Meet the team behind the research

Mr. Eilers is co-founder and majority owner of Eilers & Krejcik Gaming. He has over 25 years of market research and consulting experience primarily covering the land-based gaming equipment and technology sector within the global casino gaming industry. He is a pioneer in gaming industry developing multiple data driven market research products that monitor both slot machine purchasing trends and game performance. Prior to founding Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC, Mr. Eilers was a sell-side equity analyst at ROTH Capital Partners for 10 years. In 2011 he was ranked the #1 stock picker for the Hotel & Leisure sector according to the 2012 Financial Times / StarMine Awards. Mr. Eilers' market research is frequently cited by the gaming industry's leading casino operators and suppliers along with various news and media outlets. Prior to joining ROTH, Mr. Eilers was an acquisitions program manager in the United States Air Force. Mr. Eilers graduated from the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) with a B.S. in Management and earned his M.B.A. from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA.

Adam Krejcik is a co-founder and Partner at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, where he oversees the firm's Digital & Interactive and Sports Betting & Emerging Verticals practices — spanning online sports betting, iGaming, social and sweepstakes gaming, mobile gaming, and prediction markets. He has more than 20 years of market and equity research experience across the global interactive entertainment industry, has appeared on CNBC and Bloomberg, and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. Adam also serves as General Partner at EKG Ventures, as a non-executive director at ARB Interactive, and as a strategic advisor to a number of early-stage gaming companies; he previously served on the board of Catena Media. Before co-founding EKG in 2012, he was a Senior Research Analyst at ROTH Capital Partners and began his career as an equity analyst at Banc of America Securities. He holds a BA in Business/Managerial Economics from UC Santa Barbara.

Chris Grove is Partner Emeritus and strategic advisor to Eilers & Krejcik Gaming.

Mr. Grove was previously a partner at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC and founded the firm's Sports & Emerging Verticals market research and consulting practice. Before joining EKG, Chris co-founded Play USA Media and LegalSportsReport.com, which were acquired by Catena Media in 2017. Grove is a nationally recognized subject matter expert on the subject of the U.S. regulated sports betting landscape. His insights and research regarding the sports betting industry have been quoted in hundreds of articles, including outlets such as Bloomberg, ESPN, Forbes, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal. Grove has testified before policymakers in multiple states on gambling-related issues and worked directly with policymakers in Indiana and West Virginia on their sports betting legislative initiatives. His work is regularly cited by public companies, researchers, and lawmakers.

DJ Leary is Director of Business Development at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, where he has led the firm's business development since 2017 after joining in 2014. He has spearheaded the expansion of EKG's syndicated research client base and helped drive the firm's growth into strategic and advisory work for corporate and government clients. Before joining EKG, DJ spent more than 13 years in the investment industry in institutional sales, trading, and capital raising — including senior roles at New Albion Partners and Brookline Group, and beginning his career at ROTH Capital Partners in Newport Beach. He holds a B.S. in Human Factors Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy and an MBA from Loyola Marymount University.

Tatum Welch is Marketing Director at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming. Tatum has an extensive marketing background having been Marketing and Events coordinator at Roth Capital Partners where she coordinated from start to finish business conferences and large-scale events. She later became Marketing Manager at Intracorp Homes where she managed social media, vendor relations, sponsorship, budget management, social media and all event logistics. Tatum graduated from University of Oregon with a BA in International Relations and Business Communications.

As the Director of Business Development, Fantini at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, Simon plays a pivotal role in driving strategic growth initiatives, fostering key partnerships, and expanding market opportunities in the gaming industry. With over 15 years of experience in Business Development, Simon has developed a deep understanding of market trends, data-driven strategies, and client relations. At Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, Simon is responsible for identifying and capitalizing on new business opportunities, overseeing critical relationships with stakeholders, and executing strategies that position the company as a leader in the gaming research and consulting space. His extensive background in sales and strategic development allows Simon to leverage industry knowledge to provide valuable insights and innovative solutions to clients.

Cindy Konowitz leads accounts payable, receivable, and HR at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, drawing on more than a decade of billing and accounting experience.

Has an extensive background in the gaming industry having held management-level positions at tribal and commercial casinos in Michigan and across the Las Vegas Strip. Prior to joining EKG, Mr. Eckert worked at Wynn Resorts as Manager of Slot Administration, Analytics, and Operations, where he was recognized as "Manager of the Year" in 2016. Mr. Eckert previously worked for MGM Resorts International as a Slot Analyst at Luxor, Excalibur, and then Bellagio upon completing the company's leadership development program, MAP. Mr. Eckert earned his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University while simultaneously completing a career development program at FireKeepers Casino and leading the student-run charity casino, "Vegas Night".

Brendan is Director, Slot Performance & Analytics. Before joining Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, Brendan worked at Las Vegas Sands optimizing casino performance and analyzing loyalty marketing programs. Prior to Las Vegas Sands, he held positions in Financial Planning & Analysis in the energy and retail industries. Brendan holds a Bachelor's in Environmental Economics and a Bachelor's in Finance from Northern Arizona University. He also earned a Master's in Applied Economics from University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Malyssa is a Senior Manager of Slot Performance & Analytics. Before joining Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, Malyssa worked at MGM Resorts International as a Slot Data Analyst assisting in the optimization of their domestic properties. Prior to MGM resorts, she held several slot analytics and administrative roles at a tribal casino in Washington State. Malyssa holds a Bachelor's in International Business from Boise State University, Idaho.

Jared holds the role of Managaer at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming with over 12 years of Gaming experience in the Colorado and Northern Nevada markets. Prior to joining EKG, he worked as a Table Games Manager for Penn Gaming at the Ameristar in Black Hawk, CO and then as a Revenue Audit Analyst for Caesars at the Horseshoe. Most recently, Jared worked as the Corporate Gaming Operations Analyst at Jacobs Entertainment where he developed business intelligence tools to increase efficiencies and revenues throughout both slot and table games sectors. He has substantial experience in helping casino executives make logical, data driven decisions to improve operations, table games mix, slot purchases, conversions, and lease profile performance. Jared graduated Magna Cum Laude from Metropolitan State University Denver with a bachelor's degree in finance.

Linden Peterson is an experienced gaming and operations analytics professional with a strong background in data analysis, performance evaluation, and strategic insights across both gaming and non-gaming sectors. Currently serving as Manager of Game Performance & Analytics at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, Linden specializes in evaluating game performance, market trends, and player engagement to drive impactful data-drive recommendations for clients and stakeholders. Prior to this role, Linden worked as a Gaming Operations Analyst at Everi Holdings Inc., where she was responsible for collecting and analyzing data on customer and competitor products, forecasting industry trends, and optimizing company revenue. Before transitioning to gaming analytics, Linden held key positions, including Corporate Non-Gaming Operations Analyst at Boyd Gaming, Director of Logistics & Analytics at En/Act Las Vegas, and Corporate Food & Beverage Analyst at Station Casinos.

Daniel Kenneth is an Analyst for Game Performance on EKG's Analytics team with over 12 years of Gaming experience. Prior to joining Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, Daniel worked for IGT for nearly a decade as a Business Systems Analyst optimizing processes, procedures, and data analysis with cross-functional teams. Before IGT, he was a Slot Operations Analyst for Monte Carlo Resort & Casino, now Park MGM, where he was responsible for increasing Slot floor revenue and efficiency. Daniel also holds a Bachelor's in Economics from The University of Arizona.

Chris Krafcik is Managing Director of the firm's Sports Betting & Emerging Verticals practice, where he oversees production of its widely cited syndicated research, runs strategic consulting engagements, and manages its analyst team and day-to-day operations. Krafcik, who has 18 years of industry experience in various journalistic and analyst roles, is a recognized subject matter expert on sports betting and online gambling. His research and forecasts have been cited by mainstream media outlets including the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Financial Times; by publicly traded companies; and by state and tribal governments. Krafcik has also provided expert witness testimony to policymakers in various states, served in an advisory capacity to stakeholders ranging from professional sports teams to private equity funds, and is a guest instructor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas' International Gaming Institute. Prior to joining Eilers & Krejcik, Krafcik spent seven years as Research Director, North America, at Vixio, a London-headquartered research firm serving the global gambling industry.

Alun Bowden is SVP, Strategic Insight in the firm's Sports Betting & Emerging Verticals practice. He provides insight and strategic advice both to EKG's product and syndicated research teams and to clients on a range of consultancy projects. Based in the UK, his deep sector knowledge of online gambling in Europe and the US allows him to provide both macro and granular analysis on product, tech, marketing, operational issues, and market dynamics. Bowden has 20 years of industry experience as a journalist and analyst and has featured as a subject matter expert on the BBC, The Times of London, ESPN and has consulted to a number of leading companies in the sector both in Europe and the US.

Becca Giden is Director of Policy of the firm's Sports Betting & Emerging Verticals practice, where she performs legislative tracking, economic modeling, and market performance tracking and analysis. Her research has been cited by national media sources, including The Economist and Politico. Prior to joining Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, Giden was an economist with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, where she specialized in utility ratemaking mechanics and public policy.

Damon Singer is a Las Vegas-based Director of Market Analysis, Sports Betting & Emerging Markets. Singer, a former professional gambler, is an expert at identifying methods in which casino games can be exploited by gamblers and developing strategies to employ those methods effectively. His expertise and unique knowledge of casino products are valuable for data analysis and allow him to provide insights in the sports betting and social casino spaces.

Jimmy Neilly is Director of Product Analysis at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming. He leads the firm's team of sportsbook and casino product analysts, overseeing the qualitative and quantitative testing behind EKG's semi-annual OSB and iCasino app performance reports — evaluating both user experience and technical performance across the industry's products. Jimmy also designs and delivers custom product testing programs for consulting and advisory engagements. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota.

Danny McCarthy is Lead Product Analyst at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming. He is responsible for hands-on product testing across sportsbook and casino apps and designs the proprietary testing matrices behind the firm's semi-annual OSB and iCasino app performance reports. Danny also delivers product feedback directly to operator development teams and contributes policy analysis to EKG's Enterprise-tier research. He holds a B.S. in Economics from Grand Valley State University.

Brad Allen is a Senior Analyst in EKG's Sports Betting & Emerging Verticals practice and host of Zero Latency, the firm's podcast on the online gambling industry. Based in the UK, he has covered online gambling in Europe and the U.S. since 2016, including stints at EGR Global and Legal Sports Report, and helps produce the practice's syndicated research across sports betting and emerging categories. An avid bettor himself, Brad brings a working knowledge of the industry's nuts and bolts and a deep network of operator and supplier contacts, and his analysis is regularly featured across gaming media.

Jace Standley is an Analyst at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming. With a background in Sports Science/Technology, he brings a unique analytical perspective to EKG while providing support to the firm's sports betting and casino market research. Prior to joining Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, Jace worked at SportsMedia Technology (SMT), where he oversaw a remote production room that assisted NHL sports broadcasts with remote graphics through player and puck tracking software.

Nic Rimlinger is a Product Analyst on EKG's product testing team, working alongside Danny McCarthy and Jimmy Neilly. He leads recruitment and management of the firm's nationwide consumer tester panel — the backbone of EKG's semi-annual online sports betting and iCasino app testing — and supports Danny on product testing, writing, and analysis. He holds a bachelor's in Political Science from Loyola Marymount University, and a master's in International Business from the University of Nottingham.

Dr. Kahlil Philander is an Assistant Professor in the School of Hospitality Business Management. He also holds an appointment as an Honorary Lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Sydney. His research interests are in tourism economics. Previously, he was the Director of Social Responsibility at the British Columbia Lottery Corporation where he oversaw the GameSense program, and an Assistant Professor and Director of Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ International Gaming Institute. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, an MA in economics from the University of Toronto, and a BCom with Honors in finance from the University of British Columbia.

Phil Bernard joined Eilers & Krejcik Gaming in April 2014 as an Associate. Mr. Bernard has a diverse background including over 5 years of management experience within the entertainment and real estate industries. Prior to joining Eilers Research, Mr. Bernard held various management positions within The Walt Disney Company. Prior to joining Disney, Mr. Bernard was a budget analyst for California Real Estate Receiverships. During his undergraduate studies Mr. Bernard was a Budget Analyst for California Real Estate Receiverships. Mr. Bernard also earned his MBA from UC Irvine and graduated with honors in the top 10% of his class.

Harshvinder Shinger is an Analyst at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming. He recently graduated from University of California-Irvine, where he received his bachelor's in Economics and Political Science. Prior to joining Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, Harshvinder worked at Sparq Consulting, a boutique consulting firm focused on strategy and market research consulting to a variety of private equity and startup clients.

Conor Paravia is a Data Analyst on EKG's Gaming Equipment & Technology team, working with Phil Bernard and Harsh Shinger. He supports the team's benchmarking and analysis of the land-based slot market, applying a strong quantitative background in mathematics and statistics to EKG's proprietary performance data.

Matt Kaufman is Managing Director of Digital & Interactive Gaming at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming. In his role at EKG, Matt leads the firm’s production of syndicated research on mobile gaming. He is a frequent strategic advisor for some of the largest gaming operators globally and has acted as an advisor on billions of dollars’ worth of M&A transactions in the space. Matt is regularly cited in gaming media and often speaks at gaming industry conferences and events. He previously held roles at social poker operator Z4 Poker and with several of the largest online casino affiliate companies, including Pokerstrategy.com and Catena Media. He is a partner at online casino affiliate Media Techs and was named to Global Gaming Business’ 40 Under 40 list for 2023.

Amy Kim is a Vice President at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, where she focuses on mobile and digital gaming research. Her work spans syndicated research publications, commercial due diligence for private equity clients, and bespoke advisory engagements. Amy works closely alongside Matt Kaufman as his lead analytical partner. Beyond her quantitative depth, she brings something less common in the research space: a gamer’s firsthand fluency in game design, mechanics, and engagement loops that sharpens how she reads and evaluates products. Amy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Statistics with an emphasis in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley.

Nearly two decades of experience combining a background in history with a career in the gaming/casino industry, providing analytical insights on market trends and industry developments.

Two decades of industry insight contributing to every published report, with a focus on accuracy and organization to ensure reports are clear and applicable to all readers.

Skilled writer contributing insightful content to each report, with a focus on clarity, research, and the highest standards of excellence.

Dedicated writer whose strong writing skills and diligence in research help provide industry professionals with comprehensive and accurate information.

Holds dual MBAs in Finance and Accounting; dedicated to expanding industry knowledge and fostering valuable connections with a keen eye for detail and creative approach.

Founder of Eilers-Fantini with decades of experience in financial journalism and gaming industry analysis, establishing the firm as a trusted resource for institutional investors and industry professionals.