Meet Ziv Chen, our Senior Casino Contributor
Ziv has been working in the iGaming industry for over two decades, during which he served in senior marketing positions with two of the industry’s largest software providers and two leading online gambling operators. His main specialty is establishing iGaming businesses and brands in newly regulated markets, which he’s done across the US, Canada, and Europe.
A proud University of Pittsburgh alumni, Ziv is a diehard fan of the Pitt football and basketball teams, the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers, and the MLB’s Pirates. When it comes to his other passion, which is gambling, Pittsburgh’s Rivers Casino is one of his favorite hangouts. Prior to establishing Major League Content and becoming a full-time journalist, Ziv covered the gambling industry and American sports news as a hobby in various blogs and publications.
What makes Ziv an expert?
Ziv always loved the glitz and glamour of the casino world and used to spend his student holidays in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. He then decided to pursue a career in gambling, and his first job out of university was as a marketing manager at a casino.
After more than 20 years in the industry, Ziv decided to combine his love of gambling with his passion for journalism. Having written thousands of casino reviews, game guides, gambling legislation pieces, and news articles, he has never looked back ever since.
Experience
Ziv didn’t waste any time coming out of university, and having obtained his Master’s degree in business, he immediately went to pursue a career in casino marketing. After serving in several customer-facing marketing roles with gambling operators, Ziv progressed to work for large software providers, learning the ins and outs of casino games and technology.
Casino.org
- Senior Casino Contributor/Correspondent - January 2022 - Present
Major League Content
- Founder and CEO - September 2019 - Present
Microgaming
- Senior Business Development Manager - Nov 2008 - Mar 2016
Playtech
- Commercial Director - May 2006 - Sep 2008
Education
Having a passion for writing since his early days, Ziv was the school paper editor, mainly covering school sports. At university, he further developed his writing skills through a wide range of English writing, literature, and journalism classes.
- University of Pittsburgh - Master of Business Administration
- University of Maryland - Bachelor of Science
- 25+ years in iGaming
Ziv has a quarter of a century of industry experience
- Multiple jurisdictions
Having lived in North America, Europe, and the Middle East, Ziv is knowledgeable about many gaming markets and jurisdictions.
- Diverse experience
Ziv’s professional experience ranges across technology, marketing, and customer service.
- Passion for writing
Having gone to university and taken a wide range of English courses, Ziv has built extensive writing skills and expertise.
How does Ziv stay up to date?
Staying up to date with industry news and events is more than a part of Ziv’s job. Waking up every morning, grabbing a cup of coffee, and discovering all the new stories his colleagues are writing about is one of his favorite parts of the day. Here are a few of his favorite publications (which he writes for as well):
- CDC Gaming
For everything that has to do with land-based gaming in the US, Ziv turns to CDC Gaming.
- SBC News
SBC News is an upbeat publication written by industry insiders, for industry insiders.
- ESPN
ESPN provides all the latest sports betting and gambling news.
Q&A with Ziv
What got you into writing about casinos?
"From a very young age, I have loved writing, and my dream has been to be a journalist. When I grew up a bit and went to college, one of my first trips away with my new college friends was to Atlantic City, which is when I got hooked on casinos. So it was kind of easy for me to marry the two together and start writing about casinos.
One of my first jobs out of university was managing a customer support team at a casino, and I later moved to work for game developer Playtech in marketing. Even though it wasn’t my job, I volunteered to write about the company’s casino games, and the rest is history."
What's the first thing you look for at an online casino?
"Casinos have always been great fun for me, probably because I stick to a lifelong rule: Gambling is always about fun and excitement and never about making money. I’ve also seen the harm that gambling can cause, so throughout my career, I’ve been a big advocate of responsible gambling.
I always write articles on responsible gambling and social responsibility free of charge, as I see it as a way of giving back to the industry. The first thing I look for at an online casino is the responsible gambling section. I always check if the casino offers self-help tools like time limits, betting limits, and self-exclusion. I also look for links to support bodies like GambleAware and other groups people can turn to in case of need."
If you could only play one casino game forever, what would it be?
"That’s an easy one for me to answer. It would be Microgaming’s Mega Moolah slot, without any doubt. I know this game closely after working at Microgaming for more than seven years. But beyond the emotional attachment to the company, it’s one of the best online casino games ever made.
A cool safari theme, more sequels that share the same prize pool, and the biggest attraction of them all: it’s a progressive jackpot slot that gives you the chance to win four types of jackpot prizes. But don’t take my word for it: it won the Guinness World Record for the largest slot jackpot ever won online."
Ziv's areas of expertise
- iGaming in North America
Having grown in the US, Ziv has been closely following legislation and progress of iGaming in the United States and Canada and has become an authority in the field. He uses this expertise in all his work at Major League Content.
- Sports betting
Along with his love for casino gaming, Ziv is also an expert in online and mobile sports betting, especially in the legalized US sports betting marketplace.
Ziv's favorite iGaming influencer
Rasmus Sojmark
Rasmus founded the SBC group in 2009 and, in 15 years, turned it into one of the pillars of the iGaming and sports betting industry. SBC is far beyond a gambling events or news company. It’s one of the biggest communities of professionals in the gambling industry from all over the world. Rasmus is always looking for the next market that is about to open up, and he’s always available to chat, share ideas, and offer help and advice. Throughout my years in the industry, I’ve grown to like and appreciate him on both personal and professional levels.
Follow Rasmus' LinkedIn here
What iGaming events does Ziv recommend?
The iGaming industry has been a “young” industry for nearly three decades, constantly going through innovation, growth, regulation, and other tectonic shifts. This is why it’s so important to attend industry events and conferences, to try to stay ahead of the curve and keep up with the new technology, game releases, new markets, and the people that drive all these iGaming trends.
SBC Summit North America
"It's not one of the industry’s biggest events (yet), but SBC Summit North America is one of the best places to meet anyone and everyone who’s involved in iGaming in the US and Canada."
Global Gaming Expo
"Also known as G2E, the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas is held by the American Gaming Association, one of the most influential and insightful organizations in the industry. It’s where iGaming and land-based gaming meet."
SBC Summit
"The SBC Summit used to be held in Barcelona, where it was a powerhouse for the global iGaming and online sports betting industry. It’s going to be debuting its new home in Lisbon this year - something we’re all looking forward to!"
Ziv's casino memories
Best gambling experience
- "I walked through the Venitian casino floor at 3 am after a night out in Vegas with colleagues and stumbled by accident on Aristocrat Gaming’s NFL slot. It was like football and casino, my two greatest loves, married into one experience. As I sat to play and started spinning the reels, more football fans gathered around me, and it became a social event. In fact, I had such a great experience so I came back the next day and wrote an article about it."
Worst gambling experience
- "I was sitting at the blackjack tables in Atlantic City, and the guy next to me was down on his luck. As he also had a bit too much to drink, he became abusive and rude to the dealer and blamed her for cheating and scamming him out of his money. It was a reminder of the paramount importance of gambling responsibly, knowing when to stop and walk away, and always treating casino staff with dignity and respect."
"The regulation of iGaming in the US is taking more time than sports betting, but it’s happening slowly but surely. Seven US states have launched iGaming, and each is seeing huge success in tax revenues that benefit the local community. It’s the safest alternative to iGaming, and progress can’t be stopped, so more iGaming states are coming soon - watch this space."
Ziv Chen's top posts
It's not just Ziv doing the research...
Our team of casino writers, editors, and fact checkers triple check everything to ensure we only ever recommend safe, secure casinos. Meet more of our team below:
- Adam Ryan
- A writer and editor with a penchant for games and strategy, Adam has been with the Casino.org team for eight years now. Having written for and edited numerous iGaming brands in his career, he’s something of a content sage when it comes to iGaming copy.
- Alexander Korsager
- Alexander has been immersed in online casinos and iGaming for over 10 years, making him a dynamic General Manager at Casino.org. He uses his vast knowledge of the industry to create content across key global markets.
- Hannah Cutajar
- Hannah has worked on some of the biggest products in the iGaming industry in her career. With over five years’ experience in online casinos, she has worked across 12 markets, including the US, Canada, and New Zealand. She leads a growing team of 14 editors on our mission to help players win more.
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