The leading designer and manufacturer of casino management systems and slot machines, powering gambling operators across the globe, Konami Gaming, unveiled a new C-suite appointment. The company has announced it strengthened its senior-level team with the addition of Stephanie Lau. Joining Konami, she was appointed to the role of vice president of sales enablement and gaming operations.

Lau is expected to play a pivotal role in strategic processes related to analysis, data and market delivery. Ultimately, with her new role at Konami Gaming, she is expected to ensure the delivery of exceptional experiences for the company’s growing portfolio of customers.

Overall, Lau has nearly two decades of experience within the gambling sector after the start of her career back in 2005. Currently, she holds a Management Information Systems (MIS) degree along with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, International Business from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Throughout her professional career, Lau was a part of recognizable companies within the gambling sector. Her experience includes roles with MGM Resorts International as well as Station Casinos, among other leading resorts on the Las Vegas Strip.

Lau’s extensive experience includes roles within resorts and local destinations with both commercial and tribal operators. She has invaluable knowledge from the sales, data analytics and business divisions, making her a perfect fit for the new role at Konami Gaming.

The New VP of Sales Enablement Brings Extensive Experience

Jay Bertsch, Konami’s senior vice president and chief commercial officer, highlighted Lau’s experience which spans nearly two decades within the gambling sector. “She has demonstrated an ability to drive exceptional results through gaming analytics, market strategy, product positioning, and customer engagement, which we look forward to sharing with the valued casinos we serve,” he added.

“With nearly 20 years of distinguished experience in the gaming industry, Stephanie is bringing an important operator focus and data-driven approach to this key appointment.“

Jay Bertsch, SVP and CCO at Konami Gaming

The latest senior-level appointment comes on the heels of another major announcement by Konami. Back in October, the company confirmed several appointments in an effort to strengthen its relationships with its business partners. At the time, Konami said it transferred Josh Faish and Justin Torres to director of sales roles.

Moreover, the company revealed it selected Rick Tribble, Jeff Fuller and Caroline Byne for directors of business development positions. Ultimately, each of the appointments sought to improve Konami’s business-to-business relationships and contribute toward its growth in different jurisdictions.

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Tesla and Native American gaming tribes are getting creative to provide more economic opportunity for the nearly-trillion dollar company as well as tribes that operate as business entities in some respects. They are bypassing antiquated auto dealer-protective laws at the state level to sell electric vehicles directly to consumers.

What happens in Vegas might or might not stay in Vegas, but what happens on sovereign tribal land is, for the most part, outside the purview of state lawmakers or law enforcement officials regardless.

Cutting Out the “Middle Man”

In many states, automobile makers are only allowed to sell electric vehicles to consumers through licensed (third-party) auto dealers. The laws, in more than two dozen states, either ban direct sales or greatly limit them and were designed to keep manufacturers from trying to bypass established dealerships with what used to be a novel product. Direct sales are banned outright in almost 20 states.

Industry stakeholders like the Electrification Coalition, a purportedly nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, say the laws are outdated and they would seem to hinder the organization’s goal of making it easier for consumers to get their hinds around the wheel of an EV. The coalition works with lawmakers and others at the state and federal levels.

“EVs are not well suited for the dealership model. There is a lot more information to convey for EVs during the sale process; questions on things like range, how and where to charge, and available incentives. Learning these details and answering questions for each potential new buyer costs dealers time,” the Electrification Coalition notes in a section of its website, titled: “EVs and Consumer Choice”.

Among the states with outright bans on direct sales of EVs to consumers is Connecticut – wherein the Mohegan Tribe’s reservation land is situated. On that reservation is Uncasville where the Mohegan Sun casino complex is located.

According to a 2021 (subscriber only) article in “The Day”, the resort “attracts 9 million visitors a year, many of them drawn by the performers who play Mohegan Sun Arena, which opened in 2001. The arena has hosted some 3,000 paid events that have drawn more than 13.5 million guests. Twenty-seven major acts have launched tours at the arena“.

The tribe intends to partner with Elon Musk’s Tesla to open a “state-of-the-art Tesla Electric Vehicle showroom” sometime this fall. As the casino resort is not located “in Connecticut” but rather on sovereign tribal soil, state laws such as the ban on direct EV sales do not apply there.

In addition to serving as a delivery center for online Tesla sales pick ups, there will be a full-service showroom inside the retail center known as The Shops, where visitors can shop for cars, kick the tires, and even test drive one or purchase one to drive off the site from the valet area of nearby Sky Tower.

Jeff Hamilton, president and general manager of Mohegan Sun said, “We’re really excited about this new Tesla EV Showroom opening this fall at Mohegan Sun.

“This endeavor with Tesla marks an electrifying milestone in Mohegan Sun’s commitment to fostering impactful relationships, promoting environmental sustainability, and offering cutting-edge experiences for our millions of annual guests.”

Not The First Tesla/Tribal Partnership

In June, the Oneida Nation announced a partnership with Tesla to open a showroom at the tribe’s sprawling Turning Stone Resort Casino in Upstate New York. Tesla has also opened a showroom in New Mexico via an agreement with the First Nation of Nambe Pueblo. The tribe operates the Buffalo Thunder Resort Casino nearby.

In addition to more than a dozen subsidiaries in the gambling business in the US, the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority d/b/a Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment also has ventures internationally including Inspire Integrated Resort Co., Ltd. in the Republic of Korea, MGE Niagara Entertainment Inc. in Ontario (Canada), and MGE Hellinikon B.V. in The Netherlands

Non-gaming assets include about half a dozen franchises in the Jersey Mike’s sandwich chain as well as the Mohegan Holding Company also owns interests in sustainable energy resources, manufacturing, and digital technologies.

Source: Tesla Continues Partnering With Tribal Casinos for Vehicle Showrooms, CDC Gaming Reports, July 26, 2023

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The globally-recognized supplier of virtual sports and numbers games, Kiron Interactive, confirmed a new senior-level appointment. The company revealed that it hired the services of the gambling veteran with extensive knowledge and experience within the Latin American region, Leticia Palacios.

Joining Kiron, she was appointed as the company’s new director of sales for Latin America. The recent appointment comes at a time when the company anticipates further expansion and growth in the region. Ultimately, by bringing Palacios, Kiron seeks to strengthen its Latin American presence and engage with new partners.

Palacios’ appointment also comes at the perfect moment, considering one of the most anticipated events for the gambling industry in the region, the SiGMA Americas Brazilian iGaming Summit. The event, planned between June 14 and June 18, 2023, is taking place at the TransAmerica Expo Center in São Paulo and will meet some of the most prominent gambling industry operators and software providers. Given the timing when Palacios joins Kiron, her first task is to join the company’s team for the much-anticipated gambling industry event. She, along with her colleagues, will be present at booth F113.

The New Director of Sales Brings Extensive Experience

Sharing her excitement, Palacios explained that Kiron has a strong reputation on a global scale. She pointed out that the company is also recognized within the gambling market in Latin America.

Additionally, Palacios said that she will be delighted to help Kiron continue to grow. Finally, she said: “It’s always a fantastic boost to have a strong brand and portfolio behind you and while Kiron’s is already established in the areas I’ll be focusing on, there’s always growth to be achieved and I can’t wait to get started.”

“Kiron has earned a formidable reputation globally as well as in LatAm and I’m relishing the challenge of helping the team take it to the next level.“

Letitia Palacios, director of sales LatAm at Kiron Interactive

Palacios studied at York University in Toronto, as well as Tecnológico de Monterrey. Throughout her professional career, she was a part of leading companies operating within the online and land-based gambling market in Latin America. This enabled Palacios to accumulate significant knowledge and experience, making her the perfect fit for the new role.

“Leticia has extensive industry experience across retail and online and her regional knowledge and contacts are unmatched.“

Steven Spartinos, co-CEO at Kiron Interactive

Steven Spartinos, Kiron’s co-CEO, spoke about Palacios’ extensive experience and contacts within the Latin American gambling market. He explained that she makes a fine addition to the company’s growing team of experts. Finally, Spartinos predicted that its new director of sales for LatAm will positively impact its growth in the region.

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The company is now adding more members to its experienced sales force in Europe as it faces increased demand for its products across the continent. The team will now feature Andreas Leitinger, appointed as sales manager, and operating out of Slovenia.

Zitro Hires on a Hiring Spree as It Strengthens Sales Team

Leitinger will oversee markets in Germany, Luxembourg, and Slovenia, as well as other jurisdictions that the company may be pushing or expanding into. His industry experience makes him a great fit for the company’s team, which is determined to continue improving its reach in the aforementioned regions and has already been seeing a significant uptick in demand there.

Leitinger is not joining alone as he will also be backed by Krystian Konopka who will also work as sales manager and oversee Poland, Ireland, Sweden, and Egypt. Konopka is also an experienced Zitro employee having worked with the company for several years and distinguished himself as a dependable and successful team member.

The third appointment is that of John Morris, who is a trusted and dependable product specialist, who will now support the international sales team and help with product strategies and positioning. Morris will be tasked with ensuring that Zitro’s products offer a competitive game performance in specific markets as well as help the teams spot and realize new business opportunities.

A Sales Team to Be Proud Of

Zitro EMEA sales director Nadège Teyssedre has welcomed the new changes and appointments and said that she was confident in the success of the growing sales team. “With their experience and expertise, we see tremendous potential for further growth and expansion in the European gaming market,” Teyssedre concluded.

Zitro has been growing its global footprint with a number of important partnerships across various regions, including in Colombia and Brazil. The company opened a new office in Buenos Aires in April to help it with its overall pivot in the Latin American region.

Zitro has similarly been building up in Colombia with VICCA Group which the company joined efforts with just last week. Zitro has continued with its European expansion as well, breaking ground on the Swedish market with Casino Cosmopol.

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The leading developer of entertaining money games, Air Dice Group, announced a new senior-level appointment ahead of its planned expansion in the Latin American region. The company has announced it appointed Rocio Moitiño, an expert in the online gambling sector, to the role of sales director for the LatAm region.

In her role with the company, Moitiño is expected to help propel the growth of Air Dice within different LatAm markets. The announcement is not coincidental, considering that many iGaming companies have seen the potential of the online gambling sector in Latin America. At the same time, Moitiño brings a wealth of industry experience which is undoubtedly going to help her in the new role of sales director for Air Dice.

Commenting on the topic, Moitiño said that she is excited to join Air Dice. She predicted that the company’s quality products and services are going to be well-received by audiences in Latin America. “I was very happy to join Air Dice as their games aim to interact with the player more, driving engagement and reoccurring revenues for partners,” added Moitiño. In conclusion, she predicted that the company will continue to grow in the region, given its games that easily stand out from the competition.

“I’m delighted to join Air Dice, as they have quality products and services that will fit the LatAm markets very well.“

Rocio Moitiño, sales director at Air Dice

Erkki Nikunen, Air Dice’s partner and CBDO, was similarly excited about the new appointment and acknowledged that it comes at an important moment for the company. He pointed out that Air Dice plans significant growth throughout 2023 and beyond.

“The appointment of Rocio, as Sales Director for the LatAm region given her over 10 years in B2B and B2C iGaming, with several companies, and extensive commercial, sales, customer management, and marketing expertise will make it possible for us to achieve our targets in the region for 2023 and beyond.“

Erkki Nikunen, partner and CBDO at Air Dice

According to him, Moitiño’s appointment will help the company establish its presence in strategic markets within the Latin American region. Nikunen stressed that she brings business-to-business and business-to-customer iGaming experience that spanned more than a decade with leading companies within the vertical. Nikunen predicted that this experience will undoubtedly help Moitiño, who, in turn, will contribute to the company’s to growth and help it exceed its planned targets.

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