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APRIL 2026 • Vol. 25• No. 4 • $10 Global Gaming Business Magazine EAST COAST GAMING CONGRESS 2026 SPORTS AND GAMBLING IN THE U.K. ANALYTICS TOOLS THE BOOKIE ’s ART MANTERIS Association of Gaming Equipment Manufactuers Major League Baseball’s microbetting problem Aristocrat Gaming remakes an iconic brand for the slot floor MONOPOLY’S NEW ERA TOPSAPRIL 2026 www.ggbmagazine.com 3 Global Gaming Business Magazine CONTENTS april COLUMNS 10 AGA Record Revenue—And More Dave Forman 12 Fantini’s Finance The Tortoise or the Hare? Frank Fantini 20 NCLGS 30 Years of Leadership Juliann Barreto DEPARTMENTS 4The Agenda 6By the Numbers 85 Questions 13AGEM Update 34 Emerging Leaders With Sega Sammy Creation’s Elmer Espiritu, Wind Creek Bethlehem’s Stephen Kenney, and Legacy Reserve Holding Group’s Tony Amormino 40New Game Review 42Frankly Speaking 44Cutting Edge 46Goods & Services 49People 50Casino Communications With Art Manteris, former sportsbook operator and author of The Bookie FEATURES Vol. 25 • No. 4 22 COVER STORY 14 The Changing Workplace Developments like AI and cybersecurity are changing the job descriptions for incoming talent. By Bill Werksman and David Lacey 18 Microbetting and Baseball Major League Baseball’s limit on microbetting could prompt restrictions in other sports. By Matt Rybaltowski 26 Simply the Best The eighth annual EKG Slot Awards reflect increased competition in the supply sector, while again naming Aristocrat tops in sots. By Frank Legato 28 East Coast in Focus The 29th annual East Coast Gaming Congress, April 14-15 in Atlantic City, will bring executives, regulators and government together to examine critical issues. 30 Sponsorship in the U.K The U.K. government is considering banning gambling sponsorships for sports betting operators not licensed in the country. By Nicole Macedo 36 Marshalling Data As new challenges arise in gaming operations, stakeholders look to improve their AI and data analytics tools. By Jess Marquez 30 Aristocrat’s Monopoly Aristocrat Gaming, after securing exclusive rights to produce land-based slots based on the legendary Monopoly board game, rallies all its development expertise to launch a new era for the theme. By Frank Legato 264 Global Gaming Business APRIL 2026 M y friend Bo Bernhard, a UNLV professor and former International Gaming Institute executive director, coined the term the “fun economy”—a combination of the tourism, sports and entertainment industries. Bernhard says this metric adds up to 14 percent of the world’s economy, a stunning number and something our small industry needs to consider. What he’s talking about essentially is the experience you have when you participate in this economy. Remember what it’s like to go to the beach, enjoy the waves and relax in the warm sand. Or a movie theater where the darkness combines with lights and sound to mesmerize us. Or a foot- ball game, where you’re among other fans, rooting for your team and feeling that camaraderie. The gaming industry is part of the entertain- ment segment of the fun economy. And fun should be at the center of the experience you provide at your casino resort. Fun is the feeling your customers should get when they come to your casino resort. The glamour of sitting at a table game and risking a few bucks on cards or dice. Sitting in front of one of those modern slot machines that tower over us while we’re engulfed in the graphics and the sound, all with the promise of a jackpot. Maybe it’s not gambling. Maybe it’s attending a concert of your favorite musician, hearing songs you’ve always sung along with. Or a comedian you’ve seen in the movies, making you laugh at some of his silly jokes. And what a room! With a view of the sur- rounding nature, you’ve got a comfortable couch, a giant king-sized bed and a bathroom fit for a king or queen. When you get hungry, so many choices make dining fun. The high-end restaurants—maybe some branded with celebrity chefs. The specialty outlets—maybe a great noodle shop. And the comfortable coffee shop where you can count on hearty food and a great atmosphere. Maybe the GM is sitting at a corner table. Going to a casino resort is an experience in and of itself. Before you leave for your trip, people tell you to have fun. And that’s what we should provide—going the extra mile to make guests comfortable and able to forget their daily lives and responsibilities for a few days. So how can we emphasize the “fun” that’s ex- pected every time a guest walks through your doors? We all know you can have the most top-line amenities: the great rooms and suites, the most pop- ular restaurants, a casino with the latest slots and table games—but nothing will matter in the end if the service isn’t the best. So training your staff must be extraordinary. I always point to Wynn Resorts when I think about training—because it’s not really the training, it’s the attitude of the executives that makes the difference. When I worked at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City—the first one, not the second one that’s operating now—Steve Wynn set the standard, and all his execs followed suit. Say what you will about Wynn, he valued his employees like no one else. I had worked for Caesars Atlantic City before the Nugget, and while Caesars was the top-earning casino in Atlantic City at that time, its employee loyalty wasn’t at the top. I guess I’m the prime example, since I joined the Nugget after three years at Caesars. Today, even with its charismatic leader gone, Wynn Resorts still represents the best in customer service. So training works, but the message from the top is more valuable than any hospitality course. Bottom line? It was fun to come to work at the Golden Nugget. You were encouraged to interact with the customers to make their experience fun as well. Not at Caesars, where I learned the term, “Dummy up and deal.” To be truly part of the fun economy, we have to be the fun industry. Gaming isn’t just about gam- bling, it’s about creating an experience that people what to relive, over and over again. Make it fun and you’ll make it very profitable as well. The Fun Industry Vol. 25 • No. 4 • APRIL 2026 GGB Frank Legato, Editor-in-Chief flegato@ggbmagazine.com Robin Harrison, Publisher robin.harrison-millan@worldgamingbusiness.com Roger Gros, Editor-at-Large rgros@ggbmagazine.com Marjorie Preston, Managing Editor mpreston@ggbmagazine.com Monica Cooley, Art Director mcooley@ggbmagazine.com Terri Brady, Sales & Marketing Director tbrady@ggbmagazine.com Columnists Juliann Barreto • Frank Fantini • David Forman Contributing Editors Alex Goldstein • David Lacey • Nicole Macedo Jess Marquez • Matt Rybaltowski • Bill Sokolic Bill Werksman • Thomas Zitt, Ph.D _____ EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Rino Armeni, President, Armeni Enterprises • Dike Bacon, Principal/Partner, HBG Design • Lauren Bates, President, Global Gaming Women • Mark A. Birtha, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Hard Rock International • Brendan Bussmann, Principal, BGlobal Advisors • Alex Dixon, Senior Advisor, Board of Directors, Resorts World Las Vegas • Daron Dorsey, Executive Director, Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers • Sally Gainsbury, Director at Gambling Treatment & Research Clinic & Professor of Psychology, University of Sydney • Stephen Martino, Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer, MGM Resorts International • Bill Miller, President and CEO, American Gaming Association • Walt Power, CEO, Grand Ho Tram • Rob Russell, Senior Gaming Analyst, Regulatory Management Counselors PC • James Siva, Chairman, California Nations Indian Gaming Association/ Vice Chairman, Morongo Band of Mission Indians • Michael Soll, President, International Center for Responsible Gaming • Kresimir Spajic, CEO, Allwyn Digital • Katherine Spilde, Executive Director, Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming, San Diego State University —————— GGB Magazine 702-248-1565 • 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. Copyright 2026 Clarion Digital Media LLC GLOBAL GAMING BUSINESS is published monthly by Clarion Gaming International, LLC. Printed in Nevada, USA. Email: subscriptions@ggbmagazine.com Official Publication BY ROGER GROS, EDITOR-AT-LARGE THE AGENDAICONIC BY DESIGN Delight your most valued players with the best in luxury rewards rymaxinc.com Copyright ©2026 Rymax. All rights reserved. Introducing our newest brand partner6 Global Gaming Business APRIL 2026 BY THE NUMBERS iGAMING GROWTH TRAJECTORY T he global online gambling market, estimated at $78.66 billion in 2024, is projected to reach $153.57 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 11.9 percent from 2025 to 2030, reports Grand View Research. Key market drivers include growing penetration of high-speed internet and the general adoption of smartphones for gaming. Trends & Insights • The European online gaming industry dominated globally in 2024, accounting for more than 41 percent of the global share. • The U.S. industry grew rapidly in 2024, fueled by mounting state-level legalization, growth in mobile betting adoption and technology innovation. • By product, the consumables, reagents and kits segment accounted for the largest revenue share in 2024. • By type, the sports betting segment dominated the market with a revenue share of more than 50 percent. • By device, the desktop segment dominated and accounted for significant revenue in the same year. Moreover, regulatory developments, the increasing popularity of online betting and strategic partnerships between industries are driving market growth. For instance, in March 2024, Betsson AB diversified its worldwide presence with a majority stake in a sportsbook business in Europe, consolidating its B2B business. Integrating 5G tech and growing consumer adoption of AI-based gaming experiences are primary drivers for growth. State-of-the-art smartphones now offer AI, VR and AR features for more engaging gambling applications. Access to low-cost smartphones and accessible gambling apps is further fueling market expansion. The online casino sector is growing with the advancement in virtual reality (VR) and blockchain technology. VR-based gaming provides an interactive gaming experience with a realistic casino atmosphere and live dealer interaction. For example, SLTM Ltd.’s SlotsMillion continues to be at the forefront of VR gaming experiences. At the same time, blockchain technology is changing payment security and transparency. Cryptocurrency-based online gambling platforms such as BitStarz now have more than 5 million active players, underlining the rising adoption of decentralized transactions in the industry. The sector is also favored by freemium business models and in-app ads, recruiting new players using free-to-play options while earning revenue through advertising and microtransactions. As governments around the world launch revised legislation, additional markets are opening to legalized online gaming, positioning the sector for steady growth over 2030. SPORTS BETS =MORE SPORTS VIEWERSHIP A new Ohio University study indicates that increased sports wagers contribute to greater sports viewership. Professor Jim Strode looked at the 2026 Winter Olympics, which took place in Milan- Cortina from February 6 to February 22. He found that this year’s games drew the most U.S. viewers in more than a decade: an average of 23.5 million per day, the most-watched by a stateside audience since 2014. One explanation for the surge: a rise in wagers. It makes sense, says Strode: “If people have money on the line, that’s creating more eyeballs on the television.” Ice hockey is the fan favorite, he adds, attracting more wagers than any other sport. The 2028 Summer Olympics are likely to beat this year’s event for viewership and handle, especially as legal sports betting expands in the United States. Moreover, the 2028 summer games will take place on home turf: in the City of Angels, Los Angeles, California. To read more, visit ohio.edu/news.8 Global Gaming Business APRIL 2026 E clipse Gaming Systems has long been a major supplier to the Class II gaming market. Unlike other legacy Class II manufacturers, Eclipse has not added Class III games to its product library. What the company has done is to establish a new game development team, headed by Class III veteran Mike Trask, who joined as chief product officer last year after distinguished runs at Bally and Ainsworth. As the first games from the new team are launched in casinos, Eclipse Marketing Director Bree Cardona spoke with GGB Editor-in-Chief Frank Legato about the company’s new direction. GGB: Tell us about how Eclipse has revamped its game development process, and how the process is different now. Bree Cardona: We’ve added to our existing talent pool at Eclipse. We brought on some of the more behind-the-scenes players from the industry, including Peter Wasielewski as creative director, along with new engineering and game design talent, including veteran game designers like Josh Ferrer. We’ve been really lucky to capture some of that talent and bring it to Eclipse. We have a fresh feeling on the development side in the studio. It feels inspired and reinvigorated; it’s really brought some new perspective. Have the team’s technological tools improved with the new Callisto cabinet and game engine? Our math tools have gone through a complete update. The slot games that Eclipse used to make were very simple. For modern games that have overlapping pot features or multi-level progressives, we just didn’t have the tooling, so we took a lot of care to rush out updates. Now we can do things like expanding reels, re-spins and pot collection. We modernized our games to be more player-focused. You’re rolling out the first suite of games fom the new development team. What does that mean for the company? The last six months we’ve been working towards this unified goal within the company. It’s something that Eclipse has done really well in a condensed time frame. Our entire team is aligned across different state lines, different area codes, time zones. We’re all aligned to this unique goal of a new dawn bringing Eclipse into a refreshed version of what we’ve always been at our core—an entertainment-focused manufacturer making games for our players. We’ve really done a good job at recognizing what players want, what operators are excited to put on their floor, and what players are gravitating towards. What are the strongest new elements of your games? We’re creating fun, whimsical characters that engage with the customer. We’re developing pot-style games, which are prevalent everywhere. We’ve upgraded our platforms to allow for this more entertaining style, more interactive with the player. That’s really indicative of where Eclipse is going as a company. Your newest game series Banana Bash, launched in March, has these elements and more. How has it been received? Our tribal partners are really excited about this game series, as well as the beauty of the new Callisto cabinet. We actually had quite a few pre-orders at G2E, which is really exciting, because that doesn’t always happen. This is the first game that was completed 100 percent under the new leadership. It displays the full strength of Eclipse. This is that game that’s leading us into our new era. 5 QUESTIONS “Insider trading in broad daylight. Pricks like this are cashing in on our service members dying. Disgusting and immoral.” —Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego, on a flood of pediction-market bets prior to the US-Israeli military strike on Iran. One Polymarket trader, “Magamyman,” made $515,000 betting on the attack Bree Cardona Marketing Director, Eclipse Gaming Systems 1 2 3 4 5 April 6-9: BiS SiGMA South America 2026, TransAmerica Expo Center, São Paulo, Brazil. Produced by BiS SiGMA. For more information, visit sigma.world/summits/south-america. April 14-15: East Coast Gaming Congress, Hard Rock Atlantic City. Produced by Cooper Levenson, Spectrum Gaming and PlayDoIt. For more information, visit eastcoastgamingcongress. com. April 22-24: Sports Betting East Africa+ Summit, Argyle Grand Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya. Produced by Eventus International. For more information, visit sportsbettingevents.com. April 28-30: SBC Summit Malta 2026, InterContinental St. Julien’s, Malta. Produced by SBC. For more information, visit sbcevents.com. May 6-8: SPiCE Middle East 2026, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Produced by Eventus International. For more information, visit spiceseries.com/sme. May 12-14: Gaming & Technology Expo (GAT) Mexico, Expo Santa Fe, Mexico City. Produced by GAT Events. For more information, visit gatevents.net. May 19-21: Canadian Gaming Summit 2026, Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Produced by SBC Events. For more information, visit sbcevents.com. May 26-28: Gambling & Risk-Taking Conference, Bellagio Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas. Produced by the International Gaming Institute. For more information, visit unlv.edu/igi/ conference. June 2-4: IAGA International Gaming Summit, Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, Florida. Produced by the International Association of Gaming Attorneys. For more information, visit theiaga.org. June 9-11: SBC Summit Americas, Broward County Convention Center, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Produced by SBC Events. For more information, visit sbcevents.com. July 14-15: Casino Marketing & Technology Conference, Pechanga Resort Casino, Temecula, California. Produced by Raving. For more information, visit casinomarketingtech.com.Next >