Former Scientific Games CEO and longtime gaming industry executive Gavin Isaacs has a new gig.
A pair of them, actually.
Isaacs is working as a senior adviser to the board of directors of Jackpocket, a New York-based startup working to help modernize state lotteries, and is also chairman of SBTech, a young, global sports-betting and gaming technology supply company.
Gavin Isaacs
During a two-decade-plus career in gaming, Isaacs has also served as COO of Bally Technologies, CEO of SHFL Entertainment (which was acquired by Bally) and president of Aristocrat Leisure.
Isaacs served as Scientific Games’ CEO from 2014 until 2016, when he stepped aside to become vice chairman of the company’s board. He left Scientific Games late last year.
The Sun recently reached out to Issacs to learn more about what he’s up to these days.
How are things at SBTech?
Things are going extremely well. SBTech, like Jackpocket, is a young, agile and innovative company with great vision and superior products. SBTech is growing at a phenomenal rate and is just beginning to enter the North American market. I have been around technology companies for many years, and I’m so impressed with the products both these companies deliver.
Talk about Jackpocket. What does this company do and what’s your role as a consultant?
Jackpocket allows players in the United States to securely order official state lottery tickets like Powerball and Mega Millions from their phones. I first met Peter Sullivan (Jackpocket’s founder and CEO) in 2015 and knew they were onto something, because no one was offering anything like this. I’ve had my eye on Jackpocket for a few years now and knew it was the perfect time to hop on board.
They’ve made a lot of progress in maintaining an extremely high quality product while navigating a regulated industry. There’s no doubt the future of gaming is online, and Jackpocket is already well ahead of the pack and uniquely positioned to help move the industry forward. I’m excited to help shepherd the company’s growth and bring a better lottery experience to players everywhere.
How has the gaming industry changed over the years?
Gaming evolves every day and technology drives much of the innovation. At the same time, having archaic rules that prevent the use of commonly accepted platforms like the internet puts us at a huge disadvantage. The other big change has been in ownership and culture. When I first came to the industry, it was led by legendary gaming veterans who focused first and foremost on the player experience.
Today, large public companies and private equity ownership have changed the focus of many companies and accordingly, the industry.
Will Las Vegas ultimately be hurt by the spread of legalized sports betting or this going to remain the destination city that it’s been for decades?
Las Vegas is a great place to live. It’s my home. Each day it evolves and it’s now one of the leading entertainment capitals of the world. The growth of regulated sports betting will not adversely affect Las Vegas. It will introduce legal sports betting to many new players. As long as Las Vegas continues to improve its offerings, more people will come and play here.
For a young person wanting to get into the industry, what would your advice be?
Be passionate. If you love what you do and work hard, you will more than likely be a success.