VIP Play Appoints Dr. Robert Rippee as Interim CMO

VIP Play, a rapidly expanding mobile sports betting and interactive gaming company, has announced the appointment of Robert Rippee, Ph.D., as Interim Chief Marketing Officer. With decades of leadership experience in gaming, marketing, and innovation, Dr. Rippee will be instrumental in advancing VIP Play’s market growth strategy through its collaboration with UNLV’s Black Fire Innovation hub.

“I see a tremendous opportunity to elevate VIP Play into one of the most innovative and customer-centric platforms in the sports betting and gaming industry. Using the model developed at UNLV’s Black Fire Innovation, we will accelerate product development and deliver experiences that increase engagement, loyalty, and long-term revenue growth. This is exactly the kind of forward-looking strategy investors should be excited about,” said Dr. Robert Rippee, Interim CMO at VIP Play.

Dr. Rippee brings an unmatched blend of executive industry experience and academic expertise. As former Senior Vice President of Marketing at Las Vegas Sands Corporation, he oversaw global brand growth and large-scale customer acquisition strategies that drove billions in revenue. His academic research at UNLV focuses on gaming convergence, esports, and consumer behavior, aligning directly with VIP Play’s goal of building highly engaging, revenue-generating gaming platforms.

Dr. Rippee recently retired after a decade as the Executive Director of UNLV’s Black Fire Innovation, where he led one of the most advanced gaming and hospitality technology innovation ecosystems in the world. By combining his innovation leadership at UNLV with his new role at VIP Play, the company gains a direct pipeline to breakthrough innovation, commercialization opportunities, and next-generation customer engagement strategies.

“Dr. Rippee’s proven ability to bridge cutting-edge academic research, innovation ecosystems, and gaming industry leadership makes him a powerful addition to VIP Play. His appointment signals to the market that VIP Play is not only competing—but leading—at the intersection of technology, gaming, and fan engagement. We expect this partnership with Black Fire to translate into meaningful shareholder value and accelerated growth,” said Les Ottolenghi, CEO at VIP Play.