In North America, IGT PlayDigital consistently trades places between the number one and number two spots among iGaming providers. Part of that success comes from an approach to omnichannel content that no other company has replicated. IGT is the only provider linking land-based and digital slots into the same wide area progressive (WAP) jackpot.
That model began in 2016 with Powerbucks, the industry’s first omnichannel WAP jackpot, and continued with IGT’s Wheel of Fortune Triple Gold Gold Spin in New Jersey and Money Mania in Canada. Nearly a decade later, these games remain one of the most distinctive offerings in regulated gaming and IGT the only supplier equipped to offer this style of jackpot.
I spoke with Gil Rotem, IGT President of iGaming, and Chad Helm, Vice President of Sales for Canada and Oregon Lottery, about what it took to build it, why it works, how omnichannel games differentiate IGT and what is next.
Familiar games, bigger reach
Helm, who has spent decades in Canada’s mature regulated market, saw early that recognizable land-based titles could instantly appeal to players online.
“We took a Cleopatra game that was synonymous with land-based gaming and launched it in digital,” Helm said. “Players gravitate toward brands they know. It started as awareness, then took off.”
That insight laid the groundwork for Powerbucks by connecting land-based and online versions of the same titles into one jackpot.
Building a jackpot that hits
“When we decided to build Powerbucks, it became a company-wide priority,” Helm recalled. “We said, you have six months to come up with aa way to transform the jackpot experience. In six months, they came back with the concept, and the market was hungry for it.”
The result was a shared jackpot across multiple operators that hits at an accelerated rate when compared to other jackpot products. Since launch, Powerbucks has created 69 millionaires and paid out nearly $100 million in life-changing jackpots.
Rotem pointed to the player perspective. “Players see they can win, and win often. I do not think you will find another game with a higher frequency of hitting jackpots.”
The true omnichannel
Rotem says IGT’s definition of omnichannel is not just the same brand in different channels.
“When we talk omnichannel, this is the true omnichannel,” he said. “It has to be the exact same chance and experience if you play on land-based or online.”
That consistency builds trust in regulated markets and strengthens brand loyalty.
Expanding the ecosystem
Helm says the Cleopatra rollout became the template for choosing which titles get the omnichannel treatment. Recent examples include Kitty Glitter Grand, which recently launched online and in land-based casinos on IGT’s newest hardware, the RISE55 cabinet.
“Cats on the internet always work,” Rotemjoked. “Kitty Glitter is instantly recognizable and beloved, and this is an elevated, next-generation version with amazing graphics and compelling win opportunities.”
In 2025, IGT expanded Powerbucks to retail lottery terminals in Ontario, making it possible to play for the same progressive in three channels: land-based, online, and retail lottery.
“It is all one ecosystem,” Rotem said. “That is how you build recognition and loyalty.”
What’s next
Rotem confirmed that more first-to-market products are in the works. “We have innovations coming that will leverage our strongest brands in areas we are not active in today,” he said. “My target is to be the top provider all the time.” He went on to mention that omnichannel games will be a cornerstone of the company’s showcase at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in October.
Helm added that some projects are aimed at growing the Powerbucks family while others will focus on entering entirely new territories. “I am hoping they will be global firsts that the industry has not seen before.”
What is certain is that nearly a decade after creating the first and only omnichannel WAP jackpot, IGT remains the sole company to run this model at scale. How it evolves from here is something the industry will be watching closely.
