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DAVID TSAI NAMED CEO OF CROWN PERTH
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Australia’s Crown Resorts has announced that David Tsai, a longtime executive at MGM Resorts International, will be the new CEO of its Crown Perth casino.
According to a company release, Tsai will begin his tenure “later this year”—his appointment is still subject to regulatory approval.
Prior to taking the top job at Crown Perth, Tsai most recently served as president of MGM’s Midwest division. He also previously held other seniorlevel positions at various MGM properties.
It’s been a turbulent 12 months for Crown, as the operator has been deemed unsuitable for casino licensure and Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia. These licenses were reinstated conditionally, however, upon Crown’s sale to U.S.-based Blackstone Group earlier this year.
In a statement, Crown CEO Ciarán Carruthers said, “As CEO of Crown Perth, David will lead our remediation action plan in Western Australia and work with the Crown Perth board and the newly appointed independent monitor, Paul Steel, to implement the recommendations of the Perth Casino Royal Commission.”
CHICKASAW LEADER LANCE NOMINATED TO ARISTOCRAT BOARD
Aristocrat Leisure Limited announced that Bill G. Lance Jr. has been nominated as a non-executive director of the company’s board of directors, subject to relevant regulatory approvals.
A prominent Native American tribal leader in the United States, Lance was the longest-serving secretary of commerce in the history of the Chickasaw Nation, a major Oklahoma-based tribe, where he was responsible for 7,000 employees and more than 60 gaming, hospitality, retail and media commercial operations.
Upon stepping down as secretary of commerce, Lance was given the honorary title of the Chickasaw Nation’s secretary of state as part of a planned succession. Lance is also a member of the board of the Chickasaw Foundation and serves on the board of directors of the NASDAQ-listed company BancFirst. He previously served as a member of the board of trustees for the University of Oklahoma Foundation, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce Advisory Council, and as a regent for the University of Arts and Sciences of Oklahoma.
RHEA LONEY NAMED CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER FOR BETMGM
BetMGM recently announced that Rhea Loney will join its executive team as chief compliance officer. Loney will oversee BetMGM’s compliance department, including online and retail operational compliance, registration and li- Rhea Loney censing, AML and financial compliance, and responsible gaming.
Loney joins BetMGM from Penn Interactive, the online subsidiary of Penn Entertainment, Inc., where she served as VP of compliance, regulatory affairs & strategy. While at Penn, she helped build the compliance team, including licensing, regulatory affairs, operational compliance, risk & fraud, AML, and responsible gaming departments. Additionally, Loney oversaw the online launch of Barstool Sportsbook in 13 states, iCasino in four states and over 20 retail sportsbook launches.
Prior to Penn Interactive, Loney served as an assistant attorney general with the Louisiana Department of Justice, Division of Gaming. While there, she represented and provided legal counsel to the Louisiana State Racing Commission from 2011 to 2019 and was first to administratively prosecute the Dermophin (Frog Juice) cases in the U.S.
LAM NAMED DEPUTY CEO OF RESORTS WORLD SENTOSA
Genting Singapore Ltd., operator of Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), announced the appointment of Lam Yi Young as deputy chief executive of the integrated resort, with Andrew MacDonald confirmed as chief casino officer.
RWS is one of two integrated resorts in Singapore, along with Marina Bay Sands, a Las Vegas Sands property.
Lam will assist CEO Tan Hee Teck “in the execution of the strategies, management, and development of RWS’s business, and ensure effective day-to-day operational performance and organizational excellence,” per the statement from Genting.
Lam was CEO of the Singapore Business Federation from 2020 to 2022, and spent 11 years in senior public sector leadership roles. He was previously a deputy secretary at the Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry and deputy secretary at the Ministry of Education. Lam also served as CEO at the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
In another key appointment, effective September 1, MacDonald was installed as chief casino officer at RWS. MacDonald will manage “overall casino business” at the property.
He has more than 40 years of experience in the gaming industry, and served most recently as corporate senior vice president and chief casino officer at casino operator Las Vegas Sands Corp. McDonald also previously served as executive vice president of casino at Sentosa’s market rival, Marina Bay Sands.
ICRG ELECTS EILEEN MOORE JOHNSON TO GOVERNING BOARD
The International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG) has announced the election of Eileen Moore Johnson, Vegas Loop general manager of the Boring Company, to its governing board.
Arthur Paikowsky, president of the ICRG, stated, “We are honored to have an outstanding industry leader like Eileen Moore Johnson join the ICRG board. She brings a wealth of experience in the gaming industry and a deep commitment to responsible gambling.”
Previously, Johnson served as executive vice president and chief human resource officer for Scientific Games, where she focused on developing and executing the company’s global human resources and corporate social responsibility strategies.