#54: Executive Conversation Sponsored by Penn Interactive
On this episode of Power the Journey, join various executives in the sports wagering industry as they lead an interactive conversation focused on industry growth, future challenges, and career opportunities. In May 2022, Benjie Levy was named Head of Penn Interactive (PI), in addition to continuing to serve as President & Chief Operating Officer of theScore. As Head of PI, he oversees the company’s Interactive segment, including operations for Barstool Sportsbook and mychoicecasino.com. He reports to Todd George, Penn’s Executive Vice President of Operations. At theScore, Benjie leads all day-to-day operations as well as strategy and corporate development across its integrated media and gaming businesses. A respected sports business industry veteran, he has been integral in leading the evolution of theScore into a technology driven, mobile-first company that uniquely integrates media and betting. Most recently, he spearheaded theScore Bet’s launch in its home province of Ontario in April 2022 and the milestone completion of its proprietary technology stack in July 2022. Previously, he played a key role in building theScore’s television business and oversaw its sale to Rogers Media in 2012. A graduate of the University of Toronto with a B.Com specializing in Finance. Sara Slane has over 15 years of experience working in the casino gaming industry. Most recently, she launched her own practice focused on strategizing with media companies, teams and leagues about the sports betting opportunity. Prior, she was the senior vice president of public affairs at the American Gaming Association. In this role, Sara played an instrumental part in leading advocacy efforts to build favorable perceptions of the gaming industry and overturn the ban lifting the federal ban on sports wagering in America. Sara has consummated over a billion dollars in deals between stakeholders in the sports and gaming industries. She currently serves on numerous boards and advisory positions throughout the industry. Jeremy Kudon is a partner attorney at the law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. Jeremy began his legal career working in commercial litigation, servicing large corporate clients with a national presence. Through this work, Jeremy developed a niche for building and operating state legislative campaigns, which led to his founding of Orrick’s public policy group. Jeremy’s involvement in the gaming world began in 2014 when his group led campaigns across the country for daily fantasy sports legislation. Leading up to the repeal of the federal ban on sports wagering, Jeremy represented some of the largest prospective sports wagering operators and several professional sports leagues, such as the NBA, MLB, and PGA Tour, to prepare advocacy campaigns for legalization of sports wagering. Today, Jeremy remains a prominent figure in sports wagering legalization, coordinating and leading lobbying efforts for sports wagering legislation on behalf of his clients across the country. This conversation is moderated by Dan Sabreen, Vice President of Communications at Penn Interactive.