Bally’s Names President George Papanier CFO as Mira Mircheva Resigns

Bally’s Corporation announced on September 3, 2026, that Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Mira Mircheva has notified the company of her intent to resign, and that its Board of Directors has appointed President George Papanier as Interim Chief Financial Officer while the board searches for a permanent successor.

According to the company’s announcement, issued from its Providence, Rhode Island headquarters, Mircheva is leaving Bally’s for personal reasons. Her resignation is effective September 4, 2026, and she will remain with the company through September 30, 2026, to ensure what the company described as a seamless leadership transition.

Papanier Takes the Finance Role on an Interim Basis

Papanier’s appointment as Interim Chief Financial Officer is effective September 4, 2026. He will retain his current roles as President of Bally’s and as a member of the Board of Directors during the interim period.

Papanier brings more than 40 years of gaming industry experience to the position and is a Certified Public Accountant. He has served as President of Bally’s land-based casino operations since October 2021. He previously served as the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer from February 2011 to October 2021, after joining Bally’s as Chief Operating Officer in 2004. He also served as the company’s Interim Chief Financial Officer in 2023.

Chief Executive Officer Robeson Reeves thanked the outgoing finance chief in the announcement.

“On behalf of the entire Board and executive management team, I want to thank Mira for her dedication to Bally’s and we wish her great success going forward,” Reeves said. “Having spent more than two decades in key operating and financial leadership roles at Bally’s, George has been instrumental in developing our business model, asset portfolio, and growth strategy. He steps into the interim role supported by an experienced finance organization and I am confident that our reporting, controls and capital markets work will continue without disruption.”

Mircheva’s Tenure at Bally’s

Mircheva was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer on March 5, 2025, subject to receipt of customary regulatory approvals, according to a current report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. She was 46 at the time of her appointment.

Before joining Bally’s, Mircheva served as Chief Financial Officer of The Queen Casino & Entertainment from 2023. Prior to that, she was a Partner and Research Analyst at Standard General, which she joined in 2015. She was previously a Senior Research Analyst at Perella Weinberg Partners Asset Management from 2009 until 2015, and earlier worked as a Vice President in credit principal investing at Goldman Sachs, having joined the firm’s Investment Banking Division as an analyst in 2001. At the time of her appointment, she was a member of the Boards of Directors of White Energy and Intralot S.A. She holds a B.A. in Economics from Colgate University.

Under the employment agreement disclosed in the filing, Mircheva’s annual compensation consisted of a base salary of $550,000, subject to annual adjustment, with a potential target bonus of 100% of base salary. She was also eligible to receive future equity grants in form and amounts to be determined by the compensation committee of the board.

The Company Behind the Transition

Bally’s operates 20 casinos across 11 U.S. states and one casino in Newcastle, UK, along with a golf course in New York and horse racetracks in Colorado, with another forthcoming in Wyoming. The company owns Bally Bet, a sports betting and igaming platform licensed in 15 jurisdictions in North America, and holds a majority interest in Bally’s Intralot S.A., a lottery solutions supplier and gaming operator active in 39 jurisdictions worldwide.

The company’s casino operations include approximately 17,700 slot machines, 630 table games, and 3,950 hotel rooms. Bally’s also holds rights to developable land in Las Vegas at the site of the former Tropicana Las Vegas, has been awarded a license to build a full-scale casino and resort in The Bronx, New York, and is developing an integrated destination resort in Chicago, Illinois. The company reports more than 12,000 employees worldwide and is the first publicly traded gaming company to achieve Minority Business Enterprise certification through the National Minority Supplier Development Council.

The Board of Directors has commenced its search for a permanent Chief Financial Officer. Mircheva remains with the company through September 30, 2026, and Papanier’s interim appointment takes effect September 4, 2026.