Eric Persson

Eric Persson is an American casino entrepreneur and high-stakes cash-game player originally from Hoquiam, Washington. He co-founded Maverick Gaming with Justin Beltram, a former Las Vegas Sands colleague, and named the company after his son, Maverick. His casino-industry background extends beyond ownership: he credits veteran operator Michael Gaughan with sending him to dealer school and teaching him casino operations from the ground up.

Persson holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. Before building his own casino business, he oversaw global slot operations and slot marketing for Las Vegas Sands. He subsequently served as president and chief operating officer of gaming-equipment manufacturer Aruze Gaming America.

Although casino business became his main career, Persson says he played poker professionally to support himself through undergraduate study and law school, primarily playing seven-card stud and limit hold’em. After stepping away to concentrate on his career, he returned to more regular poker during the COVID period, when travel restrictions kept him in Las Vegas. His background therefore stretches well beyond his later emergence on televised high-stakes games.

Persson’s broadcast appearances include Hustler Casino Live, Live at the Bike, High Stakes Poker and No Gamble, No Future. He has described televised poker as a deliberate way to build Maverick Gaming’s credibility with gamblers by showing that its owner was a player himself. His involvement also extended into production and hosting: in November 2023, he was announced as a team member and host of Bally Live Poker’s second-season premiere.