Managing Director | Upstream Gaming Advisory
Doug Burkhalter is a results-driven executive with over two decades of leadership across the gaming and hospitality industries. Known for his sharp operational insight and strategic foresight, Doug has held C-suite roles at some of the most recognized gaming companies in the U.S.—delivering more than $4 billion in exits across Argosy Gaming, Trump Entertainment Resorts, and Isle of Capri Casinos.
Doug’s career began during the rise of riverboat gaming, where he quickly became a central figure in operational and marketing innovation. At Trump Entertainment, he unified the company’s Atlantic City assets under a single loyalty brand, led multimillion-dollar property renovations, and played a critical role in boosting shareholder value. At Isle of Capri, he engineered one of the industry’s most ambitious brand restructures, repositioning a fragmented portfolio into a three-tiered brand strategy that Wall Street could understand—reintroducing Lady Luck as a vibrant locals brand, while elevating flagship properties like Cape Girardeau.
Notably, Doug stepped outside of gaming to build and sell Emerald Fields, a leading cannabis retail company, which exited for $30 million. This venture proved his ability to navigate complex, highly regulated markets beyond gaming—and reinforced his belief that data, discipline, and creativity drive value in any vertical.
Doug is a strategist, an operator, a brand builder, and above all, a closer. His return to gaming through Upstream marks a new chapter: helping tribal and independent operators unlock lasting value through leadership, reinvention, and guest-centered strategy.
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