The European Casino Association has awarded scholarships to two deserving candidates for this year’s ECA Diversity Scholarship, sponsored by AGEM, Clarion and the UNLV International Gaming Institute. Now in its fifth year, the Diversity Scholarship is open to all ECA member employees, enabling successful candidates to participate in-person at the renowned Executive Development Programme, held at Lake Tahoe, US.

The EDP is a pre-eminent gaming leadership course, the brainchild of a partnership between the UNLV International Gaming Institute and the University of Nevada, Reno College of Business and Extended Studies. The ECA Diversity Scholarship covers the full cost of the programme, which this year returns to the week-long in-person event staged at Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

Over three decades, the EDP has become a reference point for gaming executives seeking to take their careers to the next level, aiming to build leadership and management skills and develop strategic thinking. It is a unique occasion to learn and share best practices with peers from around the world. The jury from the sponsoring organisations (Clarion, AGEM, UNLV and the ECA) has examined all the applications and awarded two ambitious colleagues from the European land-based casino industry aspiring to a leadership position and hoping to broaden their professional education.

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“Now in its fifth year, the ECA scholarship programme has grown in renown among European casino executives who recognise the wider learnings offered by the Executive Development Programme to the daily roles of our hard-working employees. The ECA has awarded two outstanding candidates from Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer and Veikkaus to take part in the programme to promote the individual growth of gaming professionals who, through their actions, have supported and enhanced diversity and inclusion within the industry,” said ECA Chairman Per Jaldung.

The ECA’s Diversity Scholarships for 2022 have been awarded to the following candidates:

Kirsi Karola Lagus, Veikkaus, Finland

“I feel passionate about continuously developing myself and the organisations I work with. Growth mindset, sincerity in interactions and braveness to face reality with a positive approach are the things that I cherish.”

Celine Alberola, Casino de Monte-Carlo, Monaco

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“I hope to inspire the members of my team by sharing my experience and thus instil in them a new impetus, a source of cohesion and personal development.”

ECA General Secretary Hermann Pamminger said: “The land-based casino sector is, by definition, an in-person industry, and so the return of the Executive Development Programme to the picturesque surroundings of Lake Tahoe is a significant moment for the casino sector. It is with great satisfaction that the ECA has awarded two diversity scholarships in 2022, at a value of €12,000 each, as a reward for the dedication and career-orientated focus of two casino professionals who will gain unique knowledge and insights from the EDP to utilise in their everyday roles. We look forward to charting the progress of Kirsi and Celine and wish them both every success in the future.”