IGT VP of Product Matt Ward and Caesars‘ VP of Online Gaming Ricardo Cornejo Rivas discuss how a longstanding supplier-operator relationship has produced high-performing content roadmaps, omnichannel activations and measurable player engagement — and what’s coming next.
The most successful iGaming relationships are built around content. Operators know what their players love, and the best suppliers use these insights to fuel roadmaps with top-performing titles that enhance the player experience and meet operator goals.
IGT PlayDigital takes a relationship-first philosophy toward its customer base, and few operator-supplier relationships in North America illustrate this better than the one between IGT and Caesars.
For IGT, content has always been central to its strategy. With IGT CEO Hector Fernandez placing Content first in the company’s “5 C’s” strategic framework, that priority has taken on renewed significance.
iGaming Expert sat down with IGT VP of Product Matt Ward and Caesars’ VP of Online Gaming Ricardo Cornejo Rivas to discuss the mechanics of their collaboration, the role of omnichannel content, and where the relationship is headed in 2026 and beyond.
Where collaboration meets content
At the heart of any successful iGaming business is a player-focused content roadmap that performs. IGT has built a track record of translating land-based favorites, like Cleopatra™ and Prosperity Link™, into strong-performing online titles.
With that foundation established, the focus has shifted to sustaining and expanding that performance across channels.
“Hector’s strategic framework emphasizes the old adage ‘Content is King’, which I fully believe,” Ward says. “The best content engages players and keeps them coming back to their favorite titles across channels, and we work closely with Caesars to bridge our content across land and online.
“The beauty of working with an operator like Caesars is that players can find their favorite content on the gaming floor and seamlessly continue that play online.”
For Caesars, the alignment is a natural fit. As the largest casino-entertainment company in North America, the operator has seen its player base gravitate toward IGT’s best-performing titles – some of which launch exclusively at Caesars.
“IGT game exclusives enable Caesars to bring renowned titles to market first to players who love them most,” Cornejo Rivas explains. “It rewards players’ longstanding loyalty by being the first ones to play legendary titles, and reaffirms our commitment to providing our players with the best casino experience possible.”
Differentiating through bespoke content
The tailored content relationship traces back years and has grown in importance as operators work to differentiate themselves in a competitive market.
“I believe the first bespoke game we launched with them was CAESARS CLEOPATRA, which was a natural fit,” Ward said. “Caesars’ players already knew and loved the core Cleopatra™ game, and now they could get an exclusive version of it only at Caesars.”
More recently, the operator went live with Cats Split ‘n’ Win, one of IGT’s established land-based titles, as the newest addition to its exclusive online offering.
“This collaborative relationship builds excitement by giving Caesars’ players early access to games,” Ward says. “As we work on bespoke content for Caesars, we get to better understand what resonates with their players and how they support the games. This helps us build long-term value, which translates to player trust.”
The collaboration has evolved alongside Caesars’ growing digital footprint. Based on shared feedback and performance data, Cornejo Rivas says the process has shifted toward earlier roadmap influence, tighter feedback loops, and a greater emphasis on omnichannel activation.
“Caesars works closely with IGT from concept through post-launch, using player feedback and historical land performance to prioritize adaptations of proven game franchises in the online space,” he adds.
Data-driven, iterative roadmap development
At the operational level, IGT and Caesars meet regularly to review game performance data and upcoming plans.
“As we spot trend changes or shifts in player preferences, we’ll respond with new ideas, themes, mechanics, or configurations to meet these needs,” Ward says. “When something is working, we’ll double down on it to meet that demand.”
A key asset in this process is Caesars Rewards, the operator’s loyalty program, which provides granular visibility into omnichannel player behavior.
“Caesars is uniquely positioned to run major marketing campaigns across our digital and physical assets, rewarding customers for gameplay wherever they play,” says Cornejo Rivas.
“Our loyalty program gives us a powerful tool to track omnichannel behavior, reward customers online and offline, and provides us with multiple channels to speak to customers — in-app, email, direct mail, kiosks.”
“Some of our biggest game launches are anchored around gaming brands that are familiar to both online and brick-and-mortar customers — that shared recognition is what makes the omnichannel approach viable at scale.”
Kitty Glitter Grand: omnichannel in action
The exclusive launch of Kitty Glitter Grand™ in July 2025 illustrates what integrated omnichannel execution looks like in practice. Ward explains the thinking behind the title:
“We knew that the original Kitty Glitter was a strong performer for Caesars, and we saw a great opportunity to launch the sequel with them via a synchronized land and online release.”
Activating that launch across channels required coordinated effort on both sides. “We ran major omnichannel promotions; marketed heavily online, offline and in our properties; deployed field marketing teams; and hosted a VIP event inside one of our casino destinations,” adds Cornejo Rivas.
From IGT’s side, maintaining consistency across channels is a core requirement. “We work hard to ensure the same experience is available wherever the game is played,” Ward says.
“Changes inevitably need to be made when taking a game from a showcase 55-inch display down to a 5-inch phone, but we make sure that the same look and feel persists. That level of familiarity is vital to leverage the players’ built-in affinity to the game.”
The results validate the approach. Cornejo Rivas confirms measurable uplifts in new customer acquisition, retention, and gameplay whenever integrated omnichannel campaigns are deployed.
“Titles like Mystery of the Lamp, Tiger and Dragon, Double Top Dollar, and Cash Eruption consistently rank among Caesars’ top performers – driven, he says, by strong unaided awareness, clear volatility expectations, and mechanics that feel rewarding without being overly complex.
“The game title is at the heart of these campaigns: a focal point for customer participation and a creative hook to build into our marketing campaigns,” he says.
The jackpot factor
Progressive jackpots remain a central pillar of IGT’s content strategy and a consistent draw for Caesars’ player base.
“Our jackpot families like MegaJackpotsand Dollar Link have long been player favorites,” says Ward. “Jackpot players pay close attention to prize values, and we can see the behavioral shift in game performance when those numbers climb.
“Our Fort Knox series also gives players a more attainable progressive target with faster-hitting jackpots — a different kind of draw, but an important one.”
For Caesars, significant wins function as organic marketing moments. “Research has shown us how important the winning experience is to casino gameplay,” Cornejo Rivas says.
“We celebrate when our customers have a big win and push messaging across social, CRM and our blog.”
Looking ahead: a 2026 roadmap built together
The roadmap for 2026 reflects the direction both parties say the relationship is heading: deeper integration, earlier collaboration, and a more deliberate omnichannel strategy.
“Through our customer-centric team, we’ve worked closely with Caesars to build a strong 2026 roadmap,” Ward says. “There’s at least one more Caesars exclusive coming, alongside new entries in the omnichannel Mystery of the Lamp, Tiger & Dragon, and Whitney Houston families. We’re looking forward to seeing how Caesars’ players respond.”
For Cornejo Rivas, the opportunity ahead is about moving beyond content adaptation and into something more structurally integrated. “We anticipate expanding progressive jackpot offerings, particularly mid-tier family-linked jackpots with more frequent wins for our players,” he says.
“We are deepening omnichannel synchronisation, using in-person launches to create online demand and vice versa. The goal is to move beyond land-to-online adaptation and into a true omnichannel ecosystem strategy, differentiating Caesars and IGT as an integrated supplier-operator partnership.”
The omnichannel ambition is clear. But what’s driving the commercial results is something more foundational: a feedback loop between operator insight and supplier execution that keeps the roadmap responsive and pushes the player experience forward.
