“When I left Scigames, the last thing I did there was the purchase of WMS, and I learned a lot about social casino and social games, and had the opportunity to work with some of the biggest real-money poker companies like 888 and PlayTech,” said Richard Weil during the panel he moderated at Casual Connect USA 2014.
Richard Weil currently manages his own games consulting practice, coming to this endeavor with over 20 years in the lottery, gaming, and interactive industries. Previously, he was the senior vice president of strategy and business development at Scientific Games Corporation, he assisted in the $1.5 billion acquisition of WMS, one of the world’s leading game companies.
The most satisfying time in his career came while he was the president of Fun Technologies, Inc., an online social and sports gaming company. While there, he contributed to raising $80 million for the acquisition of eight companies, oversaw the management of these companies and, in March 2006, assisted in the sale of 51 percent of Fun Technologies to Liberty Media Corp.
Intersecting with Real Money Gaming
In 2010, after several years as a gaming business consultant, he launched Sciplay and became its CEO and managing director. Sciplay is a business focused on providing solutions to regulated operators, such as lotteries. This venture introduced the US lotteries to the interactive business and was the start of their players clubs, loyalty programs, and online marketing schemes.
In the future of the games industry, Weil believes it will be essential to devise ways to take advantage of the social gaming boom as it intersects with real money gaming and the bricks and mortar retail business.
Having Some Old Fashion Fun
Weil loves everything about free-to-play games, saying this model is a great way to play and operate games. He describes himself as something of an old-fashioned gamer who enjoys playing Solitaire, Bejeweled, and other classic games on his iPad. He prefers mobile gaming and owns no consoles.
As someone born in Toronto, Canada, it is not surprising to learn that Weil is an avid hockey fan, and he found it a difficult defeat this year when the LA Kings overcame the NY Rangers to win the Stanley Cup. He also enjoys all types of water sports.
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