Industry News
Actor Peter Coyote Announces Support for Koi Nation Casino Project in Sonoma County
Actor and author Peter Coyote, long associated with environmental causes, has announced his support for the creation of the Koi Nation’s planned Shiloh Resort & Casino.
“The Shiloh Resort and Casino, with its dedicated tax dollars recirculating in and through the community, might honestly be classified as a critical need today,” Peter Coyote said. The Koi Nation is “overdue to receive this opportunity to regain their historic self-sufficiency and create a stable economic base for the tribe.”
Coyote has narrated a short video for the Koi Nation, one of the oldest federally-recognized Native American tribes in California. The educational video emphasizes the Tribe’s commitment to developing its Shiloh Resort & Casino in harmony with the natural beauty of its land in Sonoma County.
The Shiloh Resort & Casino will be a destination resort that will provide an economic base for the Tribe, built on property the Tribe acquired after having been landless since the federal government forced the sale of its Lower Lake Rancheria in the 1950s. With a 400-room hotel, entertainment venues, and a variety of gaming options, the resort will provide income and jobs for the Tribe and its members as well as economic benefits to the community.
One of the most important aspects of the resort, highlighted in the video, is the way the project’s design fits into the landscape of its wine country location.
The video helps members of the community better understand and visualize the project and see for themselves how the Koi Nation designed the project with respect for the environment.
“Our people lived in this region for thousands of years, always with great respect for the land, and that has remained a core part of our Tribe even as we were made landless. Now that the Tribe once again has acquired property of its own, we have not forgotten the importance of that relationship, which is why we have designed the Shiloh Resort & Casino with the careful attention to its setting you can see in the video,” Tribal Chairman Darin Beltran said.
“We are pleased to have an individual with Peter Coyote’s strong environmental stance as the narrator for our video. It’s important to us to communicate our commitment to the land and nature with our neighbors throughout Sonoma County. This video lets them see for themselves the beauty of the site and of what we are building,” Dino Beltran, Koi Nation Vice Chair and Director of Development, said.
The Koi Nation of Northern California has executed a predevelopment agreement with Global Gaming Solutions (GGS), a wholly-owned business enterprise of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, to engage as the Koi’s development partner for its planned Shiloh Casino & Resort in Sonoma County. GGS will also act as the manager and operator of the establishment when completed.
The Chickasaw Nation, with its tribal headquarters in Ada, Oklahoma, has an exemplary track record in developing and operating tribal gaming operations and related resort properties. It operates 23 gaming establishments around the nation, including Winstar World Casino and Resort, the largest casino in the world. The Chickasaw Nation also operates nearly 200 additional highly successful businesses, giving it a broad range of commercial expertise that makes it the ideal partner to develop and manage the Shiloh Resort & Casino.
The Shiloh Casino & Resort will include a 2750 Class III gaming machine facility, a 400-room hotel, six restaurant and food service areas, a meeting center and a spa, as well as a state-of-the-art live entertainment venue. The property will employ more than 1100 full-time workers when fully operational.
Industry News
Double win for Kaizen Gaming at the SBC Awards Latinoamérica 2024
Kaizen Gaming, one of the biggest GameTech companies in the world, had an impressive double-win at the SBC Awards Latinoamérica 2024 on the 31st October in Miami, Florida. Awarded ‘Brazilian Market Entrant of the Year’, and ‘Marketing Campaign of the Year’, the two wins follow an impressive year of growth and exposure for Kaizen Gaming, as well as its premium brand Betano, across Latin America and globally.
Betano is rapidly growing its user base and presence in Brazil, serving as the main and title sponsor of Brasileirão Betano and Copa Betano do Brasil. As a founding member of the ANJL and IBJR regulatory bodies, Betano is recognised for its dedication to upholding the highest standards of responsible gaming and integrity. Furthermore, the Betano brand has launched multiple CSR initiatives across the country in partnership with sponsored team, Clube Atlético Mineiro. It also recently launched the “Juntos em Campo” long-term program in cooperation with CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) to promote initiatives focused on gender equality.
Awarded for the results and creativity of its innovative “Football in America” marketing campaign, Betano successfully introduced Latin America to its “Confia” brand platform by leveraging on its CONMEBOL Copa America™️ 2024 sponsorship. The campaign chimed with the spirit of fans across the continent by celebrating Latin America’s rich football heritage, playfully responding to Kylian Mbappe’s 2022 comments questioning the region’s football quality.
Vangelis Skarkalis, Kaizen Gaming Senior Commercial Director LATAM, said: “Latin America is one of the world’s most dynamic and exciting regions for i-gaming. Being recognised as a leading player in this important market with two wins at the prestigious SBC Awards Latinoamérica is a great honour – especially on the heels of our recent double-win as ‘Operator of the Year’ at both the EGR Operator Awards and SBC Awards. Achieving this success requires an exceptional team of dedicated, ambitious professionals. This award honours everyone’s hard work and commitment to always going above and beyond in delivering the best experiences for our customers not only in Latin America, but worldwide too.”
Industry News
SOFTSWISS Wins SBC Latinoamérica Award for Help Brazil Initiative
SOFTSWISS has won the Socially Responsible Initiative of the Year nomination at the SBC Awards Latinoamérica 2024 for its impactful ‘Help Brazil’ initiative. This recognition underscores the company’s support for Brazilian communities affected by severe flooding earlier this year and its dedication to implementing meaningful social responsibility projects.
The SBC Awards Latinoamérica celebrates excellence in the Latin American gaming industry, gathering leading experts to acknowledge the achievements of operators, platform providers, affiliates, and suppliers across various sectors. SOFTSWISS’ ‘Help Brazil’ initiative distinguished itself among the top entries, with judges marking its focus on community sustainability and industry engagement.
Launched in May 2024, ‘Help Brazil’ provided immediate relief by delivering food, clothing, and clean water to flood-affected areas in Rio Grande do Sul in coordination with Movimento União BR. Further committed to sustainable recovery, SOFTSWISS partnered with PWTech, funding water purification installations in affected schools to guarantee long-term access to clean water.
Ivan Montik, Founder of SOFTSWISS, noted: “This prestigious award affirms our commitment to making a real difference. As we expand our business in Latin America, we build lasting relationships with people and partners in this region and see ourselves as part of the local communities. When action was needed, we could not remain on the sidelines. We are grateful that the Latin American industry recognised and supported our initiative and immensely thankful to everyone who joined us in this effort, both locally and internationally.”
Rubens Barrichello, Non-Executive Director in Latin America, who helped raise awareness for the initiative, added: “I am incredibly proud of SOFTSWISS’ commitment to a sustained and compassionate approach. This recognition underscores our dedication to supporting communities in Brazil, where we focus on making a meaningful impact. Together, with such comprehensive projects, we are demonstrating how our industry can step up when it matters most.”
Continuing its commitment to local communities, this September, SOFTSWISS and its employees provided financial aid and essential supplies to flood-affected regions in Poland, where the company operates two offices. The aid campaigns in Poland and Brazil reflect SOFTSWISS’ commitment to being a responsible partner for local communities and its broader focus on ESG principles through long-term health, environmental, and social initiatives, including World Environment Day, Pink October, and Movember.
SOFTSWISS welcomes its partners and clients to visit stand 2145 at the SiGMA Europe Summit to explore future collaboration opportunities.
About SOFTSWISS
SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 23,500 casino games, the Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook software and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS revolutionised the industry by introducing the world’s first Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.
Industry News
Cliff Ehrlich Joins Rush Street Gaming as COO
Rush Street Gaming announced that casino and hospitality veteran Cliff Ehrlich has joined the company as chief operating officer.
Ehrlich assumes the role of Rush Street COO from Bill Keena, a longtime company and industry leader, who plans to retire later this year.
“I’ve admired Rush Street’s strong leadership and steady expansion over the past two decades. I’m thrilled to join this dynamic organization and look forward to contributing to the company’s ongoing success,” said Ehrlich.
Ehrlich’s career began in marketing at the Catskills’ Pines Resort Hotel in the 80s and transitioned in the 90s to casino development and operations. In 1996, he became co-owner of the Monticello Raceway and helped recruit the Oneida Indian Nation to build a casino on the property. Following an initial public offering, Ehrlich led Monticello Casino & Raceway as president, chief operating officer and general manager until 2013.
After consulting with Mohegan Sun regarding Upstate New York development opportunities, in 2015, Ehrlich joined The Downs Racetrack & Casino in Albuquerque, serving as general manager and chief operating officer. He later ran two casinos for The Navajo Nation — Northern Edge and Flowing Water. Since 2022, Ehrlich has been Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise’s chief operating officer, with oversight of four casinos, a resort destination hotel, travel plaza and food & beverage manufacturing.
“Cliff’s ground-up casino development experience, deep operations background and team leadership ensure that all five Rivers Casino properties remain in great hands. He will continue the strong forward momentum established by Bill Keena, for whom we wish the very best in retirement,” said Tim Drehkoff, CEO of Rush Street Gaming.
-
Gambling in the USA3 days ago
Industry veteran joins North American operator as chief interactive gaming officer to drive growth in iCasino states and efficiencies in its online sportsbook
-
Canada5 days ago
Jackpot Digital Receives Approval from AGCO as a Registered Gaming Supplier
-
awards5 days ago
Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel Named #1 Best Overall Casino Outside of Las Vegas and #1 Best Native American Casino in 2024 Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards
-
Latest News5 days ago
SBC Summit Rio to welcome EDM legend Afrojack as INFINITY headliner, supported by Brazil’s Dubdogz
-
Latest News5 days ago
SPGA Introduces Code of Conduct to Highlight Member Commitment to Compliance and Safety in Social and Promotional Gaming
-
Compliance Updates5 days ago
TaDa Gaming Celebrates Further Brazilian Certification Across its Portfolio
-
Compliance Updates5 days ago
Delasport Now GLI-Certified for Sports Betting in Brazil
-
Latest News4 days ago
Kansas November Sports Betting Surpasses $290M in Handle