Penn Entertainment Taps Longtime Louisiana Gaming Regulator Ronnie Jones
Posted on: August 4, 2025, 10:52h.
Last updated on: August 4, 2025, 10:53h.
- Ronnie Jones is joining Penn Entertainment
- Jones previously led the Louisiana Gaming Control Board
- Jones will serve on the Hollywood casino company’s compliance committee
Penn Entertainment is bringing aboard a veteran gaming regulator to help lead the Pennsylvania-based gaming operator’s Compliance Committee.

On Monday, Penn announced the appointment of Ronnie Jones as an independent, non-director member. He will serve on the company’s Compliance Committee, which is led by another independent, non-director in Thomas Auriemma.
Jones led the Louisiana Gaming Control Board (LGCB) as chair from 2013 until 2020. His 45-year career in public service additionally included more than three decades with the Louisiana State Police.
Ronnie is a well-respected leader in the regulated gaming space, and with his background and experience we’re pleased to add him as an independent member of our Compliance Committee,” said Jay Snowden, PENN’s CEO and president. “Ronnie’s wealth of industry experience will be an asset to the important work of the committee, which is central to our longstanding commitment to gaming industry compliance and integrity.”
Ronnie Jones is not to be confused with Ronnie Johns, who led the LGCB from 2021 until June 2024.
Penn Entertainment owns and/or operates 43 gaming and racing properties in 20 states, including Louisiana. The company, as of Dec. 31, 2024, managed almost 2.5 million square feet of gaming facilities with 41,725 slot machines, 1,166 table games, and 7,321 hotel rooms.
Jones’ Controversial LGCB Exit
During his time as a law enforcement officer, Jones was a primary legislative coordinator for the Louisiana State Police as the state legalized riverboat casinos and video poker machines in 1991. After being nominated to chair the LGCB in 2013 by Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), Jones oversaw the state’s allowance of casinos to move inland following the devastation of the gaming boats caused by several hurricanes.
Jones was subsequently named the 2017 North American Regulator of the Year by the International Masters of Gaming Law.
Jones left the LGCB in June 2020 after the state Senate failed to reappoint him. Politics was cited for the Senate’s refusal to reconfirm Jones.
The Advocate reported on rumors that state Sen. Karen Cater Peterson (D-New Orleans) was behind the push to oust Jones from the LGCB.
In 2019, Peterson, an admitted gambling addict, made headlines for trying to enter a casino despite self-enrolling in Louisiana’s voluntary — and secret — exclusion program. Peterson was reportedly furious that the incident went public, though Jones told The Advocate he was not responsible for the news leak.
Peterson resigned in April 2022 after admitting to stealing $140,000 from the Louisiana Democratic Party, which she chaired, to cover her gambling debts. She was sentenced to 22 months in a halfway house after pleading guilty to wire fraud.
Compliance Committees
According to Jones’ LinkedIn profile, he has served as a consultant to Entain’s Compliance Committee since January 2021, a position he continues.
Penn Entertainment’s Compliance Committee is primarily responsible for ensuring that the company’s operations comply with all federal, state, and local laws. Gaming is among the most regulated industries, with companies determined to be noncompliant subjected to costly fines and the possible revocation of their operating license.
Compliance committees are also typically tasked with the promotion of responsible, sustainable gaming, a company’s code of conduct, and the oversight of legal matters.
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