Isaacs to become a senior advisor to Jackpocket, an online lottery start-up

April 23, 2019 8:00 PM
  • Howard Stutz, CDC Gaming Reports
April 23, 2019 8:00 PM
  • Howard Stutz, CDC Gaming Reports

SBTech Chairman Gavin Isaacs has been named as a senior advisor to Jackpocket, a mobile start-up designed to offer customers the ability to purchase state lottery tickets online for such games as Powerball and Mega Millions.

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In an announcement Tuesday – ahead of the Betting on Sports American conference in New Jersey – Jackpocket said Isaacs will work with the board and the executive team to help set growth strategy and guide the mobile lottery startup’s expansion to new jurisdictions in 2019.

“We’re fortunate to be in a position where we can be really thoughtful about who we have in our court, as we fortify our leadership position as a gaming technology company in a changing industry,” Jackpocket founder and CEO Peter Sullivan said in a statement. “With lotteries and iGaming undergoing such rapid transformation, and in many cases starting to converge, we know that Gavin will bring valuable counsel and foresight in making more inroads for our growth.”

Isaacs joined SBTech in January. The United Kingdom-based company is expanding into the U.S. and recently announced deals to provide sports betting services in New Jersey and Mississippi.

Isaacs, 54, left his position in December as vice chairman of Las Vegas-based Scientific Games Corp. He has been either CEO or a top executive with four different gaming equipment providers. Scientific Games is one on the largest lottery equipment providers in the U.S.

“It’s been so thrilling to witness Jackpocket’s evolution over the last few years, and to see it fully embrace all of its hurdles and turn them into opportunities for creating a better lottery experience,” Isaacs said. “It’s an exciting road ahead, and I’m eager to do my part to help the team navigate regulated spaces and shape new strategies for modernizing the industry.”

Based in Las Vegas, Isaacs brings 20 years of experience building publicly-traded gaming businesses. Isaacs spent four years with Scientific Games, including two years as CEO, helping to grow the company into one of the industry’s most diverse gaming technology companies.

He also held leadership positions as COO of Bally Technologies, CEO of SHFL Entertainment (acquired by Bally Technologies) and president of Aristocrat. An Australia native, he started his career as a commercial real estate lawyer in Sydney before transitioning to the gaming industry.

Jackpocket raised its initial funding in October 2018. The company plans to make its flagship app, which lets players order official state lottery tickets, available in 10 states by the end of the year.

Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgamingreports.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.