Connect with us
scientific-games-builds-on-digital-lottery-momentum-with-key-executive-hires scientific-games-builds-on-digital-lottery-momentum-with-key-executive-hires

Latest News

Scientific Games Builds on Digital Lottery Momentum with Key Executive Hires

Published

on

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Company Continues Investment in Globally Expanding Digital Lottery Business

Scientific Games, the world’s largest lottery games company, is bolstering its digital leadership team with the appointment of two seasoned executives, underscoring its continued investment in its globally expanding digital business.

 

Keshav Pitani joins Scientific Games as Senior Vice President, Digital Games, bringing extensive experience in content, product development and innovation. He previously served for seven years as Senior Director of Product Development for Bally Technologies until its acquisition by Scientific Games Corporation in 2014.

Laura Higgins has been named Vice President, Customer Success & Strategy for the Company’s global digital team. She brings more than 20 years of experience in e-commerce, general management, strategy, product, marketing and finance from leading companies such as Procter & Gamble, Shutterfly, Albertsons and Gartner.

“Our Digital team is experiencing strong momentum and we’re building an adaptable organization with a clear focus on the future,” said Matt Lynch, President, Digital for Scientific Games. “We are thrilled to welcome top-tier digital experts like Keshav Pitani and Laura Higgins. Their addition to our team reflects our continued investment in innovation, which is key to long-term sustainability for our lottery customers worldwide through consumer-centric digital programs.”

Pitani will lead Scientific Games’ digital games and SG Content Hub strategy, leveraging his expertise across digital game studios and partnerships to drive innovation and growth. A proven leader in managing creative and technology teams, Pitani has a strong background in developing game studios, delivering omnichannel content and designing scalable platforms. His prior accomplishments include playing a critical product strategy role in Scientific Games Corporation’s 2022 launch of Light & Wonder and the company’s successful entry into the U.S. and Canadian video lottery markets. Pitani has successfully launched creative digital and retail product verticals, designed a real-time AI product for high-speed casino play activity, and developed the satellite communication sub-system used in Boeing 737s and 747s.

Higgins spent most of her career identifying new growth opportunities in the consumer product goods, digital and ecommerce sectors, building and running new businesses. She has a proven track record of unlocking growth and loyalty through a deep understanding of customers and marketplaces. At Procter & Gamble, Higgins led the launch of several new consumer products as a Brand Director within Home Care. As General Manager of Category Expansion at Shutterfly, she drove new category development. Most recently, as Vice President of Shopper Engagement Platforms at Albertsons, she led a team that launched highly successful digital programs integrating retail consumer experiences and leveraging AI-powered assistant innovations.

Scientific Games is a trusted partner to more than 30 lotteries globally with iLottery solutions, including in the U.S., Canada, UK, Denmark, Germany, France and Turkey. With operations on five continents, the company provides retail and digital games, technology, analytics and services to 150 lotteries in 50 countries worldwide.

The post Scientific Games Builds on Digital Lottery Momentum with Key Executive Hires appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Carlo Santarelli

Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. Names Carlo Santarelli Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations

Published

on

gaming-and-leisure-properties-inc.-names-carlo-santarelli-senior-vice-president,-corporate-strategy-and-investor-relations

 

Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. announced that Carlo Santarelli has been appointed Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations, a new position at the Company. Mr. Santarelli will begin his new position on August 18, 2025 and will report to GLPI President and Chief Operating Officer, Brandon Moore.

Mr. Santarelli brings over 25 years of Wall Street experience in Equity Research and Investment Banking to his new role and joins the Company from Deutsche Bank where he was Managing Director of Gaming & Lodging Equity Research. Prior to Deutsche Bank, Mr. Santarelli held similar positions at Bear Stearns, JP Morgan and Wells Fargo. He consistently ranked highly in Institutional Investor and other sell-side analyst research polls as a thought leader in the space, providing unique perspectives on industry events and trends with his data-driven approach and stock picking talent. Carlo Santarelli graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Economics in 2000.

Peter Carlino, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GLPI, said: “We’ve known and respected Carlo’s research work on the gaming, lodging and gaming REIT sectors for many years. Carlo brings to GLPI an in-depth knowledge of the industry and its participants, having experienced GLPI’s original formation of the gaming triple-net-REIT structure from a research analyst and capital markets perspective. We value his deep network of contacts among institutional investors, sell-side analysts and a wide range of gaming industry operators and we look forward to the value of his contributions.”

In his new role, Mr. Santarelli will work with Mr. Carlino and GLPI’s senior management to develop and evaluate growth opportunities and strategic relationships, and will oversee investor relations interactions.

The post Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. Names Carlo Santarelli Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

Continue Reading

Industry News

VIP Play Announces Departure of Chief Financial Officer

Published

on

vip-play-announces-departure-of-chief-financial-officer

 

VIP Play, a technology-driven leader in interactive consumer engagement, announced that Jim Mackey, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, will step down from his role, effective August 8, 2025.

The Company has initiated a transition process and is in the process of identifying a successor. Mackey will assist in an orderly transition over the coming weeks.

“We thank Jim for his contributions to the Company, particularly during a transformative period for our business. We remain focused on executing our strategic priorities, including financial visibility, operating efficiency, and delivering value to our stakeholders,” said Les Ottolenghi, CEO of VIP Play.

The post VIP Play Announces Departure of Chief Financial Officer appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

Continue Reading

eSports

Esports Charts Becomes Official Viewership Analytics Partner of StarLadder Budapest Major 2025

Published

on

esports-charts-becomes-official-viewership-analytics-partner-of-starladder-budapest-major-2025
Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

Esports Charts, the leading esports viewership analytics provider, has partnered with StarLadder, a pioneering tournament organiser. The Budapest Major 2025 marks a highly anticipated comeback for StarLadder, as it is their first Counter-Strike Major since 2019 and a significant return to the top-tier esports arena.

As the official analytics partner of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, Esports Charts will provide comprehensive, real-time audience data and insights throughout the event. This will empower organisers, teams, sponsors and fans with unparalleled transparency and a deeper understanding of the tournament’s global reach.

Artyom Odintsov, Co-founder and CEO of Esports Charts, said: “We are thrilled and proud to provide viewership analytics for StarLadder for the Budapest Major 2025. Since both Esports Charts and StarLadder are Ukraine-born companies, we share similar values and deal with similar challenges, which brings us even closer.

“It’s genuinely exciting to follow how viewership will develop at this Major. But knowing the expertise, drive, and passion that the organizers are bringing, I have no doubt we’ll witness some incredible things happen in Budapest.

“Esports Charts has always been driven by a mission to provide the esports community with accurate, actionable data, and we look forward to showcasing the impact and audience engagement of this world-class event.”

StarLadder has been a driving force in global esports for almost 15 years now, since hosting its first tournaments in 2011. Renowned for its innovation and reliability, the company has organised some of the industry’s most iconic events. These include the StarLadder Berlin Major 2019, which accumulated over 44 million hours watched and remains in the top 10 CS events by this metric, and the legendary StarSeries tournaments which started back in 2012.

Viacheslav Shcherbakov, Sales and Partnerships at StarLadder, said: “We’ve been working with Esports Charts since their founding and have always valued their professionalism and integrity. In a market where reliable data is essential, Esports Charts provides honest, transparent numbers, exactly the kind of insights sponsors and stakeholders rely on when assessing the potential reach of a World Championship event.

“We’re confident that this partnership will result in a high-quality analysis of our tournament’s performance and the audience data we’ll report to our partners. It’s a collaboration built on trust, shared values, and a deep understanding of what it takes to elevate esports to the next level.”

The Starladder Budapest Major 2025 will be held from November 24 to December 14 in Budapest, Hungary. The event will bring together the world’s top 32 Counter-Strike 2 teams to compete for a $1.25 million prize pool and one of the most prestigious titles in esports.

The post Esports Charts Becomes Official Viewership Analytics Partner of StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Trending