‘Never Give Up’
Anastasia Kokova, Kyiv Subsidiary Director, Playtech Group
As subsidiary director for Playtech, a leading global supplier of iGaming and sports betting software, Anastasia Kokova says she “wears many hats.”
Kokova has a hand in site operations, cost management and compliance. She oversees recruitment, “prioritizing both employee well-being and a secure work environment.” She’s responsible for emergency response protocols, in the event of “unforeseen events and crises.”
The latter is especially meaningful now. Kokova is based in Kyiv, Ukraine, along with some 700 others who represent 10 percent of Playtech’s total workforce. The country and its capital have been under siege by Russian military forces since early 2022.
“I always bear in mind the mantra, ‘Never give up!’ It’s a phrase I live by,” says Kokova. “To excel in this position, adaptability, effective problem-solving abilities and proficient prioritization skills are essential.”
She joined Playtech in 2012, starting as personal assistant to the site manager. By 2013, she had risen to her current role, in a company in full growth mode. Last year, Playtech saw big gains in American and European markets, and has a special interest in stateside growth.
“Given the immense size and numerous opportunities in the U.S., we remain dedicated to consistently delivering our award-winning content and advancing and solidifying our position in that market,” says Kokova. Playtech drives to be “the technology partner of choice” for global betting and gaming operators, “delivering a safer, more engaging and entertaining betting and gaming experience and driving a more responsible and sustainable industry.”
In 2021, Playtech was taken to task for a lack of women in the upper ranks, including on the board of directors. The company responded by committing to women in 35 percent of leadership roles by 2025.
“Playtech recognizes that a diverse mixture of skills, professional and industry backgrounds, geographical experience and expertise, gender, tenure, demographics, disability, ethnicity and diversity of thought is instrumental for its long-term success,” says Kokova. “I’ve always felt valued based on my contributions, rather than my gender, and I’m proud to be a part of an organization that genuinely celebrates and promotes diversity.”
She acknowledges the effect of the Russian invasion on day-to-day operations in Kyiv. In response to the crisis, the company offers practical help like medical care, transportation, basic supplies and banking alternatives, along with personal encouragement and mental health support.
“We made preparations and had an emergency plan in place, but the exact outcome remained unpredictable,” says Kokova. “However, thanks to the coordinated efforts of our global and local teams, we responded promptly to these challenges. Our top priorities were the well-being of our employees and ensuring the continuity of our business operations.
“I must commend our incredible team in Ukraine,” she adds. “They displayed tremendous bravery and responsibility throughout this ordeal. Despite these challenging circumstances, they persevered in their work, demonstrating remarkable resilience.
“I am immensely proud to be a part of such an exceptional team.”
—Marjorie Preston
The Business of Compliance
Charles Dwaileebe, Director of Regulatory Compliance, Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland
Charles Dwaileebe graduated from St. Bonaventure with a bachelor of business administration and master of business administration in 2010. “St. Bonaventure provided me with a strong foundation of service, integrity and community that has helped me build my career,” Dwaileebe, director of regulatory compliance foir Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland, says of his experience in university education.
Post-degree, the Jamestown, New York native gravitated to the Washington, D.C. area as district sales coordinator for Aflac, the insurance company.
While looking for a second job to provide extra income, Dwaileebe spoke with an aunt who lived in the area. He recalls, “My aunt was a table game shift manager at Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland and she encouraged me to attend its dealer school.”
He did.
After graduating, Dwaileebe joined Live! in April 2013, working as a dealer during the overnight shift while maintaining the position at Aflac. He rose to director of regulatory compliance in 2019, eight months before the pandemic hit.
“I was looking to try something new outside of table games and was attracted by the challenging nature of the regulatory compliance role,” he says. “I oversee responsible gaming for Live!; I am also an active member of the Maryland Alliance for Responsible Gambling.”
Covid-19 did not cut into Dwaileebe’s work schedule. “I was fortunate to continue working in my role throughout the pandemic, including when all of Maryland’s casinos were closed to the public,” he says. “It taught me not to take anything for granted.”
He owes a debt of gratitude to Tom Coppinger, vice president of risk for Cordish Gaming, the parent company of Live! “Tom is a great teacher and has always pushed me to continue improving myself. I wouldn’t be where I am today in my career without him,” says Dwaileebe, who likes to relax outdoors, playing golf and pickleball.
That said, Dwaileebe wouldn’t change the way he has approached his career.
“I couldn’t be happier about the way everything has turned out for me so far.”
—Bill Sokolic
It’s Game Time!
Paolo Roberto de Leon, Senior Director-Online Casino Content, Caesars Digital
Paolo Roberto de Leon was born in the Philippines and migrated to Montreal, Canada in 2005. He began his professional career almost 15 years ago, working part-time for EA Mobile during his university years. After graduation, he worked full-time in the video gaming industry for different companies, primarily working on video games in various stages of development.
In 2014, de Leon started working with Caesars Interactive Entertainment (CIE), and though video gaming is still near and dear to his heart and he currently keeps abreast on the video game industry, he is all in on Caesars.
De Leon started as a project coordinator with CIE before becoming project manager, as online casino and poker was legalized and regulated in some states, culminating with the launch of sports betting in New Jersey in 2018 and Caesars Casino and Sportsbook in Pennsylvania in 2020. Throughout these initial years, de Leon worked cross-functionally with various teams across CIE, including promotions managers, copywriters, website developers, and creative designers.
De Leon was then promoted to digital content manager, managing both casino games content and other website requirements including promotions publishing and content changes. During this time, de Leon learned more about online casino games content and the processes required to launch games on time.
After seven years with CIE, de Leon was promoted to director of online casino content and partnerships after the purchase of William Hill in 2021, turning CIE into Caesars Digital. This required de Leon to take over casino content roadmapping for the Caesars Sportsbook product in August 2021 with approximately 50 games across three markets (New Jersey, Michigan, and West Virginia).
By the end of 2021, there were more than 170 games across those jurisdictions. De Leon was then promoted to senior director of online casino content in early 2023 and has deployed more than 1,000 games across all regulated iGaming markets, culminating in the release of Caesars Palace Online Casino in July of this year.
De Leon attributes much of his success in his early years simply to “getting things done.” He also acknowledges and appreciates that he has had a mentor every step of the way during his Caesars career, and he has learned different things from all of them at different points in time. De Leon has used those lessons to build new relationships and assist other professionals starting their careers.
The defining point in de Leon’s career was during the time of the Eldorado/Caesars merger, when there was a lot of uncertainty, and an opportunity came up for him to go back to the video gaming industry as a producer. De Leon took a long, hard look at the state of iGaming in the United States and saw its potential. With only a few brands and a few states online at the time, he felt in his gut that Caesars would be a big player in this space, and he knew this was where he wanted to be.
So what does de Leon look forward to in the next 12 to 18 months? The continued growth of the iGaming industry in the U.S., and making waves and being a part of the big things in store for
Caesars Digital are just a few.
De Leon currently lives in Saskatoon, Canada, and has a love of driving which has inspired him to travel the span of the country, nearly completing it from coast to coast. In his spare time, he enjoys outdoor activites like camping, hiking, paddleboarding and rowing.
—Kevin Dennis
Casino Ops Natural
Nimota Adebowale, Director of Casino Operations, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
For someone who spent eight years in retail at Harrah’s, Nimota Adebowale made quite the transition that landed her at Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa as director of casino operations. Her position puts her at the apex of any casino’s bread and butter.
Raised in Mays Landing, New Jersey, the proximity to Atlantic City played a role in her decision to enter the industry.
But first…
Adebowale majored in political science at Rowan University. “I wanted to practice law as early as I can remember,” she says. “I had every intention of studying and practicing family law.”
But a couple of years before Rowan, she needed a job for the summer. Why not look into the elephant in the room? “Most of my family members had been in the business all my life, so it seemed the obvious place to start looking,” Adebowale says.
She worked in a box office, as a lifeguard and spent more than eight years selling shoes and other clothing, working around her school schedule. But Adebowale’s aunt worked in finance. Try gaming, she said. A dual-rate slot shift manager position opened at Caesars, and she applied.
“The rest is history. I found my niche in gaming. I started in slots and just kept growing and learning,” she says. Adebowale worked in different jurisdictions: she moved on to Kansas City for two years as director of slot operations for a Penn Entertainment property. She returned to Atlantic City in the same title with Borgata this past August.
The industry transformed during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. “Covid changed the way we traditionally do things in gaming,” says Adebowale. “It made the importance of a digital footprint and the integration of it and land-based casinos clear. It challenged how we think about the layout of gaming floors, marketing promotions, tournaments, and entertainment.”
Adebowal has had the good fortune to work with a slew of supporters. “There have been some incredible leaders and mentors throughout my journey—people who have taken an interest in my growth professionally and personally. Alex Dixon, Jackie Grace, Melonie Johnson, Mike Forster, Erin Chamberlin, Jimmy Bruno, and Al Thompson, to name a few.”
She says she’s happy with her choices along the way. “I believe I’m doing what I’m meant to do. I enjoy what I do, constantly learning and growing, and I can’t ask for more,” says Adebowale, who likes trying new recipes to relax. The last few weeks it’s been chicken piccata, Nigerian jollef rice and Cajun shrimp pasta with salmon. “I’ve also been refreshing my pineapple upside down cake.”
—Bill Sokolic
Eyes on the Future
Samuel Gerrity, CEO, Saratoga Casino Holdings
For Samuel Gerrity, Saratoga Casino Holdings LLC has always been a family business. His grandfather was involved in the Saratoga Harness Racetrack since its first day of racing in 1941. Gerrity’s father later bought out the shareholders of the racetrack, which became the first racino in the state of New York, opening with 1,300 video gaming machines in 2004.
After building a successful career across other industries and living and working abroad, Gerrity joined Saratoga Casino Holdings in 2018 as the vice president of business development. He was promoted to CEO in 2021.
“It’s such a great opportunity to work with my family and to grow this business that started with my grandfather,” Gerrity says. “I always knew it was what I wanted to do.”
Gerrity counts himself extremely lucky to have his father as his mentor in both his career and personal life.
“My father has always been my mentor,” he says. “He leads by example and shares his perspective on things with me, but always pushes me to make my own decisions. I’m fortunate that I can rely on him for guidance and advice that allows me to continue to grow in my business endeavors as well as in my personal life.”
When asked what advice he would give to up-and-comers in the gaming industry, Gerrity emphasizes the importance of listening to and learning from others.
“There are some things like experience that are out of your control when you begin,” he says. “I think it’s just important to listen and to ask questions. You can really learn a lot by just soaking in what’s around you.”
Gerrity also believes humility and dedication are two of the most important qualities for successfully growing a career.
“There’s something beneficial in having humility and understanding that you’re not going to be where you want to be day one, week one, or month one. You have to build up your knowledge and experience step by step. If you stay on that path, you’ll get to where you want to be.”
This philosophy has served Gerrity well and led to his proudest accomplishment to date, the acquisition of Magnolia Bluffs Casino Hotel in Natchez, Mississippi by Saratoga Casino Holdings in 2022.
“The negotiation process was something I never expected,” Gerrity reflects. “It required a lot of patience and perseverance. It wasn’t a simple one, but honestly, I think it was the best deal to cut my teeth on because it wasn’t a simple one. It was an exciting moment for me.”
Looking to the future, Gerrity anticipates that the growing use of artificial intelligence will continue to be a significant trend in the industry.
“The gaming industry was a tech industry to begin with,” he says, “but now with the implementation of AI, things are evolving faster than ever. If we do it the right way, we’ll be able to put out a better product and a better experience. We need to recruit leaders with more technical knowledge that can help usher in this new technology and help the industry grow in a healthy way.”
Gerrity is excited to see what comes next for his career as well as for the gaming industry.
“My No. 1 goal is to add value to my company and help it grow and continue to prosper,” he says. “There’s no deal that’s identical, so you’re always learning. That’s why I love working in this industry. There are always new experiences, and nothing is exactly the same.”
—Rae Berkley
Growth by Passion
Courtney Brack, Vice President, Gaming Operations, Everi Holdings
A passion for growth and learning is something that is evident in Courtney Brack’s career journey. Brack’s incredible journey within the industry began in 2015, where she dove headfirst into her career at the former Multimedia Games in the marketing department. She later would help the organization rebrand into “Everi” following its acquisition by Global Cash Access Holdings.
In addition to working within marketing, she also worked with the promotions team to help plan and host Everi’s TournEvent of Champions events, which helped her learn the ins and outs of gaming rapidly.
“I got quick exposure to the industry—and really loved it,” Brack explains. “I thought it was unique and then got really into how we make products and why.”
Following her position in marketing, she moved into different departments about a year later and settled into product management for a few years where she managed portfolios and roadmaps. During her time in product management, she had the opportunity to build a team and focus on product strategy.
The changing landscape of Covid led her to evaluate her career and fueled her desire to learn more about the financial side of the company. She settled into her new role in gaming operations, where she could partner with sales to grow and manage Everi’s recurring revenue footprint.
By being able to see the company from different lenses, she holds a unique perspective on how to help contribute to Everi’s continued success and her career growth.
“I think the decisions I made that really benefited me were being open to what my next step could look like. I didn’t put myself in a box or on a linear path,” Brack explains. “I’ve been very fortunate that I’ve been supported by leaders at my company to let me do things I’ve never done before.”
Brack entered the industry without any prior gaming knowledge, and attributes much of her success to those who have mentored her and fostered her growth along the way. “Every one of them has taught me something different—I’m really grateful for the many perspectives I’ve received.”
Changing roles from mentee to mentor, Brack now gives back by mentoring employees within her organization. She is on the cabinet for Everi’s Women’s Leadership Initiative, which has the goal of achieving gender diversity in the workplace and helping other women to achieve success within gaming. She also works with the mentorship program, where she gets matched with individual employees at Everi to help foster their career trajectory.
Despite being young into her career, Brack has already accomplished much, and is just getting started. On her choice as an Emerging Leader of Gaming: “Having an achievement like this as a leader this young in my career makes me really excited and hopeful of what I can accomplish next. It inspires me to keep showing up for others.”
—Carly Albright, Senior Analyst, The Innovation Group
Investment Grade
Danny Valoy, Vice President, Business Development & Acquisitions, VICI Properties
As vice president, business development and acquisitions at VICI Properties—a leading gaming-focused real estate investment trust (REIT)—Danny Valoy has been on the front line of one of gaming’s most prominent trends. Since joining the company in 2019, initially to head finance under VICI’s CFO, the company has grown from $600 million in revenue to more than $3 billion, implying a market cap of over $30 billion today.
While Valoy’s success is obvious, his path to becoming the gaming industry leader he is today has truly been multi-disciplinary.
After graduating from New York University with a degree in economics, Valoy launched his professional career at a corporate law firm with stints in New York and then Hong Kong. From there, Valoy entered the gaming sector through the finance department of Wynn Resorts, based in Macau, where he worked as director of corporate finance and related areas for eight years.
“I had the opportunity to move to Macau before many people were even aware of the market—it was an opportunity to join the gaming industry just as Macau began experiencing unprecedented growth. Living abroad for nearly 10 years and working as an expat allowed me to wear a lot of hats professionally while broadening my understanding of different cultures. I didn’t initially plan on staying as long as I did, but the experience benefited me tremendously, and I recognize the value daily as I interface with operators and investors from all walks of life.”
After whetting his appetite for finance in gaming, Valoy became vice president in equity research at Deutsche Bank, covering companies in the gaming, lodging and leisure sectors. This role soon added specific responsibility for gaming REITs to Valoy’s portfolio, positioning him well for his current role at VICI.
At VICI today, Valoy partners with gaming operators to help formulate and execute their strategic growth plans through the Opco-Propco model increasingly common in gaming. The role requires specialized experience in several combined areas, including operational and fundamental analysis, valuation, transaction structuring, and investor relations/capital markets.
Valoy attributes much of his success to influential leaders in his life. Jay Schall and Robert Gansmo at Wynn Macau were particularly impactful in establishing his foundation as an executive in the gaming industry, while Carlo Santarelli at Deutsche Bank was instrumental in enhancing his understanding of the investment community and shaping his own business values.
“Jay and Robert really supported me in the early days of my career at Wynn—they offered a lot of advice and constructive feedback that helped me develop personally and professionally,” explains Valoy. “My knowledge base accelerated once I started working with Carlo on Wall Street—Carlo helped shape my thinking about the industry from an investment perspective and was a great mentor as I shifted roles. I’ve been blessed to work alongside great people throughout my career—including today at VICI.”
—Michael Soll, President, The Innovation Group
‘The Best Job in the World’
Sara Panek, Vice President of Marketing, Hollywood St. Louis and River City Casino
The author Seth Godin once said, “Sooner or later, we’re all in the hospitality business.”
Sara Panek has lived by the maxim throughout her gaming career, from her first job in 2009 as a casino host into progressively responsible roles in player development and marketing. In mid-2022, Panek was named vice president of marketing for the River City and Hollywood casinos in St. Louis, Missouri, two Penn Entertainment resorts. There she oversees every aspect of marketing as well as entertainment and reinvestment planning.
The secret of her success is simple: she loves what she does.
After two weeks as a host, “I remember telling my mom that this was the best job in the world,” Panek says. “I couldn’t believe I was going to be paid to build relationships with people, plan events and parties, and socialize in general.
“Although my responsibilities have changed a lot since then, I still love the people aspect. I still love interacting with the guests.”
In fact, nothing happens on Panek’s watch until she considers its impact on visitors. “When making decisions about how to implement a new process or technology, I think about what will have the least amount of impact on guests, balancing what would deliver the most value for them.”
Along with serving loyal players, she says it’s vital to cultivate new ones, especially in a competitive market. The addition of cashless gaming has helped attract younger players to the St. Louis area casinos, as has Penn’s partnership with Live Nation and a packed concert season with more than 40 artists. And though Missouri lawmakers continue to waffle on legal sports betting, the operator will be ready if and when it happens, thanks to its recent blockbuster partnership with ESPN. That’s sure to drive engagement, especially in the Show Me State, home of three-time Super Bowl champs the Kansas City Chiefs as well as the Kansas City Royals, the St. Louis Blues and the St. Louis Cardinals.
Meanwhile, Panek continues to grow as an executive, having just earned her MBA from Rockhurst University. To those who would follow in her footsteps, she says, “You need to be very analytical and comfortable making a lot of decisions. You need to be able to think outside the box, demonstrate true leadership, develop talent and have the ability to multitask—all while creating a fun and exciting environment for the team.”
If that sounds like a tall order, Panek reminds you it’s also exciting, rewarding, and fun.
“I feel so lucky to work at a job that I truly love,” she says. “Honestly, I don’t feel I’m working a day in my life.”
—Marjorie Preston
Breaking New Ground
Crystal Beauchemin, Business Manager, Sports Wagering Division, Massachusetts Gaming Commission
One sportswriter called it a “buzzer-beater.” At 6 p.m. on the last day of Massachusetts’ 2022 legislative session, Bay State lawmakers approved legal sports betting. By 6:01 p.m., members of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) were on a fast track, fine-tuning a regulatory framework for the nascent industry.
“We had to move really quickly,” recalls Crystal Beauchemin, then chief administrative officer to commission chair Cathy Judd-Stein. “It was exciting to have an opportunity to build something from the ground up.”
For the next six months, she and her colleagues consulted with experts from other jurisdictions, developed the application and review process for sportsbooks, logged countless public and private meetings, and interviewed would-be operators. (Of 30 applicants, 11 were licensed, including three casinos and eight online sportsbooks.)
Finally, weeks before the Super Bowl in 2023, the floodgates opened, and the commonwealth accepted its first legal bets. It was a rare and exciting moment for commission members, says Beauchemin. “Almost from the moment we went live, especially on the apps, we could see where those bets were coming from, and the revenue streams coming in.”
The New York native previously worked in marketing and media relations for Saratoga Casino Hotel, and gained government experience as a researcher for the New York State Assembly. By the launch of sports betting in Massachusetts—the 36th legal jurisdiction since PASPA—she was fully steeped in commission operations. That made her a natural for the sports wagering division, where she now serves as business manager.
Her role requires “a breadth of understanding,” a high-level view of interrelated departments and responsibilities. “Every division of this agency is working on responsible gaming and marketing,” she says. “We all work heavily with IT and the technical side. Then there are the external partners, the operators. We have to understand the wagers they’re putting forth and the challenges they face, and how to communicate those to the commission and director.”
Collaboration is critical, and “understanding how all the elements connect together.
“The key piece for Massachusetts is ensuring that sports wagering is responsible, to make sure it’s pulling people from the black market and giving them a safe space to bet,” says Beauchemin.
Throughout her rise in the industry, she says she valued the help of “a lot of female leadership;” in addition to Judd-Stein, two Massachusetts commissioners are female, and former Executive Director Karen Wells was “very supportive of me and my journey. When I worked at Saratoga, too, a lot of my bosses were women. That inspired me a lot and bolstered my energy to be a leader in the space.”
Sports fans in Massachusetts waited a long time for legal sports betting; this is, after all, the home of the Boston Celtics, the Boston Bruins, the Boston Red Sox and the New England Patriots. So the legal industry here also looks to be a leader.
“It’s already considered a success,” says Beauchemin, “and that success will only grow.”
—Marjorie Preston
Finance Meets Stress Management
Blake Hill, Vice President, FP&A, AGS
Don’t want to be a snitch, but Blake Hill snitched on himself when asked what he would change in his past. In 11th grade, always a fun time, Hill ditched a class to buy the new Sisqó CD. He got caught. The school notified his parents. But it was worth it because of “The Thong Song.” “A banger,” Hill says.
But if given the chance to do it over, this was Hill’s response: “I would have snuck out of the school through a different door.”
Cue the drum roll, and chuckle. But seriously folks…
“Hindsight is 20/20. There’s no shortage of things I would tweak if given the chance,” says Hills, vice president of FP&A (finance, planning and analysis) for gaming supplier AGS. “But overall, I have to say I’m pretty content with where I am. I think rather than changing my mistakes I’d like to focus on how to learn from them.”
Hill spent most of his life in Las Vegas, where gaming and casinos are ubiquitous, of course.
“The unique environment and the experiences I had played a pivotal role in shaping my aspirations and interests,” Hill says. “I remember as a kid when Vegas was undergoing a major transformation. The opening of resorts like The Mirage, Excalibur, and MGM Grand left a huge mark on me. These places seemed like something out of a fairy tale, and as a kid, I was in complete awe of how they were constructed and operated on such an immense scale.”
That fascination played a vital role in Hill’s career choices.
“I was always more a math student. I thrive much more in the objective environment than the abstract, so the financial world played much more to my strengths than other areas when I was deciding which path I wanted to go down. Just like every kid who graduates college, I was looking for any job that would take me.”
He found a listing for a financial analyst at Bellagio in 2006 and thought it sounded compelling, “I’d love to understand the inner workings of these behemoths,” he says, “and it had the benefit of being something that I could put on a business card that would make Mom proud.”
In 2011, Hill moved to Sydney, Australia as a financial planning and analysis manager for Scientific Games. After four years, he returned home as senior director of finance for AGS.
Much has changed in Hill’s 17 years in the industry. “You can just walk through the newer casino resorts to see that,” he says. “But the fundamentals are the same, especially from a financial perspective.”
Mostly the same. He says Covid-19 left a mark. “It forced us to look at our business in completely different ways and use business muscles that rarely got attention,” he says. “Instead of the financial function being a necessary cog in the corporate machine, it turned into the means by which we kept the doors open.”
While the pandemic stamped its influence on the organization, it was human-to-human contact that helped from the beginning for Hill. He cites three mentors, beginning with his mother.
Drum roll again.
Hill worked with Adrian Halpenny in Australia. “He took me under his wing and helped graduate my perspective from one that was spreadsheet-oriented to one that was more real-world and intelligent about the commercial and business side of life.”
Kris Morishige was another mentor, and Hill’s boss the last 14 years. “Without her, I probably would have burned out a while ago and would now be flipping burgers or something like that.”
And if he were, he’d approach the stress side of burger flipping just the same. “I think so much of the stress we put on ourselves is mental and my best escape from that is to some form of fitness,” he says. “I do triathlon, so a run or a bike as a way to zone out and clear the head is always a good form of relaxation.”
And drum roll. Finis.
—Bill Sokolic
