Gambling in the USA
The Cordish Companies Announces Key Executive Appointments In Gaming Division Expansion
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.
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
Gambling in the USA
Abbiati Casino Equipment and Hawkins Holdings Form Strategic Alliance to Expand Presence Across the Americas

Abbiati Casino Equipment, a globally recognised leader in premium casino equipment and technologies, announced a strategic partnership with Hawkins Holdings to strengthen its presence across North and South America. As part of this initiative, seasoned gaming executive Roger Hawkins has been appointed Brand Ambassador and Strategic Consultant for the Americas.
With more than 20 years of executive leadership in the global casino and gaming industry, Hawkins will spearhead the company’s efforts to expand its footprint throughout the Western Hemisphere. His role will include market development, strategic partnerships, regulatory positioning, and the promotion of Abbiati’s legacy of Italian innovation, craftsmanship, and integrity.
“This partnership is about more than market entry – it’s about building deeper awareness, driving product adoption, and reinforcing Abbiati’s commitment to quality across every pit and poker room in the hemisphere,” said Hawkins.
Giorgio Abbiati, CEO of Abbiati Casino Equipment, said: “We have proudly served clients in the Americas for many years, but the time is right to deepen our focus. Roger’s knowledge of our products and his insight into the market make him the ideal partner to lead this next phase.”
Gambling in the USA
Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort Rising in Kings Mountain as First Year of Construction is Completed

Significant construction has been completed during the first year of work on the $1 billion Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort in Kings Mountain, N.C., a site off Interstate-85 only 35 miles from Charlotte and close to the South Carolina border.
Construction on all aspects of the project is in full swing, with the foundations for the casino complex and hotel completed several months ago, the casino complex at its full height and expanding horizontally, and steel continuing to rise for the 24-story, 385-room hotel. The hotel tower framing is now 10 stories high, with an additional floor being added nearly every week. At completion, the hotel will be connected to the casino complex.
The casino complex includes the introductory casino on the first level, three levels of covered parking, a back-of-house level and top level with the main casino floor and restaurants. The introductory casino, set to open in spring 2026, will include 1350 slot machines, 20 table games, a 40-seat restaurant, a bar, sports betting kiosks, and Lucky North Rewards desk.
The introductory casino will replace the current temporary (prelaunch) casino, which continues to grow in popularity as it nears its fourth anniversary on July 1.
The main casino complex is targeted to open in 2027. It will be about 2 million square feet and feature:
• 4300 slot machines
• 100 table games
• 11 dining outlets, including a steakhouse, Italian restaurant, marketplace with six venues, café, and grab-and-go outlet
• A players lounge
• 11 bars, including a center bar and sports bar
• A 2700-space parking garage built under the casino complex and 800 surface parking spaces
The project has created hundreds of construction jobs. Upon completion, the casino resort will employ an estimated 2200 regional residents and citizens of the Catawba Nation.
“This casino resort will be an economic game changer for Catawba citizens and a force to drive the economy of Cleveland County and the City of Kings Mountain. This project is a testament to our resilience, our commitment to self-sufficiency, and our determination to build a better future for ourselves and our future generations,” Catawba Nation Chief Brian Harris said.
Harris noted the temporary casino is contributing to many community and charitable organizations in the region, and that will only increase as the full casino resort opens.
The project is being led by the Catawba Nation Gaming Authority under Vice President Trent Troxel, with Yates-Metcon as the construction general contractor; Delaware North as the gaming management, development and hospitality consultant; and SOSHNY Design architects.
“Once again, I want to thank the Cleveland County, City of Kings Mountain, federal and state leaders who have supported the Catawba Nation’s efforts develop the casino resort in its ancestral lands in North Carolina,” Harris said.
Work has also been completed on two key infrastructure projects for development of the permanent casino resort that were funded by the Catawba Nation: doubling the size of the Dixon School Road Bridge over I-85 near the casino entrance and installing new sewer lines near the casino.
Gambling in the USA
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa Named Luckiest Casino in US by Casinos.com

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa has been named the luckiest casino in the US according to a recent study conducted by Casinos.com. The resort claimed the top spot based on an in-depth analysis of Tripadvisor reviews, measuring the frequency of luck-related keyword mentions.
With a 25.49% luck rate, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa topped the list thanks to glowing guest feedback, including frequent mentions of jackpots, hand pays and bonus wins. 50 reviews mentioned the word “jackpot,” and 19 even referenced a “hand pay.”
Casinos.com tracked keywords such as lucky, luck, won, winning, success, jackpot, hand pay, winner, bonus, profit to determine which U.S. casinos inspired the most winning moments among visitors.
“I hit 4 jackpots. I stayed one night. I had a blast. The machines are as loose as anywhere else,” wrote one Tripadvisor reviewer, noted Casinos.com, capturing the essence of why the casino landed in the No. 1 spot.
“We’ve always known this was a lucky casino, but it’s exciting to see that recognized through data-driven research. It’s a testament to the vibrant energy on our casino floor and the unforgettable experiences we strive to create for every guest,” said Steve Bonner, President of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa.
The ranking reinforces Seminole Hard Rock Tampa’s reputation as one of the premier gaming and entertainment destinations in the US. Seminole Hard Rock Tampa was not involved in the study and was unaware of it until the results were publicly released.
Over the past year, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa has paid out nearly 839,000 jackpots totaling more than $2.45 billion, continuing to deliver thrilling high-stakes gaming. Since May 1, 2024, the casino resort has awarded 375 jackpots of $100,000 or more, amounting to an impressive $61 million in winnings. Notably, 47 of those massive wins stemmed from bets of $5 or less and nine came from wagers of $3 or less.
Seminole Hard Rock Tampa offers a fully integrated casino experience with a sleek, modern design and welcoming atmosphere of 245,000 square feet of gaming space and entertainment. With 5230 of the hottest slot machines and a full range of table games such as poker, blackjack and baccarat, there is no shortage of opportunities to win. Additionally, guests can enjoy live craps, roulette, and sports betting at their leisure.
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