Ostrow takes over the executive role
Ostrow joined the SGLA as managing director in October 2025 and has overseen its lobbying, communications and public-policy work.
Before joining the organization, he worked at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe on public-policy strategy, including work supporting the Sports Betting Alliance. The SGLA says he also advised Major League Baseball, the NBA and the PGA Tour and previously helped advance fantasy-sports legislation while at FanDuel.
Duncan said Ostrow had demonstrated the policy expertise and collaborative leadership needed to lead the alliance. Duncan, a former South Carolina congressman and a founding partner of Covenant Government Affairs, will remain involved through the board.
The structure gives Ostrow direct responsibility for the organization while keeping its former executive director in a governance and advocacy role.
New board members add operator, legal and policy experience
Two of the four board appointments come from VGW.
Brinkman is VGW’s chief new products officer and works on emerging products and the company’s Social Plus business. Melnick is VGW’s chief government affairs officer and previously held commercial and growth roles at the company, including leadership of Chumba Casino.
Schroeder is general counsel at ARB Interactive, the company behind Modo.us and Publishers Clearing House. His previous roles include legal and compliance work at Tipico North America and Hard Rock Digital.
The composition gives the board direct representation from product development, government affairs, legal compliance and lobbying. That mix is relevant as operators consider state-specific products and alternative models in response to legislation aimed at dual-currency casino games.
A mixed 2026 record shapes the next campaign
The industry lost access to redeemable sweepstakes play in Indiana, Maine, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Tennessee after new laws were enacted in 2026. Similar proposals did not pass in Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi and Virginia.
Iowa took a different route, giving its gaming regulator new cease-and-desist and injunction authority over unlicensed gambling and “illegal sweepstakes” without creating a blanket statutory ban on every sweepstakes casino.
That record gives both sides material for the next round. Opponents can point to five enacted laws and continued enforcement. The SGLA can point to bills that failed, as well as lawmakers who considered regulation or further study instead of prohibition.
It would be difficult to attribute those outcomes to one executive or advocacy group. State bills turn on local politics, tribal and commercial gaming interests, legislative calendars and the wording of each proposal. The clearer conclusion is that the SGLA now has a full cycle of 2026 results to inform how it allocates staff and lobbying resources.
Preparation for 2027 has already begun
Virginia provides one concrete example of why the alliance is looking ahead before 2026 ends. A proposal targeting sweepstakes casinos was carried over for further consideration rather than fully resolved, leaving the issue available for the 2027 session.
Other states may revisit bills that stalled or failed. Operators also face enforcement outside the legislative process, including cease-and-desist campaigns in states such as Arizona and Illinois.
The SGLA leadership change is therefore best framed as an organizational response to the current cycle, not a retrospective declaration that the year is complete. Ostrow’s promotion places the person responsible for lobbying and policy strategy at the top of the organization. The expanded board adds executives who deal directly with product design, legal exposure and state relations.
Whether that structure improves the alliance’s results will be tested in the next round of state sessions.
Sources:
- SGLA announcement, July 8, 2026: https://sgleadership.org/
- SGLA leadership biographies: https://sgleadership.org/about-us/
- Iowa Legislature, SF 2289: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/billTracking/billHistory?billName=SF2289&ga=91
Blaise Luis
