iGB is pleased to announce the first of three write-ups honouring the 2024 winners of our Most Influential Women campaign.
A hugely diverse group of women make up this year’s list of iGB’s Most Influential Women and it really serves to represent what a fascinating mix of sub-sectors, roles and personalities form the gaming world.
From PR and comms, to gaming law, marketing, recruitment and sales, these women come from all walks of life but have come together under the common theme of influence and inspiration among their colleagues.
When approached, our winners were all particularly humbled to be recognised in this seventh annual edition of the list. The call for submissions this year was launched in October and a highly reputable panel of judges was formed.
When submissions closed at the end of October, we decided to switch up the judging process and adopt a scoring system that considered how shortlisted nominees had enacted change within their roles both at a company and industry level.
Judges were also tasked with rating their visibility within the sector and their respective companies and finally their capacity to enact change in the future. The panel was impressed with the quality of candidates and largely agreed on the final 10.
Thank you to all those that submitted nominations, to our judges for their time and efforts and to those listed this year for forging change and influence within our sector.
Our first three Most Influential Women 2024 winners are:
Grainne Hurst
CEO, Betting and Gaming Council (BGC)
Hurst is one of the most recognisable names on the list, thanks to her hugely visible role at the helm of the UK gambling industry’s leading trade body. The BGC is at the heart of UK gambling in its role as the industry’s representative.
Hurst was welcomed into the position in September and hit the ground running. Shortly after her promotion, the group published its first report on the scale of the gambling black market in the UK. In it she calls for a more holistic approach to tackling the problem, as enforcement is “only part of the solution” she said at the time.
She transitioned into the role during a truly pivotal period for gambling, particularly in the UK, where the sector is grappling with deep-rooted reforms introduced by the previous government’s white paper.
“There is a huge amount of work ahead of us, not least delivering and implementing the outstanding proposals outlined in last year’s white paper, many of which our members called for,” Hurst said upon taking the helm at the BGC.
“Our members are rightly proud of their vital role in the UK entertainment industry, and the significant part they play supporting the local and national economies through tax and high value jobs.”
Black market battle
Intercepting the black market is at the top of Hurst’s to-do list. “My priority is ensuring we do everything in our power to do our job on this,” she told iGB in a November interview. “We have to be continually promoting and enhancing the BGC’s member’s role in the leisure, entertainment and tourism sector and ensuring policymakers and the wider public recognise there is a huge difference between us and the unsafe, unregulated gambling black market.”
It’s an overwhelming undertaking for Hurst, BGC and the sector as a whole, as many enforcement efforts have so far not been successful in mitigating black market activity. However, Hurst is wasting no time in taking on the issue and believes a unified approach will be beneficial in this battle.
“We can also work with partner trade bodies abroad, because fundamentally, this is an international challenge. I was proud this year to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the American Gaming Association and the European Casino Association. I am excited to see where that takes us and what outcomes it secures,” she added.
“We need to keep the pressure on and keep raising this issue [of the black market] in the media and with policymakers, and ensure those other stakeholders are aware they have skin in this game too.”
Career preperations
Hurst jumped into action quickly in her role with the BGC. Her background in the civil service as an advisor and her subsequent work in corporate affairs for UK gambling powerhouse Entain prepared her for life as a prominent figure, where scrutiny from the sector and the public is often part of the role.
But Hurst is not afraid to stand her ground and, over her time in gambling, she has gained the respect of her peers. Elsewhere, she is a board member for Global Gaming Women (GGW) and is an active participant in its events. In 2023 she was honoured with the group’s Patty Becker “Pay It Forward” award for demonstrating “outstanding commitment to the development and advancement of women, GGW and the community” the group said at the time.
“There is a huge amount of work ahead of us, not least delivering and implementing the outstanding proposals outlined in last year’s white paper.”
Grainne Hurst
Purity Wahiu
Director and managing partner, Stellar Bets
Purity Wahiu took her first gaming job in late 2017 and has enjoyed a meteoric rise since. She currently serves as director and managing partner at Stellar Bets, having made the move over from Palms Bet in November 2024. Her gaming career started as a retail training specialist at Betin, taking in stops at operators such as Inbet and DafaBet as it evolved and expanded into online.
It all comes down to the strength of her network, she says. “Building a network is very important,” Wahiu explains. “[But] as much as having network is important, integrity is the key thing.
“If you do the right thing at the right time in the right way, people will think highly of you,” she says. “As much as you have that network, it depends on what you put into that network.”
The odds were not in her favour, she says. “When I joined, no one believed I would make it. But it just takes one person to believe in you.” And she wants to continue that cycle and ensure the industry is inclusive and diverse.
“We are in an era where there is so much innovation and what I want to achieve in my career is encouraging a generation that never shies away from taking on a position, especially women.”
A new generation of women in gaming emerges
And she sees a new generation starting to emerge. She picks out esports pioneer Faith Dorothy Ahurira, founder of Gamer Girls Uganda, as someone who has climbed all hurdles in her path as an esports athlete and advocate for women. Then there’s Emily Asava, currently at SA Gaming, as someone she sees as an emerging industry talent.
Wahiu aims to foster that inclusive culture by bringing in more talent, using her training skills to encourage more women to join gaming from other industries. “I feel women need to be heard and need to be included,” she says. “My biggest achievement will be mentoring that next generation.”
To be recognised for her efforts and named one of iGB’s Most Influential Women for 2024 is “a huge honour”, she says. “I’m so grateful; I didn’t know that people from all over the world would know my name and that I’d be in this position one day.”
It’s her network that ultimately brought her into the industry. She had left a role in procurement, when a call from a former client led her to Betin. That network may have brought her into the industry, but it’s what she’s put in to supporting the companies and people within it that’s made her a key industry figure.
I want to encourage a generation that never shies away from taking on a position, especially women.”
Purity Wahiu
Erica L Okerberg
Vice chair gaming practice and shareholder, Greenberg Traurig
“It’s a privilege to be recognised alongside the incredible women listed in this year’s iGB Most Influential Women campaign,” Okerberg enthuses. “The calibre of previous winners is impressive so it’s quite an honour to be included for the same recognition.”
The legal space is ever evolving,and varied cases and projects have kept Okerberg on her toes throughout her career. She has advised and worked for land-based and online casino operators, as well as sports wagering operators and private equity funds and thus has a wide-reaching understanding of the sector’s legal complexities.
But Okerberg says mentorships have helped propel her through her career. “Mentorship (both formal and informal) has been vital to helping me grow and build my career within the industry. The support that I’ve received [from within the sector] and especially from some key mentors has been wonderful,” she recalls.
Her goal is to repay that favour and foster a nurturing environment for other women through mentoring young women entering the industry and advocating for continued growth in diversity.
Celebrating women’s successes
“I love seeing women’s successes highlighted in an industry where we are building presence and leadership. Reading about other women succeeding in their business endeavours promotes gender diversity, creates bonds and strengthens our culture, and inspires future women leaders,” says Okerberg.
Okerberg has received a number of accolades for her work within the sector, including GGW’s Patty Becker “Pay It Forward” award, a listing in Chambers USA’s Best Lawyers in America campaign and the 2024 Vegas Inc “40 Under 40” List.
She names previous Most Influential Women winner and FanDuel CEO Amy Howe as a shining beacon of inspiration and influence for her, as “she is a great leader and a champion of women in the industry.”
“The calibre of previous [MIW] winners is impressive so it’s quite an honour to be included for the same recognition.”
Erica L Okerberg
Over the course of this week iGB will release its full list of the 10 Most Influential Women in gaming for 2024. This year’s judging panel can be found here and here.
