Bally's Names Papanier Interim CFO

Bally's Corporation has appointed George Papanier as interim chief financial officer, effective September 4, 2026, after long-serving CFO Mira Mircheva notified the board of her intent to resign for personal reasons, the operator said in a release dated September 3, 2026.

Mircheva's resignation as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer is effective September 4, but she will stay on with Bally's through September 30 to help hand over the finance function.

Papanier retains his roles as President of Bally's and as a member of the board of directors while he takes on the interim CFO role. The board has started a formal search for a permanent successor.

A certified public accountant, Papanier brings more than 40 years of experience in the gaming industry to the role. He has led Bally's land-based casino operations as President since October 2021, and this is not his first turn steering the company's finances: he previously served as interim CFO in 2023.

A Long History

His history with the operator goes back further still. Papanier joined Bally's as chief operating officer in 2004, then served as President and Chief Executive Officer from February 2011 to October 2021, giving him direct oversight of the business through more than two decades of expansion.

Robeson Reeves, chief executive officer of Bally's Corporation, credited that tenure in confirming the appointment: "Having spent more than two decades in key operating and financial leadership roles at Bally's, George has been instrumental in developing our business model, asset portfolio, and growth strategy. He steps into the interim role supported by an experienced finance organization and I am confident that our reporting, controls and capital markets work will continue without disruption."

Reeves also thanked Mircheva for her service: "On behalf of the entire Board and executive management team, I want to thank Mira for her dedication to Bally's and we wish her great success going forward."

Change Of Leadership

The leadership change lands at a company mid-expansion. Bally's, listed on the NYSE as BALY, runs 20 casinos across 11 US states, plus one in Newcastle, UK, alongside a golf course in New York and horse racetracks in Colorado and, in the future, Wyoming. Its casino operations span roughly 17,700 slot machines, 630 table games, and 3,950 hotel rooms.

The group also owns Bally Bet, a leading sportsbook and igaming platform licensed in 15 jurisdictions across North America, and holds a majority interest in Bally's Intralot S.A., a lottery solutions supplier and gaming operator active in 39 jurisdictions worldwide.
 

Bally's has separately been granted a license to build a casino and resort in the Bronx, New York, and an integrated resort in Chicago, Illinois, and holds development rights to land in Las Vegas at the former Tropicana site. It says it is the first publicly traded gaming company to achieve Minority Business Enterprise certification through the National Minority Supplier Development Council.

With the search for a permanent CFO now underway, Bally's has not set a timeline for naming Papanier's eventual successor.