VOL 27 ISSUE 25, June 22, 2026
Main caption: Delaware North’s gaming business on June 16 hosted the internal companywide launch of Ember Entertainment, which included an information session at corporate headquarters to highlight the new unifying brand. Pictured above during the information session (left to right) are Jason Gregorec, president of gaming; Lee Terfloth, chief interactive gaming officer; Catherine Leitner, interim chief marketing officer for Delaware North; Jeff Taips, chief operating officer of Gaming; and Jill Eden, vice president of marketing for gaming.
Delaware North’s gaming business has a new brand name – Ember Entertainment™ – under which the company’s brick-and-mortar casinos, digital gaming and gaming loyalty rewards program are being unified.
The new overall brand, a first for Delaware North’s gaming business, creates a single ecosystem with connected experiences and a seamless player journey for its gaming customers.
“Delaware North has created a cohesive identity for our gaming business that reflects modern consumer expectations and positions us for growth in a rapidly expanding category,” said Jason Gregorec, president of Delaware North’s gaming business, going forward as Ember Entertainment.
“The new omnichannel presence creates seamless customer engagement across all channels – physical, digital and experiential – connecting brick-and-mortar, digital gaming, sportsbook and rewards, as well as dining, lodging and retail at our gaming properties,” Gregorec said.
The larger rebrand, which is scheduled to formally take effect and be launched externally on July 1, follows the recent debut of the new brand with the successful launch of Ember Casino™ New Jersey as Delaware North entered the state’s online gaming sector.
Gregorec was joined by other company gaming leaders on June 16 at global headquarters in Buffalo for the internal companywide launch of Ember Entertainment. The launch featured an information session that was livestreamed to locations and team members across the enterprise, followed by a “Rock the Ember” evening celebration.
In addition to Gregorec, the information session featured moderator Catherine Leitner, interim chief marketing officer; and three gaming leaders: Jeff Taips, chief operating officer; Lee Terfloth, chief interactive gaming officer; and Jill Eden, vice president of marketing.
The components of the Ember rebrand
During the session, they outlined the yearlong process to develop Ember Entertainment and how the new brand is represented in Delaware North’s now-omnichannel gaming experience. Their live insights echoed how the brand will be formally announced on July 1:
Ember Entertainment ™ (Overall Brand) – Delaware North’s gaming business had long operated under the formal subsidiary name of Delaware North Gaming & Entertainment, or simply as “Delaware North’s gaming business.” It will now be known as Ember Entertainment.
“Ember” signifies hospitality to guests while being accessible – representing warmth, energy, potential and transformation. The idea of an ember sparking something larger naturally reflects the company’s vision of connecting physical casinos, digital gaming, rewards and entertainment experiences.
“This isn’t just a new name or a new logo,” Eden said. “It’s a commitment to delivering an elevated, personalized experience for every single guest, whether they are visiting us in person or playing from home. Ember represents not just a new identity, but a more connected guest journey across every touchpoint.”
The Ember Entertainment brand was largely developed in house by Eden, her marketing team and the Delaware creative and brand teams, which have deep experience in brand development and management.
Ember Rewards™ – The current Lucky North Rewards loyalty program is becoming Ember Rewards and can be used across all Ember Entertainment properties and will soon include online offerings as available. An Ember Rewards app is being developed for deployment in the coming months.
“Integrating physical and digital gaming through a unified rewards platform was a key objective in enhancing the overall customer journey and cross-property and cross-platform engagement,” Eden said.
Current memberships are automatically rolling over without a need for members to reapply. Within Ember Rewards, points-earning ratios and balances stay the same but with new on-brand tier names: Spark, Ignite, Flame, Blaze and Phoenix. Benefits include eligibility for various gaming offers, hotel stays, gifts, dining, casino amenities and travel packages, including with Carnival Cruise Line®, Palm Casino Resort in Las Vegas and Yaamava’ Resort & Casino near Los Angeles.
In addition, the former Lucky North Destinations program is continuing as Ember Destinations, offering players access to destinations where Delaware North’s Parks and Resorts division operates, including Yellowstone, Yosemite and Grand Canyon national parks, Niagara Falls State Park and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.
Ember Casino™ (Online Gaming) – Delaware North’s online casino, which had operated in West Virginia under the proprietary Betly brand, is now Ember Casino. In addition to the transition in West Virginia, the new brand recently debuted with the successful Ember Casino New Jersey launch, and Delaware North plans to expand Ember Casino to other states.
Ember Casino is powered by leading online gaming platform and services provider Playtech and features games from top online gaming content providers.
“Our focus is on creating unique player experiences that stand apart from a market that can sometimes feel very similar across operators,” Terfloth said. “Delaware North has built a reputation around hospitality and industry-leading guest service, so the customer experience is also a major focus area in our online gaming space.”
Ember Sportsbook™ (Online Sports Betting) – Ember Sportsbook is replacing Betly for online sports betting in West Virginia. In Arkansas, Delaware North in March transitioned its Betly online sports betting platform through the company’s Southland Casino Hotel to DraftKings via a market-access agreement.
Ember Jackpot Casino™ – Ember Jackpot Casino replaces Lucky North Casino as Delaware North’s free-to-play social casino and is now integrated with the rewards program for the first time.
Available in 49 states, Ember Jackpot Casino continues to be operated by Ruby Seven Studios, Delaware North’s award-winning social casino development company, which has developed and operates social casinos for more than a dozen leading casino companies.
Brick-and-Mortar Casino Portfolio – While Delaware North’s brick-and-mortar casinos and other gaming locations fall under the Ember Entertainment umbrella and are leveraging Ember Rewards for their guests, they are retaining their primary branding. Select properties could be sub-branded in the future with the tagline “An Ember Entertainment Property.”
Delaware North’s portfolio features the super-regional Southland Casino Hotel in West Memphis Ark.; Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack and Mardi Gras Casino & Resort in West Virginia; Gate City Casino in Nashua, N.H.; Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack and Hamburg Gaming in New York; and Daytona Beach Racing and Card Club and Orange City Racing & Card Club in Florida. Mindil Beach Casino Resort in Darwin, Australia, will follow in 2027.
“This is the next major step in the evolution of Delaware North’s gaming business from becoming a leading racino operator 20 years ago to a fast-growing operator of superregional and regional casinos and other gaming venues, as well as online gaming,” Gregorec said.
The new omnichannel Ember Entertainment branding will also create marketing efficiency by enabling cross-channel campaigns, unified messaging and scalable promotions.
“There will be significant brand awareness where there had been little beyond the individual regional casino branding, creating instant recognition and credibility by linking all channels together,” Eden said.