Latest News
Paysafe appoints Afshin Yazdian as CEO of its U.S. Acquiring division
Yazdian’s appointment completes a new executive leadership team in Paysafe’s global payment processing business
Paysafe, a leading specialized payments platform, today announced the appointment of Afshin Yazdian as CEO of its newly formed U.S. Acquiring division. Joining on July 1st, Yazdian will be charged with bringing to life Paysafe’s vision of being the U.S.’s leading payments solutions provider.
Mr. Yazdian has over two decades of leadership experience in payments. Most recently, he was President of Priority Payment Systems (PPS), a Georgia-based payments technology company serving over 174,000 merchants throughout America. Before that, he served as President & CEO of New York-based Cynergy Data before its merger with PPS. Earlier in his career, he worked for iPayment for over a decade as Executive Vice President and General Counsel and was instrumental in the formation of the company – itself acquired by Paysafe in 2018.¹
The appointment of Yazdian completes the executive leadership team for Paysafe’s recently restructured Payment Processing business unit, which now operates as two, distinct customer-focused divisions. Yazdian takes charge of the U.S. Acquiring division, leading Paysafe’s third party and direct channels; meanwhile, Paulette Rowe² serves as CEO of its global Integrated and Ecommerce Solutions division. Both divisions report directly into Paysafe Group CEO Philip McHugh.
Rowe, who was recently named as one of PaymentsSource’s “most influential women in payments”, joined Paysafe earlier this year and previously worked for Facebook as its Head of Payments and Financial Services Partnerships, and before that Barclaycard. Her appointment to Paysafe’s executive leadership team is designed to accelerate the company’s global integrated payment offerings and cement Paysafe as a leading provider of ecommerce solutions.
Before the appointments of Rowe and Yazdian, Paysafe’s global Payment Processing division was headed-up by industry veteran, O.B. Rawls³, who moves into retirement at the end of June after a career in payments spanning almost four decades.
Philip McHugh, CEO of Paysafe Group, commented: “We’re delighted to complete our executive leadership team in payment processing with the appointment of Afshin. The current COVID-19 outbreak poses significant challenges for our direct merchant customers as well as our ISO and Agent partners, and we’re confident that Afshin, with his track record of building and managing high growth organizations, and his laser focus on customer service, will ensure that we all emerge stronger as the market stabilizes.
Paulette is also an incredible operator and inspirational leader and possesses vast and highly relevant payments experience. She has already had a major impact since joining the team earlier this year.
I would also like to express my heartfelt thanks to O.B. – he is a true payments’ legend and has made an irrefutable mark on both Paysafe and the industry in general. We wish him good health and much happiness in his retirement, and he will be missed by all of us.”
Commenting on his appointment, Afshin Yazdian said: “I am incredibly excited to join the Paysafe family, a company I have long admired and an organization I believe is well-positioned for incredible growth and expansion. We will strive to rapidly change the payments industry and become the leading provider of payment solutions in the U.S. by both utilizing technology and focusing on an exceptional customer experience.
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IGT Wheel of Fortune Video Poker Makes Global Debut at Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas
International Game Technology PLC announced that it recently introduced its much-anticipated Wheel of Fortune Video Poker game in the world’s most prolific video poker market: Las Vegas, Nev. Guests of Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino (Downtown Grand) in Downtown Las Vegas became the first players in the world to enjoy legendary IGT multi-hand video poker paired with the puzzle-solving, wheel-spinning fun of Wheel of Fortune via IGT’s Wheel of Fortune Video Poker game.
“Becoming the first casino in the world to offer IGT’s Wheel of Fortune Video Poker was an exciting moment for Downtown Grand and one that generated palpable buzz and significant play on our gaming floor. For decades, our players have enjoyed IGT video poker and Wheel of Fortune slots, so combining the DNA of those two products to create something new is an exciting proposition for our players,” said Rick Coltor, Slots Manager at the Downtown Grand Las Vegas.
“Launching IGT Wheel of Fortune Video Poker in Las Vegas, the world’s largest video poker market, marked another important milestone in the rollout of our expanded Wheel of Fortune games portfolio. Our Wheel of Fortune Video Poker game delivers an ideal blend of proven multi-hand poker, jackpot excitement and the signature elements of Wheel of Fortune games that have propelled the theme’s success for more than 25 years,” said Nick Khin, IGT President, Global Gaming.
IGT’s Wheel of Fortune Video Poker is currently available on the CrystalCurve cabinet. Wheel of Fortune Video Poker incorporates the franchise’s famous puzzle-solving features and the iconic “Wheel Bonus” that has had players chanting “WHEEL-OF-FORTUNE!” for decades. The multi-hand poker game is available in triple-play, five-play and ten-play configurations and can award players 30,000, 50,000 or 100,000 credits, respectively, for a dealt royal flush.
MLB Players Inc., a commercial affiliate of the Major League Baseball Players Association, and OneTeam Partners announced they’ve reached a licensing agreement with PENN Entertainment.
The agreement designates PENN’s sports betting platforms – ESPN BET in the U.S. and theScore BET in Canada – as Officially Licensed Sportsbooks of MLBPI.
PENN now has the rights to use MLB player names, images and likenesses on its sports betting platforms, marketing assets and promotional campaigns.
The deal also includes PENN’s retail sportsbook operations (32 retail sportsbooks at its casino properties, including 19 under the ESPN BET brand).
Last fall, FanDuel and MLBPI reached a similar licensing agreement after the MLB players’ union sued FanDuel and Underdog Fantasy in New York Supreme Court, accusing them of using the names and likeness of ballplayers on their players without permission.
”As baseball season gets underway, we’re excited to offer fans an enhanced betting experience that includes player likenesses, expanded wagering options and a more dynamic product. Partnering with MLB Players Inc. strengthens our connection to the league and its star players and creates additional opportunities to engage fans throughout the season,” said Jason Birney, Vice President of Operations at PENN Interactive.
OneTeam Partners specializes in commercializing group licensing rights for professional athlates, and is a joint venture between the NFL Players Association, MLB Players Association, Women’s National Basketball Players Association, MLS Players Association, and U.S. Women’s National Team Players Association.
“By integrating MLB player rights into PENN Entertainment’s platforms, this partnership brings fans closer to the game while unlocking new business opportunities in sports betting. It highlights the growing influence of players in shaping premium, fan-focused betting experiences while enhancing player NIL rights and widening distribution,” said Frank Arthofer, President of OneTeam Partners.
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Caesars Entertainment Debuts its First Live Dealer Studio Inside One of its Caesars Rewards Destinations
Caesars Entertainment Inc. announced the launch of its first branded, live dealer studio inside one of its world-class destinations made possible through its partnership with Evolution. The debut of the space inside Tropicana Atlantic City in New Jersey marks the second custom studio made for Caesars live dealer offerings on its online casino platforms following the launch of its first such studio in Pennsylvania earlier this year.
Players 21 and older on Caesars’ online gaming platforms Caesars Palace Online Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino, and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino can now enjoy a live dealer experience on mobile that draws inspiration from table game play at the Las Vegas Strip’s most iconic casino, Caesars Palace.
“The opening of this branded studio at one of our Caesars Rewards destinations introduces the newest addition to our ever-expanding online gaming platforms. We’re always striving to marry the world-class experiences our players enjoy at our destinations with the online casino play they love,” said Matt Sunderland, Senior Vice President and Chief iGaming Officer at Caesars Digital.
The New Jersey studio features five blackjack tables, which includes a VIP-exclusive blackjack table, one baccarat table and one roulette table. The tables feature custom felts with imagery and branding from iconic Caesars destinations on the Las Vegas Strip including Caesars Palace & Horseshoe. The studio also caters to VIP players, much like Caesars Rewards destinations, with a VIP-exclusive blackjack table offering an authentic 1-to-1 live high-limit blackjack experience, that could previously only be found in a physical casino.
“Evolution is thrilled to open a second dedicated Caesars live dealer studio inside Tropicana Atlantic City. This studio was made possible through our close partnership with Caesars. Once fully operational, it will generate approximately two hundred job opportunities in Atlantic City. We’re very proud to see a concrete example of how iGaming helps to create jobs and develop the workforce in our local communities,” said Jacob Claesson, Chief Executive Officer of Evolution North America.
Caesars Palace Online Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino, and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino are available on iOS, Android, and desktop for those 21 and older in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ontario, and West Virginia. Each platform offers a dynamic online casino experience with a range of unique Caesarsbranded games alongside hundreds of classic land-based casino favorites and core casino game mechanics, including high limit slots, private live dealer tables, linked progressive jackpots, variations of poker and roulette, and more.
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