Gambling in the USA
2021 WORLD SERIES OF POKER® IN REVIEW: WEEK THREE HIGHLIGHTS AND WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO

The 52nd annual World Series of Poker® (WSOP®) wrapped up its third week of play at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino with thrilling wins and new champions crowned. Week three delivered on excitement with poker legend Phil Hellmuth winning his record-breaking 16th gold bracelet and a stacked, star-studded faceoff in the final day of Event #36: $10,000 Dealer’s Choice Championship.
Poker fans and interested media can tune into the weekly WSOP virtual press conference on Friday, Oct. 22 at 12 p.m. PST where host Tiffany Michelle will dive deeper into this week’s milestone events with special guests, bracelet winners and more. This week’s virtual press conference can be viewed on the WSOP YouTube channel
Week 3 Highlights:
Poker legend Phil Hellmuth took home his 16th WSOP Gold Bracelet in Event #31: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw. The 16th Gold Bracelet extended Hellmuth’s record of having the most championship wins in WSOP. This is his first gold bracelet in a 2-7 poker game and his third in a non-Hold’em variation.
- Anthony Koutsos Wins First WSOP Bracelet in Event #35: $500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold’em
Anthony Koustos, a real-estate agent by day, took home his first WSOP gold bracelet and $167,272 in winnings. A poker player of nine years, this was Koutsos’ first time at the World Series of Poker and his third bracelet event. - Karolis Sereika Wins First WSOP Bracelet in Event #37:$1,500 Super Turbo
Karolis Sereika won Event #37: $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Super Turbo, taking home his first WSOP gold bracelet, making it the first live Lithuanian WSOP bracelet. This is Sereika’s biggest win to date at $195,310.
- WSOP Adds Two More Main Event Starting Flights as U.S. Travel Restrictions Ease
In response to the easing of travel restrictions into the U.S., WSOP has announced two more Day 1 Event flights. Day 1E and Day 1F will take place November 8 and November 9.
Adam Friedman made history, winning Event #36: $10,000 Dealer’s Choice Championship for third consecutive time and denying Phil Hellmuth his 17th WSOP gold bracelet. Friedman now has four gold bracelets and over $2 million in cashes.
What To Look Forward To:
- Thursday, Oct. 21 – Event #41: Freezeout No-Limit Hold’em
Players will face-off for a chance at a WSOP gold bracelet in a $2,500 buy in, no re-entry tournament. - Sunday, Oct. 24 – Online Event #5: WSOP.com Online Bracelet Championship
Players will compete for a WSOP gold bracelet in one of the newly added online bracelet events.
- Upcoming WSOP live streaming on PokerGO: PokerGO.com is live streaming 36 days of action from the 2021 World Series of Poker, including the entire $10,000 Main Event from start to finish. Coming up are live streams of Event #39: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha on Friday, October 22, Event $40: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship on Saturday, October 23, and Event #44: $3,000 Limit Hold’em 6-Handed on Sunday, October 24. Watch now on PokerGO.com.For real-time WSOP coverage, please visit PokerNews.com https://bit.ly/3uLIQdj.
Gambling in the USA
Scientific Games Introduces GlowMark, All-New Fluorescent Marking System for Lottery Extended Play Scratch Games

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.
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.
Gambling in the USA
Resorts World Las Vegas Appoints Respected Industry Leaders Lou Dorn as Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary; Elizabeth Tranchina as General Counsel

Resorts World Las Vegas announces the appointments of Lou Dorn as Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, and Elizabeth Tranchina as General Counsel. Together, they bring proven leadership across the gaming and hospitality industries and will oversee legal, regulatory, governance, and risk-related functions for the resort, helping to drive operational excellence and support long-term growth.
“Lou brings an exceptional depth of experience in gaming law and regulatory compliance that will be instrumental as we continue to grow and evolve,” said Jim Murren, Chairman of Resorts World Las Vegas. “His leadership will help ensure our operations remain forward-thinking, responsible and built on a strong legal foundation.”
Dorn’s distinguished career spans both public service and private-sector leadership. He comes to Resorts World from Bally’s Corporation, where he served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel – North America and oversaw legal operations for 19 casino and resort properties across the U.S., including online gaming and sports wagering platforms. Prior to that, he held executive legal roles at Monarch Casino & Resort, SLS Las Vegas, Aliante Casino and Hotel and the Las Vegas Hilton, where he led legal strategy, compliance programs and regulatory affairs.
Earlier in his career, Dorn served as Chief of the Corporate Securities Division for the Nevada Gaming Control Board and as Deputy Attorney General for the State of Nevada. In these roles, he helped shape and enforce gaming regulations and compliance for the state, gaining a comprehensive understanding of both Nevada gaming law and federal securities law.
“Joining Resorts World Las Vegas at such a dynamic time in its growth is an exciting opportunity,” said Dorn. “Having spent my career navigating the complexities of gaming law and regulatory compliance, I look forward to supporting the resort’s continued success by ensuring we operate with the highest standards of legal integrity and strategic governance.”
Resorts World Las Vegas also welcomes Elizabeth Tranchina as General Counsel. A seasoned legal counsel with more than 20 years of legal and regulatory compliance experience in the gaming and hospitality industry, Tranchina began her legal career as an Assistant Attorney General in the Gaming Division for the Louisiana Department of Justice. She most recently served as General Counsel for Investar Bank, headquartered in Louisiana, overseeing the legal operations for more than 20 branch locations across Louisiana, Texas and Alabama. Prior to that, she was General Counsel at Rio Hotel & Casino where she managed the legal, regulatory compliance and risk functions for the property. Tranchina has held senior leadership roles at publicly traded gaming, sports betting, and iGaming companies, overseeing legal and compliance matters across multiple jurisdictions.
“Elizabeth brings a steady, solutions-oriented mindset to complex legal challenges. Her experience across gaming and financial services adds valuable perspective to our leadership team, and her contributions will be instrumental as we continue to grow,” said Carlos Castro, President and Chief Financial Officer for Resorts World Las Vegas.
For more information about Resorts World Las Vegas, please visit rwlasvegas.com.
Gambling in the USA
IGT Wheel of Fortune Big Money Spin Electronic Table Game Makes Global Debut in Las Vegas

IGT announced that its much-anticipated Wheel of Fortune Big Money Spin electronic table game (ETG) recently made its world debut at Downtown Grand Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. The vibrant standalone ETG game includes many of the attributes that have propelled the success of the Wheel of Fortune slots franchise for nearly three decades including word puzzles, wheel spins and exciting jackpot rewards. The game is accompanied by an attention-grabbing, 9-plus-feet upright video wheel that stands independent of the ETG terminals and entertains casino guests with the famous “WHEEL-OF-FORTUNE!” chant.
“Downtown Grand was delighted to have the world premiere of IGT’s Wheel of Fortune Big Money Spin ETG solution on our gaming floor. Our guests instantly connected with the Wheel of Fortune brand and are eager to try their favorite slots brand in a new format. The stature and appeal of game’s accompanying ‘Big Wheel’ is inspiring a wide range of players to give the new game a try,” said Paul Phillips, Director of Casino Operations at Downtown Grand Las Vegas.
“Building on the continued success of IGT’s GameAce Roulette and Mesa4K terminals across North America, we are thrilled to introduce Wheel of Fortune Big Money Spin to ETG players. The successful launch of Wheel of Fortune Big Money Spin at Downtown Grand Casino speaks to the excitement that we can bring to a gaming floor, the universal appeal of the Wheel of Fortune brand, and IGT’s commitment to delivering game-changing innovation,” said Nick Khin, CEO of Gaming at IGT.
IGT’s Wheel of Fortune Big Money Spin game is enjoyed on the Company’s GameAce ETG offering and features an intuitive gameplay design. To make a wager, players select a color-coded bet amount that corresponds with the colored wedges on the game’s digital Wheel of Fortune wheel. Players win when their wager matches the digital spin outcome, filling in letters in the game’s iconic puzzle board. The game’s Fortune Spin Bonus and Jackpot Bonus activate the solution’s large physical wheel, delivering a highly visible and recognizable win celebration on the gaming floor.
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