THE AGENDA
BY ROGER GROS , PUBLISHER
Coming & Going
Over the last month or so , I ’ ve had the occasion to catch up with many of my friends who I ’ ve known throughout my 40-plus years in the business . We reminisce about the old days , talk about the giants of the industry who are no longer with us , and often gripe about the “ corporatization ” of the casino business .
One of my goals as I step back from my day-today responsibilities of GGB is to do a series of podcasts with the giants of the industry who are still with us . I ’ m hoping these programs will demonstrate how we got to where we are today and to possibly draw a pathway towards the future . Because there are many of us dinosaurs still around , I think these podcasts can be informative as well as being entertaining .
I hope I don ’ t sound like the old man on the porch yelling at the kids to get off his lawn , because that ’ s not my intention at all .
In fact , when we started our 40 Under 40 program a dozen years or so ago , that was designed to showcase the young talent in the industry , because we do have some remarkable young people who are helping to build the next stage of gaming . I can ’ t pretend that I invented this concept of honoring young talent . I actually copied it from a similar program that was published by the late , lamented Atlantic City magazine , where I interned when I was in my late 20s .
One year , the publisher , Fran Freedman , assigned me to work on the 40 Under 40 feature and I found it very enlightening and exciting to meet so many of my colleagues in the Boardwalk marketplace . At that age , I was just a dealer at Caesars Atlantic City and enjoyed talking to people who were on their way to a career , while I was working what I considered to be a menial job with little chance of advancement .
In a year or two , however , I was able to connect with the publisher of Casino Journal , Glenn Fine , and I found my real calling .
A year or two after starting our own 40 Under 40 , we connected with The Innovation Group and its then-CEO Steve Rittvo , who had started a similar program called the Emerging Leaders of Gaming . Together , the merged 40 Under 40 / Emerging Leaders of Gaming has become the most prestigious award for people of that age group , and the “ graduates ” have quickly become the leaders of the industry .
For young people just starting out in the industry , it can be a harsh and unwelcoming place . Entrylevel workers often get frustrated , as I was as a dealer , and sometimes give up . That ’ s not necessary if you can find the support that our program offers , not to mention other groups like Global Gaming Women ( see our interview with GGW Executive Director Lauren Bates on the back page of this magazine ) that are rising to the occasion and standing up for young women and men in the workplace .
This month marks the launch of the 2025 version of 40 Under 40 / Emerging Leaders of Gaming . Last year , we had almost 200 nominations for the 40 available positions , and the choices were difficult to say the least , because there were so many worthy and talented individuals to consider . The criteria are pretty wide open . If you are 40 or under during 2025 , you are eligible . You can nominate someone within your organization , or if you feel your career path is notable , you can nominate yourself .
We ’ ve set up an advisory committee to consider the nominees , made up of some of the smartest people in the business , including such people as Justin Carter , senior vice president , regional operations , Penn Entertainment ; Kirsten Clark , executive director , International Association of Gaming Advisors ( IAGA ); Alex Dixon , president & CEO , Q Casino and DRA ; Daron Dorsey , executive director , Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers ( AGEM ); Alan Feldman , distinguished fellow in responsible gaming , International Gaming Institute at the University of Nevada Las Vegas ; and Sheila Morago , COO and partner , Trilogy Group . We ’ ll be adding to that distinguished list for this year ’ s process .
Each nominee gets to be profiled within the pages of this magazine throughout the year , including this month ’ s honorees on pages 42 and 43 , and is included in various programs and publications issued by The Innovation Group . To nominate someone or yourself , it ’ s simple . Just go to ggbmagazine . com / 40- under-40 and fill out the application form .
I ’ m always astounded by the quality of the nominees and the wide variety of disciplines they represent . From the land-based casino world to online gaming , to the legal and regulatory field , there are many areas we like to address in our list each year . Know someone who you believe will become a leader of gaming — a new “ giant ” of the business ? Please take the time to recognize them and their place in our world .
Vol . 23 • No . 5 • MAY 2024
Roger Gros , Publisher | rgros @ ggbmagazine . com X : @ GlobalGamingBiz
Frank Legato , Editor | flegato @ ggbmagazine . com X : @ FranklySpeakn
Jess Marquez , Managing Editor jmarquez @ ggbmagazine . com
Monica Cooley , Art Director mcooley @ ggbmagazine . com
Terri Brady , Sales & Marketing Director tbrady @ ggbmagazine . com
Beck Kingman-Gros , Associate Publisher & COO bkingros @ ggbmagazine . com
Lisa Johnson , Communications Advisor lisa @ lisajohnsoncommunications . com X : @ LisaJohnsonPR
Columnists Frank Fantini | Dave Forman
Contributing Editors Alan Campbell | Julia Carcamo | Muhammed Cohen Allison McCoy | 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 X : @ CDCNewswire
• Dean Macomber , President , Macomber International , Inc .
• Stephen Martino , Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer , MGM Resorts International , X : @ 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 , X : @ kspilde
• Ernie Stevens , Jr ., Chairman , National Indian Gaming Association X : @ NIGA1985
• Roy Student , President , Applied Management Strategies
• David D . Waddell , Partner Regulatory Management Counselors PC
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The views and opinions expressed by the writers and columnists of GLOBAL GAMING BUSINESS are not necessarily the views of the publisher or editor .
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4 Global Gaming Business MAY 2024