The Casino Mensch: Billy Brill Talks Transparency, Opportunities & Calling Him Anytime At 310-729-6650

The inimitable Billy Brill and casinos go together like gambling and premium entertainment — which wasn’t always the case.

After stints in radio, TV, festivals and at major record labels, the industry vet in 1999 began working with Native American tribes and their casinos booking a variety of entertainment. He’s been nominated multiple times for Pollstar’s Talent Buyer of the Year – having booked acts over the years including Ringo Starr, ZZ Top, Snoop Dogg, Gabriel Iglesias and The Beach Boys – and may just hold the record for number of appearances on Pollstar Live! panels.

Billy Alan Productions, which encompasses talent booking, media buying and branding services with an emphasis on Native American casinos, was acquired by Danny Wimmer Presents in 2021 and Brill now serves as president of DWP Talent Services.

DWP casino properties now include Agua Caliente Casinos (located in Palm Springs, Cathedral City and Rancho Mirage, California); Eagle Mountain Casino in Porterville, California; Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut; Pearl River Resort in Philadelphia, Mississippi; Spirit Mountain Casino in Grand Ronde, Oregon; and Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California. Pollstar caught up with Billy Brill to find out exactly who the heck he is and what he’s up to these days.

Pollstar: What was the scene like when you first started booking casinos?
Billy Brill: The folks booking casinos, some were good, some were bad – I wanted to be one of the good guys and work with a lot of transparency. There were guys that weren’t very ethical and I decided to include the casinos in everything I did and let them know exactly what’s going on because some of the people weren’t doing that. … It was a new thing. I decided to do it with a lot of integrity because I felt that was the right thing to do.

Did you ever think casino entertainment would get as big as it has with the tribal properties?
I always knew it would progress and get better and better because in Native American culture, they always look for tomorrow. They look for what’s beyond, for their children’s children. … I knew it would become big and I’m very grateful for it too.

How have you seen the market change over the years?
It’s changing for the better. As casinos built better venues, we have better entertainment. Thunder Valley opened with the Eagles, which is phenomenal. We had Bruno Mars and then Santana and everybody from Gwen Stefani to Duran Duran. Agua Caliente and Thunder Valley have Rod Stewart coming up.

It’s important to talk about the teams. There are three things when you book a tribal casino or any casino — you find the act, you get the price and then it’s the casino’s responsibility to make sure that the act has a good time. They’re coming into our house. I want to mention a few [folks] who really take care of the casino acts whether it’s Agua Caliente with Nicholas Sitar and Erica Romero; or it’s Thunder Valley with Jon Bow, Scott Prentice and JD Hanzalik; or the fantastic Seneca Casino in Buffalo, New York, with Coop and Dave Holland. Some really, really nice people. …. It’s one thing to book an act. It’s another thing how you treat the act. … What’s going to make the act come back is how you take care of them.

How have you seen casino entertainment benefit artists?
Gabriel Iglesias started 15 years ago at Agua Caliente and he was just starting out but we knew there was something there. Now Gabriel Iglesias is playing arenas. Jo Koy, he’s fantastic. He started doing dates at Thunder Valley in the little tent we had and now does arenas. There were a lot of artists that wouldn’t have considered [playing] a casino … that have just broadened where they can play and work.

What keeps you passionate about the live business?
I love entertainment. I just love the experience. … I went to the Miranda Lambert show at Thunder Valley on July 20 and the way those people connected with Miranda Lambert was amazing. That’s what keeps me motivated, just to feel the experience of the guests and the artists … Just the smiles … and giving back. That’s why I did so many Pollstar [Live!] panels – just to give back, to teach something, to meet new people, to inspire that kid from Iowa who comes to Pollstar for the first time and wants to learn about casinos.

What’s one lesson you’ve learned over the years in the industry?
Remember it’s show business and never take it personally. Sometimes acts will leave managers; sometimes they’ll leave casinos. So you just got to enjoy the moment and never take it personally.

Anything you wanted to add?
I love to talk to people. Anybody who’d like to talk to me, I’ll give my cell phone out. My number’s 310-729-6650. Please call anytime.