New GM to take over at del Lago; co-owner makes 2nd Visit to Albany

In a Monday news release, Del Lago Resort & Casino announced that Mark Juliano, a 30-year veteran of the casino gaming industry, will assume the role of general manager of the $440 million upstate New York property.

Pending regulatory approval, Juliano will take over as general manager on July 9. He replaces Jeff Babinski, who until March 31 this year served as executive vice president and general manager of the facility in Seneca County and oversaw construction and its opening in February 2017. On April 9, 2018, Babinski took over as general manager of the Kansas Star Casino near Wichita.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to join the talented del Lago team and become an active member of the community,” said Juliano in a press release, according to Business Journal News Network. “Del Lago is an incredible property nestled in a vibrant region, and I look forward to contributing to its growth and the growth of the community.”

As del Lago’s new general manager, Juliano will manage the businesses’ growth and oversee all aspects of staffing operations.

Juliano, who served on the Casino Association of New Jersey, has an extensive résumé, which reportedly includes a several-year stint as chief gaming officer of Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and president of Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Chief Operating Officer for del Lago, Aaron Grimes, said that they are “delighted to have a proven industry leader with a track record of enormous success join our team and that Juliano is the “perfect fit” for the property owned by Wilmorite and Peninsula Pacific, and operated by JNB Gaming, and that they are looking forward to having him take over.

Grimes goes on to say, “Mark’s pedigree in the resort and casino industry, coupled with his role in economic development initiatives in and around New Jersey, bringing the ideal mix of casino and resort operations and community experience. He is perfectly positioned to support not only the continued growth of our property, but our region as well.”

The first of four commercial casinos in New York to open after voters approved a 2013 referendum altering the state’s constitution, the 12,407 square foot facility’s overall first-year revenues were reportedly drastically lower than expected. In late March, the business’s co-owner, Tom Wilmot, made the trek to Albany in what was an unsuccessful push for a lower tax rate for the struggling venue.

The Rochester shopping mall magnate again traveled to Albany and met with Governor Cuomo’s administration. The June 12^th meeting with members of the governor’s budget division, however, was unclear, as the Democrat & Chronicle reports that a spokesman for del Lago opted not to comment on the meeting’s topics of discussion.