High Roller Technologies appointed Jake Francis as its new COO yesterday. The move comes as the company pushes into more regulated markets across North America.
Francis replaces Emily Micallef, who’s moving into an advisory role after her time as COO and Chief of Staff. She’ll still work with the company but won’t handle day-to-day operations anymore.
The new COO spent almost 20 years working his way through the gaming sector. He knows the technical side, understands regulation, and has run operations at multiple companies. That mix of skills matters for High Roller’s current growth phase.
High Roller trades on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker ROLR. The company runs three casino brands, High Roller, Fruta, and Kassuuu, offering over 6,000 games from more than 90 providers.
Why This Hire Matters for Regulated Market Growth
Francis’s background fits what High Roller needs right now. He’s worked both sides of gaming, on the operator side and with regulators.
His career started in 2007 as an Auditor for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. That gave him inside knowledge of how regulators think and what they look for during compliance reviews.
Most operators don’t have leadership with actual regulatory agency experience. Francis does. That matters when you’re trying to enter new states or handle license applications.
The timing isn’t random. High Roller wants to expand across multiple jurisdictions, and each one has different compliance requirements.
What Francis Brings From Previous Roles
Before High Roller, Francis served as Senior VP of Operations at BlueBet. Prior to that, he was Senior Director of Operations at Penn Entertainment and Director of Internet Gaming Compliance at Hard Rock.
He also worked in risk management at NYX Gaming Group earlier in his career. Each role added different skills, technical knowledge, operational experience, compliance expertise.
Francis holds an MBA in Business Strategy from Temple University’s Fox School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Lehigh University. He’s also a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt.
Seth Young, High Roller’s CEO, said Francis brings “nearly two decades of technical, regulatory, and operational experience to our leadership team.” Young thanked Micallef for her work and wished her well.
Francis said he’s “honoured to join High Roller at such an impactful time in the company’s journey.”
How This Changes High Roller’s Expansion Strategy
The appointment gives High Roller stronger regulatory credentials as it pursues licenses in new markets. Francis’s Pennsylvania gaming authority background helps there.
His operational experience at Penn Entertainment and BlueBet means he understands how to scale casino operations. Both companies operate in multiple states with different regulatory frameworks.
High Roller can now lean on someone who’s navigated compliance requirements at established operators. That should speed up market entry processes and reduce regulatory friction.
The company’s three brands serve a global customer base, but regulated US markets remain the focus. Francis’s hire signals High Roller is serious about that expansion.
