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Dr. Laila Mintas Joins ADvantage as Venture Partner

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Expert in sports betting and analytics joins global venture capital firm

ADvantage, a leading venture capital firm that invests in sports technology, is excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Laila Mintas as Venture Partner. With over two decades of experience in the sports industry, Dr. Mintas will play a pivotal role in identifying, evaluating, and nurturing emerging startups in the sector.

Dr. Mintas joins ADvantage at a time of rapid growth in the sports technology space, where innovation in fan engagement, betting and iGaming, and wearable technology is increasingly in demand. Her deep knowledge of the industry and extensive network will be invaluable as Advantage drives forward its mission to shape the future of sports.

“We are thrilled to welcome Laila to the ADvantage team,” said Alex Bente, Managing Partner at ADvantage. “I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know her over the past couple of years, and her unique background gives her unmatched insights. She is a world-class expert in sports data, analytics, fantasy, and betting with an extensive network in the industry. We’re excited to work more closely with her as we continue to back the best and brightest entrepreneurs in our industry.”

Having held pivotal roles in global organizations such as FIFA and Sportradar, Dr. Mintas brings over 20 years of experience and a proven track record of success in sports technology with a focus on sports betting and iGaming. An active investor, she has built a portfolio of investments in the fan engagement, sports betting, and iCasino-tech industries.

“Joining ADvantage represents an exciting opportunity to leverage my experience in sports and gaming technology,” said Dr. Mintas. “I am passionate about supporting innovative companies that are redefining the sports landscape globally. Together with the talented team at ADvantage, I look forward to fostering the next generation of sports tech entrepreneurs.”

“Technology has reshaped fan engagement into interactive, immersive experience. Today’s sports enthusiasts demand experiences that foster a two-way relationship with their favorite teams and athletes. We are looking to invest into companies that are redefining what it means to be a fan in this digital age.”

In 2024, Dr. Mintas was chosen as a judge for numerous prestigious awards in the sports betting and iGaming Industry, including the SBC Awards, Global Gaming Awards Americas, Global OTT Sports Awards, the GGB Gaming & Technology Awards, and the iGB Most Influential Women Awards. Throughout her career, she was awarded the Leaders in Sports U 40 Award, the SBJ Game Changers Award, the International Award for Women in the Gaming Industry – Inspiration of the Year, the SBJ´s Power Player Sports Betting Award, the Business Insider´s Leaders of the Sports Betting Industry Award, and the GGB Emerging Leaders of Gaming 40 Under 40 Award.

 

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How Alberta’s Insider Lobbyists Delivered for Gambling Companies

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Private gambling companies and industry groups have waged a years-long lobbying campaign to shape Alberta’s regulated internet gaming and sports betting strategy, including hiring several consultants with ties to the United Conservative Party government, the Investigative Journalism Foundation has found.

Alberta is expected to launch its iGaming market early next year, making it the second province where residents can legally gamble online and place bets with private operators. Provincial records show that since 2020, at least 21 different gambling companies and industry associations registered to guide, inform, and educate various government ministries on online betting regulation and market frameworks.

Global gaming platforms like BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, and Bally’s Corp. have all sought meetings with Alberta government officials, as have a swath of major Canadian companies including the Stars Group, Score Media and Gaming, and its parent company, Rogers.

Along with their own in-house advocates, gaming companies and groups have also enlisted the help of professional influencers from more than a dozen public relations firms.

The IJF’s analysis of public lobbying records found 11 of the lobbyists registered to represent the gaming and sports betting industry previously held positions within the United Conservative Party or the Alberta government.

Representing the Canadian Online Gaming Association, Endgame Strategies’ lobbyist Pierçon Knezic worked as the UCP’s deputy campaign manager during the 2023 election. In between her time as a ministerial press secretary and a senior communications adviser for Alberta’s government, Eliza Snider was part of the team managing the Score Media and Gaming account for public relations giant Hill & Knowlton.

Wellington Advocacy employed a stable of former government staff for clients such as Pure Canadian Gaming and Caesars Digital, including Clancy Bouwman, assistant to Premier Jason Kenney; Brad Tennant, former UCP executive director; Ashley Wilde, former UCP director of operations; Nick Koolsbergen, Kenney’s chief of staff and campaign director; Peter Csillag, UCP caucus director of issues management from 2017 to 2019; Lucas Robertson, who served with the UCP caucus, the minister of health’s office and the UCP caucus whip’s office; and Ethan Lecavalier-Kidney, former policy adviser to Alberta’s finance minister.

Brandon Aboultaif, press secretary to Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally, who is responsible for iGaming legislation, would not say which companies Nally has met with but told the IJF in an email that the minister and his department “continue to meet with all interested industry stakeholders to engage on issues related to the launch of a private, regulated iGaming market in Alberta.”

“We are taking the next step toward establishing a private, regulated online gaming market in Alberta by further engaging with Indigenous partners and stakeholders on Alberta’s iGaming strategy, including the development of regulations related to social responsibility and consumer protection,” he said.

Regulated online gambling has grown rapidly in North America following the decriminalization of single-game sports betting in the United States in 2018 and in Canada in 2021. Single-game betting allows people to bet on various aspects of individual sports events.

While the expansion of legal markets has corresponded with a surge in lobbying activity, industry efforts to push for privately owned online gambling go back much further, said Renze Nauta, program director for work and economics at Cardus, a non-partisan Christian think tank.

Nauta pointed to a 2011 report on single-event sports wagering and related press releases from the Canadian Gaming Association as examples of the long-standing push for open markets, as well as the source of industry statistics on black-market gambling activity that have been widely circulated and used to make the case for legalization.

“I can’t speak to the intensity of the lobbying effort; it’s clearly a long-standing one. Because from 2011 to 2021, that’s a 10-year period where there was clearly an attempt to bring this to Canada,” Nauta said.

In its publications, the Canadian Gaming Association estimated that Canadians were spending at least $10 billion annually on illegal single-event sports betting, and an additional $4 billion gambling on grey-market websites based in jurisdictions where these bets are legal. The estimate that $14 billion in illegal sports betting was taking place in Canada was subsequently cited by members of Parliament and continues to be referenced by government and media.

The potential taxable income that would come from capturing a share of black-market activity has been a primary justification for iGaming legalization cited by legislators from Alberta to Ontario to the federal government and various U.S. states.

The potential tax revenue has also been a consistent theme in lobbying communications recorded in the Alberta lobbyist registry. Notices filed by Pure Canadian Gaming note the “economic contributions of gaming to the Alberta economy.” The Stars Group declared its intention to educate the government and to establish “safe, regulated environments that benefit jurisdictions,” including “incremental government revenue opportunities.” And Century Mile Racetrack and Casino had discussions with the government on how “gaming can drive tourism and economic prosperity.”

A similar emphasis on corporate and economic benefits has also dominated Canadian media coverage of the legalization of sports betting, according to a study from researchers at the University of British Columbia.

About 85% of newspaper articles on sports betting between 2020 and 2022 featured themes of legality and industry change, while the issues of gambling harm and reform were present in less than a quarter of articles surveyed.

“The newspaper coverage through that three-year window is really emphasizing and framing the economic, business and financial considerations. Particularly this idea of capturing the illegal market through legalization and regulation, at the cost of much discussion around harms and the risks of excessive gambling and the health of the public,” said Luke Clark, director of the Centre for Gambling Research at UBC.

The study also found that industry representatives were by far the most frequent sources interviewed in media coverage. Seventy per cent of articles included voices from the gaming industry, while few academics, addiction and public health advocates or people with lived experience with gambling made the news.

Clark said this imbalance in perspective stems from the disparity in size and resources between the groups representing these different viewpoints.

While academics might offer a more complicated and nuanced take, they have less time to dedicate to media, and people with lived experience aren’t connected, co-ordinated and issuing press releases.

The gaming providers now operating in Canada, on the other hand, are big global gambling corporations with resources dedicated to influencing government and public opinion.

“These are huge companies with a footprint in many different parts of the world. They have large public relations teams and huge marketing and advertising budgets. And they’re very well positioned when media reach out. They’re right on it with clear messages that frame things from their perspective,” Clark said.

Source: thetyee.ca

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The 2025 “Low-Wage 100” Report Reveals Significant Employee Pay Disparities in the Gambling Industry

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Leading gambling companies Caesar’s Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, and Las Vegas Sands have recently been spotlighted in the 2025 “Low-Wage 100” report. This annual publication by the Institute for Policy Studies and Inequality.org identifies S&P 500 companies that show the smallest median wages for their employees compared to the large earnings of their top executives.

The financial figures reveal significant disparities in compensation. In 2024, Caesar’s CEO Tom Reeg earned $18.4 million, while the average U.S. employee at the company received just $43,880, resulting in a salary gap of 419 to 1. MGM’s CEO Bill Hornbuckle earned $15.8 million, sharply contrasting the company’s median employee salary of $47,607, creating a 332 to 1 ratio. Meanwhile, Las Vegas Sands’ Robert Goldstein took home $21.9 million, dwarfing the $42,426 earned by the typical worker and leading to a 516 to 1 pay disparity.

These pay gaps have sparked ongoing criticism of the casino industry. Since 2019, the top executive pay at Caesar’s has more than doubled, surpassing the 40% wage increase seen among its workforce. Though MGM and Las Vegas Sands have also raised executive salaries at a faster rate than employee wages, their growth was less dramatic compared to Caesar’s.

Experts argue that this imbalance extends beyond optics. The report examines billions spent on stock buybacks which inflate share prices and executive compensation, while funding for employee wages and training remains insufficient. For instance, MGM invested over $9.5 billion in buybacks last year—more than twice what was spent on upgrading its properties.

This uneven pay structure is not limited to major companies in the S&P 500. Smaller gaming firms reveal similar trends. Penn Entertainment reported a striking 734 to 1 gap, with its CEO earning $26.6 million and the average employee making $36,322. Boyd Gaming followed with a 304 to 1 ratio, and Golden Entertainment showed a 155 to 1 difference.

Industry critics suggest these pronounced salary gaps damage employee morale and complicate talent retention, ultimately hindering long-term growth. Calls for reform include proposals to increase taxes on companies with large pay disparities and to levy higher taxes on stock buybacks.

Despite these controversies, these companies remain among Nevada’s top employers and hold substantial influence within the global gambling market. Nevertheless, the study concludes that the industry’s focus on rewarding shareholders and executives over workers will likely persist without regulatory intervention.

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Uruguay Introduces New 0.75% Tax on Casino and Gaming Bets

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The Uruguayan Government has taken an important step toward legislating and taxing gambling activities. A new decree, decree number 167/025, gives life to a special tax on bets placed with electronic game machines and automatic betting systems installed within casinos and authorized entertainment spaces. It was signed into law by President Yamandú Orsi and Minister of Economy Gabriel Oddone and is a careful step in the direction of allowing more direct contributions to the state’s fiscal system.

The new regulation imposes a 0.75% tax on the total amount of each wager. That is, regardless of whether the wager is placed in chips, coins, bills, e-money, or other equivalent sources, the initial amount wagered by the player is subject to tax. The government explains that the tax event is actually the wagering event itself, and not the subsequent winnings or repetition that might occur during the game.

The decree precisely focuses on a particular segment of the gambling industry: games of chance with immediate results that are played through electronic or automated devices. Licensed casinos and entertainment halls, already regulated tightly, now have to include this new taxation burden in their financial management.

Significantly, the decree clarifies that the taxable base is the initial amount staked by the gambler. Any subsequent winnings accumulated during a gaming session will not be subject to taxation anew. This provision is intended to simplify the tax system, avoiding cumbersome calculations from continuous winning or the reinvestment of credits.

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