Inside Gaming: 14 tapped to guide UNLV’s International Gaming Institute

Fourteen gaming industry experts have been tapped to advise UNLV’s International Gaming Institute in an initiative to further its mission of providing world-class research, education and innovation to the global gaming and gambling industry.

The Gaming Institute’s Executive Director’s Advisory Board is expected to meet annually and contribute insights and resources to help it maintain its status as the intellectual capital for gambling research and education worldwide, according to IGI.

For more than 30 years, IGI has provided expertise and education in areas including gambling innovation, research, operations, regulation and policy.

“It is my great pleasure to welcome this esteemed group to IGI’s inaugural Advisory Board,” Brett Abarbanel, executive director of the IGI, said in a release. “This board will help elevate IGI’s profile of academic excellence through its commitment to our mission. We are honored to welcome these accomplished experts and look forward to benefiting from their dynamic perspectives and support in creating meaningful connections between IGI and its stakeholders.”

The 14 experts who will advise the institute:

— Peter Arceo, chief gaming officer of Yuhaaviatam of California’s San Manuel Nation.

— Richard Baldwin, a managing partner with GGHM, a data-driven global gaming industry advisory, analytics and investment firm dedicated to providing clients with comprehensive services that help them achieve their goals, with offices in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Denver and Philadelphia.

— Jan Jones Blackhurst, an independent board director for Reno-based Caesars Entertainment Inc. and executive director of UNLV’s Black Fire Leadership Initiative.

— Carlos Carrion, vice president of international sales and business development for Las Vegas-based SlotCycle, which connects buyers and sellers of slot machines, parts and other gaming equipment.

— Justin Carter, senior vice president of regional operations for Wyomissing, Pennsylvania-based Penn Entertainment Inc., which operates Henderson’s M Resort.

— Daron Dorsey, president and CEO of the Las Vegas-based Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers.

— Jessica Feil, vice president of regulatory affairs and compliance for OpenBet, a global sports wagering company with operations worldwide.

— Chris Grove, partner emeritus for Newport Beach, California-based Eilers & Krejcik LLC, a gaming research firm and consultant.

— Anika Howard, president and CEO of Mashantucket, Connecticut-based Wondr Nation, an online gaming entertainment company of the Mashantucket Pequot Nation, primarily serving tribal gaming companies.

— Lori Kalani, chief responsible gaming officer for Boston-based DraftKings, a daily fantasy and sports-betting company operating in 25 states and Washington D.C.

— David Lopez, CEO of AGS, a Las Vegas-based gaming equipment manufacturer.

— Brian Mattingley, former chairman of London-based Playtech, a global game development company.

— Laura McAllister Cox, chief compliance officer for Chicago-based Rush Street Interactive.

— Simon Thomas, executive chairman of London’s Hippodrome Casino, one of the United Kingdom’s largest casino properties.

MGM Resorts, Bellagio takes the lead on water conservation

To mark World Conservation Day on July 28, Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts International unveiled a cutting-edge hybrid cooling tower at Bellagio hotel-casino. The innovative system, the first of its kind on the Strip, uses a combination of dry and evaporative cooling to significantly reduce water consumption.

The project is expected to conserve 18 million gallons of water per year, helping MGM tackle its largest source of water use.

“This is a big deal because evaporative cooling is the second largest consumptive water use in the valley, and it’s MGM Resorts’ largest consumptive water use,” said Michael Gulich, vice president of environmental sustainability at MGM Resorts. “We strive to be leaders in water stewardship, and so when the opportunity presented itself to partner with the Southern Nevada Water Authority on this pilot project, we were all in. We’re just really excited to see the impact that this technology has on the region.”

House members support changes to new gambling tax regulations

At a July 25 “field hearing” in Las Vegas, U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, R‑Mo., chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, pledged to reverse the Senate’s recent cap on gamblers’ loss deductions, which now caps them at 90 percent. Smith said the reduction has raised concerns, including from three major Las Vegas casino CEOs, and he is working with colleagues in both chambers to restore the full deduction before it takes effect in 2026.

U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., sponsor of the FAIR BET Act, welcomed Smith’s support and described the Senate change as an “unjust penalty” that could impact the gaming industry and state revenue.