When the late Tony Hsieh moved Zappos to downtown Las Vegas in 2013, it sparked a hope that maybe someday Las Vegas could become something of a mini Silicon Valley. Ten years later, is there a tech startup community here? What does it take to create, launch and grow a successful startup here in Southern Nevada?

Brett Abarbanel, the newly appointed executive director of the UNLV International Gaming Institute (IGI), could have easily turned the International Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking’s keynote discussion into an episode of Entertainment Tonight.

The UNLV International Gaming Institute announced Brett Abarbanel has been appointed as its new executive director, having taken office on January 1. She has worked at IGI since 2016 as the director of research, with an affiliate research position at the University of Sydney Science, Brain and Mind Centre.

Abarbanel succeeds Bo Bernhard, who will transition to serve full-time as UNLV VP of Economic Development, but will also maintain his affiliation with IGI as special advisor to the Executive Director.

Brett Abarbanel has been named executive director for the UNLV International Gaming Institute (IGI). IGI is a nonprofit academic center that offers research and educational programs for the global gaming industry.

Brett Abarbanel was raised in San Diego near the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. She was fascinated by the track — mostly because people leaving the facility seemed to snarl up traffic.

Nevada is known for its gaming and tourism industry, but there has been a sustained effort to bolster the state’s startup community, particularly in Las Vegas.

The UNLV International Gaming Institute (IGI), an academic center dedicated to gaming regulation, has announced its hiring of Brett Abarbanel as Executive Director. Abarbanel succeeds Bo Bernhard who will transition to serving as UNLV’s VP of Economic Development.

It's one of the most famous scenes from the Martin Scorsese movie "Casino," when Robert DeNiro's character, Sam Rothstein, lists the myriad layers of security used to protect the fictional Tangier from cheaters. At the top of this food chain: the all-seeing surveillance cameras.

It's one of the most famous scenes from the Martin Scorsese movie "Casino," when Robert DeNiro's character, Sam Rothstein, lists the myriad layers of security used to protect the fictional Tangier from cheaters. At the top of this food chain: the all-seeing surveillance cameras.

Brett Abarbanel has been named executive director for the UNLV International Gaming Institute (IGI). IGI is a nonprofit academic center that offers research and educational programs for the global gaming industry.

Brett Abarbanel has been named Executive Director for the UNLV International Gaming Institute (IGI). IGI is a non-profit academic center that offers research and educational programs for the global gaming industry.