Seneca Resorts & Casinos names hicham Jaddoud Senior Vice President of Resort Operations. NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK (May 7, 2026) - Seneca Resorts & Casinos has promoted a leader at its flagship property to a role on the company's senior management team overseeing resort operations across its three world-class destinations. Hicham Jaddoud was named Senior Vice President of Resort Operations. In this role, Jaddoud will develop and lead the implementation of the hospitality operational strategy across all Seneca Resorts & Casinos properties. He will work with leadership across several operational areas to ensure guest service standards that align with Seneca Resorts & Casinos' brand service strategy to meet and exceed guests' needs, accomplish strategic objectives, and enhance the overall hospitality experience for millions of annual guests. "Our Seneca Resorts & Casinos properties have the honor of providing a world-class experience to thousands of guests every day," said Seneca Resorts & Casinos Chief Operating Officer Kimberlee Dunlop. "Hicham is well in tune with our goals and standards, and we are excited for him to incorporate his demonstrated experience and vision and elevate that standard even higher across our three properties." Jaddoud joined Seneca Resorts & Casinos in 2025 as Executive Director of Hotel Operations at Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino, leading the resort's 26-story, 604-room Four Diamond Award-winning hotel. He previously held management roles at casino resorts in Washington, Colorado, Wisconsin, New York, Alabama and Missouri, as well as at non-gaming resort and hotel properties in Georgia and Oklahoma. A graduate of Université de Perpignan in France, Jaddoud earned an MBA from Lindenwood University in St. Louis, and an Executive Doctorate in Business from Georgia State University. He also holds several professional certifications. Seneca Resorts & Casinos operates three world-class gaming and entertainment resorts - Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino in Niagara Falls, NY, Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino in Salamanca, NY and Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in Buffalo, NY - along with the award-winning Seneca Hickory Stick Golf Course in Lewiston. The AAA Four Diamond Award-winning hotels at Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino and Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino offer over 1,000 deluxe rooms and suites, combined, along with high-end spa, salon, retail and additional amenities. "Our team members embrace a strong commitment to service standards and a shared focus on the guest experience at each of our properties," Jaddoud said. "We want the resort experience to begin the moment our guests arrive and continue with them throughout each area of the property, whether they are enjoying a round of golf, rejuvenating with a spa treatment, staying overnight in the hotel, or immersing themselves in the excitement of the gaming floor or live entertainment." Jaddoud's appointment comes as Seneca Resorts & Casinos builds out its new Centers of Excellence organizational model. The company is creating strategic responsibility for key revenue drivers and customer service into corporate roles with enterprise-wide oversight and responsibility. The Centers of Excellence model is designed to improve overall focus on customer service and service delivery, while also identifying operational efficiencies, creating appropriate consistencies across all properties, and aiding in talent identification and development for succession planning. Over the past two decades, the three Seneca Resorts & Casinos properties have all become premier destinations for millions of guests who visit every year from across the United States and Canada, and around the world. For more information, visit SenecaCasinos.com.

NYC 2026: tribal casinos are preparing for iCasino expansion. US tribal casino operators are gearing up to face online expansion after Seneca Gaming outlined its preparations for a potential shift toward iCasino in New York. Kimberlee Dunlop, COO of the Seneca Nation's Seneca Gaming Corporation, is adamant that online casino gaming will eventually be approved in New York. From her perspective, the debate no longer centres on whether it will happen but when. While the panel focused on the prospect of increased competition for tribal operators, there was no discussion about New York's plans to add three downstate casinos. What is Seneca Gaming? Seneca Gaming's operations focus primarily on its three land-based casinos in western New York - the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel in Niagara Falls, Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel in Salamanca, and Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in Buffalo. For tribal operators, the issue now is preparation. Existing retail properties still need to generate strong revenue, even as the broader market slowly edges towards online. Dunlop said that the tribe recently reworked its management structure, shifting toward centralised operational "centres of excellence" to oversee gaming, food and beverage, and resort operations. Seneca Gaming opened its first casino in Niagara Falls in 2002 under its gaming compact with New York State. Additional properties followed in Salamanca and Buffalo, creating a regional presence that now faces growing competition. According to Dunlop, there are many more gaming competitors in the area. The number of venues has risen from less than 10 to more than 50 in the last 20 years. The tribe began sports betting on its properties on New Year's Eve in 2019. However, the COVID-19 pandemic soon followed, which temporarily closed sports venues and hindered the beginning of sports betting in the state. Mobile sports betting began in the state in 2022, which moved the betting online. iCasino only one part of a larger gaming picture. Dunlop said retail sportsbooks at Seneca properties now serve more as entertainment features than major sources of revenue. She expects a similar pattern once New York legalises online casino gaming. Tribal operators are examining how digital platforms could work alongside their land-based casinos, rather than replace them. One strategy centres on improving the overall property experience. Seneca Gaming has launched a multi-year investment programme aimed at renovating facilities and upgrading amenities across its three casinos. Dunlop said another shift is happening at an operational level. Data and analytics are playing a larger role as casino companies weigh how traditional properties could function alongside future online gaming. Across the industry, operators now rely more heavily on AI systems to review player activity and shape promotional campaigns around observed behaviour. At the same time, tribal operators are putting greater emphasis on the overall guest experience. Dining, live entertainment, and nightlife have become important draws that help keep visitors coming back. Industry surveys reflect that change. Many casino guests now visit primarily for restaurants or entertainment, with gambling only one part of the overall outing. Executives speaking at NEXT NYC 2026 believe operators who successfully connect their online platforms with on-property experiences will have a clear advantage.