Esports and online gaming company Esports Entertainment Group (EEG) has appointed former Caesars Entertainment executive and Vegas Mayor Jan Jones Blackhurst to its Board of Directors, the company announced on Tuesday. The appointment will bring the size of the board to seven members.
The appointment satisfies the criteria for independent directors for the purposes of Nasdaq rules and applicable Securities and Exchange Commission requirements, a press release explains. The company also expects Blackhurst to play a role as the company grows and expands.
“We are delighted to welcome Jan Jones Blackhurst, a highly distinguished leader, to our Board of Directors,” said Grant Johnson, EEG Chairman and CEO. “This is a critical time in our evolution, and I am confident that Jan will be an effective steward of the company’s growth and quickly become a valued counselor to the Board and our leadership team.”
Grant Johnson, EEG Chairman and CEO
Jones Blackhurst has served on the Board of Directors of gaming and hospitality giant Caesars Entertainment Corporation since 2019 after serving as the company’s Executive Vice President for Government Relations & Corporate Responsibility from 1999 to 2019.
She has also served as Chief Executive in Residence at the UNLV International Gaming Institute since 2019 and as Executive Director of the UNLV Black Fire Leadership Initiative since 2021. Prior to her involvement with Caesars, Jones Blackhurst served two four-year terms as Mayor of Las Vegas from 1991 to 1999.
“She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience which will be of great value to our Company as we expand our iGaming and esports operations and establish ourselves as the leading provider of technology solutions to the fast-growing, exciting world of real money esports wagering,” further commented Johnson.
Jones Blackhurst currently serves on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (Vegas Chamber), Gaming and Hospitality Acquisition Corp., the Global Fairness Initiative, the Nevada Resort Association, the Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority, and the Las Vegas Stadium Authority.
We’re pleased to announce the appointment of Jan Jones Blackhurst to our Board of Directors. She has served on the Board of Caesars Entertainment since 2019 after 10 years as their Executive VP for Government Relations & Corporate Responsibility.
🔗https://t.co/bUkrt27rg2$GMBL pic.twitter.com/pEQ4cKmq0r
— Esports Entertainment Group (@EsportsEntGroup) May 3, 2022
Blackhurst holds a BA in English from Stanford University and attended the University of Southern California’s School of Food Marketing Management. She is also a member of the American Gaming Association’s Gaming Hall of Fame.
EEG’s new appointment follows a series of major announcements by the esports betting company. Last month, the company launched its VIE.gg esports betting platform in New Jersey, becoming the first operator to be granted this right in the Garden State. It has also become the first licensed esports gambling site in the US market at large.
And in March, the business hosted the first sanctioned skill-based wagering event in the US. A Madden NFL ’22 tournament was held that month at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, New Jersey, and marked the launch of EEG’s LANDuel, a peer-to-peer skill-based wagering platform for esports. The event drew more than 290 registrants and more than 16,000 live viewers.
“To be the first and only licensed esports gambling site in the American market proves that we’re a credible, legitimate operator,” Johnson told Yogonet in an exclusive interview in April. “We will now have an opportunity to market unrestricted in the state of New Jersey, and we’ll be able to create accurate financial modeling for what esports gambling looks like.”
