With comings and goings commonplace across the industry, our latest rundown of a number of recent manoeuvres features Caesars Entertainment, Lottoland, and Swintt.
Caesars Entertainment
John Koster has been appointed to the position of regional president by Caesars Entertainment, where he will gain the responsibility of overseeing the company’s eastern division.
In his new role, Koster will oversee Caesars Entertainment’s Atlantic City resorts, namely, Tropicana, Harrah’s Resort, and Caesars Atlantic City, as well as Harrah’s Philadelphia and Horseshoe Baltimore.
“John’s in-depth knowledge of the gaming industry, as well as his passion for going all in on service, make him the logical choice to lead our east coast properties into the future,” said Anthony Carano, president and CEO of Caesars.
“The next three years, particularly in Atlantic City, will be an exciting time for our company with $400m in upgrades and enhancements planned at our resorts.
“Our master capital plan will undoubtedly transform Atlantic City as a top destination market, and I am confident that under John’s leadership, our east coast properties will be well-positioned for long-term success.”
Swintt
Swintt has named Tereza Melicharkova as its new head of marketing, where she will be responsible for supporting the commercial team through a wide range of marketing activities, while also driving awareness of the Swintt brand and product offering among operators and the wider industry.
Melicharkova started her career in the igaming sector at NetEnt, and has also held senior marketing roles at Pragmatic Play, Relax Gaming and most recently Pariplay.
David Mann, CCO at Swintt, explained: “Tereza is an important addition to our senior management team as we continue to grow at pace and look to work with more operator partners than ever before.
“She is a skilled marketer that has an incredible knowledge of the industry. This is the perfect combination for driving brand awareness and showcasing our cutting-edge products and services to the largest possible audience.
“I’d like to take the chance to officially welcome Tereza to the team and look forward to working with her as we continue to take Swintt from being a rising star to an industry power player.”
MGM Resorts International
Tilak Mandadi has become chief strategy, innovation and technology officer at MGM Resorts International, where he will oversee the group’s digital strategy, driving growth and innovation through technology-led customer-centric experiences, products and services.
Furthermore, he will also lead corporate strategy and innovation, and will manage the company’s relationship with BetMGM, joining its board of directors. He will be based in Las Vegas and report to MGM CEO and president Bill Hornbuckle.
“We are incredibly proud to have Tilak join our executive leadership team to drive an essential part of our business and guest value proposition at such a critical time,” said Hornbuckle.
“Tilak’s experiences at both Disney and American Express, along with his high-caliber track record as a visionary, results-driven leader, will be invaluable as we emerge from the pandemic and continue growing our premier, global gaming entertainment business and channels through innovative, customer-centric technology platforms and an ever-expanding digital, gaming and entertainment footprint.”
Lottoland
Online lotto betting operator Lottoland has named Jon Hale as chief financial officer with immediate effect, reporting to CEO Nigel Birrell.
Hale was the CFO for over 11 years at 32Red plc where he played a key role in several corporate transactions, culminating in the £176m sale to the Kindred Group in June 2017.
Before his time at 32Red, he qualified as a chartered accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers in 1998, before joining Capital Corporation, an operator of high roller land-based casinos.
Birrell noted: “I am delighted to announce that we have appointed Jon as our new chief financial officer. Jon brings with him a wealth of gaming experience and knowledge that we will benefit from as we continue to grow and deliver on our strategy.”
NeoGames
NeoGames has announced the appointment of Christopher Shaban as executive vice president of sales, marketing and customer development.
Joining the group’s management team, he will assume global responsibilities for new sales initiatives, government relations, customer development and growth, as well as marketing initiatives.
Moti Malul, CEO of NeoGames, commented: “Chris brings a profound understanding and vast experience in the global lottery industry and its unique dynamics. Throughout his career, he has led numerous successful greenfield public procurement processes, lottery and digital lottery contracts, as well as legislative accomplishments across the United States and around the world.
“Chris’ passion for the lottery industry and to the unique values it promotes, has not only fostered his profound success in previous roles, it has also brought him to become highly admired by customers and colleagues alike. He is a perfect complement to our management team and we are excited to have him on board.”
