Power Trio

Jess Marquez , Managing Editor jmarquez @ ggbmagazine . com

Monica Cooley , Art Director mcooley @ ggbmagazine . com

By now , many of you will have heard the news that Clarion Gaming has purchased the assets of Casino Connection International , namely Global Gaming Business ( GGB ) Magazine and its three annual supplements — Casino Style , Tribal Government Gaming and Progressive Products Preview ( P3 )— as well as its online assets including GGB News .

For me , it ’ s the end of a long journey . As I approached my 70th year on this planet — I turned 73 last month — I realized that I needed an exit strategy to ensure the company and the GGB brand would survive and thrive beyond my day-to-day involvement . My health scare last year made it even more imperative . We talked to several potential suitors but I had three conditions that had to be fulfilled before I ’ d pull that trigger .

First , I wanted to partner with a company that had the same level of integrity , transparency and commitment to the gaming industry as we did at GGB . Over the last 22 years , GGB became the voice of the industry , but not its mouthpiece . We try to focus on the health of the industry , and that sometimes gives us a different viewpoint than some other publishers .

Responsible gaming has been a cornerstone of our business from the start . Before GGB , I covered that issue extensively with my previous publication . I attended the very first conference put on by the International ( then National ) Center for Responsible Gaming . We ’ re proud to have emphasized RG and the advancements that have been made in the field . In September , the American Gaming Association ’ s Responsible Gaming Month , we use our GGB News Daily Update to promote all the different viewpoints of RG by the experts in the field .

We ’ re also proud to have pointed out the hypocritical stance of some in the industry when it comes to smoking bans . How can you say you have the best interests of your employees and your guests in mind if you still advocate for smoking on the casino floor ?

So we wanted to partner with a company whose values aligned with ours , and we got that with Clarion Gaming .

Second , we have always taken the “ Global ” in Global Gaming Business seriously . Our very first issue in 2002 was dedicated to gaming in the Caribbean , an often overlooked area of the industry . The second reviewed the state of gaming in Europe . And the following year , I attended the opening of the Venetian on my first of many trips to Macau to cover the burgeoning Asian gaming industry .

But at our roots , we ’ re an American publication whose strength is our relationship with the operators and manufacturers in North America . So our relationship with Clarion Gaming and its flagship publication , iGaming Business , fulfills that goal of further internationalization as well as a deeper dive into the iGaming industry , while augmenting Clarion ’ s U . S . presence .

Third , I wanted to ensure that our staff remains intact . You ’ d be hard-pressed to find a more loyal and dedicated group of employees . They proved during my absence last year that they were quite capable , and essentially ran the business without me when I was out of commission for several months . They are some of the most respected journalists , individuals and artists in the industry .

Frank Legato is a slot legend and knows more about the technology side of the business than any other journalist . Our young managing editor Jess Marquez has blazed a trail and become very knowledgeable about everything gaming . Art Director Monica Cooley is responsible for the attractive and easy-to-read way the magazines are laid out .

Sales and Marketing Director Terri Brady is beloved by her clients . Her experience on the supplier side before joining GGB gives her credibility that is hard to match . And of course , my wife , COO Beck Kingman-Gros , ties all the pieces together financially and operationally , and without her guiding us through the rough waters of the pandemic — and my illness — we may have followed several of our former competitors who didn ’ t make it .

When combined with Clarion Gaming ’ s amazing team led by Alex Pratt , Sophie Webster , Richard ( Dickie ) Linn and Robin Harrison , there will be no company that can surpass the expertise and level of professionalism that is the new Clarion Gaming group .

I ’ d be remiss to not mention some of the journalists who contributed along the way . The late Dave Palermo was a legend in Indian Country . Marjorie Preston has been part of our team for most of our history and always steps in with her elegant prose . And our late webmaster , Rob Rossiello , is sorely missed .

As for myself , I ’ m not going anywhere for a while . I ’ ll be guiding the company for the next year and then consulting for Clarion Gaming to ensure that we continue to raise the profile of GGB and iGB as we move forward .

So thanks to everyone who made this possible — including our original investors who put their faith in me — and join us for the next chapter of GGB . Now Clarion Gaming and GGB are one . And the sky ’ s the limit .

Terri Brady , Sales & Marketing Director tbrady @ ggbmagazine . com

Beck Kingman-Gros , Associate Publisher & COO bkingros @ ggbmagazine . com

Lisa Johnson , Communications Advisor lisa @ lisajohnsoncommunications . com twitter : @ LisaJohnsonPR

Columnists Frank Fantini | Anton Severin

Contributing Editors Brendan D . Bussmann | Jack Goodin Marjorie Preston | Bill Sokolic _______________

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Rino Armeni , President , Armeni Enterprises

• Mark A . Birtha , Senior Vice President & General Manager , Hard Rock International

• Julie Brinkerhoff-Jacobs , President , Lifescapes International

• Nicholas Casiello Jr ., Shareholder , Fox Rothschild

• Jeffrey Compton , Publisher , CDC E-Reports twitter : @ CDCNewswire

• Dean Macomber , President , Macomber International , Inc .

• Stephen Martino , Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer , MGM Resorts International , twitter : @ stephenmartino

• Jim Rafferty , President , Rafferty & Associates

• Rob Russell , Senior Gaming Analyst , Regulatory Management Counselors PC

• Michael Soll , President , The Innovation Group

• Katherine Spilde , Executive Director , Sycuan Gaming Institute , San Diego State University , twitter : @ kspilde

• Ernie Stevens , Jr ., Chairman , National Indian Gaming Association twitter : @ NIGA1985

• Roy Student , President , Applied Management Strategies

• David D . Waddell , Partner Regulatory Management Counselors PC

Casino Connection International LLC . 1000 Nevada Way • Suite 204 • Boulder City , NV 89005 702-248-1565 • 702-248-1567 ( fax ) www . ggbmagazine . com

The views and opinions expressed by the writers and columnists of GLOBAL GAMING BUSINESS are not necessarily the views of the publisher or editor .

GLOBAL GAMING BUSINESS is published monthly by Casino Connection International , LLC . Printed in Nevada , USA . Postmaster : Send Change of Address forms to : 1000 Nevada Way , Suite 204 , Boulder City , NV 89005 Email : subscriptions @ ggbmagazine . com

GGB

Official Publication

4 Global Gaming Business APRIL 2024

GGB Magazine April 2024 | Page 4

THE AGENDA

Power Trio

GGB