Eric Persson

Eric Persson is an American businessman and co-founder and CEO of Maverick Gaming. Persson is also known for participating in a cash game poker match that yielded one of the largest pots in American televised poker history, $1,978,000, and for owning/operating the Maverick Gaming casinos in Nevada, Colorado, and Washington.

Early life

Persson was born and raised in Hoquiam, WA, near the Shoalwater Bay Indian Nation tribe that he is a member of. In 1st grade, he knew he wanted to be involved in gaming when he grew up.

Business ventures

After graduating from law school, Persson began his career in gaming at a casino in Topeka, KS, progressively working his way into senior roles at a casino in Wheeling, WV, and ultimately in Las Vegas.

In December 2017, Persson and business partner Justin Beltram started Maverick Gaming with their first casino purchases: the Red Garter Hotel and Casino, and the Wendover Nugget Hotel and Casino, both in West Wendover, NV. The reported investment was $43 million. Maverick has continued to acquire small to medium-size casinos ($2-$30 million EBITDA range), most recently (December 2022 ) paying $80.5 million for 4 card rooms in Washington State, bringing the total as of April 2023 to 31 gaming properties in Nevada, Colorado, and Washington. then announced closure of four of its card rooms in the Seattle area.

Sports betting lawsuit

In January 2022, Maverick filed a lawsuit against state and federal authorities to break what it claims is a monopoly on sports betting by tribal interests. In Washington state, where Maverick operates many game rooms, Native American lands were given exclusive rights for sports betting following the Supreme Court ruling in 2018 that struck down the federal ban on sports betting.

Immediately following the ruling, Maverick appealed the ruling. Persson stated his intent to appeal all the way to the Supreme Court, if needed, adding that he has the resources to do so. Maverick's appeal is on the docket of the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, with final briefs due in July 2023. A Supreme Court ruling on the case could reach far beyond Washington state, including Florida, where there is a similar sports betting law that favors the Seminole Tribe.

Poker

Persson has played poker in his spare time since he was in college, specializing in cash games rather than tournament-style poker. In recent years, he has actively sought to participate in televised poker matches and social media to build his Maverick Gaming brand, claiming it could boost his company's value from 6–8 times revenue to 8–10 times revenue. Persson has said the brand-building process on social media has given the false impression that he is always playing poker when, in fact, he only plays a few times per month. Persson also played on Season 11, including the first-ever High Stakes Poker livestream.

In May 2023, Persson played Daniel Negreanu in Round 1 of High Stakes Duel 4. Negreanu defeated Persson to claim the $100,000 prize pool, and Persson opted out of the Round 2 rematch.

Personal life

Persson is married and has four children. He and his wife and sons live in the Las Vegas area. He has two daughters from an earlier marriage.