Cisco and MGM Resorts International announced that the companies have signed a Whole Portfolio Agreement (WPA), empowering MGM Resorts with the majority of Cisco’s software portfolio. This includes cybersecurity, software defined networking, software defined-WAN, digital experience assurance, full-stack observability, data center, and services. This agreement spans 5.5 years, benefiting guests and employees across all of MGM Resorts’ properties.

Recognized as one of FORTUNE Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies, MGM Resorts operates some of the most famous resorts and casinos in the world. It prides itself on delivering a winning combination of quality entertainment, luxurious destinations, and exceptional guest experience.

The agreement will enable the automation of MGM Resort’s network. This will pave the way for future location services and next-generation machine learning applications in the gaming and hospitality industry, unlocking new channels of guest engagement. Additionally, Cisco technology will ensure uptime and security—essential for the delivery of exceptional guest experiences in its 24/7 operations.

“Guests expect world-class hospitality from MGM Resorts, and technology helps us deliver. The new agreement with Cisco will give our employees the technology, speed and agility they need as we continue to deliver amazing guest experiences at all MGM Resorts’ destinations,” said Branden Newman, Chief Technology Officer at MGM Resorts International.

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Cisco and MGM Resorts’ relationship dates back many years, with Cisco technology playing an integral role in MGM Resorts’ operations.

The WPA strengthens this relationship. Together, the companies will ensure MGM Resorts’ employees have secure access to all applications so they can continue to transform the business. Additionally, the deployment supports MGM Resorts’ sustainability goals as Cisco’s portfolio can be used to reduce emissions, improve resource efficiency, and enable more circular business models.

“At Cisco, we securely connect everything to make anything possible. We are excited to continue our partnership with MGM Resorts in this next phase of their digital transformation. With decades of technology and expertise, Cisco aims to help MGM Resorts navigate into the future and simplify processes to drive innovation at scale,” said Scott Herren, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Cisco.

“As the lead Cisco partner on this WPA, we look forward to delivering the outcomes expected by MGM Resorts as part of its digital transformation plans. Equipped with data from across the business, we can predict and proactively address MGM Resorts’ technology and communication needs to deliver an exceptional customer experience,” said Marco Mohajer, President of Technologent.

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Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) has become the first laboratory to achieve accreditation in Maranhão, Brazil. The accreditation allows GLI to perform tests and certification for the gambling and lottery industry interested in working with lottery and fixed-odds betting operators in the state of Maranhão.

The milestone is the latest in a series of regulatory achievements for GLI in Brazil. Lottery of the State of Maranhão is the third jurisdiction in Brazil to accredit laboratories, and GLI is accredited in all and the first to be authorized in all.

Cassiano Pereira Junior, president of Maranhão Parcerias (Mapa), highlighted the importance of the partnership between the Maranhão State Lottery (Lotema) and GLI. “Every day we strive to make Lotema even better, providing greater security for its users. The partnership with GLI is a concrete way of achieving this goal, as its certification laboratories play an important role for the gaming and lottery industry, guaranteeing the conformity, security, and integrity of the products and systems used by Lotema,” Cassiano explained.

“We are grateful to the Lottery of the State of Maranhão for granting GLI the laboratory accreditation, becoming the first to be authorized in Maranhão. It is extremely gratifying to see how Lotema empower themselves by trusting the technical compliance process to provide transparency, integrity, and accountability to all the industry stakeholders through the certification process. The laboratory accreditation is the first step for a successful implementation of the certification based on jurisdictional standards, and the reason why we at GLI take this step very seriously and with great priority every time a new jurisdiction opens. We feel responsible for being part of the solution towards a fast and efficient implementation of regulations, thus supporting further local industry development and sustainable growth. We are grateful to Lotema and excited to be part of its thriving industry,” said Karen Sierra-Hughes, Vice President of Latin America, Caribbean, and Spain.

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GLI has been working with regulators, lotteries, and industry stakeholders across the Latin American and Caribbean region for more than 26 years in their efforts toward regulation, sustainable growth, and eradicating illegal gaming. In Brazil, GLI has been side by side with government entities and all industry stakeholders for nearly 20 years, participating in public hearings in the Senate, Chamber of Deputies, and State government level, and in recent years, adding strategic local representation to strengthen their local support.

Kaizen Gaming Colombia, owner of the Betano.co brand, was authorized by Coljuegos to operate online betting in the country. With this new operator, there are now 16 web platforms that have the approval of the entity to market games of chance online.

“We continue to strengthen the online gaming industry. We hope that, with the entry of this new operator, we can continue to increase transfers for the health of Colombians. At this time, the platform is already operating for the betting public,” said Marco Emilio Hincapié, president of Coljuegos.

The entity is also in the process of authorizing an additional operator called Bingo Casino, which is expected to begin offering bets in the coming weeks.

It is worth mentioning that, by 2024, it is estimated that online betting portals will pay around $419,527 million to Coljuegos for exploitation rights, which represents an increase of 31% compared to the same period in 2023. All of these resources are transferred to the health system.

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“We are seeing that online betting is a sector of the economy that has driven the growth of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. That is why we are working to make the market even more attractive and to provide more options to bettors,” said the president.

According to financial projections, this new operator is expected to pay Coljuegos around $21.513 billion over the next five years for operating rights and administration costs, resources that can be transferred to subsidize health and scientific research.