The Fire Joker has returned, his blazing grin wider than ever. He’s back in control of the reels, where classic fruits and symbols light up under his fiery touch. But this time, there’s more than just mischief in the air. The heat has intensified, the stakes are higher, and this scorching slot is cranked up to a full 100.
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The Fire Joker has returned, his blazing grin wider than ever. He’s back in control of the reels, where classic fruits and symbols light up under his fiery touch. But this time, there’s more than just mischief in the air. The heat has intensified, the stakes are higher, and this scorching slot is cranked up to a full 100.

Gambling in the USA

The Cordish Companies Announces Key Executive Appointments In Gaming Division Expansion

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Travis Lamb Elevated to Chief Financial Officer of Cordish Gaming Group; Anthony Faranca Named Executive Vice President & General Manager of Live! Casino & Hotel in Hanover, Maryland

 

The Cordish Companies announced key appointments to its corporate executive team in the Gaming & Lodging division, as the company moves to expand the Live! brand in the Mid-Atlantic region with the development of two new gaming properties in Pennsylvania.

TRAVIS LAMB, who most recently served as Executive Vice President & General Manager of Live! Casino & Hotel, in Hanover, MD, has been elevated to the new position of Chief Financial Officer for Cordish Gaming Group, the company’s international gaming division.

Succeeding Lamb will be ANTHONY FARANCA who joins the company as Executive Vice President & General Manager of Live! Casino & Hotel. Both appointments are effective immediately.

The announcements come as The Cordish Companies prepares for significant growth with the addition of two new gaming properties, including Live! Casino & Hotel in Philadelphia, PA, and Live! Casino in Westmoreland County, PA, just outside of Pittsburgh. Additionally, Live! Casino & Hotel in Maryland is putting the finishing touches on a significant expansion of its Event Center to accommodate up to 4,000 seats upon completion.

“We are incredibly fortunate as a company to have a leader as skilled and knowledgeable as Travis and we’re pleased to elevate him to a position where he can have even greater impact on the growth of our gaming ventures in both Maryland and Pennsylvania,” said David Cordish, Chairman, The Cordish Companies. “We are also thrilled to have a gaming executive as experienced as Anthony on board and know he will be a fantastic addition to our flagship property in Maryland.”

TRAVIS LAMB is a senior level executive with more than 25 years of experience in the casino gaming industry, primarily serving in strategic planning and analysis and financial leadership positions. In his new capacity as CFO of Cordish Gaming Group, Mr. Lamb will oversee the planning, implementation and management of all the financial activities of the company’s gaming projects, including the newest ventures in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Mr. Lamb joined The Cordish Companies as Chief Financial Officer of Live! Casino & Hotel and was later promoted to General Manager, where he oversaw the addition of the flagship Live! Hotel and the expansion of the Live! Event Center. Prior, Mr. Lamb served as Vice President of Finance at Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack, where his duties included managing financial accounting, income audits, planning & analysis, risk management and regulatory compliance, while overseeing a financial team of 100 employees. He also spent six years as Harrah’s Eastern Division Vice President of Financial Planning & Analysis, working with ten properties from Iowa to Atlantic City, including Canada and the Bahamas. Mr. Lamb also has ten years of experience serving in finance leadership positions with Harrah’s East Chicago Riverboat Casino Hotel and Showboat Atlantic City Casino Hotel.

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ANTHONY FARANCA brings more than 25 years of diverse management experience from multiple gaming jurisdictions to his new role as Executive Vice President and General Manager of Live! Casino & Hotel in Maryland, where he will assume oversight of the day-to-day management and operations of one of the largest commercial casinos in the country.

Mr. Faranca most recently served as Vice President and General Manager for Station Casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada, before joining the Live! Team. Prior, he held the position of Vice President and General Manager for Parx Casino in Pennsylvania, where he helped affirm the property’s status as the number one revenue-producing facility in the state. In addition, Mr. Faranca spent several years in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he served as Vice President of National Casino Marketing for Caesars Entertainment. Throughout his career, Mr. Faranca has helped organizations drive growth through effective marketing, enhanced guest service and team member engagement.

“During this exciting time, it is our primary focus to place attention on the projects at hand, while continuing to deliver the same level of excellent customer service that our guests have come to expect at Live! Casino & Hotel,” said Rob Norton, President of Cordish Gaming Group. “These appointments not only strengthen our corporate gaming division, but also position us to enhance the results of our existing operations, while pursuing development in other gaming jurisdictions.”

 

Source: The Cordish Companies

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Gambling in the USA

Kindbridge Research Institute Launches “Stigma Stand Down” for Military Mental Health

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Kindbridge Research Institute (KRI), a national leader in behavioral addiction research, announced the launch of Stigma Stand Down (SSD), a Colorado statewide initiative dedicated to confronting stigma, breaking down barriers, and fostering resilience among active-duty service members, veterans, and their families impacted by mental health and gambling-related challenges.

Inspired by military “safety stand-downs,” SSD addresses the hidden burdens carried by those who serve, where stigma often prevents seeking help for mental health issues, including gambling disorder – a condition up to 3.5 times more prevalent in military populations than civilians. With over 60,000 active-duty, guard, and reserve personnel in Colorado, as well as the rapid growth of legalized sports betting since 2018, SSD arrives at a critical time to normalize conversations around mental health, PTSD, depression, substance use, and gambling-related harms.

“Stigma is a silent enemy that leaves our service members and veterans isolated, harming their families, units, and mission readiness. Stigma Stand Down is our frontline response: dismantling shame and delivering free, confidential, evidence-based care designed for military realities. We thank our partners for standing with us and call on more allies to help transform lives and build stronger communities,” said Mark Lucia, Director of Programming at Kindbridge Research Institute.

Key elements of Stigma Stand Down include:

• Education and Resources: Practical, no-jargon webinars, videos, and courses on gambling disorder, mental health, financial literacy, and stigma reduction, accessible via a dedicated, mobile-friendly website for leaders, families, and providers.

• Free Mental Health Support: Through a partnership with Kindbridge Behavioral Health – a specialized national telehealth provider for gaming, gambling, and mental health issues – military members and their families can access free, confidential virtual therapy sessions.

• Statewide Outreach: Multimedia campaigns, on-base distributions, geographically targeted ads, and veteran-led stories to reach rural and underserved areas, fostering a culture where seeking help is seen as strength.

• Self-Assessment Tools: An anonymous Gambling Self-Check (BBGS) screener providing immediate, personalized feedback to encourage early intervention.

SSD builds on insights from KRI’s 50×4 Vets initiative and partnerships with organizations including the University of Nevada Las Vegas, University of New Mexico, Cactus Advertising Agency, and Kindbridge Behavioral Health. This program was made possible through grants provided by the Colorado Division of Gaming and FanDuel.

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Gambling in the USA

GAMING INDUSTRY’S TOP CEOs BILL HORNBUCKLE, PETER JACKSON & JASON ROBINS TO KEYNOTE G2E 2025

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Main Stage Also Features Tribal Innovation Discussion Oct. 6;  Global Gaming Women to Present Mental Health Dialogue Oct. 8

The Global Gaming Expo, presented by the American Gaming Association (AGA) and organized by RX, announces its highly anticipated main stage programming for G2E 2025. Over three days, G2E will feature conversations with some of the most influential voices in gaming and offer diverse perspectives on the future of the industry. G2E 2025 takes place Oct. 6-9 at The Venetian Expo in Las Vegas and marks the event’s 25th year.

“We are honored to welcome a distinguished lineup of key industry leaders to the G2E main stage,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “As we mark 25 years of G2E, we’re proud to continue to be a catalyst for gaming’s growth, and our programming reflects the ideas and leadership shaping the industry’s future.”

Progress or Pressure: How Tribes Can Harness Innovation on Their Terms

Monday, Oct. 6 at 4 p.m. Doors open at 3:30 p.m.

Indian Gaming Association (IGA) Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr. will open the main stage by underscoring the central contributions of tribal operators to the U.S. gaming landscape and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Bringing together leading tribal voices, the program will explore how tribes embrace innovation on their own terms—balancing growth with sovereignty and long-term success. Panelists will address how emerging technologies, evolving business models, and the rise of illegal, unregulated markets are reshaping the competitive environment. The dialogue will highlight both the opportunities to harness new tools for sustainable growth and the pressures of protecting the industry’s integrity in a rapidly changing landscape.

Moderated by IGA’s Executive Director Jason Giles, the conversation will feature:

  • Rodney Butler, Chairman, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
  • James Siva, Chairman, California Nations Indian Gaming Association

Additional participants may be announced in the coming days.

Inside the C-Suite: Gaming’s Future in Focus on Stage

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Tuesday, Oct. 7 at 8:45 a.m. Doors open at 8:15 a.m.

AGA President and CEO Bill Miller will open G2E 2025’s keynote session, welcoming global gaming professionals and underscoring the strength and momentum of legal gaming upon the opening of the industry’s biggest gathering of the year.

Following Miller’s remarks, Hope King, founder of Macro Talk, on-air contributor to Yahoo Finance, and events host and moderator for Axios, will lead an impactful series of one-on-one conversations with top global gaming CEOs. Discussions will address key trends and challenges shaping the industry—including investor expectations, domestic and international expansion, and intensifying competition in regulated and unregulated markets. Featuring:

  • Bill Hornbuckle – CEO & President, MGM Resorts International
  • Peter Jackson – CEO, Flutter Entertainment
  • Jason Robins – CEO, DraftKings

The session will conclude at 10 a.m., immediately followed by the opening of the expo floor.

Breaking the Stigma: An Honest Dialogue on Mental Health

Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 9 a.m. Doors open at 8:45 a.m.

Multi-sport athlete and mental health advocate Kendall Toole will share her personal journey in a conversation moderated by Global Gaming Women (GGW) Sip & Social Chair Meghan Speranzo. Presented by GGW, the session will foster an open dialogue on mental health, designed to reframe how attendees think about wellness and inspire stronger voices across the gaming industry and beyond. This conversation will be open to all badge holders. Ahead of the discussion, GGW will host their Sip & Social event from 8 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. in the same room. For more information on this separate networking event, visit globalgamingwomen.org/event-6325670.

Presented by the AGA and organized by RX, G2E’s full education lineup features more than 100 sessions. G2E 2025 runs from October 6-9 (Education: October 6-9 | Expo Hall: October 7-9) at The Venetian Expo in Las Vegas.

Since 2001, G2E has served as the premier global event for the legal, regulated gaming industry, fostering innovation and driving growth across casinos, hospitality, technology, iGaming, sports betting, and more. The event will welcome over 25,000 industry professionals from more than 120 countries, regions, and territories, and nearly 400 exhibitors showcasing the latest global gaming technologies.

For more information, visit globalgamingexpo.com.

 

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Gambling in the USA

Scientific Games Introduces GlowMark, All-New Fluorescent Marking System for Lottery Extended Play Scratch Games

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Vibrant Neon Marking System Enhances the Play Experience for Popular Crossword and Bingo Games 

Scientific Games has created an all-new fluorescent marking system for lottery extended play scratch games such as crossword and bingo, adding a vibrant neon glow to the play experience. Recognizing the expanding popularity of extended play games, which have seen significant growth in recent years, the company’s metro Atlanta-based scratch game designers, game programmers, chemists and production experts developed GlowMark to give players a bright fluorescent surprise when they scratch the game. The innovation is available to U.S. and international lotteries.

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Scientific Games, the world’s largest creator, producer and manager of lottery games, offers more than 100 strategic product enhancements for its world-leading lottery instant products. The new GlowMark marking system reveals a contrasting neon fluorescent color when the player scratches the play area, a vibrant departure from the typical white reveal area found in most games.

SG Analytics indicate extended play lottery games have grown by 32% in the past five years (2019-2024). Today, they represent 18.3% of U.S. lottery retail sales. What was once a niche product is now offered by 44 U.S. lotteries, with retail sales topping $11.5 billion last year.

Scratch games featuring fluorescent inks also grew in popularity, representing more than 12% of games in the market by fiscal year 2025. Additionally, $10 scratch games with fluorescent inks outperformed other $10 games by nearly 9% in fiscal year 2025.

“Our Innovation and Discovery teams developed this innovation by using fluorescents to enhance the scratch game experience and are now thrilled to debut GlowMark, our newest advancement in extended play marking systems,” said Danielle Hodges, Senior Director, Global Product Innovation & Development for Scientific Games. “GlowMark gives games a strong, visually appealing contrast between the marked and unmarked areas of the game, adding excitement with glowing neon colors.”

Extended play scratch games produced at Scientific Games’ metro Atlanta global headquarters, as well as production facilities in Canada and the UK, can feature GlowMark. The company’s products represent 70% of lottery instant game global retail sales.

Innovating products and solutions that move the global lottery industry forward since 1973, Scientific Games provides retail and digital games, technology, analytics and services to 150 lotteries in 50 countries worldwide.

GlowMark™ is a trademark of Scientific Games, LLC. © 2025 Scientific Games, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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