PureSoftware

Tech firm PureSoftware has recruited gaming industry veteran Gavin Isaacs, as the company strives to expand its footprint in the sector.

The organisation lauds “extensive knowledge of gaming technology, leadership skills and deep industry expertise,” as it eyes an expanded footprint in the gaming world.

Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, Gavin brings more than 20 years of experience in the gaming industry. He currently chairs sports betting and gaming technology solutions provider SBTech, and is the director of Galaxy Gaming 

Under Isaacs’ guidance, PureSoftware plans to acquire new customers, establish a leadership position in the gaming industry and enhance its services portfolio for game manufacturers and casinos.  

“It gives me great pleasure in welcoming Gavin as an advisor to PureSoftware. Gavin is a highly accomplished, and respected professional who has built incredible expertise by leading a wide gamut of lottery and casino gaming companies across the globe.” – Anil Baid, founder and chief strategy officer of PureSoftware. 

Digital Fuel Marketing

Dan Stanton and Callie Dove have been added to the Digital Fuel Marketing ranks, as the agency moves to strengthen its affiliate management service.

Lauding the appointment of “two igaming industry veterans,” the hires come as Digital Fuel aims to bolster its affiliate management offering to new and existing clients.

Stanton brings 19 years experience across the betting and gaming industry, with a deep knowledge of poker and casino gained with roles at William Hill, Ladbrokes and Coral. 

Dove has been working in the igaming industry since 2007 and boasts experience in affiliate management and VIP management in various hubs including Tel Aviv, Malta and the UK. 

Digital Fuel Marketing currently manages affiliate programmes for multiple brands across the UK, US and Australia including Unikrn Esports, Volt Casino, Fairplay Casino, Blue Bet, Sportchamps, Hollywood Affiliates, Campeon Gaming, Lottomart and more.

“Both Dan and Callie have a proven track record for increasing revenue and maximising what is possible for brands in the affiliate space. Combining their experience with Digital Fuel’s existing knowledge puts us in pole position to offer our affiliate marketing solutions to new and existing customers in a diverse and evolving marketplace” – Toby Oddy, CEO and founder of Digital Fuel Marketing.

UNLV International Gaming Institute

Jan Jones Blackhurst has deepened an affiliation with the UNLV International Gaming Institute after being named as chief executive in residence.

Turning her attention to the academic sector, Jones Blackhurst bring more than 20 years in executive leadership roles on the Las Vegas Strip, most notably as Caesars Entertainment’s executive vice president of government relations and corporate social responsibility. Prior to this, she served for two terms as Las Vegas’ first female mayor.

Switching focus, Jones Blackhurst believes that the university’s powerful voice and research-backed efforts can change cultures across the global gaming and hospitality industry. 

Since 2015, she has worked with UNLV IGI on the ‘Expanding the Leaderverse’ initiative, an academic center of excellence which promotes diversity and inclusiveness at the highest levels of leadership in the gaming and hospitality industry. 

“A few years ago, I approached then-UNLV President Don Snyder with an idea to launch the world’s first academic initiative dedicated to women and gaming issues,” Jones Blackhurst said. “Today, we have already achieved so much, but we are not yet satisfied.

“A growing body of research now shows that more inclusive leadership teams are more successful. Moving forward, we will change the culture of women in leadership, and we will not stop until this industry becomes a beacon for others to study.”

Sahara Las Vegas

Christopher Bond has joined Sahara Las Vegas as the new vice president of hotel sales, overseeing the team responsible for generating room bookings, as well as catering revenue through convention and meeting group sales. 

Bond joins Sahara Las Vegas with more than 20 years experience in the hospitality, travel and tourism industries including senior level roles across the Las Vegas Strip.

“We are thrilled to add Chris’ experience to our talented executive team. His talent and significant achievements in the meetings and hospitality industry will guide the resort’s ongoing enhancements to the more than 95,000 square feet of meeting space as our $150m resort transformation continues.” – Paul Hobson, senior vice president and general manager for Sahara Las Vegas.

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The conference and exhibition for the sports betting and igaming sectors takes place at Meadowlands Exposition Center, New Jersey on November 30 – December 2, 2021, with Jones Blackhurst’s fireside chat with Lottery.com’s chief legal officer, Katie Lever, scheduled for the final day. 

The session will address some of the challenges facing an evolving industry, including the importance of building a sustainable diverse and inclusive workforce, and the impact of investors demanding improved environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings. 

Few people are better placed to offer insights on those issues than Jones Blackhurst, who made significant progress on them during her 20 years in senior government relations, public policy, and corporate responsibility roles at Caesars Entertainment, prior to joining the board in 2019.

Under her leadership, Caesars became the first casino to roll out a responsible gaming program, and made sizable reductions in energy usage, water consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. It also built a more diverse workforce, with 41 per cent of management positions held by women and 57 per cent of employees from minority groups.  

Jones Blackhurst’s celebrated career extends well beyond life at Caesars and she enjoyed two terms as Mayor of Las Vegas from 1991 to 1999. She now serves as the chief executive-in-residence of the UNLV International Gaming Institute, chairwoman of the Public Education Foundation, executive director of innovation for UNLV Black Fire, and vice-chair of the Nevada Donor Network Foundation. 

Rasmus Sojmark, founder and CEO of SBC, said: “We’re delighted that Jan will join us in New Jersey, for what promises to be a fascinating session. The sports betting and igaming industry faces many of the same corporate social responsibility challenges as the rest of corporate America, and everyone in our audience will be able to learn from the insights of one of the country’s leading experts on how to tackle them.” 

Jones Blackhurst’s session is part of a program of keynotes that runs throughout SBC Summit North America. It also features Soo Kim (chairman of the board of directors at Bally’s Corporation), and Bill Miller (president & CEO of the American Gaming Association).

Full details of the SBC Summit North America agenda and speaker lineup are available at the event’s official website. 

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As part of a panel session – sponsored by Epic Risk Management – on the second day of SBC Digital North America, entitled ‘Staying ahead of the game – investing in responsible gaming regulations’, which was part of a track sponsored by Entain, US gambling experts delved into how operators can walk the tightrope between working with regulators and growing VIP revenue streams.

Jan Jones Blackhurst, board member at Caesars Entertainment, believed that responsible gaming is a ‘customer service initiative’ which empowers employees in gaining knowledge that operators care whilst providing tools to intervene if a customer is exhibiting signs of gambling problems. 

Reminiscing of Caesars back in 1999, Blackhurst emphasised that its code of commitment, which everyone noted was ‘too high of a bar’ at the time, is currently ‘all the range’ in present social responsibility. 

She explained: “Today we have over 800 responsible gaming ambassadors who are trained specifically to know how to observe and identify a customer who may be having a problem.  

“98 per cent of people gamble for fun. There’s maybe another 10 per cent who are on the border and it’s a huge issue but we want to stay ahead of it. We want to have the programmes and we want to be responsible. 

“We want to make sure that regulation stays with science so we don’t see what happened in the UK where they started putting in programmes that really didn’t do anything to help a disordered or problem gambler. It just made the regulator feel good.” 

Responding to a question asked by the panel moderator, Jen Shatley, principal consultant at Logan Avenue Consulting LL, which addressed if there could be a balance between commercial viability and social responsibility, Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, firmly believed a balance could be reached which would contribute to a company’s overall corporate success. 

“Part of our job as advocates for programme and problem gamblers and their families is to bring our experience, the lived experience, the recovering gambling experience and the responsible gambling experience, to join in partnership with these companies to try and find that balancing point and find that middle ground,” Whyte noted. “We’ve been able to do that successfully over the last 50 years. But it takes intention.    

“It takes intention on the part of the operator, it takes intention from advocates like us, it takes a commitment. Responsible gambling, we soft sell it a little bit that it’s so easy and it’s not. The principles are basic but the implementation is hard and it really does take a cultural shift among the operators and active engagement and partnership.”

Whyte emphasised that as operators continue to look into sports betting and online gambling, it will require ‘a whole lot of learning and knowledge’. 

He continued: “This is new for all of us in the United States. Just as operators are trying to figure it out and gamblers themselves and regulators, so to are advocates so we don’t have all the answers but I know, and I think we’ve proven over the last five decades, that the best way to find those answers is by working together in partnership and bringing all those stakeholders to the table.”

Reflecting on the notion of a proposed balance, Mark Vander Linden, employee at Massachusetts Gaming Commission, noted he would think both commercial revenue and social responsibility being ‘interconnect and dependent upon one another’ rather than balancing off each other. 

He commented: “I think that the trend, not just in the casino industry but in other industries as well, there really is attention in value and based on social responsibility, that consumers value that and they will seek that out in the company. 

“We’re in a really great position to really harness that and look at ways we can really take that social responsibility and turn it into an effective responsible gaming programme.”

Echoing the thoughts of the other panellists which ‘spoke right to his heart’, Richard Taylor Jr, responsible gaming program manager at BetMGM, agreed with Blackhurst’s earlier statement that social responsibility is a customer service programme above all else. 

“To add onto everything else, there’s a business imperative here,” claimed Taylor Jr. “We do not want to cause harm to customers that we want to have loyalty for, for several years or decades. 

“For us, it’s important that we’re providing information that will help them make decisions when it comes to their personal gambling. Making sure we’re there to support them if they do need to use RG tools or take a break, that’s fine.

“We want to make sure they’re okay first because the more we can do that, the longer they will be loyal to us and be a customer which is what every business is seeking.  

“To relay Mark’s point earlier, it’s not a neither or all scenario or even a balancing situation, it’s a requirement. We have to be doing this well and in the right way if we want to be the most successful business that we can be.”

The session continued to look at the operational perspective of US gaming and social responsibility to try and define the roles each have during the process, glanced at regulations across different jurisdictions and the challenges for multi-jurisdictional regulation and delved into more mature markets, and asked what the US regulation and responsible gaming policies could learn from them.

The industry experts were speaking on the Leaders in Sports Betting Track sponsored by Sportradar at SBC Digital North America, which runs from June 9 to 10, 2021. Get your free ticket by registering at  https://sbcevents.com/sbc-digital-north-america/ 

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In recognition of establishing its first responsible gaming standards 30 years ago, with a program that has subsequently trained in excess of 4,000 individuals, Caesars is also pledging a further $1m donation.

The Las Vegas headquartered firm is to give the sum to the National Center for Responsible Gaming and other third-party institutions in the US and elsewhere, to help further advance and shape the future of responsible gaming.

“Thirty years ago, Caesars Entertainment took the initiative to create the first responsible gaming program, serving our guests who could no longer play for fun. We were determined to provide meaningful solutions for problem and underage gaming,” explained Jan Jones Blackhurst, executive VP of public policy and corporate responsibility at Caesars Entertainment. 

“Since then, we have continuously invested in cutting-edge research, training and technology to create a holistic program that respects the privacy of our guests who need our intervention. We view responsible gaming as the concern of all Caesars’ team members, it is central to how we operate as a business.”

Caesars has highlighted a number of landmark moments during its first 30 years of responsible gambling beginning with the implementation of ‘Project 21,’ an education program designed to deter underage gambling and service of alcoholic beverages to minors.

In 1995 Caesars, in collaboration with AT&T and the National Council on Problem Gambling, established the industry’s first national toll-free helpline for gamblers who might need assistance, as well as debuting a nationwide self-exclusion and self-restriction program in four years later.

“I continue to be impressed by Caesars Entertainment’s tireless work to promote responsible gaming to its guests and the industry. Their influential ambassador training program sets them apart from competitors and instills a standard for how RG programs should operate,” commented Judge Cheryl Moss, 8th Judicial District Court – Las Vegas. 

“As the judge who presides over the only active gambling court in the United States, I need partners like Caesars Entertainment who have an unparalleled track record of supporting the communities in which they operate, and are committed to leading the industry as gaming offerings expand across the country.”

All Caesars’ team members are trained in responsible gambling protocol within 30 days of their hire date. In the past five years alone, Caesars’ US teams have spent more than 270,000 hours training in responsible gaming, which is the equivalent of 27 full-time employees.

“Caesars Entertainment is the most committed and community-minded gaming partner in the state of New Jersey,” added Neva Pryor, executive director of the council on compulsive gambling in New Jersey. 

“They are an ally who understands the challenges of reaching problem gamblers and proactively seeks new ways to implement change within our communities and the gaming industry. It is their continued partnership that helps ensure we can offer problem gambling education, treatment and hope to those in need.”

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The firm is committed to strengthening its focus in each of the three areas featured in the title of its new CSR report, vowing to support the well being of team members, guests and local communities with regards to the first featured.

Driving forward initiatives in the core areas of diversity, equity and inclusion, employee well being and delivering value, updated benefits widen Caesars’ offering to new and current employees, by enhancing opportunities for same sex in addition to opposite sex domestic partners.

Jan Jones Blackhurst, executive vice president of public policy and corporate responsibility for Caesars Entertainment, commented: “Caesars Entertainment is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and strives to treat our employees equally.

“We know our team members perform best when they can feel confident and know that their loved ones are well-cared for. This new offering is a reflection of the tremendous diversity found in our 65,000 team members worldwide.”

Regarding its planet section, which the firm titles “taking care of the world we all call home,” the organisation is to advance its commitment to environmental stewardship.

Caesars has also vowed to heighten its efforts surrounding responsible gaming further still, whilst continuing to create “memorable guest experiences”.

Mark Frissora, president and CEO of Caesars Entertainment, added: “The ninth annual report highlights Caesars Entertainment’s leadership in areas important to our company and society.

“As we expand our presence internationally, we are finding that People Planet Play is a core driver of value and a differentiator in new markets.

“It demonstrates that we continue to make new and exciting commitments to further enhance the value we bring to our guests, team members and communities.”

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Blackhurst replaces Richard Schifter in the role after his resignation, and will continue in her current role of executive vice president of public policy and corporate responsibility until October 1, 2019.

“Jan has had a groundbreaking career in the gaming industry and I am happy she will remain with us as a board member and trusted advisor,” noted Tony Rodio, CEO of Caesars Entertainment. 

“Jan is known and widely respected for helping create a diverse, inclusive workplace, advancing environmental stewardship, advocating for important social issues and contributing giving to individuals, families and communities in need. 

“Caesars has been very fortunate to develop and refine its social responsibility practices under her leadership. I thank Jan for her 20 years of distinguished service to our company, our team members and the communities we serve.”

Blackhurst, who served on numerous boards, has been a senior executive at he firm since 1999, and during that time has helped foster a number of responsible gaming practises .

Of joining the board of directors, she stated: “I am delighted and honoured to be joining the board of Caesars. I have tremendous respect for Jim, Tony and the other board members and I look forward to working with them.

“I will continue to advocate that Caesars takes a leading role as a responsible corporate citizen. I am proud of the course we have charted and committed to continuing it.”

James Hunt, chairman of Caesars Entertainment, added: “Jan is not only a driven and accomplished leader, but she is also a legend in Las Vegas – the city’s first woman mayor and a popular leader in business and politics – and we are thrilled to welcome her to the board. 

“With her appointment, Caesars will continue to benefit from her vast experience, expertise and incredible relationships and I am confident she will bring valuable leadership and insight to our board.”

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The Civic 50 provides a national standard for companies with annual revenues of at least $1bn and showcases how they use their time, skills and other resources to improve the communities in which they do business.

Las Vegas headquartered Caesars was selected for continued efforts to improve the quality of life in local communities through employee volunteerism, corporate philanthropy and diversity, equality and inclusion.

Jan Jones Blackhurst, executive vice president of public policy and corporate responsibility, commented: “Caesars Entertainment prides itself on being a good corporate citizen that contributes a long-lasting, positive societal impact on the communities in which we operate.

“Through the dedication of our remarkable team members, who volunteer their time, plus our leadership and continued commitment to our people planet play platform, we plan to continue deepening our impact for many years to come.”

People Planet Play encompasses plans, initiatives and programs to advance the group and its affiliates to make an increasingly positive impact in society, forming a strategic alignment of the firm’s corporate citizenship ambitions.

“Businesses are an important driver of social good in communities, activated through the power and passion of employees and strategic investment in causes that matter. Companies like Caesars Entertainment are powerful examples of how companies can build and sustain purpose in their brands,” added Natalye Paquin, president and CEO of Points of Light.

The Civic 50 winners were announced at The Civic 50 Gala at the Points of Light Conference on volunteering and service in St Paul, Minnesota, where leaders from across sectors gathered to discuss social innovation, civic engagement and cross-sector collaboration.

The survey was administered by True Impact, a company specialising in helping organisations maximise and measure their social and business value.

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Acquiring the property is Peermont Hotels, Casinos and Resorts, a Johannesburg based hospitality and entertainment firm, for a total cash consideration of $49m.

Implying a 7.9 multiplier on 2018’s $6.2m EBITDA figure, Caesars, which owns 70 per cent of the property with the remaining 30 per cent help by local minority partners, receives cash proceeds for its ownership stake and other adjustments total $39m.

The company is to continue to operate the property until the transaction closes, which is expected to be in the third quarter of 2019, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Tony Rodio, CEO of Caesars Entertainment, explained: “While Emerald Resort and Casino is a unique property, it receives limited benefit from the Caesars’ Rewards network effect given its remoteness to other properties in our network.

“We’re pleased to monetise this non-core asset in our portfolio, which will enable Caesars to sharpen its focus on other strategic markets.”

This comes at the same time as Caesars was named in Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s ‘100 Best Corporate Citizens’ list for 2019, after being particularly commended in its environmental categories.

Ranking at number 15 in environment and four on climate change, two pillars that make up more than one-third of the evaluation criteria, Caesars ranking 72 overall, after being selected based on its standout environmental, social and governance performance among public companies in the United States.

Jan Jones Blackhurst, executive vice president of public policy and corporate responsibility at Caesars Entertainment, commented: “Caesars Entertainment is committed to leading the way as we build a responsible business culture, staked in supporting the well-being of people and our communities and acting as steadfast stewards of the environment.

“Through our People Planet Play corporate responsibility framework, we dedicate attention and resources to each of our mission areas, to create the industry-leading impact that has earned us the prestigious distinction as one of CR Magazine’s top corporate citizens.”

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The CEI is a national bench-marking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.

In a media release Caesars stresses that “it was the first hospitality and gaming company to establish an LGBTQ diverse employee group more than a decade ago”.

Furthermore, it was added that it also become the “first in its industry to provide protections to transgender guests and employees, and to train employees on policies relating to transgender employees and guests”

The 2019 CEI report evaluates LGBTQ-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs and public engagement with the LGBTQ community.

Caesars’ efforts in satisfying all of the CEI’s criteria results in a 100 percent ranking, and the designation as a best place to work for LGBTQ Equality.

Jan Jones Blackhurst, executive vice president, public policy and corporate responsibility at Caesars Entertainment, commented: “Now more than ever, it’s important for corporations to defend and value human rights.

“Caesars Entertainment draws on its historic leadership in diversity, equity and inclusion to continue to serve and empower LGBTQ team members, guests and suppliers.

“This recognition by the Human Rights Campaign is a reflection of our collective commitment and pledge to champion the rights of every person.”

It has been suggested recently that Caesars is embroiled in discussions with Eldorado Resorts, which could see a merger of the two organisations come to fruition.

It is hoped that should a merger of Caesars and Eldorado proceed, it would create a more formidable competitor to larger casino industry players, such as Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands and MGM Resorts.

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Representing an expansion to having a voice in Canada, and being able to push diversity and inclusion in the territory, White joins fellow members Susan Hensel, Jan Jones Blackhurst, Richard Schuetz, Sue Schneider and Holly Cook Macarro.

“We are so delighted to have Shelley join us, her deep knowledge of the industry as well as a passion to see it improve and thrive is invaluable to the project, stated Kelly Kehn, All-in Diversity co-founder.  

The not-for-profit initiative to benchmark diversity, equality and inclusion welcomes “one of Canada’s foremost visionary leaders,” who in 2017 became CEO of the RGC, which is an independent non-profit organisation dedicated to problem gambling prevention.

Lauded a “centre of excellence in responsible gambling,” Shelley leads the mission of promoting such issues and spearheading its reduction.

Christina Thakor-Rankin, All-in Diversity co-founder, commented: “Social responsibility is a key to the long-term sustainability and reputation of our industry. To have an individual who understands this in every which way imaginable is more than we would dare to have hoped for, and consider ourselves very fortunate indeed, and very keen to capitalise on the insight and expertise Shelley brings.”

Over the last 30 years Shelley has held a number of positions in Canada’s non-profit sector, including with United Way, Kidney Foundation of Canada and the YMCA.

Of the appointment to the All-Index Advisory Board, Shelley concluded: “I am very pleased to join the All-In Diversity Project Advisory Board. I look forward to working with this dynamic group of leaders on this vital industry initiative.   

“Creating diverse, equitable and inclusive organisations and communities where individuals feel valued, included and can thrive is extremely important to me.

“I have been involved in this work for 20 years. I have seen first-hand the extraordinary difference it makes in people’s careers and lives.”

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