Global gaming infrastructure business Inspired Entertainment has hired Simona Camilleri as general counsel, replacing Carys Damon who will remain on in her role as corporate secretary.

Camilleri is joining from sports betting software-provider Sportingtech, where she was chief legal and compliance officer on a contract basis. She will take up her new role at Inspired on 1 July, and brings with her almost two decades of legal experience in fields including iGaming, payments regulation and blockchain, as well as M&A, privacy law, licensing and negotiation. At Inspired she will be responsible for handling all legal and regulatory matters.

New York-headquartered Inspired Entertainment makes a range of gaming machines that are located in betting shops, pubs and gaming halls. It also provides virtual gaming services, such as the 2020 virtual Grand National, and digital games. 

Brooks Pierce, president and CEO of Inspired, said: “I have had the pleasure of working with [Camilleri] at Scientific Games UK Group and know firsthand the value she will brings to our organisation. Simona’s expertise in both the commercial, legal and regulatory side of gaming will be invaluable for Inspired as we continue to build our business globally.”

Camilleri spent just over a year at Sportingtech, having previously been CLO at online casino Casumo. Prior to that she worked as head of legal and compliance at Payhound, a crypto payments business that she co-founded. She also held head of legal roles at B2B gaming industry content provider Booming Games and bitcoin services provider Cubits, among others. Earlier in her career she was UK counsel for lottery services business Scientific Games, which makes scratch cards and other lottery-related tech.

Damon, meantime, steps down from the GC role after six and a half years. She originally joined the company in 2012 as assistant GC from London firm Marriott Harrison, where she was a solicitor in its media and technology department.

Pierce added: [Damon’s] guidance has been instrumental in our success, and we look forward to her continued contributions.”