Boyd Gaming Names Dan Ihm SVP of Operations

Ihm will oversee Boyd's five casino properties in Louisiana and Mississippi while continuing as general manager of the IP Casino Resort Spa in Biloxi.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Casino

Wide view of a low modern resort building with a curved glass wing beside still bayou water and cypress trees under warm late-afternoon light. — Boyd Gaming named Dan Ihm senior vice president of operations, overseeing its five Louisiana and Mississippi casino properties while he remains general manager of the Biloxi resort. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Boyd Gaming has named Dan Ihm senior vice president of operations for its Louisiana and Mississippi operations. Ihm will continue as general manager of the IP Casino Resort Spa in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Why it matters

The promotion gives Boyd a single operating leader across its five casino properties in Louisiana and Mississippi, consolidating oversight of those markets. Ihm will report to Ward Shaw, executive vice president of operations.

Ihm's new responsibility covers five Boyd casino properties in Louisiana and Mississippi, up from the single Biloxi property he has run since April 2025. The source does not specify the individual revenue or staffing figures for those properties.

The players

Boyd Gaming

Boyd Gaming is a publicly traded casino operator headquartered in Las Vegas that owns and manages gaming properties across several U.S. states.

Dan Ihm

Dan Ihm is a casino executive who previously ran the Kansas Star Casino before leading the IP Casino Resort Spa in Biloxi.

Ward Shaw

Ward Shaw is the executive vice president of operations at Boyd Gaming, to whom Ihm will report in the new role.

The details

Boyd Gaming announced the promotion in a LinkedIn post, with Ihm assuming operating oversight of the company's Louisiana and Mississippi casinos. He previously served as vice president and general manager of the Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane, Kansas, before moving to Biloxi.

April 2025: Ihm became vice president and general manager of the IP Casino Resort Spa.
October 2026: Boyd promoted Rick Goldstein to senior vice president of operations.
November 2, 2026: Boyd announced Ihm's promotion to senior vice president of operations.

Market Landscape

Boyd's decision to place its Louisiana and Mississippi properties under one senior operations leader reflects a regional approach to managing multi-state casino portfolios. The move also follows Boyd's October 2026 promotion of Rick Goldstein to senior vice president of operations, indicating a continued build-out of its senior operations bench.

Players at Boyd's Louisiana and Mississippi casinos may see a single operating leader overseeing their properties' day-to-day direction. The extraction does not indicate any change to games, promotions, pricing or hours at those venues.

The takeaway

Corporate leadership moves like this one can signal how a casino operator is organizing its regional portfolios, and readers tracking Boyd's Gulf Coast footprint should watch for further senior operations appointments.