- Senator Raymond Lesniak, former New Jersey State Senator
- Dan Wallach, Wallach Legal
- GeoComply
- iDEA Growth
Lawyer of the Year
- Mark Hichar
- Jeff Ifrah
- Ted Olson
Policymaker of the Year
- Shawn Fluharty, West Virginia Delegate
- Bill Galvano, Florida State Senator
- Brandt Iden, Michigan State Representative
- J. Gary Pretlow, New York Assemblyman
Regulator of the Year
- Allen Godfrey, Mississippi Gaming Commission
- Susan Hensel, Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
- David Rebuck, New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement
For more information about the American Gambling Awards, including a full list of award finalists and judges, please visit the awards website here: www.gambling.com/us/awards
Source: Gambling.com Group Plc
Gambling in the USA
Chris Barranco Joins Quick Custom Intelligence as Director of Business Development

Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI), a leading provider of AI-driven analytics and enterprise solutions for the gaming and hospitality industry, today announced the addition of Chris Barranco as Director of Business Development.
Barranco brings 25 years of experience leading high-performing teams, driving revenue, and building durable client relationships. He is adept at solution-selling methodology and full sales-cycle management, with a proven track record of mentoring top-tier account executives, delivering high-impact presentations, and retaining key accounts. Known for a tenacious approach to new-business development and customer loyalty, Barranco will focus on expanding QCI’s market footprint, strengthening the partner ecosystem, and advancing go-to-market execution across QCI’s product portfolio.
“I’m excited to join the clear market leader and work with the exceptional team at QCI,” said Chris Barranco, Director of Business Development at QCI. “QCI’s commitment to turning data into action aligns perfectly with my approach to helping customers achieve measurable revenue impact. I look forward to working closely with our clients and partners to accelerate growth and deliver exceptional outcomes.”
“We’re delighted to welcome an industry veteran of Chris’s caliber to the QCI team,” said Andrew Cardno, CTO and Co-Founder of QCI. “His leadership, mastery of solution selling, and passion for customer success will further strengthen our ability to scale, deepen client relationships, and deliver the operational results our customers expect.”
As Director of Business Development, Barranco will lead initiatives to expand QCI’s presence across key markets, refine sales enablement programs, and collaborate with product and customer success teams to ensure a seamless path from discovery to measurable value realization.
Gambling in the USA
Scientific Games’ iLottery Games Portfolio Expands as Pixiu Gaming Joins SG Content Hub

Exciting New Hasbro-Licensed MONOPOLY and BATTLESHIP iLottery Games Coming Via SG Content Hub
Scientific Games welcomed Pixiu Gaming as the newest studio partner to the SG Content Hub. Pixiu Gaming joins the government-regulated lottery industry’s premier iLottery content delivery platform, featuring an expanding, highly curated selection of iLottery games from Scientific Games and partner studios around the globe. The games are available to lotteries in multiple languages and in a variety of play styles for all player segments.
Widely recognized as the leading supplier of Keno games in North American regulated gaming markets, Pixiu Gaming is a boutique developer focused on authentic, engaging and player-centric games. Founded in 2014 and based in London, UK with a remote global team, Pixiu is named after a fierce Chinese mythical creature that attracts and preserves great wealth.
Scientific Games, the world’s largest lottery games company, is collaborating with Pixiu Gaming to bring exciting new MONOPOLY and BATTLESHIP iLottery games to lotteries through its exclusive licensing agreement with Hasbro. Games created by Pixiu Gaming will be available in the SG Content Hub, in addition to games from Scientific Games’ own SG Studios and other premier partner studios worldwide.
Tony Plaskow, Pixiu Gaming Co-Founder, said, “Pixiu Gaming is thrilled to join the SG Content Hub to bring our games to more lotteries. We look forward to working with Scientific Games and Hasbro to create exciting, brand-sensitive MONOPOLY and BATTLESHIP-themed iLottery game experiences. These iconic brands are familiar worldwide, and each provides the perfect mix of strategy and luck. We will weave a true-to-brand digital game experience with fun, simple-to-understand content that entertains players.”
Matt Lynch, President, Digital for Scientific Games, said, “We are very excited to partner with Pixiu Gaming, an up-and-coming studio. Their unique approach to game development and artistic vision brings a differentiated offering to market that will add depth to iLottery portfolios by expanding game play options for existing players while bringing new game experiences to attract new players. Scientific Games is focused on creating an unparalleled range of playstyles and game mechanics for players with the SG Content Hub, and we are proud to soon include play experiences from Pixiu Gaming.”
SG Content Hub offers partner studios select exclusively licensed brands from the company’s portfolio of more than 100 licensed brands, which also includes other Hasbro-licensed games such as CONNECT 4, THE GAME OF LIFE and YAHTZEE. MONOPOLY is perennially the lottery industry’s top performer, with 33 lotteries worldwide offering MONOPOLY-themed games in fiscal year 2025, resulting in more than $2 billion in retail and digital sales during the year.
Scientific Games provides retail and digital games, technology, analytics and services to 150 lotteries in 50 countries worldwide. The company is a digital lottery innovator offering lotteries entertaining game content featuring the most extensive portfolio of licensed brands in the industry, and world-leading digital programs, including CRM, loyalty, promotions, second chance, mobile and web applications.
BATTLESHIP, CONNECT 4, THE GAME OF LIFE, YAHTZEE and HASBRO and all related trademarks and logos are trademarks of Hasbro, Inc. ©2025 Hasbro.
The MONOPOLY name and logo, the distinctive design of the game board, the four corner squares, the MR. MONOPOLY name and character, as well as each of the distinctive elements of the board and playing pieces are trademarks of Hasbro for its property trading game and game equipment. © 1935, 2025 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. Licensed by Hasbro.
© 2025 Scientific Games, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Gambling in the USA
Caesars Entertainment Bolsters Online Casino Live Dealer Offering with the Launch of Branded Live Dealer Studio in Michigan

Caesars Entertainment Inc. announced the launch of its third branded online casino live dealer studio, available now to players on Caesars Palace Online Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino in Michigan. Developed in partnership with Evolution, the new studio reinforces Caesars’ commitment to delivering world-class, immersive experiences across its online platforms, inspired by the iconic atmosphere of its Caesars Rewards destinations.
The debut of the new studio marks Caesars’ third branded live dealer studio that has opened in 2025 and draws inspiration from table game play at the Las Vegas Strip’s most iconic casino, Caesars Palace. Its opening follows the successful launch of Caesars’ first branded studio with Evolution in Pennsylvania in January. In April, the Company also debuted its first studio inside a Caesars Rewards destination at Tropicana Atlantic City in New Jersey.
“Our third live dealer studio expands our fully customized live dealer experience that is already extremely popular in Pennsylvania and New Jersey into another key jurisdiction where our online casino platforms are live. The studio design takes inspiration from our flagship destination, Caesars Palace, to authentically recreate the atmosphere of Las Vegas for online players. We look forward to our Michigan players enjoying the new experience,” said Matthew Sunderland, Senior Vice President and Chief iGaming Officer at Caesars Digital.
The new live dealer studio in The Great Lakes State is composed of five blackjack tables, including a VIP-exclusive blackjack table, one roulette table, and one baccarat table. The tables are adorned with custom-branded felts featuring iconic Caesars destinations and each marquee online casino platform, including Caesars Palace Online Casino, Caesars Sportsbook & Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino, and, for the first time, Tropicana Online Casino.
Select tables also feature custom felts co-branded through partnerships with professional sports teams. Like Caesars Rewards destinations across North America, the studio caters to VIP players with an exclusive high-limit blackjack table offering an authentic 1-to-1 live experience that could previously only be found in a physical casino.
“As the global leader in online live casino with nearly two decades of experience, Evolution is proud to partner once again with Caesars to launch this bespoke live dealer studio in Michigan. The studio brings the unmistakable character of Caesars’ iconic destinations to the online space, offering players in the state a polished, immersive entertainment experience that mirrors the energy and elegance of the casino floor. It’s another bold step forward in our shared commitment to innovation and quality at scale in the online live casino market,” said Marcus Huber, Chief Commercial Officer of Evolution North America.
Caesars Palace Online Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino are available on iOS, Android, and desktop for those 21 and older in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ontario, and West Virginia. Each platform offers a dynamic online casino experience with a range of unique Caesars-branded games alongside hundreds of classic land-based casino favorites and core casino game mechanics, including high limit slots, private live dealer tables, linked progressive jackpots, variations of poker and roulette, and more.
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