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

AGA Announces Gaming Hall of Fame Class of 2022

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AGA Announces Gaming Hall of Fame Class of 2022

 

The American Gaming Association (AGA) announced the Gaming Hall of Fame Class of 2022, honoring three leaders for their noteworthy contributions to the industry:

  • Gavin Isaacs, former President and CEO, Scientific Games Corporation and current Chairman, Games Global
  • Virginia McDowell, former President and CEO, Isle of Capri Casinos and current Non-Executive Director, Entain plc and Cofounder, Global Gaming Women
  • Michael Rumbolz, former CEO, Everi Holdings, Inc. and current Executive Chairman of the Board, Everi Holdings, Inc.

“Gavin, Virginia and Mike have each helped transform the gaming industry in their own significant ways,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “From leading casino and manufacturing operations across the country to serving in a multitude of board and advisory roles, their influence has spanned the U.S. and global gaming industry—and we are all better off for it.” 

Since 1989, the Gaming Hall of Fame has recognized gaming legends, pioneers and business leaders for their lasting impacts on the industry. The Class of 2022 will be honored during an invitation-only induction ceremony at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas this October.

“The Gaming Hall of Fame is comprised of individuals that have pushed the industry forward through innovation, leadership and excellence. This year’s inductees are well-deserving additions to its ranks,” said AGA Chairman of the Board and Hard Rock International Chairman and Seminole Gaming CEO Jim Allen. “I look forward to celebrating their contributions alongside the entire gaming industry at G2E 2022.”

Hall of Fame honorees are selected by an independent panel of gaming executives. This year’s selection committee members include:

  • Jim Allen, Chairman, Hard Rock International and CEO, Seminole Gaming
  • Kirsten Clark, Executive Director, International Association of Gaming Advisors
  • Jeffrey Compton, Business Manager, CDC Gaming Reports
  • Alan Feldman, Chairman, International Center for Responsible Gaming and Distinguished Fellow, UNLV International Gaming Institute
  • Craig Ferreira, Interim Executive Director, UNLV International Center for Gaming Regulation
  • Dan Little, Chief Intergovernmental Affairs Officer, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
  • Cassie Stratford, SVP, Legal Operations & Regulatory Compliance, Boyd Gaming and President and Chair, Global Gaming Women
  • Steve Sutherland, President and CEO, Konami Gaming

Gavin Isaacs, Former President and CEO, Scientific Games Corporation; Current Chairman, Games Global

Currently chairman of Games Global, Isaacs helped form the American gaming landscape by serving as a top executive at several of the country’s largest casino suppliers and leading multiple industry-shaping mergers. He most recently served as president and CEO of Scientific Games (now Light & Wonder), where he oversaw the company’s acquisition of Bally Technologies. Prior to joining Scientific Games, he held positions as CEO of SHFL Entertainment and Executive Vice President and COO of Bally Technologies, facilitating significant revenue growth, global expansion, and improvements to the slot businesses at both companies. He began his career in gaming with Aristocrat Technologies, where he grew the company’s Americas business to record revenue.

Virginia McDowell, Former President and CEO, Isle of Capri Casinos; Current Non-Executive Director, Entain plc and Cofounder, Global Gaming Women

Named Gaming Executive of the Year for 2009 by Casino Journal Magazine, McDowell served as the only female president and CEO of a major gaming operating company from 2007 until her retirement from Isle of Capri Casinos in April 2016. She now serves as a non-executive director of Entain plc, where she chairs the Environmental, Social and Governance Committee and serves as the designated workforce director. McDowell is also the cofounder of Global Gaming Women, a nonprofit she established in 2016 with a mission to support, inspire and influence the development of women in the gaming industry through education and mentoring. Her career in gaming spans 40 years, with additional stints in casino operations in a number of regional and destination markets.

Michael Rumbolz, Former CEO, Everi Holdings, Inc.; Current Executive Chairman of the Board, Everi Holdings, Inc.
Rumbolz currently serves as Executive Chairman of the Board of Everi Holdings, Inc., having previously served as CEO of the company from February 2016 to April 2022. For the past 40 years, he has been involved in all aspects of the gaming industry with experience encompassing gaming-related equipment and systems manufacturing and distribution; casino project development and construction; hotel and casino operations; casino fintech equipment and systems; casino regulatory technology; digital gaming; lottery and slot-route operations; and gaming legislation and regulation. He previously served as the Chairman and CEO of Cash Systems Inc., CEO of Anchor Gaming Inc., and Vice Chairman of Casino Data Systems. Mike has been a member of the Board of Managers of Seminole Hard Rock International since 2008 and a member of the Board of Directors of VICI Properties Inc. since 2017. He also formerly served as Chief Deputy Attorney General of Nevada and Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

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Gambling in the USA

ETPL APPOINTS LONDON-BASED OAKVALE CAPITAL AS EXCLUSIVE INVESTMENT BANKER TO LEAD CAPITAL RAISE AND GROWTH STRATEGY

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The European T20 Premier League (ETPL), an ICC-approved T20 league co-owned by Abhishek Bachchan and backed by Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland, and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association, has appointed Oakvale Capital as its exclusive investment banker.

“Oakvale’s deep expertise in sports finance will be a game-changer for ETPL’s long-term vision. We look forward to working closely with their expert team to help bring our event to fruition,” said Warren Deutrom, CEO, Cricket Ireland.

“Oakvale is one of the leading London-based investment banks in the sports and gaming ecosystem. Their sector depth, global network, and track record advising rights-holders, clubs, and technology platforms make them the right partner for ETPL as we scale,” said Saurav Banerjee, Co-owner and Director, ETPL.

“We’re excited to support ETPL’s bold and innovative approach to cricket. The vision to elevate the sport in Europe with a premium, differentiated offering aligns well with Oakvale’s strategic focus in global sports properties,” said Sandford Loudon, Partner, Oakvale Capital.

Blending world-class cricket with a distinctively European experience, ETPL aims to redefine the sport through elite talent, immersive fan experiences, and data-driven innovation. In addition, KPMG in India has been appointed as ETPL’s strategic advisor.

 

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Gambling in the USA

Georgia Lottery Takes Retail Experience to Next Level with Scientific Games’ SCiQ Technology

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SCiQ Ecosystem Modernizes Lottery Scratch Game Sales, Simplifies Retail Operations

The Georgia Lottery Corporation is taking a major step forward in transforming the way players experience instant scratch games at retail with the launch of Scientific Games’ award-winning SCiQ retail ecosystem at 1,500 locations statewide. The breakthrough retail technology modernizes how scratch games are sold and managed, bringing greater operational efficiency to retailers and a convenient, streamlined purchasing experience for players.

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The innovative retail technology rollout is the latest milestone in a long-standing partnership between the Georgia Lottery and metro Atlanta-based Scientific Games, a collaboration that began at the Lottery’s inception in 1993. Through the long-standing partnership, Scientific Games has worked with the Lottery to launch its first scratch game, first second-chance promotion and is soon to launch its first loyalty program.

“Retail environments are evolving, and the Georgia Lottery is proud to lead with smart technology solutions that align with how today’s consumers want to shop,” said Gretchen Corbin, President and CEO of the Georgia Lottery Corporation. “SCiQ brings a modern retail presence to our instant games, helps our retailers operate more efficiently and ultimately supports our mission to maximize revenues for the HOPE Scholarship and Georgia Pre-K program.”

A Gold Winner in the 2025 American Business Awards for Operations Management Solution and Bronze Winner in the 2025 International Business Awards for Achievement in Product Innovation, SCiQ is being deployed across the diverse mix of Georgia Lottery retailers, including both major chain and independent stores. Each will benefit from:

  • Real-time inventory tracking proven to reduce out-of-stocks and drive increased product sales
  • Advanced sales analytics to help optimize sales performance and strategic planning
  • Easy-to-use reporting tools that reduce operational time and provide management insights
  • Dynamic digital menu boards that elevate the product’s in-store presence and promotion while providing players with real-time updated information
  • Game dispensing bins that secure products, reduce theft and provide ticket-by-ticket operational tracking

“We are especially proud to bring the benefits of SCiQ to our home state,” said John Schulz, President of the Americas for Scientific Games. “The Georgia Lottery has always been a forward-thinking partner, and this retail modernization initiative is another move to ensure future growth for its instant game business to sustain future funding for Georgia’s students.”

A leading innovator in the industry, the Georgia Lottery ranked No. 2 in the world for scratch game per capita sales (La Fleur’s 2025 World Almanac). It has been a participant in the Scientific Games Enhanced Partnership program since the Lottery’s inception, benefiting from instant game design and production, portfolio management and game planning services, data analytics, advanced logistics, licensed brand services and retail sales and marketing support. Used by more than 20 lotteries, including five of the top six performing instant game lotteries worldwide, the SGEP program drove 31% better performance for U.S. partners in fiscal year 2023-24.

As the world’s largest lottery games company and the fastest-growing lottery systems provider in North America, Scientific Games currently serves more than 150 lotteries in 50 countries around the world.

SCiQ® is a registered trademark of Scientific Games. ©2025 Scientific Games, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

 

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$50 MILLION GUARANTEED IN ACR POKER’S BIGGEST-EVER TOURNAMENT SERIES: THE ONLINE SUPER SERIES XL, LAUNCHING THIS WEEKEND

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  • $4.25 million guaranteed in Monster Main Events across three tourneys, plus
  • $2.8 million guaranteed in Multi-Flight Events

Fresh off the massive Dual Venom tournaments with over $10 million in prize pools, ACR Poker announces the return of its flagship Online Super Series (OSS) XL. From this Sunday through Tuesday, September 30th, players of all bankrolls can jump into supersized poker action and compete for a staggering $50 million in guaranteed prize pools.

Headlining the OSS XL schedule are three monster Main Events. Starting Sunday, September 21st, players can take their shot at the $2 million guaranteed ($2,650 buy-in), the $1.5 million guaranteed ($1,050 buy-in), and the $750,000 guaranteed ($215 buy-in) Main Events.

Adding to the excitement is the high-energy Survivor Flips tourney ($130 buy-in), offering a $150,000 guarantee. Phase 1 and Steps Flips run from Wednesday, September 17th to Sunday, September 21st at 3pm ET. Phase 2 is a regular tournament on September 21st at 3:05pm ET where all players start in the money.

“After heated back-to-back Venom tourneys, the OSS XL feels like the perfect follow-up,” said ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker. “This series offers every type of player a mix of incredible value with a lot of variety. From Main Events to Survivor Flips and Mystery Bounties, plus big guarantees on top, it’s the kind of schedule that gets the whole community fired up, and I can’t wait to dive in.”

In addition, the jam-packed schedule features plenty of multi-flight action. The $630 buy-in Multi-Flight tournament boasts a $1.5 million guarantee, with Day 1’s starting on Sunday, September 7th and Day 2 on Monday, September 29th.

There are also four Mystery Bounty Multi-Flight events, including two $500,000 guaranteed $109 buy-in events, with Day 1’s starting on September 7th and September 21st. Players can jump into the $200,000 guaranteed ($33 buy-in) and $100,000 guaranteed ($5.50 buy-in) events, with the final flight and Day 2 on September 28th.

To add further sweat, ACR Poker’s Leaderboard Contest returns with $65,000 in cash and tourney tickets across three tiers. The High Stakes ($104.50 buy-ins and above) will award a $15,000 top prize, while the Mid Stakes ($16.50 to $88 buy-ins) and Low Stakes (under $15 buy-ins) will award $7,500 and $4,000, respectively.

For further details on the OSS XL, read the ACR Poker blog or visit ACRPoker.eu.

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