New Jersey enforcement director announces retirement after more than a decade in role
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin confirms David Rebuck is set to retire after 36 years of service in the Garden State
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin has announced that David Rebuck is retiring as the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) director after 13 years in the role.
DGE deputy director Mary Jo Flaherty will assume the role of interim director with immediate effect until a permanent replacement for Rebuck is appointed.
Rebuck originally joined the Department of Law and Public Safety in January 1988 as a Deputy Attorney General, where he provided legal advice, reviewed programs within the department, and assisted in evaluating different inner-departmental agencies.
After 22 years as Deputy Attorney General, Rebuck moved across to the Governor’s Office as a senior policy advisor in February 2010. There, he worked on the governor’s initiative to revitalize Atlantic City’s beleaguered gambling industry, and was a member of the Red Tape Review Group.
Rebuck was nominated by Governor Chris Christie to lead the DGE in April 2011 and he then assumed the role of interim director of the department. Rebuck was sworn in as the permanent DGE director in January 2012.
During his tenure as DGE director, New Jersey became the first state to legalize online casino in the US in 2013 and later sports betting in 2018.
To mark his contributions to the DGE, Rebuck will be rewarded with a lifetime achievement award at the Annual East Coast Gaming Congress in April 2024.
On his retirement, Rebuke remarked: “I have always said the achievements at DGE have not been the result of any one person.
“I have been privileged and grateful to work with an amazing team at DGE and to serve under two governors and eight Attorneys General.”
Attorney General Platkin said: “Throughout his career, Rebuck has exemplified professionalism, innovation, and leadership as the gaming industry transformed, first with the legalization of internet gaming in 2013 and then with the new era of sports gaming in 2018.
“His extensive knowledge of the gaming and casino industry has made New Jersey a recognized regulatory leader and pacesetter in the United States.”
On incoming Flaherty, Platkin added: “Mary Jo is a respected and talented lawyer, and brings with her over 40 years of experience of regulating the gaming industry within DGE. I am grateful to her for stepping up to lead the division at this critical time.”
Arnold Ash is EGR’s Executive Recruitment Partner. They support ambitious organisations to identify and attract industry leading executive talent. Find out more here.