2025 presenters CONTINUED

Mr. Harris sets the strategic direction of the Company. Aries, formerly known as Rocket Gaming Systems, has been serving the Native American Class II industry since 1996 with one of the most innovative, wide area, downloadable, real time interactive gaming networks. Mr. Harris has been one of the driving forces behind the efforts that developed state of the art Class II technical and control standards. Mr. Harris holds a BSBA in Economics and Marketing Management from Missouri Southern State University and a MBA with an emphasis in Finance from the University of Arkansas.

Chad is the Gaming Operations Manager overseeing Bingo and Pull Tabs at Treasure Island Resort and Casino, owned by the Prairie Island Indian Community in Welch, Minnesota. In his over three decades of tribal gaming experience, Chad has managed both Slot and Bingo Operations, making him a respected and knowledgeable leader within the organization. Throughout his tenure, Chad has played an integral role in the evolution and success of the gaming operations, demonstrating a strong commitment to excellence, guest service, and team development. Chad’s extensive gaming knowledge, coupled with his unwavering dedication to service, has made him a trusted figure in the gaming community and a key contributor to Treasure Island Resort and Casino’s ongoing growth and innovation.

Alice serves as Vice President of Bingo and Keno Business of Gaming Arts. She has been in the Casino industry for over 40 years, serving in a General Manager capacity, and various other high-level positions within the industry. She holds extensive knowledge of Bingo and Keno while maintaining and nurturing key relationships within the gaming industry. Her experience with positioning Bingo Games and Keno systems globally has contributed to Gaming Arts becoming a world leader in Bingo Games. When Alice is not traveling, she can be found at home spending time with her family and her beloved dogs.

Erik Isner serves as the Bingo Director at Sycuan Casino Resort in San Diego, California. He embarked on his career in the gaming sector within the slot department 18 years ago and subsequently advanced to oversee a highly successful Bingo operation. In his capacity as Bingo Director, Erik is tasked with steering the department toward maximum profitability while simultaneously enhancing the overall guest experience and cultivating a positive, engaging environment for team members. By collaborating closely with Sycuan’s analytics team, he systematically reviews and assesses departmental performance metrics, establishes and monitors key performance indicators (KPIs), and makes operational adjustments to ensure that performance targets are met or exceeded.

Carl Jackson began his career at Jackson Rancheria in 2000, with a brief stint in Sallisaw and Miami, Oklahoma, from 2001 to 2003. He returned to Jackson Rancheria and worked his way up through table games, eventually being promoted to Poker Room Manager in 2016. When COVID shut down poker, Carl transitioned to Table Games Shift Manager, ensuring smooth operations during challenging times. In August 2023, he accepted the position of Bingo Operations Manager, where he built the bingo department from the ground up. Carl is now bringing his poker and table games marketing strategies to bingo, setting the tone for the competition and positioning Jackson Rancheria as the ultimate destination for bingo enthusiasts.

Travis started with DGS in late 2018 and has worked and still works in many roles, as you would at a small startup company. They've ranged from sales to compliance, to operations, performance, and to a lesser degree, Human Resources. DGS started in Oklahoma and grew to 14 states, with 3 more coming in the next quarter. As a distributor, Travis has a level of exposure to slot machines that is different from an operator because he works so closely with many manufacturers and sees the trends from market to market.

Raven Johnston is a Sales Specialist at Castle Hill Gaming, bringing 18 years of experience in the casino industry, with a strong focus on Slot Operations and game performance analysis. In her current role, she supports executive management and sales by providing data-driven insights and making complex information more actionable. Raven holds a Master’s in Business Administration and brings a steady, informed perspective on key performance indicators that contribute to company success. She is pleased to join this panel to share her insights on the growth and success of perceived persistence in game development. 

Scott Kania is a visionary gaming professional with an affinity for Class II Bingo who currently serves as the Director of Product Management for IGT focusing on global Class II. With 30 years in the gaming industry, he has been instrumental in reenergizing IGT’s business vertical focus through execution of strategic initiatives increasing our market share both in US domestic and international jurisdictions.   Utilizing critical thinking, and analytical skills with proven leadership abilities, he takes the initiative to assist colleagues and customers alike aligning goals and business objectives.  Educated in Northern Nevada with a business management degree and a minor in computer science. 

My bingo journey began at the age of 8, sitting beside my grandma at the local charity hall. Those early memories, filled with laughter, excitement, and a few lucky wins, sparked a lifelong love for the game.

At 20, I officially stepped into the world of Bingo as a cashier at BJ’s Bingo & Gaming. What started as a front-line position soon evolved into roles as a bingo caller, and eventually, Bingo Lead—where I had the opportunity to mentor team members and ensure a top-tier experience for our guests on the floor.

After 10 years of working hands-on with guests. I made the leap into leadership as Bingo Manager. In this role, I’ve focused on creating an environment rooted in collaboration, trust, and a shared passion for Bingo. I’m committed to listening to both team and player feedback, making sure everyone feels valued and heard.

Now, 20 years later, BJ’s Bingo & Gaming isn’t just where I work—it’s where I’ve grown, built relationships, and created a space that feels like home.

Joe leads Product and Client Success for North America's leading library of sports prediction and instant-win games.

Prior to Chalkline, Joe served as CEO of Etix, and led the company to a successful exit in 2015. Etix processed annual ticketing receipts of $450M and employed over 100 team members. Etix acquired Rockhouse Partners, a company that Joe co-founded, before Joe took the lead role at the joint company. 

Previously, Joe led and scaled business divisions and products at Ticketmaster, Idealab and MediaNews Group, and served as the Product Manager for the 2010 launch of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center. 

Jesse is an accomplished and highly capable CISSP-certified cyberspace sales leader with strong management, planning, technical, and analytical skills with over 28 years of successful leadership, management, and sales experience working in the cyberspace domain and information technology industry through progressively higher echelons of responsibility at organizations both, stateside and global. An experienced leader in commanding IT and cyber personnel.

Justin began his hospitality career at the Mirage in 2008 as a pool attendant. After relocating to Connecticut in 2010, he returned to Las Vegas in 2012 as the Spa Assistant Manager at The Palms. Following Station Casinos' acquisition of The Palms in 2017, Justin transitioned into the Food and Beverage sector, assuming the role of Assistant Beverage Manager. He later ventured into gaming, serving as Bingo Manager at Green Valley Ranch Resort. In 2021, Justin returned to Food and Beverage as Director of Beverage, where he successfully led the opening of four new bars and two new restaurants. In September 2024, he was promoted to Director of Ancillary Gaming at Station Casinos, where he is currently leveraging his extensive experience to expand and enhance the Bingo and Keno departments. 

Andy is responsible for leading the day-to-day operations of the agency. Previous to his role as President, Andy served as Chief Client Officer for seven years where he was responsible for business development, client satisfaction, marketing, and overall top-line revenue for the agency.

A long-time agency veteran, Andy has experience across many business categories and has helped lead partnerships with brands such as Red Bull, Cisco, Honeywell, Time Warner Cable, and many more. He was also instrumental in implementing NPS at the agency as a means to monitor client satisfaction. After more than six years of utilizing that feedback to improve agency services, LT consistently scores above 70, which is considered world-class in the agency category.

He is also a faculty member with the Society of Digital Agencies and supports multiple nonprofits in the Valley, including Fresh Start Women’s Foundation and Teen Lifeline. When he’s not helping to lead the agency, you can find him coaching one of his two girls, camping and fishing in Northern Arizona, or cooking up dinner for his family.