2024 CLASS OF EMERGING LEADERS OF GAMING 40 UNDER 40
Casino Ops Natural
Nimota Adebowale , Director of Casino Operations , Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
F
or someone who spent eight years in retail at Harrah ’ s , Nimota Adebowale made quite the transition that landed her at Atlantic City ’ s Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa as director of casino operations . Her position puts her at the apex of any casino ’ s bread and butter .
Raised in Mays Landing , New Jersey , the proximity to Atlantic City played a role in her decision to enter the industry . But first … Adebowale majored in political science at Rowan University . “ I wanted to practice law as early as I can remember ,” she says . “ I had every intention of studying and practicing family law .”
But a couple of years before Rowan , she needed a job for the summer . Why not look into the elephant in the room ? “ Most of my family members had been in the business all my life , so it seemed the obvious place to start looking ,” Adebowale says .
She worked in a box office , as a lifeguard and spent more than eight years selling shoes and other clothing , working around her school schedule . But Adebowale ’ s aunt worked in finance . Try gaming , she said . A dualrate slot shift manager position opened at Caesars , and she applied .
“ The rest is history . I found my niche in gaming . I started in slots and just kept growing and learning ,” she says . Adebowale worked in different jurisdictions : she moved on to Kansas City for two years as director of slot operations for a Penn Entertainment property . She returned to Atlantic City in the same title with Borgata this past August .
The industry transformed during and after the Covid-19 pandemic . “ Covid changed the way we traditionally do things in gaming ,” says Adebowale . “ It made the importance of a digital footprint and the integration of it and land-based casinos clear . It challenged how we think about the layout of gaming floors , marketing promotions , tournaments , and entertainment .”
Adebowal has had the good fortune to work with a slew of supporters . “ There have been some incredible leaders and mentors throughout my journey — people who have taken an interest in my growth professionally and personally . Alex Dixon , Jackie Grace , Melonie Johnson , Mike Forster , Erin Chamberlin , Jimmy Bruno , and Al Thompson , to name a few .”
She says she ’ s happy with her choices along the way . “ I believe I ’ m doing what I ’ m meant to do . I enjoy what I do , constantly learning and growing , and I can ’ t ask for more ,” says Adebowale , who likes trying new recipes to relax . The last few weeks it ’ s been chicken piccata , Nigerian jollef rice and Cajun shrimp pasta with salmon . “ I ’ ve also been refreshing my pineapple upside down cake .” — Bill Sokolic
Eyes on the Future
Samuel Gerrity , CEO , Saratoga Casino Holdings
For Samuel Gerrity , Saratoga Casino Holdings LLC has always been a family business . His grandfather was involved in the Saratoga Harness Racetrack since its first day of racing in 1941 . Gerrity ’ s father later bought out the shareholders of the racetrack , which became the first racino in the state of New York , opening with 1,300 video gaming machines in 2004 .
After building a successful career across other industries and living and working abroad , Gerrity joined Saratoga Casino Holdings in 2018 as the vice president of business development . He was promoted to CEO in 2021 .
“ It ’ s such a great opportunity to work with my family and to grow this business that started with my grandfather ,” Gerrity says . “ I always knew it was what I wanted to do .”
Gerrity counts himself extremely lucky to have his father as his mentor in both his career and personal life .
“ My father has always been my mentor ,” he says . “ He leads by example and shares his perspective on things with me , but always pushes me to make my own decisions . I ’ m fortunate that I can rely on him for guidance and advice that allows me to continue to grow in my business endeavors as well as in my personal life .”
When asked what advice he would give to up-and-comers in the gaming industry , Gerrity emphasizes the importance of listening to and learning from others .
“ There are some things like experience that are out of your control when you begin ,” he says . “ I think it ’ s just important to listen and to ask questions . You can really learn a lot by just soaking in what ’ s around you .”
Gerrity also believes humility and dedication are two of the most important qualities for successfully growing a career .
“ There ’ s something beneficial in having humility and understanding that you ’ re not going to be where you want to be day one , week one , or month one . You have to build up your knowledge and experience step by step . If you stay on that path , you ’ ll get to where you want to be .”
This philosophy has served Gerrity well and led to his proudest accomplishment to date , the acquisition of Magnolia Bluffs Casino Hotel in Natchez , Mississippi by Saratoga Casino Holdings in 2022 .
“ The negotiation process was something I never expected ,” Gerrity reflects . “ It required a lot of patience and perseverance . It wasn ’ t a simple one , but honestly , I think it was the best deal to cut my teeth on because it wasn ’ t a simple one . It was an exciting moment for me .”
Looking to the future , Gerrity anticipates that the growing use of artificial intelligence will continue to be a significant trend in the industry .
“ The gaming industry was a tech industry to begin with ,” he says , “ but now with the implementation of AI , things are evolving faster than ever . If we do it the right way , we ’ ll be able to put out a better product and a better experience . We need to recruit leaders with more technical knowledge that can help usher in this new technology and help the industry grow in a healthy way .”
Gerrity is excited to see what comes next for his career as well as for the gaming industry .
“ My No . 1 goal is to add value to my company and help it grow and continue to prosper ,” he says . “ There ’ s no deal that ’ s identical , so you ’ re always learning . That ’ s why I love working in this industry . There are always new experiences , and nothing is exactly the same .” — Rae Berkley
32 Global Gaming Business NOVEMBER 2023