Online gambling veteran to head tribal software initiative
News on 16 Apr 2014
News on 16 Apr 2014
The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in California has announced that its digital development company, San Manuel Digital, LLC, has hired i-gaming veteran Matthew Cullen as Chief Executive Officer.
The San Manuel band is an important element in the debate on internet poker legalisation in California.
Cullen can boast more than 20 years of entertainment and online gaming experience in the United States and internationally, most recently as president and chief business development officer of RocketPlay, a cross-platform social casino operator. He has also been involved in management positions with Betfair.
He will be responsible for identifying business opportunities in the fast-growing i-gaming and social gaming space, reporting directly to SMD’s Board of Managers.
“San Manuel looks to the future with a clear understanding that technology will be a critical factor to the success of the gaming and entertainment industry overall, and has created San Manuel Digital to direct development and pursue opportunities in that area,” said Carla Rodriguez, chairperson of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.
“Mr. Cullen’s skills, expertise and history of success in interactive and social gaming will enhance our ability to maintain a leadership position in the industry.”
As president of RocketPlay, Cullen was in charge of developing and executing the company’s business strategy across the Facebook, iOS and Android platforms. He participated in raising operating capital from Pitango Venture Capital, the largest VC fund in Israel.
He also led the acquisition and integration of a mobile social casino development company, which was acquired in 2012 by RocketPlay. In addition, he executed the company’s third party publishing relationship with Zynga.
“I am fortunate to be on the cutting edge of interactive gaming technology, the application of which continues to impact the entire gaming industry in significant ways. The opportunity to lead the i-gaming effort of San Manuel Digital is a challenge that I embrace with commitment,” Cullen said.
Cullen is a founder and board member of the International Social Games Association, which was formed to educate and inform the public, policy makers and regulators about social gaming, as well as develop and promote a unified set of socially-responsible values to its members. Members of the ISGA include RocketPlay, Caesar’s, MGM, IGT, Aristocrat, Gamesys, Play Studios and Plumbee.
Prior to RocketPlay, Cullen was the vice president of business development, U.S. New Ventures, for Betfair, where he was tasked with forging the Betfair Group’s strategic U.S. partnerships across a wide variety of gaming sectors, including poker, casino games, sports betting, horse racing, and fantasy sports.
Before joining Betfair, Cullen launched and was influential in successful start-ups across the digital media landscape, including companies involved in serving the real estate industry as well as the development of search engines and interactive television.
