THE AGENDA
BY ROGER GROS , PUBLISHER Vol . 24 • No . 3 • MARCH 2025
Roger Gros , Publisher | rgros @ ggbmagazine . com X : @ GlobalGamingBiz
A Fine Point
Frank Legato , Editor | flegato @ ggbmagazine . com X : @ FranklySpeakn
Jess Marquez , Managing Editor jmarquez @ ggbmagazine . com
Monica Cooley , Art Director mcooley @ ggbmagazine . com
Everyone has at least one pivot point in their lives — one of those moments when you meet someone who will change your life , or you make a momentous decision , or some event impacts your life . I ’ ve thankfully had several pivot points in my life , but I want to talk about someone who I met early in my career who truly changed my life .
Glenn Fine was a deeply flawed individual , and that contributed mightily to the end of his life . But when I met him , he was full of the entrepreneurial spirit that also lived inside of me .
He had been a dealer , as I was at the time , at Resorts casino in Atlantic City . While there , he had an idea to start a publication that would be read by casino employees , and would help to teach them about the casino industry , as well as publicize things that they might enjoy , like bars and restaurants , special events … whatever the Atlantic City region had to offer .
I was a dealer down the Boardwalk at Caesars at the time , and I saw Casino Journal floating through the employee lounge , and I was intrigued . You see , I already knew that I wouldn ’ t remain dealing my entire life . I hated it , and the procedures that it forced me to follow .
So I had signed up for a writing course at nearby Stockton College that was taught by Professor Bernie Sless . Bernie was a kindly old soul who saw some hope in my word salads . Glenn had already contacted him to inquire about writers for Casino Journal because Glenn couldn ’ t write himself out of a paper bag .
So it was kind of a match made in heaven , and I began writing for him even when I was recruited to deal baccarat for Steve Wynn ’ s Golden Nugget , even further down the Boardwalk .
Later , when Wynn exited Atlantic City , I followed some former Nugget executives to open the Showboat casino . That job was torture , and four months in , I decided to quit and work for Casino Journal full-time as editor .
But the casinos were a little leery of Casino Journal . They were worried it might become connected to a union and try to organize workers who weren ’ t already in a union . So our turning point came when the dealers at the Claridge casino were approached by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers ( IBEW ).
Glenn insisted that we cover this , as it was a big story , but do it fairly . So I interviewed Claridge execs —
Bob Renneisen , Roger Wagner and Glenn Lillie at that time — and I also talked to the leaders of the IBEW . We allowed each side to state their case , and when the dealers voted down the union , Casino Journal was fully established .
Then Glenn had another idea after meeting with the owners of Players Club , Ed and David Fishman , who later got into the casino business as Players International . Us older folks will remember commercials featuring Telly Savalas touting the club .
So we started The Player magazine , which we soon changed to Casino Player . Using the list of Players Club and later of Lyle Berman ’ s Grand Casinos , Casino Player quickly became the most important B2C publication in the business . It still operates today under Lisa Robertson , who was our graphic artist in those days — the longest running B2C publication in gaming .
While I loved talking to players , my true love at the time was spreading the word about gaming , which itself was spreading across the country and around the world . Our competing publication , International Gaming & Wagering Business magazine ( IGWB ), was truly more important than the upstart Casino Journal , and also ran the industry ’ s largest trade show , World Gaming Congress . They cut the newly formed American Gaming Association in for a sliver of equity , but as the show grew , the AGA wanted more and thus started their own trade show , which we all know today as G2E .
At that point , IGWB bought Casino Journal — and me — from Glenn to prevent the AGA from promoting G2E in either magazine .
I had some experience dealing with IGWB folks and decided I didn ’ t want to work for them , so I quit before the sale was final with no job prospects — another pivot point .
Frank Fahrenkopf , the AGA CEO at that time , later hired me to help produce the G2E conference program , and after the first year , asked me if I ’ d be interested in starting another magazine where they could promote G2E . And the rest , as they say , is history .
From there , Glenn Fine started spiraling downward . I won ’ t go into specifics , but his entrepreneurial spirit evaporated and his final years were rough . But I will always be grateful to him for allowing me to become an entrepreneur and demonstrate that I could be successful as a publisher and an editor . RIP Glenn Fine .
Terri Brady , Sales & Marketing Director tbrady @ ggbmagazine . com
Lisa Johnson , Communications Advisor lisa @ lisajohnsoncommunications . com X : @ LisaJohnsonPR
Columnists Frank Fantini | Joe Maloney
Contributing Editors Earle G . Hall | Chris Irwin Marjorie Preston | Bill Sokolic X : @ downbeachfilm Marla Royne Stafford , Ph . D . | Kathy Urban ______________
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Rino Armeni , President , Armeni Enterprises
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Dike Bacon , Principal / Partner , HBG Design
• Lauren Bates , President , Global Gaming Women
• Mark A . Birtha , Senior Vice President & General Manager , Hard Rock International
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Brendan Bussmann , Principal , BGlobal Advisors
• Alex Dixon , CEO , DRA / Q Casino
• Daron Dorsey , Executive Director , Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers
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Sally Gainsbury , Director at Gambling Treatment & Research Clinic & Professor of Psychology , University of Sydney
• Stephen Martino , Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer , MGM Resorts International
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Bill Miller , President and CEO , American Gaming Association
• Walt Power , CEO , Grand Ho Tram
• Rob Russell , Senior Gaming Analyst , Regulatory Management Counselors PC
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James Siva , Chairman , California Nations Indian Gaming Association / Vice Chairman , Morongo Band of Mission Indians
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Michael Soll , President , The Innovation Group
• Kresimir Spajic , Chief Executive Officer , Betfred Sportsbook
• Katherine Spilde , Executive Director , Sycuan Gaming Institute , San Diego State University ——————
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Official Publication
4 Global Gaming Business MARCH 2025