August presents a new month of opportunity for stakeholders in North American gaming.
Each week, SBC Americas details the latest hires and promotions impacting major players in the commercial gaming ecosystem.
Novig makes key hire amid prediction market launch
It’s been a busy week for Novig, with the company appointing gaming industry veteran Adam Warrington as its senior vice president of external affairs.
In his new role, Warrington will oversee Novig’s communications and responsible trading operations following the company’s launch of its prediction market in 47 states.
Earlier this week, Novig debuted its sports-focused prediction market platform in every state except Arizona, Michigan, and Nevada less than 10 weeks after registration with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as a designated contract market.
“Novig is taking a fundamentally different and consumer-first approach to building this category,” said Warrington. “The opportunity to help shape a company where responsibility is embedded into the business, and not layered on afterward, is incredibly compelling. I’m excited to join a team that is focused on earning trust, raising standards and building the future of sports prediction markets.”
Warrington joins Novig after spending three years at Underdog as vice president of responsible gaming. He also had a brief stint as an executive at FanDuel.
Novig also recently hired Elie Mishory as the company’s chief regulatory and legal affairs officer. Mishory joined Novig as a former advisor for the Department of Government Efficiency. He also spent time at Kalshi as chief regulatory officer and general counsel.
Scientific Games to lose its CEO
On Monday, Scientific Games announced that current CEO Pat McHugh will step down from his role on Sept. 8 after spending more than 20 years at the gaming giant. McHugh is relinquishing his role to retire but will remain in an advisory role at Scientific Games.
“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Pat for his leadership and his many contributions to Scientific Games over the past two decades,” said Scientific Games Chairman David Nowak. “Throughout his career, Pat has helped strengthen the company, expand its global lottery business and build trusted relationships with customers around the world.”
Scientific Games is already taking steps to find a replacement for McHugh, with the company undergoing a nationwide search for a permanent successor as CEO. In the meantime, the company appointed Kevin Schneider as interim CEO. Schneider joined the company’s board of directors in 2022 and was elected as vice chair earlier this year.
Continent 8 Technologies makes CEO change
Continent 8 Technologies is also under new leadership following the appointment of Mike Small as CEO. The hiring of Small initiates a transition process that will see founder Michael Tobin relinquish his role as CEO to take on the role of chairman. Tobin spent nearly 30 years with Continent 8 as the company’s CEO.
“This transition has been thoughtfully planned, and I have complete confidence in Mike’s ability to lead the company into its next chapter. His experience in scaling global technology businesses and his deep understanding of our customers and strategy, makes him the ideal leader to build on the strong foundation we have created,” said Tobin.
Small is joining Continent 8 with previous experience working with the company. Over the past year, he has held a strategic board advisory role. Before joining Continent 8, Small spent nearly five years as CEO of Americas for customer management giant Sitel Group.
