The American Gaming Association has announced the 2025 inductees into the Gaming Hall of Fame, recognizing three individuals whose careers have profoundly shaped the legal gaming industry:
- David Berman, co-head of Macquarie Capital, Americas and global head of Consumer, Gaming & Leisure
- Ann Simmons Nicholson, founder and CEO, Simmons Group
- Charles Lombardo, former senior vice president of gaming operations at Seminole Hard Rock Gaming, and former senior vice president of slot operations for Caesars Palace, Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas.
Berman has more than three decades of experience in gaming mergers & acquisitions and capital markets, having led more than 100 mergers & acquisitions worth more than $125 billion and helped clients raise more than $215 billion in debt and equity. He founded REGAL Capital Advisors, a gaming-focused advisory firm acquired by Macquarie in 2011.
Nicholson is an expert in strategic planning and organizational consulting. Over her 40-year career, she has worked with nearly every major gaming company, supporting more than 60 property openings, expansions and acquisitions.
With more than 50 years of experience in slot operations and game innovation, Lombardo has helped define the modern casino experience. He has held senior leadership roles at Caesars Palace, Bally’s, Paris Las Vegas and Seminole Gaming, where he led the development of Class II and III gaming standards, pioneered groundbreaking slot technologies, and helped shape state and tribal regulatory frameworks.
Today, he continues to consult on game development and casino openings and serves as a special gaming advisor to Seminole Gaming. Lombardo was the first-ever inductee into the Eilers Hall of Fame for Slot Operations.
