From the Las Vegas Strip to neighborhood casinos and rural Nevada, IGT PlaySports is staking its claim as a major player in Nevada’s dynamic sports betting market.
Thriving in the most mature sports betting market in the U.S. takes experience, agility, and customer service, but most of all a quality product with scale that appeals to operators and players, said Joe Bertolone, IGT senior vice president of Sports.
For IGT PlaySports, the last year has been marked with significant growth in the Silver State by way of a three-year extension with Boyd Gaming, three new deployments with Golden Nugget properties in Nevada, and going live in August with an industry newcomer in Boomer’s Sportsbook headed by former IGT PlaySports President Joe Asher, Bertolone said. The company provides the sports betting platform for Boomer’s.
IGT PlaySports has six customers in Nevada. Nationwide, it has 44 customers.
“Our Nevada story is a great one,” Bertolone said. “We’re focused on the state because of the growth potential that we have in Nevada. With the existing customers, we are expanding our network in Nevada and hope to expand further with the Boomer’s launch. The story for us is we provide the premium solution for Nevada operators that are looking to stand up their own sportsbook.”
Because of the in-person registration requirements in Nevada, Bertolone said that makes the state a unique market and requires having an elevated understanding of casino retail operations and as a supplier having that knowledge with their team and managers.
IGT PlaySports has deep roots in Nevada, where it has its headquarters and a team with decades of combined experience, both as suppliers and operators, Bertolone said. That uniquely positions the company to understand operator needs and regulator demands.
“We are by far the leading B2B sports betting provider in the nation,” he stated. “No one else is close to us by number of locations. And we take a lot of pride in our tribal business partners. Everyone focuses on online sports, and we do too, but the place where we excel and focus on is retail partnerships. As sports betting matures, everyone is learning what we knew in Nevada, that retail sports betting is a necessity and an amenity that casinos have to offer. While FanDuel and DraftKings and the ‘big five’ dominate the online sports betting business, there’s still a healthy business in retail.”
Boyd Gaming extended its Nevada retail and mobile sportsbook agreement with the company through August 2028, reaffirming long-term trust in the platform and services, Bertolone noted.
“We’re really excited about that,” he said. “Boyd just went through a transaction with FanDuel. What that means for us is continued growth opportunities for IGT in Nevada. They are one of our largest customers, and we have a great relationship with them.”
Golden Nugget launched across three Nevada properties, deploying both retail and mobile capabilities, self-service kiosks, and trading support.
“Our Las Vegas-based trading team works side-by-side with our customers such as Boyd and Golden Nugget to manage primetime and in-play matches, optimize odds, localize promos, and manage risk,” Bertolone said.
IGT PlaySports also works with Monarch Gaming, Resorts World Las Vegas, and Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
“We’re the leading Nevada sportsbook provider, and we continue to grow to increase our footprint,” Bertolone said. “We look forward to being the most widely available and player-focused retail sports betting provider across North America.”
IGT PlaySports products are certified and proven in the U.S. market – ensuring compliance, reliability, and operator confidence across regulated jurisdictions, Bertolone said. One way that IGT PlaySports helps customers generate revenue is its integration with tools to help them do that.
The integration of Xtremepush’s CRM platform allows IGT PlaySports’ operator partners in Nevada to streamline player data into a single view, providing the platform for targeted, omnichannel engagement strategies.
The platform is integrated with existing loyalty applications and supporting gamified experiences, helping to improve player lifecycle management from acquisition through to retention.
Going forward, Bertolone said they are looking to leverage the bet recommendation and personalization features in their products to drive customer engagement. They are also working with partners with digital outreach with retaining and obtaining customers in their retail environments.
“With new contracts and integrations, we’re continuously improving our product, with Nevada being a focus for this innovation,” Bertolone explained. “What we do and where we’ve excelled is the services and knowledge in U.S. sports betting that we provide. We understand the business, and the Nevada business as well because a lot of our team comes from Nevada operators.”
