Howard, Abarbanel Among iGB's Most Influential Women for 2026

iGB has announced the first four of its 10 Most Influential Women for 2026, honoring contributions across the gaming industry.

Anika Howard, president and CEO of Wondr Nation, said the recognition feels "wonderful" and unexpected.

"I’ve been really heads down this year with so many amazing things that we’ve been working on," she said. "But it feels good because I love this industry."

Howard credits an early break at Harrah’s Entertainment and its President’s Associate Programme with laying the foundations for her career.

"It gave me immediate access in ways that kind of a 20‑something year old usually doesn’t have," she said. "It planted the seed in my head that anything’s possible in this industry."

She became Caesars’ first interactive hire and has since moved between operator and supplier roles, repeatedly building new functions.

"Every position that I’ve entered has been a new position created because of what the technology and the industry has done," Howard explained.

Now leading the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation’s interactive and innovation arm, she sees tribal gaming as an evolving market full of opportunity.

Her immediate priorities include opening a 10,000‑sq‑ft Wondr Nation innovation centre, due to launch in November, designed to foster entrepreneurs, developers and creators.

"I really want to be part of someone’s journey to be the next disruptor and to help facilitate opportunities for others," she said.

Howard frames such awards as practical interventions for diversity.

"I still find that there are places where I am kind of the only woman, the only black person, the only something," she said.

She believes stories of other women's achievements act as "permission slips" to aspire.

"You give people the opportunity and permission to go after what they want to do and go after the things that are important to them by being able to share stories of seeing other people doing the same thing," Howard explained.

Brett Abarbanel, executive director of the International Gaming Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was also named among the honorees.

"It’s incredibly flattering," Abarbanel said. "To be considered one of those people requires a bit of internal reflection on what I’ve done and then how can I do more."

Melanie Ellis, a partner at Northridge Law and one of this year’s judges, said initiatives like Most Influential Women are important in recognising achievement and providing role models.

"It’s very obvious at any of these conferences that the majority of attendees are still men in suits," she told iGB. "But I think we’ve come a long way, and I think it’s really important to have initiatives like this to continue to recognise women in the sector and to provide role models for women who may be just starting out."

Ellis stressed that gender parity remains some way off.