Penn National General Counsel, Carl Sottosanti, to Retire After Distinguished 17 Year Career; To Be Replaced by Veteran Gamin...
November 19 2020 - 03:00PM
Business Wire
Penn National Gaming, Inc. (PENN: Nasdaq) (“Penn National” or
the “Company”) announced today that Carl Sottosanti, Executive Vice
President, General Counsel and Secretary, plans to retire effective
December 31, 2020. As his successor, the Company named 20 year
gaming industry legal executive, Harper Ko, who will serve as
Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary,
effective January 1, 2021, subject to customary regulatory
approvals. Ms. Ko joins Penn National from Everi Holdings Inc.
(EVRI: NYSE), where she has served as Executive Vice President and
Chief Legal Officer – General Counsel.
Throughout his distinguished 17-year career at Penn National,
Carl Sottosanti has played a critical role in helping drive the
Company’s growth and evolution from a small regional gaming
operator into the nation’s leading omnichannel provider of retail
and interactive gaming, sports betting and entertainment.
Mr. Sottosanti joined Penn National in 2003 as Vice President of
Legal & Business Affairs and Deputy General Counsel. He helped
lead the legal and regulatory efforts surrounding the Company’s
acquisitions of Hollywood Casino Corporation and Argosy Gaming,
each of which doubled the size of Penn National at the time. He
also helped oversee Penn National’s corporate governance, as well
as labor and employment matters.
In 2014, Mr. Sottosanti was promoted to Executive Vice President
and General Counsel and helped guide Penn National through the next
chapter of its growth story, including the acquisition and
successful integration of Pinnacle Entertainment, as well as its
investment in Barstool Sports.
“Throughout his career at Penn National, Carl has been known for
his tireless work ethic, dogged determination, and fierce advocacy
in support of our company’s interests,” said Jay Snowden, President
and Chief Executive Officer. “Carl has been a trusted personal
advisor and a consummate teammate, and while he’ll be leaving
behind some big shoes to fill, I’m confident that Harper Ko will do
a great job in carrying on the standard of excellence that Carl has
established for our Legal Department.”
Harper Ko brings more than 20 years of corporate legal and
regulatory compliance experience on behalf of gaming equipment
suppliers and casino operators to her new role at Penn National.
She has served as Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer –
General Counsel and Secretary at Everi since 2017 and was tapped to
help guide the former Global Cash Access through its ongoing
transition to a full-service casino gaming equipment and payment
solutions provider.
“Harper brings a wealth of expertise regarding the industry’s
complex regulatory and compliance requirements that will serve us
well as we continue to execute our growth strategies across our
land-based, interactive and sports betting platforms,” said Mr.
Snowden. “We’re excited to add someone of her caliber to our
team.”
Prior to joining Everi, Ms. Ko served as Deputy General Counsel,
Gaming for Scientific Games Corporation. During her time there from
November 2014 – December 2017, she led the legal integration of
Bally Gaming, Inc. SHFL entertainment Inc., and WMS Gaming Inc.
into the Scientific Games Gaming division and served as a strategic
advisor to their Gaming unit executive management team on all
material commercial transactions, customer and third-party issues,
and regulatory compliance and litigation matters. Ms. Ko joined
Scientific Games following its acquisition of Bally Gaming, Inc.,
in November 2014 where she served as Assistant General Counsel
beginning in November 2007. Prior to that Ms. Ko was a Contract
Attorney with Harrah’s Operating Company and Associate Corporate
Counsel for Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. Ms. Ko began her career
in the gaming industry as Staff Counsel for WMS Gaming Inc. from
May 2000 to August 2004.
Ms. Ko holds a J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law, and a B.S.
in Psychology as a Natural Science from the University of Michigan.
She is a Board Member at Project 150, a 501(c)3 non-profit
charitable organization committed to helping over 2,500 students in
45 high schools across Las Vegas. Ms. Ko previously served as an
Officer (co-General Counsel, Vice President) of the Association of
Gaming Equipment Manufacturers, and is a past recipient of the
Rising Star Award by Great Women in Gaming.
About Penn National Gaming
With the nation's largest and most diversified regional gaming
footprint, including 41 properties across 19 states, Penn National
continues to evolve into a highly innovative omni-channel provider
of retail and online gaming, live racing and sports betting
entertainment. The Company's properties feature approximately
50,000 gaming machines, 1,300 table games and 8,800 hotel rooms,
and operate under various well-known brands, including Hollywood,
Ameristar, and L'Auberge. Our wholly-owned interactive division,
Penn Interactive, operates retail sports betting across the
Company's portfolio, as well online social casino, bingo, and
iCasino products. In February 2020, Penn National entered into a
strategic partnership with Barstool Sports, whereby Barstool is
exclusively promoting the Company's land-based and online casinos
and sports betting products, including the Barstool Sportsbook
mobile app, to its national audience. The Company's omni-channel
approach is bolstered by the myChoice loyalty program, which
rewards and recognizes its over 20 million members for their
loyalty to both retail and online gaming and sports betting
products with the most dynamic set of offers, experiences, and
service levels in the industry.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201119005951/en/
Eric Schippers Sr. Vice President, Public Affairs Penn National
Gaming 610/373-2400
Joseph N. Jaffoni, Richard Land JCIR 212/835-8500 or
penn@jcir.com
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