I have recently been working on a project that has required a new updated Bio. I've included my coaching and teaching information along with an updated section about data analysis and collection.
-Coach Ball, Gilpin County Football and Track Head Coach
-Coach Ball, Gilpin County Football and Track Head Coach
The Craig Ball Bio
I have been in the gaming business in Black Hawk Colorado for over 27 years...where I developed, owned and operated two casinos in the gaming district. I've spent those years on the casino floor as the owner, general manager, license holder and as a property developer in the district.
I currently operate Spinwit, a gaming and consulting company that produces new gaming products, provides lottery services and offers a variety of compliance services to the casino and entertainment industry.
I'm proud to serve my community as the head varsity football/track coach for the Gilpin Eagles and I teach Business and Technology classes at our local high school.
Specialties: Casino Development and Operations, Data Analysis, Pivot Table Design for Data Mining, Project and Charity Fundraising, Lottery Startups, Audit/Compliance Services and Financial Models/Assessments. I am also experienced with Local and Statewide Political Campaign Development and Management, Gambler Exchange Programs, Casino Game Patents and Game Design.
Managing Director of Spinwit (Current and Ongoing)
Spinwit is a gaming and consulting company based in Black Hawk Colorado. The Company works with the lottery/raffle industry by providing audited and guaranteed random drawings for their operations. Spinwit produces new casino game design patents and markets these patents to the gaming industry. Relying on my years of casino compliance experience, the Company provides compliance services for most businesses. These services include fraud detection/investigation, self-compliance programs for highly regulated businesses and operational rescue services.
Business and Technology Instructor at Gilpin High School
I am currently the Business and Technology Instructor at the Gilpin County High School. I use my casino ownership and operational experience to provide positive, real-world experiences for my students. We concentrate on future technology progressions and business trends to produce student intelligence that can be used today and in the near future. We use data analytics and data analysis to spot movements while learning to use the latest tools for data collection and manipulations.
Head Varsity Football and Track Coach for the Gilpin Eagles
I currently serve as the head coach for the Gilpin varsity football and track programs. In recent years, I have independently developed and maintained the strength training program for all Gilpin Athletes, and I design running camps and football camps over the summer months.
As a developer and consultant for the local industry, I have used my contacts to raise money for the athletic department. As a school, we have just completed a $1.7 million financing package to build a new football stadium and track...the new facility will be completed by the start of the 2018 football season. The community has been very generous with their support for me and the program and I am grateful to have been a part of the growth and success of the football and track programs at Gilpin County School. We are building a football program whereby the whole community can be proud.
- 2017 was Gilpin Football's 4th winning season in a row.
- To see a summary of our 2017 Football Season...including awards and video...go to www.gilpinfootball.com
Founder of The Colorado Mint Casino Development Enterprise
The primary objective of The Colorado Mint has been to develop, build and operate full-service casinos with entertainment and hotel accommodations in Black Hawk and Central City’s gaming district. Toward that end, The Colorado Mint has assembled an experienced, talented team of casino and hospitality professionals including architects, general contractors, and engineers, as well as all levels of casino management in a pursuit of new gaming opportunities. As the Company’s principal, I have held a Key Gaming License (K-00043) and maintained the rigorous background and financial requirements demanded by the Colorado Division of Gaming for over 26 years.
A Little Gambling in Colorado History:
I moved to Black Hawk in 1989 to campaign for the legalization of gambling in Colorado(see the Legalization of Gambling - Colorado Amendment #4 Campaign Project below), and as it turned out, to build and operate casinos.
Once the successful campaign to legalize gambling was completed in November of 1990, I began working to develop the Wild Card Casino in Black Hawk as a partner and general manager and acquired my first Colorado gaming license in September of 1991. In 1992, I founded, financed and operated The Black Hawk Station Casino located on Gregory Street in Black Hawk. To review current and past gaming licenses and a full list of properties developed, please visit spinwit.com.
As a result of my commitment to personally invest in the nascent gaming community, I decided to make the Central-City/ Black Hawk area my home, and for the past 25 years, I have developed and operated casinos in the gaming district. Expanding the scope of my entrepreneurial ventures to include other gaming jurisdictions has become a focus of my company, This expansion of operations includes gambler exchange programs, casino game design and new casino and jurisdictional development throughout North America.
As the owner and operator of two casinos in a young gaming district, I worked with the newly formed Colorado Division of Gaming to design and program a data analysis tool that could be used to tame the massive amount of data that is produced by the slot machine control systems. At first, the project parameters were a simple variance accounting tool, but later I was able to design features that were used to predict fraud on the casino floor. I used the available data to drive the pivot programming language that became the base for many years of use in our Colorado casino operations. The program later became the proprietary program that I used as a casino fraud consultant throughout gaming jurisdictions in the United States and Canada to find and prosecute gambling swindlers.
Co-Founder and Developer of Black Hawk Station Casino
I owned and operated the Black Hawk Station Casino (The Station) early in my casino career. The Black Hawk Station was voted the Westword's "Best Casino in Colorado" in 1993. The Station offered live music and advantageous slots and was one of Black Hawk's original casinos.
The Station was opened in June 1992 and used the area's first live music venue to enhance the gaming and socialization experience for its patrons. The casino bar and stage proved to be the best place in Black Hawk to produce the expanded entertainment options necessary to market to larger groups and specialized parties. The casino also provided live table games and created a large video poker clientele by developing new poker games for our frequent visitor clients as well as the casino employee market.
General Manager and Developing Partner of The Wild Card Casino
The Wild Card Casino in Black Hawk, Colorado was the first casino in Black Hawk and was opened on October 1st, 1991. The casino boasted unique western decor, a historic bar, and a lively atmosphere to provide the customer with an unparalleled, pioneer gaming experience. The Wild Card became a must-see casino when traveling to Black Hawk in light of its enlivened ambiance and service-oriented staff.
Personal
I have lived in Black Hawk since 1989 and I am married with two boys and a girl. I was a college football player at Lamar University in SE Texas where I received my degree in Marketing. I was born in April of 1965.