International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated every March 8th, providing industries worldwide with a moment to reflect on progress, identify areas for improvement, and recognize women driving change. This year’s theme, #AccelerateAction, serves as a call to move faster towards gender equality and inclusion—a challenge that resonates across the gaming and casino industries.

To mark International Women’s Day, we’ve brought together three trailblazing leaders from the casino world to discuss their experiences, challenges, and vision for the future.

Join Martha Morales, VP & General Manager at Valley Forge Casino Resort, Boyd Gaming; Tosha Tousant, Vice President Casino Operations, Hollywood Gulf Coast & Boomtown Biloxi, PENN Entertainment; and Randi Topham, Chief of Staff & Head of Marketing, Gaming, Light & Wonder for an insightful roundtable celebrating their journeys and addressing how the industry can accelerate equality.

Tell us about your background. When did you start in the gaming industry and what motivated you to join?

Martha Morales: I grew up in Las Vegas, a city that’s synonymous with gaming and entertainment, so the industry was literally in my backyard. From a young age, I was exposed to the exciting world of hospitality and gaming through family visits to local casinos. In high school, I was accepted into a hospitality program and joined the industry shortly after. While most of my experience has been in the non-gaming space, I recently joined Boyd Gaming, where I was allowed to step into the gaming side. This transition has allowed me to apply my leadership skills and business acumen in a new context, all while learning about the unique challenges and innovations within the gaming world.

Tosha Tousant: I started my journey in the gaming industry back in 1993. At that time, I wasn't quite familiar with casinos and hadn't even visited one before applying for a dealer's job. I sought out this opportunity as the casino industry brought new employment prospects to my hometown of Lake Charles, LA., where petrochemical refining was the predominant industry. I worked for Caesars Entertainment for 27 years in three jurisdictions, Louisiana, Ohio, and Nevada, holding several roles including Casino Controller, Director of Table Games, and Director of Casino Operations. Currently, I am the Vice President of Casino Operations for Penn Entertainment via Hollywood Gulf Coast and Boomtown Biloxi Mississippi Casinos.

Randi Topham: I was lucky enough to be accepted into Bellagio’s Management Associate Program (MAP) shortly after I graduated from the University of Nevada Las Vegas with a degree in Hospitality Management. Luckily, when interviewing for the role, one of the recruiters at Bellagio encouraged me to apply for one of the spots in the Slot Department and I never looked back! During college, I never thought I’d work on the casino side of the business but was intrigued by the advancing technologies on slot machines, and the overall excitement of casino operations. It's a vibrant industry, no two days are ever the same, and I’ve really thrived in this fast-paced environment.

Navigating career growth involves both giving and receiving empowerment. Share insights from your mentors and the best advice you've received. How do you prioritize empowering others, and what advice would you offer women advancing their careers?

Martha Morales: I’ve been fortunate to have incredible mentors (formal and informal) and sponsors throughout my career. One that comes to mind is Ramesh Sadwhani, a hotelier extraordinaire, who led with kindness and passion. He was a “leader sponsor” because he didn’t take credit for my work and always made sure to acknowledge and share my wins with senior leadership. The best advice I’ve received is a quote by John Templeton: “It is nice to be important, but it is more important to be nice.” I prioritize empowering others by offering support, guidance, and creating opportunities for those around me to thrive. My advice to women advancing their careers is to build a strong support network, trust in their abilities, and lean on each other—helping one another in an authentic and genuine way because there’s space for all of us to succeed.

Tosha Tousant: There was a pivotal point in my career when a mentor's advice drastically shaped my professional trajectory. They encouraged me to rise to an executive role rather than settle for a mid-manager position, which led me to become a Director of Slots and Performance overseeing four properties. Their confidence in me helped build my own and allowed me to develop new skills. I prioritize empowering others by actively listening, providing growth opportunities, giving constructive feedback, and celebrating all successes. For women advancing their careers, my advice is simple: believe in yourself, say yes, and go for it! Be your own advocate. You don't need to wait until you meet every qualification to apply for a particular role. Remember to network, maintain curiosity, and be your authentic self.

Randi Topham: My advice to others is to remember that you control your own destiny. No one owes you anything. If you want something, be willing to put a plan together and work for it. For me, one of the most rewarding parts of my career is mentoring and sponsoring those around me. Mentoring is taking the time to meet and workshop scenarios with someone wanting to learn from you, while sponsoring is advocating for someone when they cannot advocate for themselves. Both are important and something we should all be doing regardless of where you are in your career. Time invested in your team and those around you will almost always result in everyone achieving more, including yourself.

This year’s International Women’s Day theme is #AccelerateAction. Accelerate Action is a worldwide call to acknowledge strategies, resources, and activities that positively impact women's advancement, and to support and elevate their implementation. How do you #AccelerateAction within your workplace and what do you think needs to be done to continue to accelerate action in the gaming industry?

Martha Morales: To #AccelerateAction in my workplace, I focus on creating opportunities for women to lead, providing mentorship, and ensuring their contributions are recognized. I’m intentional about calling on women to share their ideas, as I know women traditionally don’t always raise their hands. I like to privately invite them to be part of projects, conversations, and meetings to ensure their voices are heard. To truly accelerate action, we must not only focus on gender but also embrace diversity across races and ethnic backgrounds. In the gaming industry, fostering an inclusive environment that prioritizes equal access to growth opportunities and amplifies diverse voices is crucial for creating pathways where everyone can thrive.

Tosha Tousant: I #AccelerateAction at work by actively participating in various groups, programs, and activities that advance women's leadership. I am a member of groups like PENN Women, PENN’s Mentoring Program, and Global Gaming Women (GGW) Through my involvement with GGW, I’ve been lucky enough to be a table host for GGW’s Sip an Social Events and I’ve participated in several programs such as the “Women in Leadership” sessions that are offered. I also hold a leadership certificate from eCornell for Women in Leadership. To further accelerate action in the gaming industry, it's crucial to join groups that support women's career paths, like Global Gaming Women. Form a support system of mentors and sponsors and absorb leadership insights from books to positively impact your leadership style. Participating in group projects can also help develop and enhance leadership skills.

Randi Topham: No action is too small to drive meaningful change and it’s often the little things that drive big impact. Just last week, I was catching up with a former employee and she reminded me how I took her out for lunch on her birthday and how much it meant to her at the time. This was over 10 years ago, and it still stands out to her as a memorable moment when her leader took time to celebrate her. We can all do something small to invest in someone and show them we care. So don’t wait, start now and remember that no action is too small to #AccelerateAction.