Jess Chavez has over 30 years of executive experience in the international gaming industry.

He started his career in the UK in 1985, working in Mayfair and learning the business from the ground up at London’s most prestigious casino, The Clermont Club. With over two hundred years of gaming tradition and engagement with world-famous high-end VIPs, Jess gained valuable experience.

After his time in the UK, Jess moved to South Africa to work within Sol Kerzner’s Sun City. It was during this period that Jess developed his strong work ethic and customer service ethos. He successfully opened Morula Sun, as well as the Carousel Sun International’s new flagship property.

Recognizing opportunities abroad, Jess then moved to Latin America and opened Peru’s third casino, El Condado, in 1992. El Condado quickly became the market leader and set the standard for its competitors.

Jess continued to open casinos and slot ventures until he left to enter another emerging market, Russia. In Russia, he joined a management team and successfully ran Casino Imperial in Ekaterinburg, enjoying market dominance. In 1999, Jess opened another new venture in Vyborg, on the Russian-Finnish border.

In 2001, Jess left Russia to embark on a maritime gaming venture, running a cruise ship casino with Spanish Cruise Lines. This labour-intensive market provided him with valuable insights into operational economics, enabling him to restructure future casino projects and efficiently minimize unnecessary operational costs.

After his experience on cruise ships, Jess returned to the United Kingdom and assumed a management role for RANK, the UK’s largest operator. During this time, the UK had a nascent slots market, and Jess once again led the market by trialling new equipment, ultimately making his operation the number one revenue generator among a portfolio of 54 casinos for slots.

In 2006, Jess left the UK to become the Casino Director for Crown Plaza in Maracaibo, Venezuela. This was the country’s largest casino, and Jess encountered significant operating problems, ranging from armed robberies to internal thefts. To address these challenges, Jess brought in highly qualified surveillance and security professionals, successfully eliminating all the problems and turning the casino around within six months with the casino enjoying great success.

Jess left in 2011 to assume the role of Casino Director at the Intercontinental San Juan in Puerto Rico. In Puerto Rico, Jess implemented a successful VIP strategy, which led to his recruitment as a senior executive at Hard Rock Casino in Punta Cana in 2012.

During his time there, Jess achieved remarkable results by engaging the international VIP market with a new VIP product and methodology, increasing EBITDA by 103% year over year. Due to his exceptional performance, he was subsequently promoted to Senior Director of Casino Development for LATAM and the Caribbean at Hard Rock International. However, in 2017, Hard Rock shifted its focus to the US market and ceased its foreign expansion plans.

Jess is the current CEO of Maximum Game International. Following the impact of Covid-19, Jess has successfully redefined the company’s strategy. One notable achievement is securing a franchise for Electronic Gaming Equipment from a leading supplier. Additionally, Jess has been instrumental in designing exceptionally innovative Casino games specifically tailored for both live and online casino markets. Presently, the key focus for Jess is the development of multi-casino projects in LATAM and the Caribbean, with the ultimate goal of establishing market leadership in the region.