Two longtime gaming industry CEOs, a Nevada regulatory leader and a New Jersey lawmaker who led the efforts to legalize casinos in Atlantic City, make up the Gaming Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018.
The inductees were announced Thursday by the American Gaming Association. They include Peter Carlino, current CEO of Gaming and Leisure Properties, former Bally Technologies CEO Richard Haddrill, former Nevada gaming regulator Philip Hannifin, and former New Jersey state legislator Steven Perskie.
The induction will take place at the Chairman’s Reception during the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas on Oct. 10.
“From expanding the presence of gaming across the county to maintaining the integrity of the industry, each honoree of the Class of 2018 has played an important role in advancing the casino gaming industry,” AGA interim CEO Stacy Papadopoulos said in a statement.
The Gaming Hall of Fame was formed in 1989 to recognize industry leaders who have made significant contributions to gaming.
Peter Carlino
Carlino took over Penn National Gaming from his father in 1994. Under his leadership, the business grew from a small public company with a single Pennsylvania racetrack to the largest regional casino and racetrack operator in the U.S.
In 2013, Carlino left Penn National to become CEO of GLPI, which was the gaming industry’s first real estate investment trust and a model for future gaming REITs. GLPI began as a spin-off from Penn and Carlino has overseen the company growth to 4,400 acres of land and approximately 15 million square feet of building space. GLPI owns the real estate and buildings associated with 38 casino facilities in the U.S. that are leased to Penn, Pinnacle Entertainment, and the Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Illinois.
Haddrill is considered a pioneer and innovator in the gaming equipment supplier sector, having overseen countless technological advancements for casino operators and players. Haddrill served as CEO of Powerhouse Technologies, Manhattan Associates, and Bally Technologies. He is currently executive vice chairman of Scientific Games Corp., which acquired Bally in 2014. Haddrill is also a past chairman of the AGA.
Richard Haddrill
As a philanthropist, his Richard M. Haddrill Charitable Gift Fund contributed more than $500,000 to Las Vegas causes last year. He is also the founder and CEO of The Groop, a private investment firm that partners with for-profit businesses which have a social benefit.
Hannifin was just 36 when Gov. Mike O’Callaghan appointed him as chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board. He served for three terms from 1971 to 1977. He played a key role in driving organized crime out of the gaming industry while bringing corporate investment into Nevada. He oversaw the licensing of Howard Hughes’ Summa Corp., which helped Las Vegas open the door to Wall Street’s support of casino development.
Hannifin also served as a key executive for Summa, Harrah’s Casinos, the original MGM Grand and Riviera. His efforts with those companies were considered critical to the development along the Las Vegas Strip. He eventually joined Reno-based Fitzgerald’s Corp. as a board member and helped move the company from a single casino to operations in seven states.
Steve Perskie
Perskie was young New Jersey legislator representing Atlantic City when he led the efforts to legalize casinos on the Boardwalk in the late 1970s, marking gaming’s first U.S. expansion outside Nevada. He drafted and sponsored the New Jersey Casino Control Act, which helped pave the path for further casino expansion in the U.S.
Following his political career, Perskie served as a New Jersey Superior Court Judge and was appointed chairman of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission from 1990 to 1994, where he spearheaded a comprehensive restructuring of the agency. He later served as the vice president and general counsel of Players International, which operated casinos in Illinois, Louisiana, Nevada and Missouri.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgamingreports.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
