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Sightline Payments Expands Management Team with Appointment of New Chief Financial Officer and Chief Legal Officer
Recent $100 million capital raise helps Sightline also recruit talented Chief Marketing Officer, Chief People Officer and Chief of Staff executives
LAS VEGAS, April 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sightline Payments, a dynamic Financial Technology company that is enabling the next generation of cashless, mobile and omni-channel payment solutions for the gaming, lottery, sports betting, entertainment and hospitality ecosystems, today announced it has appointed five new executives to its senior leadership team.
John Gronen joins Sightline as Chief Financial Officer of the rapidly growing FinTech provider, while Jennifer Carleton will serve as the Company’s Chief Legal Officer. Through its recent $100 million funding round announced on April 1, Sightline Payments has also appointed Muriel Lotto as Chief Marketing Officer, while Katrina Sevier will serve as its Chief People Officer and Felicia Gassen will be Chief of Staff. The executive appointments strengthen Sightline Payments’ leadership as the company scales to support rapid growth and customer demand.
“We are pleased to welcome John, Jennifer, Muriel, Felicia and Katrina to Sightline Payments. The collective expertise and proven track record that they bring from working with some of the world’s most recognized companies will play an instrumental role in managing the company’s hyper-growth and expansion,” said Joe Pappano, CEO of Sightline Payments. “In the near- and long-term, we plan to invest significant capital in recruiting diverse and expert talent to drive key Sightline priorities around market growth and innovation. Our goal is to have the most talented and diverse team in the gaming and payments industries.”
John Gronen, Chief Financial Officer
John Gronen has been appointed CFO for Sightline where he will oversee all finance operations including banking, treasury, budgeting, and reporting. His experience delivers deep value to the Company having recently served as CFO for payments processor VPay, Inc. and head of operations for VCE, a subsidiary of EMC, Cisco Systems and VMWare. Previously he held senior finance and accounting roles with Technisource, Alltel and Delta Trust and Bank.
John will also play key roles for Sightline in M&A and fundraising in support of the Company’s high-octane organic and inorganic growth strategies.
Jennifer Carleton, Chief Legal Officer
Jennifer Carleton joins Sightline having spent her entire legal career in the gaming sector. She was in-house counsel for an Indian casino and for the last 14 years an adviser to some of the premier public and private gaming and investment companies in the world.
Working in gaming for the past two decades has enabled Jennifer to develop a unique expertise in payments, mobile, internet and sports gaming, as well as an insider’s familiarity with the unique issues that arise when technology and regulation intersect. Jennifer is helping to establish an advanced Indian law and advanced gaming curriculum at the UNLV Boyd School of Law through her teaching at the law school and her work with the Dean’s Advisory Council.
Jennifer also dedicates a substantial amount of time to professional development and corporate philanthropy within her community. She is currently the chair of the Tyler Robinson Foundation, the charitable arm of the Grammy-winning band Imagine Dragons, dedicated to raising funds for pediatric cancer families.
Muriel Lotto, Chief Marketing Officer
Muriel Lotto brings over 25 years in International Marketing to her new role as Sightline Payments’ Chief Marketing Officer. Muriel has worked in France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and in the United States at leading companies including Nestle, Unilever, Royal & SunAlliance, Bupa and Western Union.
Muriel will lead transformative marketing strategies across audience definition and targeting, customer journeys, messaging, and media mix optimization. In her role, she will drive brand awareness and commercial results through public relations, creative, and advertising partners.
Katrina Sevier, Chief People Officer
Katrina Sevier brings expertise around the ever-changing organizational landscape of culture and talent. Katrina will be tasked with growing Sightline Payments’ team, which will double in size this year.
Prior to Sightline Payments, Katrina led comprehensive talent strategies delivering growth and implementing change across global organizations in the financial services, technology, media, and advertising industries including Western Union and IPG Mediabrands.
A steadfast believer that the employee and customer experiences are connected, Katrina will build and implement the company’s talent plan to support business growth.
Felicia Gassen, Chief of Staff
Felicia Gassen has been appointed Chief of Staff to CEO Joe Pappano and the executive leadership team. She is the former Executive Director of Global Gaming Women where she managed the executive board of directors, committees, sponsorship, and global membership. Previously her work included the management of research, grants and education programs in the fields of bioengineering, biotechnology, and bioinformatics. Felicia strongly believes in collaboration, amplifying voices and building connections with people across disciplines. Felicia attended both the University of California, Berkeley and University of Nevada, Las Vegas and holds a BFA in Fine Art and Art History.
For Executive Leadership headshots, please visit: https://sightlinepayments.com/leadership/
About Sightline Payments
Sightline Payments (“Sightline” or the “Company”), is a dynamic Financial Technology (FinTech) company that is enabling the next generation of cashless, mobile and omni-channel payment solutions for the gaming, lottery, sports betting, entertainment and hospitality ecosystems. The Company has more than 1.5 million enrolled Play+ accounts across its current portfolio of more than 70 programs in 39 States, and is poised to build on this presence, commensurate with the expansion visible in the underlying markets it serves. One of the key segments the Company serves is online gaming (both sports betting and iGaming), which is expected to build from $3 billion in total revenue to $22 billion over the next five years. In addition, the Company’s digital payment solutions directly address the wider gaming industry’s opportunity to transform traditional gaming floors into cashless ecosystems, a $90 billion revenue market serving over 100 million customers annually. Sightline is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Learn more at https://sightlinepayments.com.
Media Contact:
Susan Donahue
Skyya PR for Sightline Payments
[email protected]
South Africa is once again positioning itself as a leader in ethical gambling practices, with the upcoming Responsible Gambling Summit 2025 set to take place on 13–14 November 2025 at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, Gauteng. This landmark event will gather international experts, regulators, and industry professionals to address the most pressing challenges in responsible gambling across Africa.
Hosted by the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation (SARGF) in collaboration with major regulatory bodies such as the National Gambling Board, Eastern Cape Gambling Board, and Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board, the summit aims to drive forward an evidence-based, solutions-focused agenda that ensures gambling growth does not come at the cost of public well-being.
As South Africa continues to see rising participation in both land-based and gambling online, the summit is timely. It will tackle issues ranging from technological safeguards and public health integration, to policy harmonisation and vulnerable population protection.
Advocating for Safer Online Gambling
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“The online gambling landscape in South Africa is growing rapidly,” says a spokesperson for SouthAfricanCasinos.co.za. “But with growth comes responsibility. Our mission is to ensure players have access to safe, ethical gambling environments. We support the goals of the Responsible Gambling Summit and encourage every operator to prioritise the welfare of their players.”
Practical Frameworks for Change
The Responsible Gambling Summit 2025 will focus on seven key thematic areas:
- Understanding gambling behaviour and disorders through science-led approaches.
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- Protecting at-risk individuals and communities, especially youth and those in lower-income brackets.
- Educating the public on the risks of gambling and how to stay safe.
- Building international networks to ensure future readiness and consistency across borders.
Each session is designed to lead to real-world outcomes, with progress monitored and reported biennially. This commitment to transparency aligns with broader calls for industry-wide accountability.
How Players Can Gamble Responsibly
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At SouthAfricanCasinos.co.za, we make these practices easier by highlighting casinos that offer responsible gambling features as part of our review process. Each recommended site undergoes a thorough evaluation based on licensing, fairness, transparency, and player protection standards.
Our Commitment to the South African Gambling Community
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7777 gaming, a leading provider of innovative iGaming content, has officially entered the Croatian market through an exclusive partnership with SuperSport’s brand Super Casino, the country’s largest betting operator. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for 7777 gaming as it continues its expansion across the Balkans.
SuperSport, a dominant force in Croatia’s regulated gaming industry with approximately 50% market share, is now offering a selection of certified titles from 7777 gaming. Among these are popular games such as Crazy 100 Bucks, Thracian Treasures, Barbarian, Greenhats’ Megawins, and Devil’s Deal: Soul for Sale. Each game is designed with cutting-edge mechanics, immersive themes, and rewarding features to provide an unparalleled player experience.
In addition to its diverse game portfolio, 7777 gaming introduces three exciting jackpot concepts to the Croatian market:
Juicy Cash Jackpot – A fruit-themed jackpot offering dynamic rewards.
Crazy Bucks Jackpot – High volatility gameplay delivering adrenaline-fueled wins.
Jackpot Temple – A mystical adventure promising epic prizes.
“We are thrilled to partner with SuperSport and bring our unique gaming content to Croatian players,” said Elena Shaterova, CCO at 7777 gaming. “This exclusive collaboration allows us to showcase our commitment to delivering high-quality, engaging games tailored to the local market’s preferences.”
Tugomil Cerovečki, Casino Director at SuperSport added, “Integrating 7777 gaming’s titles into our platform enhances our offerings and aligns with our goal to provide top-tier entertainment to our users. We are confident that our players will appreciate the innovative gameplay and exciting jackpot features.”
This partnership underscores 7777 gaming’s strategic focus on expanding its presence in the Balkans and reinforces its dedication to delivering exceptional gaming experiences across new markets.
About 7777 gaming:
7777 gaming is an innovative and data-driven B2B igaming provider, founded in 2020 with the mission to revolutionize and challenge the status quo in the industry by offering 360-degree platform, state-of-the-art online casino games, iLottery, Jackpot, and marketing solutions, draw-based games, scratch cards, and much more.
The product is built by a dedicated team of visionaries with over 20 years of experience. The games and the RNG are tested and compliant in several highly regulated jurisdictions worldwide. Besides, the company achieved and maintained ISO 27001 certification. 7777 gaming holds a gambling license in Bulgaria and Romania and an MGA Certificate to provide its online casino games to these markets.
7777 gaming is already partnering with the leading aggregators and platform providers in the igaming industry.
Contact us:
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The post 7777 gaming enters Croatian market with exclusive game launch on SuperSport appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Allwyn’s Local Retail Champions Completed First Stage of Their Social Value Store Makeover
National Lottery operator, Allwyn’s, 2024 Local Retail Champions, Natalie and Martin Lightfoot – who own Londis Solo Convenience in Glasgow – have completed the first stage of their Social Value store makeover by installing new colleague headsets to help with security at the store.
The husband-and-wife shopkeepers were awarded £5000 cash and a Social Value store makeover worth up to £20,000 when they were crowned National Winners at Allwyn’s first ever Local Retail Champions awards in December. They had been nominated for the award by their customers for a host of community-focused work, such as organising charity fundraising events and local litter-picking activities, as well as providing a home delivery service for those in need.
Natalie and Martin have beallgun the Social Value store makeover work – which will take a number of months to complete – by installing six new colleague headsets to improve security at the store. The headsets enhance communication between store staff, increasing safety for both customers and staff and enabling colleagues to respond quickly to assistance requests.
The next stage of the store makeover activity will see the installation of new CCTV equipment, replacing the current 15-year-old system. As well as protecting the store, the CCTV currently helps keeps the community safer, with cameras located outside of the store successfully having been used in the past to help with investigations.
The final stage of the makeover will include installation of retail AI technology, with initial plans for this currently being looked at by Natalie and Martin.
Natalie said: “We’re really grateful to Allwyn for what the Local Retail Champions store makeover money is helping us do with security in the store. The headsets have been a godsend. The store has thick walls, making it difficult to hear each other in different areas of the shop, so the headsets allow us all to communicate and respond to things quickly as a team. We’re also in the process of getting new CCTV installed which will provide clearer pictures as the current system is quite pixelated and very dated. We wouldn’t have been able to get any of this new equipment without the Local Retail Champions makeover money, not for a long while anyway.”
Allwyn’s Director of Commercial Partnerships and Retail Sales, Alison Acquaye-Acford said: “We know Natalie is passionate about store security for retailers and has spoken publicly about the subject in the past, so we’re really happy we’ve been able to support her own store’s security needs with the store makeover. And she and her husband are absolutely deserving of the prize – they are a shining example of retailers who go above and beyond for their local community, which is precisely why they were crowned one of our two National Winners at Allwyn’s 2024 Local Retail Champions awards. We’re looking forward to hearing about how the project progresses further.”
The Local Retail Champions initiative is paid for with money from Allwyn’s dedicated Social Value Fund, which is an annual £1 million that the company has committed to using to support operating The National Lottery in an environmentally and socially responsible way. Last year, Allwyn used a portion of the fund to reward and recognise the important role its retail partners play in every community across the UK and Isle of Man – and arrangements for this year’s programme will become available over the coming months.
The post Allwyn’s Local Retail Champions Completed First Stage of Their Social Value Store Makeover appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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