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WLA Honors “Founding Father” Guy Simonis Following Recent Passing

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The World Lottery Association (WLA) has paid tribute to Guy Simonis, the organization’s “founding father”, who passed away on October 5 at the age of 91.

Simonis played an instrumental role in the lottery industry, particularly in Canada where he developed the country’s first sports lottery to help fund the activities of the Manitoba Amateur Sports Federation he founded in the 1960s.

The scope of his initiatives soon expanded to cover lotteries, and he played a key role in organizing the Western Canada Lottery Foundation, uniting three Prairie Provinces and British Columbia.

Simonis also became the first president of the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), assuming the role for 18 years.

He then helped to form the WLA in 1999 at the Oslo Relations convention, where he was chosen to be the new association’s first president.

Shortly thereafter, he retired from BCLC and stepped down as WLA President.

The WLA said on its website: “Those who knew Simonis, knew a true showman, who inspired everyone around him and loved to entertain audiences, large and small, on the piano. He was also a great family man.”

Rebecca Paul, President of the WLA, paid tribute to Simonis at the 2022 World Lottery Summit last month.

She said: “We all mourn his passing, and regret so much that he could not be with us, when the lottery world returned to Vancouver, but it is very fitting that we have an award that ensures his legacy will live on – The Guy Simonis Lifetime Achievement Award.”

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Industry heavyweights all set for biggest ever Indian Gaming Tradeshow

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This year’s Indian Gaming Tradeshow, featuring the Digital Play Summit (DPS), will showcase more of the industry’s most high-profile operators than ever before, alongside a formidable line-up of its major providers.

Stand-out performers like iGT, Everi, Konami, Playtech, Chalkline, Continent 8, and GBank, as well as other stakeholders such as DraftKings and Fanduel, will be exhibiting at the Anaheim Convention Center, California, from April 8-11.

For the first time the 2024 event will also demonstrate tribal gaming’s adherence to player protection with the launch of a Sustainable Gambling Zone (SGZ).

The SGZ will be a focal point for collaboration where companies can discuss best practices, learn about the latest research and discover innovations in the area of harm prevention and long-term business and industry sustainability.

Presented as a physical area on the DPS show floor, it will feature kiosks where organizations committed to responsible gambling and players’ health will exhibit their services, products and tools.

The SGZ is supported by IGT and endorsed by the National Council on Problem Gambling, Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health and The International Center for Responsible Gaming who were also among the first groups to confirm their presence with a kiosk.

The initiative, previously known as the Consumer Protection Zone at ICE London but unique for a North American gaming event, invites other organizations that put responsible gambling at the core of their practice to show their support.

Further exhibitors, sponsors and supporters of this key event in the industry calendar are expected in the next two weeks, all set to explore the incredible opportunities for growth in tribal gaming.

Ernie Stevens, Jr, Indian Gaming Association Chairman, said: “We’re delighted to have compiled such an expansive list of exhibitors as our stakeholders play a vital role in moving this industry forward, and positive progression is at the core of everything we do at the IGA.

“A key part of that is everybody working sustainably and progressively. The Sustainable Gambling Zone at Digital Play Summit is the perfect vehicle for that message and is a fantastic initiative.

“We’re excited to welcome exhibitors and visitors new and time-served to Anaheim to discover more of what we stand for and how working Indian country offers the opportunity to reap tangible rewards.”

Registration for the DigitalPlay Summit is included in all conference and tradeshow registration packages for the Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention.

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Internet Vikings Expands into Latin America with New Data Center

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Internet Vikings Expands into Latin America with New Data Center

 

Internet Vikings, the leading licensed hosting provider, announces its entry into Latin America with a new data center. Signaling a beneficial move forward for the company, it continues to broaden its service offerings in response to the growing licensed iGaming and online sports betting sector in the region.

Seeing the potential in the regulated Latin America’s iGaming and Sports Betting market, Rickard Vikström, Founder and CEO of Internet Vikings, led the company’s efforts to establish a presence in the continent. “Entering into Latin America was not only a strategic decision for growth but also a commitment to provide local regulated operators with access to VMware cloud hosting, compliant with instant scaling on-demand,” Vikström stated.

New regulations and a steadily growing gambling industry position Latin America prominently within the global iGaming arena. Internet Vikings is ready to leverage these opportunities by offering reliable and secure hosting services that enable operators to develop in this competitive environment.

Kristoffer Ottosson, COO of Internet Vikings, emphasized the company’s obligation to support its clients’ efforts in new territories. “Our launch into Latin America underscores our dedication to providing the industry with a heightened level of cybersecurity, and infrastructure to support our clients effectively”, Ottosson remarked. “We are confident that our partnership with local stakeholders, combined with our VMware cloud hosting services, will enable us to deliver value to current and potential operators in the area.”

As Internet Vikings extends its global presence, with the introduction of tailored VMware cloud hosting services in Latin America, its focus remains on providing innovative solutions that fuel growth and improve user experiences to meet the specific needs of the market.

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Golden Entertainment Announces Leadership Changes

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Golden Entertainment Announces Leadership Changes

 

Golden Entertainment Inc. announced that effective March 20, 2024, Blake Sartini II, Golden’s Executive Vice President of Operations, became the Company’s Chief Operating Officer.

“Blake has worked in every capacity throughout our organization since he started at Golden almost 17 years ago. His unique knowledge of our Company’s culture, commitment to operational excellence, and strong leadership skills make him the ideal individual to be given responsibility for all our Nevada casino resorts, locals properties, tavern operations and related corporate functions,” Blake Sartini, Chairman and CEO of Golden, said.

Blake Sartini II initially joined Golden in June 2007, working with Golden’s tavern operations and building what is now the largest branded tavern portfolio in Nevada with 69 locations. Currently, as Executive Vice President of Operations, in addition to oversight of Golden’s taverns, he has direct responsibility for the Company’s five local casinos in Las Vegas and Pahrump.

Steve Arcana, Golden’s current Chief Operating Officer, became the Company’s Chief Development Officer also effective March 20, 2024. In this newly created role, Mr. Arcana will be responsible for all new tavern development, finding new third-party food and beverage concepts for the Company’s casino resorts, and exploring opportunities to unlock value in the Company’s excess real estate in Las Vegas, Laughlin and Pahrump. Mr. Arcana initially joined Golden in 2003 and has overseen the Company’s operations as it has grown from a privately held, 900-slot machine route operation to a publicly traded gaming company with casinos in Las Vegas, Laughlin and Pahrump in addition to its significant tavern portfolio.

“Steve has been with Golden for over 20 years and has been an integral part of growing our business and guiding us through many challenges. Steve has established a strong operating team and has been a consistent leader throughout his decades at Golden. His long history and extensive experience in the industry will continue to benefit the Company in his new role focused on creating value from new tavern development and unused assets in our casino portfolio,” Mr. Sartini said.

“These management changes will allow Golden to focus on maximizing performance in our core operations while exploring opportunities to drive future improvement by bringing potential new concepts to our existing portfolio. I am confident the changes to Blake and Steve’s roles with the Company will position us well to create additional shareholder value,” Mr. Sartini added.

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