The landscape of the global commercial gaming industry is in a constant state of flux.
SBC Americas is detailing the latest leadership and workforce changes from across the industry as companies continue to shape, develop and execute their growth strategies.
Each week, we’ll provide an overview of the latest hires, exits and promotions.
Better Collective appoints new board chair
Better Collective appointed a new Chair of its Board during its Annual General Meeting after Jens Bager announced his decision not to seek re-election after serving in the role for more than 10 years.
The digital sports media group elected Thomas Plenborg as its new chair, who joined Better Collective in 2025 as a member of its audit committee. He currently serves as an Accounting Professor at the Copenhagen Business School, where he has taught for over 25 years.
“Having worked with him on the board over the past year, we have already benefited from his deep financial and strategic insights,” said Better Collective Co-Chief Executive Officer Jesper Søgaard. “His experience with globally-leading companies will be invaluable as we continue our work towards becoming the leading digital sports media group.”
In addition to Better Collective, Plenborg is also the Board Chair at Danish logistics company DSV. He is also a member of the board at Menzies Aviation.
“I look forward to working closely with the management team and my fellow board members to continue developing Better Collective for the benefit of all our stakeholders, including our customers, partners, employees and shareholders,” said Plenborg.
New LVCVA role creates opportunity
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) created a new role, Chief Sports Officer, that is held by Janis Burke after her appointment last week. Burke’s position oversees the execution of the LVCVA’s sports and special events initiatives. She will be responsible for bringing marquee professional and amateur sporting events to Nevada.
Burke joined the LVCVA after a stint as chief of international sports and strategy for the Sports Events & Tourism Association in Ohio.
“Janis brings an extraordinary track record of leadership and achievement in sports tourism,” said LVCVA President and CEO Steve Hill. “Her expertise and vision will strengthen our ability to attract and deliver world-class events, reinforcing Las Vegas’ standing as the premier destination for the biggest moments in sports and entertainment.”
Burke is also a former CEO of the Harris County – Houston Sports Authority.
IGT cuts 10% of global workforce
IGT parted ways with approximately 700 employees, amounting to roughly 10% of the gaming supplier’s global workforce. IGT initiated the job cuts to “move forward with greater focus, agility and competitiveness” after closing its $6.2bn merger with Everi in 2024 and the acquisition of the combined company by Apollo Global Management a year later.
“We thank these employees for their contributions and service to our organization, and we are committed to supporting affected employees with severance, outplacement services, and, where possible, opportunities elsewhere within the company,” an IGT spokesperson told SBC Americas. “This strategic realignment positions IGT to move forward with greater focus, agility and competitiveness.”
The layoffs add to other major structural changes at IGT. The company recently rebranded its global lottery business and divested its gaming and digital segment through a taxable spin-off to shareholders, with the transaction ultimately valuing the segment at approximately $4bn.
Gambling.com Group shuffles key leadership roles
Gambling.com Group is undergoing a major restructuring with the appointment of current Chief Operating Officer Kevin McCrystle as the company’s new CEO. Company Co-Founder McCrystle will replace Charles Gillespie as CEO, as Gillespie transitions to executive chairman of the company’s board.
“I have spent my entire adult life building Gambling.com Group with Kevin and I look forward to continuing to work closely with him as we move into the next phase of the Company’s growth,” said Gillespie. “As we continue to grow our sports data services business, reinvent our marketing business and embrace an AI-led future, now is the right time to refresh our leadership team and give our most talented leader the full reins to drive all parts of the business.”
McCrystle will be Gambling.com Group’s new CEO after holding the role of COO since 2007. Meanwhile, Gillespie has been the company’s CEO since its inception in 2006.
The new appointments are expected to be approved in May during a general meeting.
Game Lounge CEO steps down
Game Lounge will be searching for a new CEO after Richard Dennys stepped down from the role earlier this week. Dennys joined Game Lounge in 2024 and oversaw the iGaming affiliate publisher’s 80 websites across 30 jurisdictions.
“Over the past two years, we’ve reshaped the business around its core strengths, expanded into new markets, and built a strong foundation for the future,” said Dennys in a LinkedIn post. “I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together and grateful to have worked with such a talented and committed team across multiple countries.”
Before joining Game Lounge, Dennys spent nearly eight years as CEO of affiliate network Webgains. The Game Lounge appointed Founder Jonas Cederholm as interim CEO.
