Games alone are not enough, and building an infrastructure to enhance the player experience through tools and additional features is equally crucial, says IGT PlayDigital president Gil Rotem in the iGB@ICE studio.
Supporting new games with an ecosystem of marketing tools such as free spins, player journeys and widgets means players enjoy the gameplay regardless of whether they win or not, Rotem tells iGB@ICE host Katie Goldfinch. Rolling this out to customers across the US and Canada has significantly enhanced IGT’s content performance, he adds.
IGT has also been something of a pioneer in rolling out bespoke titles exclusively for operator partners he continues. “We are happy that we have a very good brand, very strong mechanics and successful skins that we can provide,” Rotem says. “I always say there’s a big difference between each operator for their marketing, their CRM, how they position, which players they attract and how they cross sell.
“Our games offer pretty much everything to every operator. We have soft games, we have hardcore games, we have big jackpots and we have a different answer to every operator need.”
How omnichannel aids IGT’s digital growth
But what makes an icasino title successful in 2025? For Rotem it’s simple: while there’s no magic formula, studios need to create games that players like. IGT analyses information about what is popular currently, working closely with its land-based development team to identify hits, future hits and mechanics that could perform well online.
That parallel land-based business is one of IGT PlayDigital’s biggest assets, Rotem continues. “If the player is familiar with the content, they’ve seen it before, they will come again,” he explains. “When we look at our portfolio because it’s so heavily omnichannel, when we compare ourselves to other competitors, we see we do those games better.
“Players are familiar with the games, so they want to play it online. That’s a big advantage.”
Rotem joined the iGB@ICE studio with IGT poised for a new era through its combination with Everi under Apollo Global’s ownership. That deal is in the closing phase, but he sees a lot of synergies between the two businesses.
“My team is really excited to start the work. Everyone is eager to continue to work, to increase our dominance in the US and Canada, and also to take the new company into new jurisdictions.”
Original article: https://igamingbusiness.com/gaming/online-casino/igb-at-ice-gil-rotem-igt-playdigital/
