Hard Rock CEO to receive Lifetime Achievement Award

(PRESS RELEASE) -- Gaming industry pioneer Jim Allen will be honored for his lifetime of accomplishments at the 28th Annual East Coast Gaming Congress to be held from 15-16 April 2025 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Atlantic City.

ECGC is the longest-running gaming conference in the United States, and has only presented six Lifetime Achievement awards in its 28-year history. Recent recipients included former regulator David Rebuck and veteran gaming executives Virginia McDowell and Tim Wilmott.

“Jim’s accomplishments as Chief Executive Officer of Seminole Gaming, Chairman of Hard Rock International, Hard Rock Digital, and as Chairman of the American Gaming Association are unparalleled,” said Lloyd D. Levenson, CEO of the Cooper Levenson law firm and a co-founder of ECGC.

“Jim Allen’s 44-year career trajectory, from a line cook to leading CEO, should inspire everyone who works in this industry. Along his path to success, he never forgot where he came from,” said conference co-founder Michael Pollock.

Allen has led the development of Seminole Gaming into one of the world’s most successful casino and integrated resort operators, as well as the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s 2007 acquisition of Hard Rock International (HRI), the first acquisition of a major international company by a North American Indian Tribe. As Chairman of Hard Rock International, Allen oversees all operations of one of the most globally recognized brands, known for its unique intersection of music, celebrity and philanthropy. Here is a partial list of Jim Allen’s accomplishments:

- Envisioning and creating the iconic Guitar Hotel as part of the expansion of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood. The completed integrated resort is one of the world’s greatest entertainment complexes and consistently presents top tier performers including Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Andrea Bocelli, Stevie Nicks, Chris Rock and many more.
- Expanding Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa multiple times and guiding its growth into one of the world’s largest and most successful casino complexes, with a 2019 expansion that more than tripled the number of hotel guestrooms and suites.
- Opening Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, created from the former Trump Taj Mahal, after Allen negotiated its 2017 purchase. It is consistently Atlantic City’s top performing casino on the famed Boardwalk. In the process, Allen has also established positive working relationships with labor unions in New Jersey, New York and other markets.
- Acquiring the Mirage Resort in Las Vegas and announcing plans to redevelop it as Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, with construction of approximately 700-foot-tall Guitar Hotel fronting the Las Vegas Strip.
- Uniting the development rights for Hard Rock in North America by acquiring the development rights west of the Mississippi River, making possible the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas and other Hard Rock future opportunities.
- International expansion of the Hard Rock brand, with new casino complexes open in Punta Cana and Ottawa, and others under construction or in development in Athens, London, Mexico City, Barcelona and Japan.
- Establishing Hard Rock Digital as a global online gaming organization, with U.S. operations in New Jersey, Arizona, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia and Florida, where Hard Rock Bet has become the nation’s largest statewide sports betting business.
- Orchestrating the creation of Unity by Hard Rock, a unique global loyalty program allowing participants to earn and redeem rewards at participating hotels, casinos, cafes, rock shops and more.
- Making Hard Rock a founding partner with F1 Miami and F1 Las Vegas, a sponsor of Oracle Red Bull Racing, a strategic partner of Lionel Messi and many other professional sports teams and personalities.

The 28th ECGC will again include keynote addresses from major industry CEOs. Additional speakers include a wide range of leading regulators, suppliers, investors and other experts who will address a broad array of topics that are central to the future of gaming.

The conference will again provide outstanding opportunities for sponsorships, networking, professional development, and business-to-business discussions.