The Social Gaming Leadership Alliance (SGLA) was established by market leader VGW to unite interactive entertainment leaders, service providers and players to advance free, safe and engaging Social Plus games.
Social Plus games operators must provide free-to-play experiences where players can always participate without payment. SGLA operators must also provide options for sweepstakes participation, including instantly available online entries (such as through daily rewards), and an ”on-request” option that is easily available and clearly disclosed.
Digital environments can be targets for financial crime, which is why we believe Social Plus games operators must implement robust security protocols and data protection standards that meet or exceed industry requirements. Operators should maintain industry-leading ‘Know Your Customer’ (KYC) processes and governance frameworks, and anti-money laundering policies and procedures.
SGLA partners believe casino-themed social games and promotions should be only for adults. Operators should have robust customer age, identity and geolocation technology requirements and processes to prevent access to games and platforms by minors.
Veteran policy strategist Sean Ostrow oversees SGLA’s state and federal lobbying, communications and public policy initiatives. He brings more than a decade of experience in the gaming industry as a consultant and strategist with Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe LLP, including the Sports Betting Alliance’s nationwide campaign to advance sports betting legislation. Sean also advised major clients including Major League Baseball, the NBA, and the PGA Tour in that role.
Earlier in his career at FanDuel, he played a pivotal role in passing fantasy sports legislation in multiple states. Sean began his professional journey in public service with the Kansas state government as a Revisor of Statutes and staff attorney before transitioning to the private sector.
He has a BA in English and Psychology from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, and a JD from the University of Kansas.
In 2010, Jeff was elected to represent South Carolina’s Third Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, a position he held with distinction until 2025. His tenure was marked by significant contributions across several domains, including energy, homeland security and others.
Jeff was an integral part of the Republican Whip Team, a member of the Leadership Council under Majority Leader Steve Scalise and contributed significantly to the Republican Study Committee’s Steering Committee and Executive Board. Prior to serving in Congress, Jeff was a member of the South Carolina General Assembly from 2002 to 2010.
Before venturing into the political arena, Jeff began his career as a community banker and later founded his own real estate marketing firm. Separate to his role at the SGLA, Jeff is also a Founding Partner at Covenant Government Affairs.
Bryan serves as General Counsel at ARB Interactive and has a robust background in legal and compliance roles within the gaming industry.
Bryan previously held significant positions at Parx Casino, including Deputy General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer, where he oversaw compliance for gaming and racing operations. With experience as an Associate at various law firms as well as the SVP – Legal & Compliance at Tipico North America and VP – Compliance Officer for Hard Rock Digital, Bryan has effectively managed legal, regulatory, and compliance matters across multiple jurisdictions.
Bryan earned a J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law and a B.S.E. in Education/History from Seton Hall University.
Lloyd is Chief Government Affairs Officer at VGW. Previously, as Chief Growth Officer, he led new product development and corporate strategy, including the launch of Monopoly Slots. Prior to that role, Lloyd was General Manager of Chumba Casino, where he helped drive the growth of the Social Plus (sweepstakes) gaming sector from a few hundred million dollars in annual revenue to more than $6 billion.
Melnick is a serial builder of gaming businesses and has served on the executive leadership teams of three companies through successful exits, including acquisitions by Disney and Zynga. Lloyd has held senior leadership roles at The Stars Group, Zynga, Disney, Merscom, and Spooky Cool Labs.
With more than two decades of experience across gaming, social casino, and interactive entertainment, he has built and scaled businesses ranging from startups to global market leaders.
Derek is an accomplished executive with extensive experience in product management and business operations within the technology and gaming industries. Derek has been with VGW since 2017 and is currently serving as the Chief New Products Officer after previous VGW roles as GM of LuckyLand Slots and Chief Product Officer. Derek currently oversees overall business operations and P&L for all new products while supporting the VGW Social Plus business which he helped to scale at VGW by leading the company’s expansion in the United States after the acquisition of his previous OpenWager business by VGW in 2017.
Previously, as Vice President of Product at OpenWager, Derek played a pivotal role in establishing the company’s social casino platform and facilitated the transition of most employees to VGW. Derek also founded Sveer VR, a 360 Video and Virtual Reality production house, and held key positions at TOUT, IGN Entertainment, ContextWeb, and Register.com, contributing to various innovative product initiatives. Derek holds a BA in Economics and Anthropology from Columbia University.
