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JULY 2026 •Vol. 25 • No. 7 • $10 Global Gaming Business Magazine SPECIAL EDITION: CASINO STYLE 2026 OIGA PREVIEW PENN’S JAY SNOWDEN The iGaming giant increases its footprint in the U.S. and Canada Playtech in America MODERN REWARDS Deals of the Century Caesars and MGM prepare for new ownersJULY 2026 www.ggbmagazine.com 3 Global Gaming Business Magazine CONTENTS july COLUMNS 10 AGA Dealers Take Center Stage at G2E Korbi Carrison 12 Fantini’s Finance Open for Business Frank Fantini 28 NCLGS Gaming Policy at a Crossroads Juliann Barreto DEPARTMENTS 4 The Agenda 6 By the Numbers 8 5 Questions 13 AGEM Update 30 Global Gaming Women 32 Emerging Leaders With GameLounge’s Daniel Stafrace and TaDa Gaming’s Hector Langa 34 New Game Review 36 Cutting Edge 37 Frankly Speaking 38 Goods & Services 41 People 42 Casino Communications With Jay Snowden, President and CEO, Penn Entertainment FEATURES Vol. 25 • No. 7 22 COVER STORY 14 M&A Mega-Deals Tilman Fertitta plans to acquire Caesars Entertainment and People, Inc.’s Barry Diller bids for MGM Resorts International. By Jess Marquez and Matt Rybaltowski 18 All About the Experience Player perks have evolved from free play and giveaways to focus on experiential rewards. By Julia Carcamo 26 OIGA Preview Here’s what to expect at the 2026 Conference and Trade Show of the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association. 43 Special Edition: Casino Style Our annual spotlight on design and architecture for the casino and hospitality industry. 30 Discovering America Playtech pins its future growth on increasing its North American iGaming footprint. By Jess Marquez 144 Global Gaming Business JULY 2026 T hose summer sales at the beach where you buy one, get one, are always fun— beach towels, umbrellas, flip-flops, whatever—so we decided to replicate it for the July issue of Global Gaming Business. As you page through this issue, you’ll find what you might expect, like the fascinating cover feature, about the evolution of Playtech, one of the most powerful suppliers in the gaming industry, which has far surpassed its narrow focus on online gaming in the early days. You’ll also see informative features on the potential impact of the Caesars Entertainment sale to Tilman Fertitta and his Landry’s company, as well as the new shape of player rewards in the age of AI. On the Casino Communications page, you’ll see my conversation with Jay Snowden, president and CEO of Penn Entertainment. But that’s not the end! You’ve got an entire magazine still to go. And it’s my favorite GGB publication of the year, Casino Style, an annual celebration of design, construction and the hard attractions you’ll find in any casino resort. You won’t read anything about online gaming in that section— although we won’t rule out AI. Casino Style is dedicated to those who create the magic that attracts visitors to our land-based facilities. Truth be told, I had a yen to become an architect when I was coming up. But once I learned you had to be good at math, calculations and geometry, writing became my fallback position. But that doesn’t mean I don’t admire a creatively designed buildings or renovation. Back in the day, we even created awards for those design arts, the Sarno Awards, named for the troubled genius who dreamt up Circus Circus and Caesars Palace back in the 1960s. Jay Sarno was really something, and he’s admired by all current casino architects and designers. I learned about Sarno from Steve Wynn, who once sat down at a dead baccarat table at the Golden Nugget Atlantic City where I used to deal and waxed poetic to us dealers about how Sarno changed Las Vegas—only to see Wynn do the same a few years later, when he designed the Mirage and all its successors: Treasure Island, Bellagio, Wynn and Encore. Some of the architects who learned at Wynn’s feet—Paul Steelman, Joel Bergman, Roger Thomas, and DeRuyter Butler, just to name a few—have themselves influenced dozens of other architects, who today are producing some of the most dramatic projects of our time. But the business has changed. No longer is it just Wynn and his cadre of architects—although he would often bring in Don Brinkerhoff, founder of Lifescapes Solutions, to build a volcano at the Mirage or a mountain at Wynn—or just one architectural company. Today’s projects—small ones and massive, multibillion-dollar resorts—are usually a collaboration of many firms, designers, construction experts, purchasing agents and now, very importantly, financiers. But these changes haven’t stifled the creativity of the designers. Just look at the Building Excitement section of Casino Style. These projects were responses to market conditions and player preferences, and the designers have responded brilliantly. In the next few years, more brilliance will emerge as two brand-new New York City casinos rise from the ground. Hard Rock Chairman Jim Allen says his collaboration with financier and New York Mets owner Steve Cohen will have all the bells and whistles of the top casino resorts around the world. Soo Kim, chairman of Bally’s and a native New Yorker, told me that his project in the Bronx has a “bit of poignancy,” and pointed out that 16 million New Yorkers will have a great choice among the three new casinos that will be open in 2030. So welcome to Casino Style 2026. We hope the articles make you think about the importance of design and what it means to the future of land- based casino resorts. No, you won’t read anything about online gaming, but you’ll learn how the land-based sector is responding with experiences you can’t get anywhere else, in completely unique environments. Soak it all in! Summer BOGO! Vol. 25 • No. 7 • JULY 2026 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 • Korbi Carrison • Frank Fantini • Nathan Peak Contributing Editors Julia Carcamo • Jess Marquez • Matt Rybaltowski Bill Sokolic • Kahy Urban _____ 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 AGENDA6 Global Gaming Business JULY 2026 O nly seven U.S. states currently offer legal iGaming, but revenue in those markets is growing apace. Overall iGaming revenue reached $10.73 billion in 2025, up 27.6 percent year on year. According to the American Gaming Association’s “State of the States” report, released in May, Delaware, Rhode Island and West Virginia saw the greatest momentum. But Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania accounted for nearly 90 percent of the nationwide total, with Pennsylvania tops for iGaming revenue. Last year, Keystone State iGaming generated $3.46 billion in gross gaming revenue (GGR), up nearly 28 percent. It was the first time iGaming revenue from the state exceeded that realized by commercial land-based casinos in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Meanwhile, in 2025 Maine became the eighth state to legalize iGaming, but the legislation did not take effect until January, and platforms have not yet gone live. BY THE NUMBERS AGA:iGAMING UP 27.6 PERCENT IN LEGAL U.S. MARKETS I n 2024, Europe was responsible for 30 percent of global gaming revenue, with a market size of $75.38 billion (€64.148 billion). According to Cognitive Market Research, the U.K. leads the pack for estimated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) through 2031. With $12.6 billion (£9.26 billion) in gross gaming revenue, the market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.9 percent during the forecast period. The rest of the field ranks as follows: U.K.OUT IN FRONT FOR EU GAMING GROWTH The balance of the European gaming market, which reached $11.683 billion in 2024, is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.8 percent through 2031. The research attributes European market growth to “diverse gaming cultures, platforms and genres. With a strong presence of AAA titles and indie games and a burgeoning esports scene, Europe is a significant hub for gaming innovation, consumption and community engagement… The region’s gaming market is also driven by the emergence of technologically advanced and more powerful smartphones.”8 Global Gaming Business JULY 2026 W hen Hard Rock Atlantic City needed a new president, it chose George Goldhoff, who had been running the Hard Rock Cincinnati property. Goldhoff previously worked for MGM Resorts and PURE Canadian Gaming, and even had a hand in F&B, managing restaurants at the Plaza and Rainbow Room in New York City. He was recently appointed president of the Casino Association of New Jersey at a critical time for the Boardwalk casinos, faced with heated competition from casinos in New York City. In April, Goldhoff spoke with GGB Editor at Large Roger Gros at the East Coast Gaming Congress at the Hard Rock. To hear and view the full GGB Podcast, where Goldhoff talks about the Hard Rock, the proposed smoking ban in New Jersey, responsible gaming and prediction markets, visit GGBMagazine.com. GGB: L great. Hard Rock Chairman Jim Allen has last few years with Marty Small as mayor? George Goldhoff: I can only speak personally, from my viewpoint. It’s been fantastic. He and I get along really well. We don’t see eye to eye on everything, but we have a really cordial, collegial relationship. And I really like Marty as a person. He’s done a lot of good things for the city. But we need more and want more. Y It’s really interesting. On the CRDA website, there’s a master plan for Atlantic City commissioned by Governor (Chris) Christie in 2011 and adopted in 2012. It’s very comprehensive at 190 pages. It breaks out Atlantic City into a variety of districts, including the entertainment district, and lists what should get done. The top two items of importance are (elimination of) blight and the perception of clean and safe. My view is that you could update the report today and not change those two things. What should Atlantic City do to improve? The city has enormous potential and incredible upside. I’d like to see building codes enforced more strictly, and beautification in our parks and all around town. I’d like to see blight reduced. And I’d like to have a plan. It would help to have a safe, walkable entertainment district. Let’s start from Pacific Avenue towards the beach, then we can build out. et’s talk about New York City. One casino is operating, Resorts World New York City. The other two, including a Hard Rock, won’t be open until 2030 at the earliest. What does Atlantic City need to do to prepare? Well, look, my heart and my responsibilities are here in Atlantic City. We realize that in 2026, there’s going to be an immediate impact from Resorts World. I also think back and study history. Between 2007 and 2014, gaming was legalized in Delaware, Maryland, and—most importantly as it affects Atlantic City—Pennsylvania. In 2007, gross gaming revenues—for bricks-and-mortar; there was no digital back then—peaked out at about $5.2 billion. By 2014, the market bottomed out at $2.4 billion. It went down by about 45 percent. And five casinos went out of business. What can you can take away from that time? One lesson we learned was that it’s impossible to compete with convenience. People will drive miles down the road to play their slot machine. But when it comes to an experience, many will choose Atlantic City. We have the Boardwalk. We have the beach. We have a number of casinos in one place. We have world-class entertainment, the best restau- rants, the best hotel rooms. And quite frankly, the tax rates in New York are very elevated compared to New Jersey. We can offer free play. We can offer our players a hotel room. We can get them tickets to some of the best shows in the world. We can get them on a great golf course. So it’s a different experience. But knowing full 5 QUESTIONS “Sports break down barriers that politics, business and traditional media cannot. Among all modern sports, esports is leading a new wave of global youth culture.” — Mario Ho , co-founder, NIP Group and co-owner, Boston Celtics. At G2E Asia, the son of Macau casino legend Stanley Ho said sports and esports will drive the next era of gaming growth. George Goldhoff President & CEO, Hard Rock Atlantic City • President, Casino Association of New Jersey 1 2 3 4 5 July 1-2: iGB L!VE, ExCeL London. Produced by WorldGaming. For more information, visit igblive.com. July 14-15: Casino Marketing & Technology Conference, Pechanga Resort Casino, Temecula, California. Produced by Raving. For more information, visit casinomarketingtech.com. July 20-22: OIGA Conference and Trade Show, Oklahoma City Convention Center. Produced by the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association. For more information, visit oiga.org/tradeshow. Sept. 1-3: SiGMA North America, Mexico City. Produced by SiGMA Group. For more information, visit sigma.world/summits. Sept. 8-9: Gaming & Technology Expo, Puerto Rico Convention Center, San Juan. Produced by GAT Events. For more information, visit gatevents.net. Sept. 20-24: TribalNet Conference & Tradeshow, Hilton Anatole, Dallas, Texas. Produced by TribalHub. For more information, visit tribalhub.com/events/. Sept. 21-24: NASPL Annual Conference, Caribe Royale Orlando, Florida. Produced by the North American Association of State and Provincial Lot- teries. For more information, visit naspl.org/events. Sept. 23-25: IMGL 2026 Autumn Conference, PullmanParisTourEiffel,France. Produced by International Masters of Gaming Law. For more information, visit imgl.org/events. Sept. 23-25: SPiCE Central Asia 2026, Yerevan, Armenia. Produced by Eventus International. For more information, visit spiceseries.com. Sept. 28-Oct. 1: Global Gaming Expo (G2E), Venetian Expo, Las Vegas. Produced by RX. For more information, visit globalgamingexpo.com.Next >