IGT Strengthens APAC Team to Challenge Asia’s Slot Market Leaders

United States.- 2 October 2026 | www.zonadeazar.com IGT is strengthening its Asia-Pacific design and product organisation as it looks to gain ground in a slot market long dominated by Aristocrat and Light & Wonder.

The company has recruited talent from some of Australia’s most successful game studios and is preparing a strategy based on stronger regional autonomy and locally tailored content.

New Appointments

IGT confirmed the recruitment of Talles Vito and other members of Big Cheers Games.

The studio was behind successful Aristocrat products including:

Thunder Empire.
Cash Horns.

The new hires are expected to join IGT during 2027 once their non-compete periods expire.

Australia and Asia Focus

Vito has specific experience developing games for Australia and Asia.

IGT believes that regional expertise will be critical to creating products suited to local player preferences and regulatory requirements.

Lloyd Robson and Ashley Fong

The strategy also includes Lloyd Robson, formerly Aristocrat’s SVP for Asia and EMEA, and Ashley Fong, who brings product planning and strategy experience from Macau.

Both will fully join once their respective non-compete periods end.

Sydney as a Regional Hub

Robson will be based in Sydney.

IGT sees the decision as a way to strengthen its Australian presence and signal the strategic importance of the market to local operators.

Acknowledging Underperformance

IGT CEO Hector Fernandez acknowledged that the company has not performed as strongly as expected in Australia.

He said IGT should hold a much stronger position and described the recruitment drive as part of the effort to address that weakness.

Challenging the Duopoly

Fernandez described Asia’s slot market as effectively dominated by two leading suppliers.

IGT intends to challenge that structure through investment in talent, regional game development and greater local decision-making.

“Global Strategy, Regional Execution”

The company is implementing a “Global Strategy, Regional Execution” model.

APAC leaders will have greater authority to make decisions locally while still benefiting from IGT’s global scale and resources.

Corporate Transformation

The APAC strategy forms part of a wider transformation following IGT’s acquisition by Apollo.

The company has also introduced a new corporate identity and restructured parts of its executive organisation.

Industry Context

IGT remains strong across regions including Latin America and EMEA but acknowledges that APAC remains one of its key areas for improvement.

The recruitment push is designed to close that gap against Aristocrat and Light & Wonder.

Next Steps or Impact

The new appointments are expected to begin having an operational impact during 2027.

IGT hopes stronger regional talent, greater autonomy and more localised content will improve its competitiveness across Australia, Macau and other Asian gaming markets.

The APAC strategy is becoming a central pillar of the company’s wider global transformation.

Editó: @fonta