It’s All in the Game

It’s often true that the best career opportunities come when they’re least expected.

Such was the case for Stephanie Lau, Konami Gaming’s vice president of sales enablement. In 2024, after nearly two decades of financial and analytical experience with operators like Station Casinos and MGM, Lau made the leap to the supplier side.

The Las Vegas native and UNLV alum had quickly climbed the ladder at both companies. But her biggest break came when she was promoted to become Station’s director of operations analysis. The expansive role “was one of the best experiences,” she says. It taught her “about everything from hotels to casinos, retail, food and beverage” and more. By broadening her scope, it also showed her that her real interest was on the casino floor.

“I realized my passion was truly in gaming, the biggest revenue generator Station had,” Lau says. “I was like, ‘You know what? I really want to focus on slots.’”

Transferring over to lead Station’s gaming analytics department, Lau honed her industry knowledge while also meeting other stakeholders and partners. It wasn’t until suppliers started reaching out that she considered making a move. And she hasn’t looked back since.

“In my new role I get to see a project from start to finish, whether it be the cabinets that we’re making or the actual games, so having a direct impact on the product line and timelines is what we get to do,” she says. “The biggest part of my job is analyzing games and making sure they’re successful. Having that analytics experience really helps me incorporate and learn and make better games going forward. Every step is a learning process for me.”

For 2026, Lau’s primary focus is the launch of Konami’s new Solstice cabinet, which debuted at October’s Global Gaming Expo after two years of preparation. In November, the Eilers-Fantini G2E vendor survey chose Solstice as the “Best New Core Cabinet” of 2025.

Lau says her biggest goal is “to make sure we stay energized and aligned” in launching the new line. But she stresses that content and games are just as important.

“The key part is content,” she says. “So staying deeply engaged with the studios, collaborating early and making sure that everything goes seamlessly with the engineering, art and math are critical.”

Outside the scope of her work, Lau is passionate about Las Vegas overall. From food to sports to slots and more, the industry veteran is all about the 702.

“There’s nowhere in the world like Vegas,” Lau says. “You can see all the different types of cuisines, all the newest slots, products and stuff like that. I just love going out and seeing what makes the city great.”