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 later 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 $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 Chair Mike Dreitzer asked Rotem about his current 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 U.S., 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.”