VIP Play Adds Gaming Industry Veteran Robert Rippee as Interim CMO

VIP Play, an up-and-coming mobile sports betting and interactive gaming company, has enhanced its team with the appointment of a new C-level member. According to the announcement, gambling industry veteran Robert Rippee will join VIP Play as interim chief marketing officer.

Rippee Will Boost VIP Play’s Marketing Efforts

VIP Play described Rippee as an incredibly skilled individual with decades of leadership experience in the realms of gaming, marketing and innovation. The company said that he will be trusted with its marketing efforts and tasked with advancing its market growth strategy through its collaboration with UNLV’s Black Fire Innovation hub.

The mobile betting company lauded Rippee for his robust experience and academic expertise. According to VIP Play, Rippee has formerly served gaming and hospitality giant Las Vegas Sands Corporation as senior vice president of marketing. During that time, he oversaw the casino powerhouse’s global brand growth and customer acquisition efforts.

In addition to that, Rippee spent a decade as the executive director of UNLV’s Black Fire Innovation. In that position, he led one of the top gaming and hospitality technology innovation ecosystems in the world.

His [Rippee’s] academic research at UNLV focuses on gaming convergence, esports, and consumer behavior, aligning directly with VIP Play’s goal of building highly engaging, revenue-generating gaming platforms.

VIP Play statement

A Powerful Addition to VIP Play

Rippee commented on his appointment, saying that he is bullish on turning VIP Play into “one of the most innovative and customer-centric platforms in the sports betting and gaming industry.” He said that the company will leverage the model developed at UNLV’s Black Fire Innovation to bolster its product development and deliver experiences that nurture customer loyalty and long-term growth.

This is exactly the kind of forward-looking strategy investors should be excited about.

Robert Rippee, interim CMO, VIP Play

Les Ottolenghi, VIP Play’s chief executive officer, welcomed the appointee to the VIP Play family, praising his ability to bridge academic research, innovation and industry leadership. Ottolenghi added that these qualities make Rippee a “powerful addition” to the company’s C-suite.

His [Rippee’s] appointment signals to the market that VIP Play is not only competing—but leading—at the intersection of technology, gaming, and fan engagement. We expect this partnership with Black Fire to translate into meaningful shareholder value and accelerated growth.

Les Ottolenghi, CEO, VIP Play

VIP Play added that it hopes that its collaboration with UNLV and other universities will provide it with a “unique revenue-driven environment where ideas move rapidly from concept to commercialization.”