The owner of Publishers Clearing House is bolstering its legal and public policy teams as it plans to expand its reach in the social plus gaming space.
New hires come with casino backgrounds
ARB Interactive announced the appointment of veteran attorney Bryan P. Schroeder as general counsel and the hiring of public policy expert Steve Arthur as vice president of government affairs. Schroeder joins ARB Interactive after serving as vice president of compliance at Hard Rock Digital. The executive also had a two-year stint as senior vice president of compliance & legal at Tipico after spending over a decade at Parx Casino.
At Parx Casino, Schroeder held various roles, including deputy general counsel.
“Bryan brings an extraordinary depth of expertise across the full spectrum of gaming law, regulatory, compliance, operations, online gaming and corporate governance,” said ARB Interactive CEO Patrick Fechtmeyer. “His experience guiding organizations through rapidly evolving regulatory landscapes will be invaluable as ARB continues expanding our footprint and building the gold standard in social casino compliance.”
Schroeder is responsible for overseeing the company’s risk management, legal and regulatory strategies as a social casino and social plus brand aiming to remain compliant.
Social plus, a term coined by the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance and its members, refers to online “freemium” social games that include sweepstakes promotions. ARB Interactive became a member of the trade group in May 2025, joining social gaming operators VGW, PLAYSTUDIOS, Yellow Social Interactive and B-Two Operations.
Arthur to advocate for ARB Interactive’s offerings
Arthur is joining ARB Interactive after spending more than 15 years at government affairs firm Stateside Associates. Before joining Stateside Associates, the public policy executive worked at The Home Depot as a senior manager of state government relations.
Arthur also spent time at sustainable construction company Holcim as a manager of public affairs after a stint at the California Department of Conservation as chief deputy director. He also previously served as a legislative aide in the U.S. Senate.
“Steve has unmatched experience navigating state and federal policymaking, and his relationships with Attorney Generals nationwide will be instrumental as ARB continues educating stakeholders about the social casino and sweepstakes ecosystems,” continued Fechtmeyer. “With Steve guiding our legislative strategy, ARB is positioned to proactively shape thoughtful, responsible policy for the industry.”
Arthur will work with trade groups and policymakers to advocate for ARB Interactive. His efforts will ensure the company adheres to changing regulatory standards nationwide.
Pushback against online sweepstakes gaming
ARB Interactive is adding members to its legal and public policy teams as social casino and sweepstakes gaming faces scrutiny in certain U.S. markets.
Lawmakers in Indiana and Maine recently introduced pieces of legislation aimed at prohibiting online sweepstakes games that leverage a dual-currency system of payment.
Indiana Rep. Ethan Manning’s measure, House Bill 1052, proposes a civil penalty of $100,000 against an individual or operator that offers a dual-currency sweepstakes game. In Maine, Sen. Craig Hickman proposes fines between $10,000 and $100,000.
New York officially prohibits dual-currency sweepstakes
Last week, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed Senate Bill S5935 into law, prohibiting the operation of sweepstakes platforms that allow players to exchange game currency for any cash prize or cash award using a dual-currency system of payment. The measure penalizes payment processors, geolocation firms, and tech and game suppliers that facilitate the operation of the platforms with fines ranging between $10,000 and $100,000.
Lawmakers in California, Connecticut, Montana, Nevada and New Jersey also passed pieces of legislation in 2025 related to sweepstakes gaming.
Google takes a stance on sweepstakes casinos
Sweepstakes are also facing scrutiny from marketers, with Google updating its Gambling and Games policy to prevent the certification of gambling ads that include sweepstakes casinos. The tech giant considers the vertical to be “outside of the scope” of its policy.
Google prohibits sweepstakes casino ads but allows marketing of social casino games.
