Anna Marin Russell is the American Gambling Awards Regulator of the Year

NEW YORK – The American Gambling Awards is pleased to announce Ohio Casino Control Commission Director of Licensing & Investigations and Senior Legal Counsel Anna Marin Russell is the 2023 “Regulator of the Year.” The American Gambling Awards is produced by Gambling.com Group Limited (Nasdaq: GAMB) (“Gambling.com Group” or the “Group”), a leading provider of player acquisition services for the regulated global online gambling industry.

The Ohio Casino Control Commission has been a leader in gaming industry regulation and has developed a reputation for "firm but fair" enforcement of state standards for advertising, licensing, and other key industry elements. The Commission was responsible for several major successes, including orchestrating a successful sports betting (retail and online) launch on its stated target date of Jan. 1, 2023.

Russell oversees the Commission’s Division of Licensing & Investigations, which is responsible for conducting suitability investigations of all individuals and entities seeking to conduct or participate in casino gaming, sports gaming, or fantasy contests in Ohio. Ohio has a complex sports betting and casino licensing regime, but it has produced one of the most diverse and consumer friendly sports betting markets in the country.

Charles Gillespie, Chief Executive Officer of Gambling.com Group, said, “Anna Marin Russell has been a strong guiding force of the gaming industry in Ohio and is very deserving of receiving the Regulator of the Year award. With great leadership like Anna Marin on board at the Ohio Casino Control Commission, the Buckeye State will continue to be at the forefront of what proper gambling regulation should look like in the United States.”

“The success of the Commission is rooted in the hard work and dedication of each and every employee, and being recognized at a national level is a testament to the Commission’s commitment to ensuring the integrity of gaming,” said Russell. “I am honored to be included among such outstanding peers in the industry and thankful to the judges for their votes of confidence in our work. I am beyond grateful to accept this award on behalf of my team and fellow colleagues at the Commission.”

For more information about the American Gambling Awards, including a full list of winners, please visit the awards website: www.gambling.com/us/awards.