“The concept of omni-channel content is no longer a strategy, it’s an essential way of doing business”

It is no news to the industry that ICE is a must-attend event in the gaming calendar, for it sets the trends that will determine the future of the sector. What was your overall impression of ICE Totally Gaming 2017 and when do you expect to reap the benefits of your participation in the international exhibition?

ICE Totally Gaming 2017 was a productive event for IGT. It presented an opportunity for the company to highlight a full suite of solutions for our gaming, lottery, betting, and interactive customers from all parts of the world, and to demonstrate our commitment to helping our customers grow their businesses in the near and distant future. For IGT, trade shows such as ICE generate immediate and long-term benefits. As a pillar of our Customer First approach we embrace any touch point that we share with our customers and value the opportunity to gain real-time feedback as our customers engage with our games and solutions for the first time. Following the show, we are acutely focused on execution and performance. We work with our customers to get our latest innovations on their casinos floors and on their platforms relatively quickly to give them the most impactful competitive edge as possible.

Do you anticipate any major changes or hope to see any changes to the gaming industry in 2017 that are going to have an effect on the company's operations?

IGT is well-positioned to accommodate change. We operate in more than 100 countries and within hundreds of jurisdictions, each with its own unique and evolving regulatory environment. IGT embraces change; it keeps us engaged and requires that we remain in touch with our customers and aligned with regulators. In the coming months I expect that we’ll continue to see gradual changes to the global gaming landscape with topics such as mobile gaming solutions, an increased interest in virtual reality experiences and the deployment of new products designed to engage a broader demographic of players.

One of the hot topics at this year's ICE was Multichannel Convergence. What is your approach towards the cross-channel experience and why is this a key revenue driver for businesses?

For IGT the concept of omni-channel content is no longer a strategy, it’s an essential way of doing business. Our customers and their players live in an omni-channel world where there is an expectation for seamless brand experiences across multiple channels anytime, anywhere. As we develop new content, innovations and player experiences, we ideate through this lens. For IGT it is important that we furnish our land-based casino customers with leading-edge mobile solutions such as PlaySpot, Cardless Connect and Mobile Responder that enable them to capitalize on the immense popularity of mobile devices and to connect with their players in a way that is consistent with how they consume other forms of entertainment.

What can both operators and players alike expect to see from you in terms of product development?

Our customers can rely on IGT to be their trusted growth partner. We remain focused on meeting the demands of today and capturing the opportunities of the future. IGT has developed a strategic framework for its R&D investment and applies it to developing and deploying new content, leading innovation and new player experiences. SPHINX 4D is a prime example of this philosophy in practice. SPHINX 4D builds upon the international success of the SPHINX 3D game and gives players an additional level of immersion with its mid-air haptic and gesture recognition technologies. The player is at the core of IGT’s product design strategy, so the more we can do to better understand the player and his or her gaming motivations, the better positioned IGT and our customers will be for success.

What are your aims for the year and how do you intend to achieve them?

IGT’s main objective for 2017 is to continue to nurture our partnerships with our customers from around the world. We will leverage the local IGT teams to help our customers ensure their operations are profitable, and to prepare them for the challenges and opportunities of the future.