In this edition of the Industry Insider, we spoke with Brooke Thomas, Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Seminole Hard Rock about how she got started in gaming, how Seminole Hard Rock is promoting diversity and inclusion values day-to-day, what strides the industry still needs to make in the LGBTQIA+ community, and more.

Your career path is unique, covering various positions in different industries. Can you share how you started in the gaming industry and talk about biggest changes you've seen recently?

I had my first experience in the gaming industry after I was a civil rights attorney in the Midwest and was doing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consulting full time. I have to tell you, I fell in love with the grit, the energy, the entrepreneurial spirit of the gaming industry… it was very different from a courtroom. When I look back on my career trajectory to where I am now as a DEI executive, almost every role I’ve had is a role I was tasked with creating. I love being invited in to create something new, or to work with existing partners and evolve a program to its next glorious iteration.

When I think about what has changed, I don’t have enough time in this newsletter to list all the changes I’ve seen! I’ll focus on one major shift: I’ve seen so much courage. Courage in having conversations about inclusion and about diversity not being a “bad word”. Diversity is just a fancy word for another word that begins with a D… differences. Our differences make us stronger. More resilient. More creative. And I see our industry evolving to accept the importance of investing in organizational culture in more deep and intentional ways. It’s an exciting time to be in gaming!

In your role, you are focused on advancing diversity and inclusion to make incremental change. Could you shed some light on how you personally and the Seminole Hard Rock collectively are striving to make a significant impact, not just within the organization, but throughout the entire gaming sector?

The work I am most proud of is advocating for people who fall into intersectional identities, and bringing communities together to understand that we contain multitudes, we are often not just part of one community. This work helps ground us all in our common humanity. For example, one of the communities most underserved in our LGBTQIA+ community is our transgender population. They have higher rates of being unhoused, of attempted or completed suicide, and of underemployment or unemployment. I’ve worked as an advocate for the transgender community for almost 20 years, and many people don’t know this, but in the U.S., we have a high percentage of transgender veterans, up to three to five times higher than the general population. In some of my most meaningful intersectional work, I’ve had the opportunity to educate folks on this important intersection, meaning the intersection of two distinct identities, and discuss what challenges this population faces and advocate for this group. They honorably served our country, and they deserve the dignity of having their identity respected. In working with both our LGBTQIA+ population and our veteran population, I’ve been able to bridge the gap and foster conversation that has created space for healing and progress for both transgender veterans as well as the family, friends, and community that love and support transgender veterans. It is this type of work that I’m truly the proudest of.

Moving into June, we cast a spotlight on the vibrant LGBTQIA+ community in celebration of Pride Month. More focus has been put on inclusivity in gaming organizations, yet a question subtly peeks through this show of support — why isn't there a dedicated overarching group for LGBTQIA+ gaming employees? What changes need to occur to foster such a dedicated group?

I think true love is loving someone with their flaws, not in spite of them (and my wife and I just celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary, so for those reading this who have been married for decades, give me a call if you think I’m wrong!).

I love this industry, and I love it with its biggest flaw: we are such workaholics! We get so busy in the gaming industry, sometimes we forget the importance of truly being ourselves at work, and let’s face it, we are at work all the time! I like to say to my teams, “We’re all in a million closets.” Not just our LGBTQIA+ status, but with all the aspects of our identity that we hide away because we don’t think our colleagues or leaders will understand. Our industry is so focused on “business” we sometimes forget that our business is… humans. And we don’t leave our humanity at the door when we walk from back of the house to the front.

I look forward to dedicated spaces for the LGBTQIA+ employees in gaming – we’re here, we’re queer, and we need to connect with one another for support, mentorship, and growth. There is an immense need for such an organization, but don’t forget where we are as a nation: we are less than a decade out from legalized marriage equality, and we are still fighting for legal and lived equality throughout the nation. Over 500 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills were introduced in 2023 in statehouses across the U.S. Globally, many countries have criminalized LGBTQIA+ status, punishable by death in some jurisdictions. For many in our community, staying quiet about who they are is a way of life. We need to make a welcoming space for everyone to join us when they are ready.

G2E is the catalyst for legal, regulated gaming – fostering innovation and driving growth by convening the global industry in one place to get business done. What are you most looking forward to seeing at G2E 2024?

I really enjoyed the Tribal Career Panel last year, featuring our Seminole Tribal team members from our Tribal Career Development Program at Seminole Hard Rock. Overall, I was overjoyed with how much diversity from all walks of life were handed microphones and given the stage.

What amazes me about G2E isn’t just the number of people I meet (which is always impressive!), but the vast diversity of individuals and industries that make up our global mosaic. And of course… there are so many people that reach out to me in the weeks before G2E and go, “When can we connect?” Connection is truly such an important aspect of the show for me. So, if you’re reading this – yes, you! Let’s connect.

Connect with leaders like Brooke who are driving growth across the gaming industry at G2E 2024, October 7-10, in Las Vegas. Sign up here to be the first to know when registration goes live: https://www.globalgamingexpo.com/en-us/registration-inquiry.html.