Powerful women in casino
These women are powerful in the casino industry for a variety of reasons. Some of them are CEOs or high-level executives at major casino companies, giving them significant influence over the direction of the industry. Others have founded or co-founded companies that operate casinos or provide services to the industry. Many of them have extensive experience in the industry and have worked their way up from lower-level positions, giving them a deep understanding of how casinos operate.
In addition to their positions of authority and experience, these women have also made significant contributions to the industry. They have implemented innovative strategies to attract customers, improved the customer experience, and helped to drive the industry forward. They have also been instrumental in advocating for diversity and inclusion in the industry, and in promoting responsible gambling practices. Overall, these women are powerful in the casino industry because of their leadership, expertise, and ability to drive positive change in the industry.
Virginia McDowell
Virginia McDowell is a well-known figure in the gambling industry, having served as the CEO of Isle of Capri Casinos from 2011 to 2016. During her time at the company, McDowell oversaw the operation of 15 casinos in the United States and the Caribbean, as well as the development of several new properties. She was also responsible for the company's entry into online gambling through a partnership with online gaming provider GAN.
Prior to joining Isle of Capri Casinos, McDowell held various executive positions at several other companies in the hospitality and gaming industries, including President and COO of the River City Casino and Lumiere Place Casino in St. Louis, Missouri. She has been recognized for her contributions to the industry, including being named one of the "50 Most Powerful Women in Business" by Fortune magazine in 2012 and 2013.
Overall, McDowell's success as a CEO in the gambling industry is a testament to her business acumen and leadership skills, and her achievements have helped pave the way for other women in the industry.
Jan Jones Blackhurst
Jan Jones Blackhurst is an American businesswoman and politician who currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility at Caesars Entertainment, a major casino operator. She has been with the company since 1999 and is responsible for overseeing the company's corporate social responsibility initiatives, government relations, and community affairs.
Prior to joining Caesars Entertainment, Jones Blackhurst had a successful career in politics. She was the first female mayor of Las Vegas, serving from 1991 to 1999. During her tenure as mayor, she played a key role in the revitalization of downtown Las Vegas and helped to establish the Fremont Street Experience, a popular tourist attraction.
Jones Blackhurst is also involved in a number of philanthropic and community organizations. She serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including the Women's Leadership Council, the Public Education Foundation, and the Smith Center for the Performing Arts.
In recognition of her accomplishments, Jones Blackhurst has received numerous awards and honors throughout her career. She was named one of the "50 Most Powerful Women in Business" by Fortune magazine in 2013 and was inducted into the American Gaming Association's Gaming Hall of Fame in 2015.
Denise Coates
Denise Coates is a British billionaire entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Bet365, one of the world's largest online gambling companies. She was born on September 26, 1967, in Stoke-on-Trent, England.
Coates began her career as a cashier
in her father's betting shops and gained experience in the industry before
founding Bet365 in 2000. Bet365 initially focused on sports betting but has
since expanded to include online casino games and poker. The company has become
one of the largest online gambling operators in the world, with over 45 million
customers in more than 200 countries.
In addition to her work at Bet365,
Coates has been involved in a variety of philanthropic endeavors. In 2012, she
founded the Denise Coates Foundation, which supports a range of charitable
causes, including education, medical research, and community development. The
foundation has donated millions of pounds to various organizations and
initiatives.
Coates has received numerous awards
and recognitions for her business achievements and philanthropic efforts. In
2012, she was named one of the 100 most powerful women in the United Kingdom by
Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4. She has also been awarded the Veuve Clicquot
Business Woman of the Year and was made a Commander of the Order of the British
Empire (CBE) in 2012 for her services to the community and business. In 2020,
she was named the highest-paid CEO in the United Kingdom for the second year in
a row, with an annual salary of £469 million.
Pansy Ho
Pansy Ho, also known as Pansy Ho Chiu
King, is a businesswoman and philanthropist from Macau. She is the co-chair and
executive director of MGM China Holdings, which operates several major casinos
in Macau, including MGM Macau and MGM Cotai.
Born on August 26, 1962, Ho is the
daughter of the late Stanley Ho, a billionaire businessman who played a significant
role in developing Macau's casino industry. She holds a bachelor's degree in
marketing and business from Santa Clara University in California.
Ho began her career as an executive
assistant at Shun Tak Holdings, a transportation and property company founded
by her father. She later founded her own companies, including Poly Auction
Macau, which specializes in art auctions, and Global Entertainment Group, which
focuses on entertainment and event management.
In 2011, MGM Resorts International, a
major casino operator based in the United States, formed a partnership with
Ho's company, MGM China Holdings. The partnership resulted in the construction
and opening of the MGM Macau and MGM Cotai casinos in Macau, which have become
some of the most successful casinos in the region.
In addition to her work in the casino
industry, Ho is also a philanthropist and has been actively involved in various
charitable causes. She founded the Fok Ying Tung Foundation, which provides
support for education and social welfare projects in China and Macau. Ho has
also been involved in various organizations, including the International
Olympic Committee and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political
Consultative Conference. She has received numerous awards and recognitions for
her business and philanthropic efforts, including the Grand Bauhinia Medal, the
highest award in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Vanessa Selbst
Vanessa Selbst is a retired
professional poker player from the United States who is widely considered one
of the best players in the game's history. She was born on July 9, 1984, in New
York City and began playing poker in high school with friends.
Selbst attended Yale University and
earned a law degree from Yale Law School. She worked as a lawyer for a short time
before deciding to pursue poker full-time.
Over the course of her career, Selbst
won three World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets and more than $11 million in
live tournament earnings. In 2013, she became the only woman to reach the
number one ranking on the Global Poker Index, a widely recognized ranking
system for poker players. She was also the first woman to win an open event at
the PCA (PokerStars Caribbean Adventure), as well as the first woman to win
three bracelets in open events at the WSOP.
Selbst is known for her aggressive
playing style and her ability to make bold moves at the poker table. She has
been an advocate for gender and LGBTQ+ equality in the poker world and has used
her platform to speak out about these issues. In 2017, she announced her
retirement from professional poker in order to focus on her career as a hedge
fund manager.
In addition to her poker career,
Selbst has been involved in various charitable causes. She co-founded the
Justice Is Blinds charity poker tournament, which raises money for the Urban
Justice Center, a non-profit organization that provides legal services to
low-income New Yorkers. She has also been involved in the charity organization
Giving What We Can, which encourages people to donate a portion of their income
to effective charities.
Heather Ferris
Heather Ferris is the founder and CEO
of Vegas Aces, a company that provides training and consulting services to the
casino industry. She is a renowned casino consultant and trainer, known for her
expertise in the field of casino gaming operations.
Ferris began her career in the casino
industry as a dealer, working her way up to become a floor supervisor and
eventually a casino manager. She has worked in various casinos in Las Vegas and
other locations across the United States, gaining extensive experience in all
aspects of casino operations.
In 2010, Ferris founded Vegas Aces,
which provides training and consulting services to casinos and other gaming
businesses. The company's services include dealer training, management
training, and customer service training, as well as game protection consulting
and surveillance training.
Ferris is known for her innovative
approach to training and consulting, and her ability to help casinos improve
their operations and profitability. She has worked with a wide range of
clients, from small casinos to large gaming corporations, and has been
recognized for her contributions to the industry.
Ferris has been featured in various
media outlets, including the Las Vegas Sun and the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
She has also been a guest on several radio and television programs, where she
has discussed various topics related to the casino industry.
In addition to her work at Vegas Aces,
Ferris has been involved in various charitable causes. She has volunteered with
organizations such as Three Square, a food bank that serves the Las Vegas area,
and the Ronald McDonald House Charities, which provides housing for families of
seriously ill children.
Marilyn Spiegel
Marilyn Spiegel is a prominent figure
in the casino industry and currently serves as the President of Wynn Las Vegas,
a major casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip. She has been in the gaming
industry for over 30 years, holding leadership positions in some of the most
successful casino companies in the world.
Spiegel began her career in the gaming
industry in the early 1980s, working as a dealer at the Golden Nugget in
Atlantic City. She quickly moved up the ranks, holding various management
positions at the company, including Vice President of Table Games.
In 2005, Spiegel joined Harrah's
Entertainment, now known as Caesars Entertainment, where she held several
leadership positions, including President of the company's regional operations
in the East and Central United States. She was also the first woman to serve as
President of the company's flagship property, Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
In 2013, Spiegel joined Wynn Resorts,
where she currently serves as the President of Wynn Las Vegas. In this role,
she is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the resort's operations,
including gaming, hotel, food and beverage, and entertainment.
Throughout her career, Spiegel has
been recognized for her contributions to the gaming industry. She was named one
of the "25 People to Watch" by Global Gaming Business Magazine in
2014, and was inducted into the American Gaming Association's Gaming Hall of
Fame in 2019.
In addition to her work in the gaming
industry, Spiegel is also actively involved in various charitable causes. She
has served on the board of directors for several organizations, including the
Nevada Resort Association, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, and
the Women's Leadership Council of United Way.
Eileen Moore
Eileen Moore is a prominent figure in
the gaming industry and currently serves as the President of Sports Betting and
Online Gaming for Caesars Entertainment, a major casino and resort company. She
has been in the gaming industry for over two decades and has held several
leadership positions in the industry.
Moore began her career in the gaming
industry in 1997 as a front desk clerk at Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino in Arizona.
She quickly moved up the ranks, holding various management positions at
Harrah's Entertainment, now known as Caesars Entertainment. She has also worked
at other casino companies, including the M Resort in Las Vegas.
In 2017, Moore was appointed as the
Regional President of the Flamingo, The Linq, and The Cromwell casinos in Las
Vegas, becoming the first woman to hold the position. In this role, she was
responsible for overseeing all aspects of the three properties' operations,
including gaming, hotel, food and beverage, and entertainment.
In 2019, Moore was promoted to the
position of President of Sports Betting and Online Gaming for Caesars Entertainment.
In this role, she is responsible for overseeing the company's sports betting
and online gaming operations, which have become increasingly important in the
gaming industry.
Throughout her career, Moore has been recognized for her contributions to the gaming industry. She was named one of the "Great Women of Gaming" by Casino Enterprise Management Magazine in 2017 and was included in the "40 Under 40" list by Global Gaming Business Magazine in 2014.
In addition to her work in the gaming industry, Moore is also actively involved in various charitable causes. She has been involved with organizations such as the United Way and the American Cancer Society and has been a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
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