Eight months after becoming the second-ever general manager of SugarHouse Casino, Cheryl Duhon stepped down from her position this week.
According to a spokesman for the Philadelphia casino, Duhon’s sudden departure is due to personal matters.
“Cheryl Duhon has stepped down as general manager of SugarHouse, effective immediately,” the spokesman told Philadelphia Business Journal. “She departed to provide care for a family member. We appreciate Cheryl’s contributions and wish her the very best. A successor will be appointed shortly.”
Duhon gone less than a year after arriving
Previously the vice president and general manager at Resorts Casino Hotel in Tunica, Mississippi, and the regional vice president of marketing for that property and Bally’s Casino Hotel, Duhon came to Philadelphia in June 2018.
Rush Street Gaming announced Duhon’s arrival with justified excitement. The SugarHouse ownership group noted Duhon’s expertise in mixed-use casino and hospitality venues in highly competitive gaming markets. Said CEO Greg Carlin:
“Throughout her career, Cheryl has demonstrated a tremendous capacity for setting and exceeding goals. We know Philly loves a winner, so Cheryl will be right at home at SugarHouse.”
Duhon replaced Wendy Hamilton, who had served as the property’s general manager since SugarHouse opened in 2011.
SugarHouse grew under Duhon
According to financials from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), SugarHouse increased its PA gaming revenue by 1.6 percent in 2018, up to $302.5 million.
While Duhon cannot be given all the credit for such growth, she did oversee the casino taking advantage of Pennsylvania’s expanded gambling legislation of 2017 that legalized online casinos and PA sports betting.
SugarHouse expects to roll out its online casino in the second quarter of 2019. But the Philly property already has its sportsbook operational and has a Q2 target for its online sports betting platform.
Opened in December, the brick-and-mortar SugarHouse Sportsbook accepted more than $5.5 million in wagers in less a month, resulting in $641,167 in PA sports betting revenue. SugarHouse opened the same day as its sister property, Rivers Sportsbook, both of which became one of the first three sportsbooks to launch in the Keystone State.
“We’ve been working on this since I started with SugarHouse (in June),” Duhon said during the opening.
She added how committed she and SugarHouse were in rolling out one of the state’s first regulated wagering operations as well as the casino’s focus on a mobile product.
“We put all of our resources into getting the land-based launched. Once we let the dust settle, soon we will be able to focus on both. Most of it will be based on the timing and testing. Hopefully, sometime before mid-next year.”
