Lakewood, N.J. (September 28, 2026) – Gaming Laboratories International (GLI®) announced today that gaming industry icon Gavin Isaacs has joined its Board of Directors in an advisory position, with formal appointment subject to regulatory review and approval.
Isaacs will serve alongside CVC, represented by Alexander Heerkens Thijssen, Matt Turner, and Zach Kelly, as well as GLI President & CEO James Maida.
Isaacs is a seasoned CEO and Board Director with more than 25 years of leadership experience across the global gaming, iGaming, sports betting, and lottery industries. He has built a career distinguished by driving transformational growth, overseeing strategic mergers and acquisitions totaling over $10 billion, and delivering consistent shareholder value through both organic expansion and successful turnarounds. His work spans public and private companies, from multi billion-dollar global enterprises to innovative startups.
Recognized for his contributions to the industry, he has received the Casino Management Association Gaming Professional of the Year Award (2004), the International Gaming Awards Outstanding Contribution Award (2017), the AGEM Jens Halle Memorial Award (2018), and induction into the American Gaming Association Hall of Fame (2022).
He remains active as a strategic advisor, investor, and board member, leveraging his global experience and deep industry knowledge to shape the future of gaming and interactive entertainment.
“I am thrilled that Gavin is joining the GLI board. The board and I as CEO have ambitious plans that will further propel GLI globally over the next several years, and Gavin’s decades of experience, vision, and history of innovation make him a perfect partner as we move forward,” Maida said.
“I am excited to join the Board of GLI as it embarks on its next stage of growth. I look forward to working with James Maida and CVC as we build upon the incredible business built by James and his team over the past 37 years,” Isaacs said.
In June, GLI and leading global investment firm CVC announced they had entered into a strategic partnership to support GLI’s continued growth and long-term development. CVC, through its long duration investment platform Strategic Opportunities, completed an investment into GLI and related entities.
About Gaming Laboratories International
Gaming Laboratories International (GLI®) is a world-class, Testing, Inspections and Certification (TIC) company committed to delivering the highest quality land-based, lottery, and iGaming testing and assessment services around the world. GLI provides suppliers, operators, and regulators with expert guidance for navigating the future of gaming and ensuring gaming innovations meet regulatory standards with confidence. Since 1989, GLI has certified nearly 2 million items and has tested equipment for more than 710 jurisdictions, resulting in over 5.3 million approved gaming components. GLI has a global network of laboratory locations across six continents, with U.S. and international accreditations for compliance with ISO/IEC standards for technical competence in the gaming, wagering, and lottery industries. For more information, visit gaminglabs.com.
About CVC
CVC is a leading global private markets manager with a network of 29 office locations throughout EMEA, the Americas, and Asia, with approximately €209 billion of assets under management. The CVC Strategic Opportunities platform was established in response to growing demand from large investors to be able to invest longer term in high-quality businesses. The platform provides partnership capital to make control, co-control, and minority investments in companies with a longer-term return profile and a secure capital structure. For further information about CVC Strategic Opportunities please visit: www.cvc.com/strategies/strategic-opportunities/.
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For GLI
Christie Eickelman, Vice President of Global Marketing
c.eickelman@gaminglabs.com
For CVC
Nick Board, Director, Communications
nboard@cvc.com