Caesars' board member and former Vegas Mayor Jan Jones Blackhurst to keynote at SBC Summit North America

Caesars Entertainment Board Member Jan Jones Blackhurst is taking part in a special keynote session at SBC Summit North America, the event organizers have announced. The conference and expo is set to take place November 30 - December 2, 2021, at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, New Jersey.

Blackhurst’s “fireside chat” session will take place on Thursday, December 2, from 4 PM to 4:40 PM EST. During the keynote, the executive will address some of the challenges facing the evolving gaming industry, including the importance of building a sustainable diverse and inclusive workforce, and the impact of investors demanding improved environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings.

SBC Summit North America calls the session “a chance to learn from one of the gaming industry's leading experts on social and environmental issues.” Lottery.com’s Chief Legal Officer Katie Lever will be joining Backhurst in the fireside chat as a moderator.

Under Blackhurst’s leadership, Caesars became the first casino to roll out a responsible gaming program, explains a press release. Moreover, the gaming giant made sizable reductions in energy usage, water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Also during Blackhurst’s watch, the business set out to build a more diverse workforce, with 41% of management positions held by women, and 57% of employees from minority groups. During the keynote session, the board member will share her experiences within the company.

In addition to being a major business leader, Jan Jones Blackhurst is also a long-time politician, who became the first woman mayor of Las Vegas from 1991 to 1999, serving two four-year terms.

Following her terms in office, Blackhurst joined Caesars Entertainment, where she and her teams developed pioneer industry responsible gaming practices, and advanced environmental stewardship, as well as advocating for important social issues.

The executive speaks extensively at universities, and helped establish the International Gaming Institution Center of Excellence at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. After leading Corporate Social Responsibility and Public Policy at Caesars for two decades, she joined the company’s Board of Directors in 2019. Moreover, she also became Chief Executive in Residence at the UNLV International Gaming Institute.

As a commitment to education, Blackhurst serves as chairwoman for the Public Education Foundation. She has served on several boards, including the Las Vegas Stadium Authority and the Nevada Resort Association, and in 2014, she became one of the first women to be inducted into the American Gaming Association (AGA) Gaming Hall of Fame.

There will be eight conference tracks at SBC Summit North America, featuring more than 200 expert speakers, who will share their insights on key issues and opportunities in the sports betting and iGaming industries in the US. Other keynote speakers include Bill Miller, CEO and President of the American Gaming Association, and Soo Kim, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Bally’s Corporation.