IGT PlayDigital CEO on track to get Nevada license
The CEO of IGT’s digital group is on track to be licensed in Nevada.
The Gaming Control Board recommended Gil Rotem be licensed when he appears this month before the Gaming Commission. It’s the first time he’ll be licensed in the state.
His licensing comes after funds managed by Apollo Global Management, which owns the Venetian, Palazzo, and Venetian Expo, acquired Everi’s and IGT’s gaming and digital business as part of a single enterprise in a US$6.3 billion all-cash transaction. The combined enterprises known as IGT are headquartered in Las Vegas.
IGT has offerings from lotteries and gaming machines to sports betting and digital. Everi develops gaming content, machines, and systems for land-based, igaming, and bingo operators.
Rotem has worked with IGT since November 2021 and was named CEO of PlayDigital in July. He was named president of PlayDigital in April 2024. He worked 10 years for Bet365 in London after starting in the industry in 2002 with 888 running IT and databases.
Board Chairman Mike Dreitzer asked Rotem about his role after the merger and whether there’s fluidness to it.
Rotem acknowledged that there’s still evolution in the company. He said there’s still a lot of work and discussion on the company mergers and roadmaps going forward.
“It looks like a fluid situation, but you have a strong background in this space,” Dreitzer said. “It seems like you’re the right person to lead this team through all these challenges and changes.”
In the US, IGT provides kiosks and technology, staff and trading for sports betting. The European market is predominantly online, so there’s no need for kiosks, Rotem said.
Rotem started consulting with IGT in 2020 to review the digital business before being employed by the company. His task was to provide suggestions on how the company could become No. 1 in North America. Once he submitted his report, Rotem said he was asked to implement it. “I made the biggest consultant’s mistake to recommend what to do (and try and make it happen),” Rotem said. “I joined IGT and three years later we became No. 1 in North America.”
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The Backstory
Why this moment matters for IGT’s digital pivot
International Game Technology’s plan to consolidate its digital and land-based assets under common leadership is colliding with the realities of Nevada licensing. The Gaming Control Board has recommended a license for Gil Rotem, the executive who has steered IGT’s online strategy since 2021 and now leads the PlayDigital unit. His approval would give the company a key steward with the regulatory standing to navigate a business that has changed quickly since funds managed by Apollo Global Management orchestrated a US$6.3 billion deal combining IGT’s gaming and digital businesses with Everi into a single enterprise. The stakes: aligning a sprawling portfolio across slots, table games, sports betting and engagement tech, while keeping momentum in growth markets and with U.S. operators.
Rotem’s remit extends beyond product. It is about integration, sequencing and execution — turning overlapping assets into a coherent road map. Licensing in Nevada, the home base for the combined entity, is a litmus test for how decisively the company can move on mergers, partnerships and market entries. The past year of announcements shows what that road map looks like in practice: omnichannel game launches timed to marquee moments, content expansion in Latin America, a table games push through licensing, and retention tools aimed at U.S. and Canadian operators. Each step helps explain the urgency behind securing leadership that regulators recognize.
Omnichannel content as the connective tissue
To knit legacy land-based strength with online growth, PlayDigital has leaned on recognizable brands and mechanics. In February, the company framed that approach around Lunar New Year with the North America debut of Prosperity Link Cai Yun Heng Tong, a new chapter in a popular series that touts 243 ways to win, free spins and a 10,000x grand jackpot through its grid-filling feature. Rotem positioned the title as another link in an omnichannel chain that includes Mystery of the Lamp, Fortune Coin and Cleopatra. The pitch is simple: known math and themes travel well from cabinet to mobile, reducing acquisition friction and boosting time on device. The launch details are here: IGT PlayDigital welcomes Year of the Snake with a new Prosperity Link slot.
That omnichannel posture is strategic for a company that supplies both the game IP and the technology pipes behind sportsbooks and casinos. As U.S. iGaming markets remain fragmented, cross-promoting recognizable titles can help operators lift digital engagement without re-educating players. It also gives PlayDigital leverage in content negotiations, as casinos weigh the upside of running the same franchises on floors and apps. For a newly combined enterprise working through integration, this brand-led continuity reduces complexity.
Latin America becomes a proving ground
While U.S. regulation advances in fits and starts, PlayDigital is using Latin America to scale reach and learn player preferences at speed. The company entered Brazil’s newly regulated online market on Jan. 1 with a slate that included Cleopatra, Fortune Coin, Gold Digger and Cash Eruption. Rotem called the country’s growth potential “exciting,” and flagged a road map tailored to the market. The move broadened access beyond Colombia and Puerto Rico, where IGT already has distribution and sportsbook ties. Read more here: IGT PlayDigital extends its Latin America presence with a Brazil launch.
Brazil is not only about content; it is about engagement. Competitors are racing to localize CRM and retention tooling as operators seek cost-efficient growth. In parallel with IGT’s expansion, platform provider BetConstruct and Fast Track deepened their collaboration to bring customer relationship technology to Latin America, highlighting demand for targeted campaigns in Brazil and beyond. That arms race underscores why PlayDigital is investing in its own engagement stack and why execution in the region matters for global strategy. The competitive context is here: BetConstruct and Fast Track expand CRM technology in Latin America.
Success in Brazil also sets the stage for future branded content. PlayDigital has signaled plans to roll out a Whitney Houston-themed slot in North America after European launches, an example of IP that can cross borders when licensing and distribution are aligned. Building that pipeline requires consistent leadership and regulatory green lights in core jurisdictions.
Table games strategy through licensing, not just build
Another thread in PlayDigital’s integration playbook is selective licensing. Rather than building every table game variant in-house, the company struck a five-year agreement with Galaxy Gaming to add brands like 21+3, Perfect Pairs, Buster Blackjack, Lucky Lucky, Lucky Ladies and Caribbean Stud to its online portfolio. The deal complements IGT’s existing digital table titles, including its high-performing blackjack, and gives operators a broader mix without protracted development cycles. Details are here: Galaxy Gaming reaches a licensing agreement with IGT PlayDigital.
For a company navigating post-merger integration, this strategy trades capex for speed. It also helps standardize offerings across regions, which matters as operators seek consistent lobbies across multiple markets. Rotem’s licensing in Nevada would help ensure these content decisions are stewarded by a leader with direct accountability to the state’s regulators, a point that can smooth future approvals and partnerships headquartered in Las Vegas.
Retention tech becomes a core differentiator
Content breadth draws players, but sustained revenue hinges on engagement tools. In May, IGT rolled out Mega Vault, a new wrapper that combines existing promotion mechanics — prize drops, leaderboards and marketing jackpots — into a single, customizable campaign hub. The product is powered by the PlayDigital Engagement Platform launched last year and has already surfaced at U.S. operators such as Fanatics Casino, FanDuel Casino and Rush Street Interactive. The rollout is here: IGT PlayDigital launches the Mega Vault engagement tool.
For operators, consolidating promotions simplifies execution and analytics. For IGT, it deepens platform stickiness and creates a flywheel for its content catalog. In a market where acquisition costs are high and regulatory marketing limits are tightening, the ability to run high-impact, low-lift campaigns is a sales lever — particularly as the company competes with CRM-savvy rivals targeting the same Latin American and U.S. audiences.
The regulatory through line
Taken together, these moves show why Nevada licensing for PlayDigital’s chief is more than a procedural step. Omnichannel hits need coordination across studio, compliance and operator partnerships. Latin America growth requires alignment of content and CRM. Table games expansion via licensing demands careful oversight of IP, math models and jurisdictional rules. And engagement tech that touches consumer incentives is scrutinized by regulators and partners alike.
A green light in Nevada would signal confidence that the executive setting that agenda can bridge strategy with compliance as the enterprise continues to evolve under new ownership. It would also position IGT to accelerate integration work from its Las Vegas hub, where decisions on product road maps, partnerships and market entries intersect. The next phase — from branded content rollouts to deeper operator integrations — hinges on that leadership being in place, with the authority and oversight to match the ambition.
