40 Under 40: Josh Kirschner

Josh Kirschner’s passion for the gaming industry has led him to fascinating places.

“I had a very romantic view of the gaming industry. I had a grandfather that taught me to play blackjack while I had chicken pox at like 4 years old. I always grew up with a real loving view of the gambling industry and, credit to my family, in a very healthy way. They helped me to understand ‘hey this is a form of entertainment, it’s not a way to get rich by any means.’”

After college, he got advice from Mike Levin in 2013, who suggested moving to Macau, which was at the time growing into a sort of eastern Las Vegas. Kirshner did so before Law School, eventually getting to work at PrizePicks in Gaming Law – which covers everything from casinos to loot boxes in video games.

Part of both the paid and pro-bono work Kirschner does is in responsible gambling. On the pro-bono side, he works with the National Council on Problem Gambling, to help them in their advocacy to promote awareness, provide education and advocate for change to support those impacted by gambling-related harm.

His other pro-bono work is with the Atlanta Legal aid society, which runs clinics for gender marker and name change.

“It sounded like incredibly interesting, worthwhile work to me to help a, G-d knows, underrepresented community, a community I think is terribly stigmatized and ostracized for trying to live as who they are.”

“My Jewish values and faith are what ground and guide me. I was raised in a strong Jewish community here in Atlanta that included attendance at The Epstein School and Weber and also attended Camp Ramah Darom as a camper and counselor.”

On the latter side, Kirschner is also one of the founding board members of the Ramah Darom alumni association.

“First and foremost, I am a parent of two children, Jordan and Sydney, who both attend the Weinstein Early Learning Center at The Temple. I also serve as the Fundraising Co-Chair for the WELC Teacher-Parent Organization.”