Longtime gaming industry financial executive Mary Elizabeth Higgins was named CEO of Affinity Gaming late Tuesday, as the Las Vegas-based regional casino operator moved quickly to find a replacement for Tony Rodio.
The announcement came hours after Rodio was announced as the new CEO of Caesars Entertainment. Rodio is expected to help in the transition over the next 30 days.
Higgins becomes just the third current female CEO of a casino operating company, joining Holly Gagnon of Seneca Gaming and Diana Bennett of Paragon Gaming.
Higgins, who joined Affinity last June as chief financial officer, has some 20 years of gaming industry experience in executive roles, primarily focused on strategic financial management, capital formation, acquisition strategies and investor relations.
Prior to Affinity, Higgins’ most recent position was as CFO of Caesars Entertainment’s largest operating subsidiary. The company was dissolved during Caesars’ 30-month bankruptcy reorganization, during which Higgins helped to establish VICI Properties, the real estate investment trust created through the restructuring.
Higgins was also CFO at Global Cash Access Holdings – the predecessor of Everi Holdings – and Herbst Gaming, the predecessor of Affinity. Herbst was also restructured thorough a bankruptcy reorganization.
Affinity currently operates 11 casinos – five in Nevada, three in Colorado, two in Missouri and one in Iowa. In January, Rhode Island-based Twin River Worldwide Holdings entered into an agreement to buy the company’s three casinos in Colorado, a transaction expect to close next year.
Illinois-based Z Capital Group took Affinity private in 2017. Z Capital CEO James Zenni, who is chairman of Affinity’s board, said Higgins’ 10 years at Herbst Gaming and her “significant knowledge of and experience in the gaming sector” made her the perfect choice to lead the company.
“I am confident that Mary Beth is the right person to lead the company into its next chapter of success,” Zenni said.
Also on Tuesday, Affinity appointed Eric Fiocco as chief operating officer. Currently the company’s chief marketing officer, he will continue in that role. Fiocco has four decades of gaming and casino industry experience and joined Affinity Gaming last November.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgamingreports.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
