Abarbanel succeeds Bo Bernhard, who will transition to serve full-time as UNLV VP of Economic Development, but will also maintain his affiliation with IGI as special advisor to the Executive Director.

She worked as the Executive Director at IGI earlier and has experience in gambling with esports, video games and traditional sports betting.

Abarbanel also has nearly two decades of experience in gaming operations and technology, responsible gambling and community relations, and gaming history.

She said: “As the gaming world continues to evolve and expand, I am eager to collaborate with many stakeholders in higher education, government, non-profit, and industry and build on IGI’s established momentum to improve industry learning, create workforce pipelines, and diversify the scope of knowledge in this field.”

Meanwhile, in January 2022, the William Boyd School of Law, part of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), partnered with Entain to deliver a program of courses in gaming law and regulation.  

The classes were designed by instructors with decades of practical experience in the professional gaming arena. Each course was expected to consist of 20-25 hours of study.

The initial courses that were offered include Introduction to Gaming Law and Regulation, taught by gaming law expert, Anthony Cabot; Casino Operations and the Law, delivered by hospitality and casino experience expert, William Buffalo; Introduction to Indian Gaming Law, taught by numerous Fellows of the UNLV International Center for Gaming Regulation, etc.