Gambling in the USA
Video Game Industry Association ‘ESA’ Announces Stanley Pierre-Louis as its Next President and CEO
Entertainment industry veteran to lead association during a period of rapid growth and change in the global video game industry
Stanley Pierre-Louis, an industry executive with more than two decades of entertainment experience, will be the Entertainment Software Association’s (ESA) new President and CEO. The ESA is the industry body representing the $43.4 billion U.S. video game industry. The association made the announcement at a time when more than 164 million adults in the United States play video games, and three-quarters of all Americans have at least one video game player in their household.
With the incredible growth and prominence of the video game industry, the industry sought an executive with deep experience in entertainment, law, and policy to lead the industry into its next chapter. Pierre-Louis, who assumed the role of Acting President and CEO in October, 2018, will assume the permanent role of President and CEO immediately. Pierre-Louis joined the ESA as its General Counsel in May, 2015.
Pierre-Louis is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Clark University. He earned his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, where he also served on The University of Chicago Law Review’s Board of Editors. Following law school, he clerked for Judge David A. Nelson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Pierre-Louis served previously on several boards, including on the University of Chicago’s Alumni Board of Governors, the law school’s Visiting Committee, the Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts, and Lincoln Center Education, the educational arm of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
“Stan’s strategic vision, years of entertainment industry experience, and policy expertise make him the ideal choice to lead our industry through this period of growth and opportunity,” said Robert Altman, Chairman of the ESA Board, and Chairman and CEO of ZeniMax Media, parent company of game publisher, Bethesda Softworks. “The Board and the industry look forward to his leadership of the ESA.”
Prior to the ESA, Pierre-Louis served as Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel for Intellectual Property (IP) at Viacom Inc., where he was responsible for managing major IP litigation, developing strategies for protecting digital content and leading other IP-related legal initiatives for brands including Nickelodeon, MTV, Paramount Pictures, and more than 130 other networks worldwide. He previously served as co-chair of the Entertainment and Media Law Group at Kaye Scholer LLP in New York City as well as Senior Vice President for Legal Affairs at the Recording Industry Association of America in Washington, DC.
“I look forward to leading the ESA and advocating for the industry with a strong voice and clear vision,” said Pierre-Louis. “The future of our industry is bright and limitless. Video games are a part of the fabric of American culture and a cornerstone of entertainment.”
The U.S. video game industry is one of the nation’s fastest-growing economic sectors and provides more than 220,000 jobs in all 50 states, and more than 520 colleges and universities in 46 states offer programs or degrees related to video games.
The ESA offers a wide range of services to interactive entertainment software companies, including conducting business and consumer research; providing legal and policy analysis and advocacy on First Amendment, intellectual property, and technology/e-commerce issues; managing a global content protection program; owning and operating E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo); and representing video game industry interests before federal and state governments. For more information, visit ESA’s website or follow ESA on Twitter @theESA.
Pennsylvania continues to lead the way in the US when it comes to online casino revenue. For July, PA online casinos produced $277.9 million in revenue, which tops the nation for the month.
The $277.9 million is the fifth-highest revenue month for the state in its iGaming history. It finished over $27 million ahead of Michigan ($250.5 million) and over $30 million ahead of New Jersey ($247.3 million) for July.
This past month’s revenue was a 22.2% jump from a year ago, when the state generated $227.4 million in July 2024.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board releases its monthly data and highlights adjusted gaming revenue, which takes promotional dollars out of the gross gaming revenue. The adjusted revenue for the month was $228.3 million.
PGCB reports also list revenue by licensee. When iGaming launched in 2019, 10 different retail casinos in the state were granted licenses to operate online casinos, while two operators (Bally, Golden Nugget) earned untethered licenses. Some licensees have multiple online casinos operating under their umbrella. However, revenue is reported collectively.
Penn National continues to lead the way in revenue. They feature online casino operators like DraftKings Casino, BetMGM Casino, Hollywood Casino, and Fanatics Casino.
Valley Forge finished second, they feature two operators in FanDuel Casino and Stardust Casino.
Some other notable date points from the July report include:
• A total of $67.4 million in state tax revenue was generated from online casinos in July. An additional $36.5 million was generated in local taxes and county grants.
• Slots made up the vast majority of revenue with $226.8 million coming from the online slot games. Table games brought in $48.5 million, while poker generated $2.5 million in revenue.
• Poker revenue was up 9.7% year over year, as it was at $2.3 million in July 2024.
Delaware casinos generated $34.8 million in revenue last month, down from $36.4 million the previous year, a 4.5% year-over-year decline.
In a report published by the Delaware Lottery, Harrington Casino saw the most significant year-over-year loss, with revenues decreasing from $7.8 million to $7.2 million, a drop of 7.2%. Slots and table games experienced year-over-year losses, with slots revenue declining by 5.9% and table games seeing a loss of more than 25%.
Delaware Park also experienced a decline of 4.3% but generated the highest revenue, at $15.1 million. Slots at the casino saw a loss of 5.9%, with its revenue decreasing from $13.8 million to just less than $13 million. Table games revenue increased by 5.1% year-over-year from just more than $2 million to $2.1 million.
Bally’s Dover also reported a revenue decline last month, but not as much as the others. Revenue dropped from $12.9 million to $12.5 million, showing a 3% decline. Table games saw increased revenue for the casino, with profits rising from $1.1 million to $1.3 million, a 16.6% increase. Slots declined 4.8% from $11.7 million to $11.2 million year-over-year.
Gambling in the USA
BetMGM Brings Exclusive Rakin’ Bacon! Titles to NJ Online Casino, Borgata Hotel Casino
An exclusive new slot game is making its way to BetMGM Casino NJ and one of the state’s retail locations.
This week, BetMGM announced, in partnership with AGS, a pair of new Rakin’ Bacon! titles will be hitting New Jersey online casinos.
Currently, Rakin’ Bacon! Jackpots Bonus Wheel is available to play, while Rakin’ Bacon! Jackpots Bonus Board will be released in mid-September.
On top of the iCasino release, these new slot titles will also be made available at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City.
The Rakin’ Bacon! series will be the first third-party game at BetMGM with an online and on-property exclusivity period.
Oliver Bartlett, VP of Gaming at BetMGM, said: “We want to set the standard for creating the most seamless experiences for players to enjoy the games they love. The period of exclusivity reinforces our priority to be the top online casino destination where players can find the largest variety of games they can’t find anywhere else. Rakin’ Bacon! is a fun franchise that brings big brand recognition and we are proud to collaborate with AGS to add these titles to our stellar roster of games.”
BetMGM has shown a commitment to working with a diverse group of gaming suppliers to provide players with unique content. That continues to be the case in this pairing with AGS. This partnership will allow BetMGM customers to enjoy the slot title from home or at the Borgata.
“At AGS, we’re focused on bringing the energy of land-based favorites into the digital world in ways that feel meaningful for players. Rakin’ Bacon! is a proven brand with broad appeal; this launch is another step forward in our player-first strategy and our commitment to bridging physical and digital play in ways that drive real engagement,” AGS Vice President of Interactive Zoe Ebling said.
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