What does de Leon look forward to in the next 12 to 18 months ? The continued growth of the iGaming industry in the U . S ., and making waves and being a part of the big things in store for Caesars Digital are just a few .
2024 CLASS OF EMERGING LEADERS OF GAMING 40 UNDER 40
It ’ s Game Time !
Paolo Roberto de Leon , Senior Director- Online Casino Content , Caesars Digital
Paolo Roberto de Leon was born in the Philippines and migrated to Montreal , Canada in 2005 . He began his professional career almost 15 years ago , working part-time for EA Mobile during his university years . After graduation , he worked full-time in the video gaming industry for different companies , primarily working on video games in various stages of development .
In 2014 , de Leon started working with Caesars Interactive Entertainment ( CIE ), and though video gaming is still near and dear to his heart and he currently keeps abreast on the video game industry , he is all in on Caesars .
De Leon started as a project coordinator with CIE before becoming project manager , as online casino and poker was legalized and regulated in some states , culminating with the launch of sports betting in New Jersey in 2018 and Caesars Casino and Sportsbook in Pennsylvania in 2020 . Throughout these initial years , de Leon worked cross-functionally with various teams across CIE , including promotions managers , copywriters , website developers , and creative designers .
De Leon was then promoted to digital content manager , managing both casino games content and other website requirements including promotions publishing and content changes . During this time , de Leon learned more about online casino games content and the processes required to launch games on time .
After seven years with CIE , de Leon was promoted to director of online casino content and partnerships after the purchase of William Hill in 2021 , turning CIE into Caesars Digital . This required de Leon to take over casino content roadmapping for the Caesars Sportsbook product in August 2021 with approximately 50 games across three markets ( New Jersey , Michigan , and West Virginia ).
By the end of 2021 , there were more than 170 games across those jurisdictions . De Leon was then promoted to senior director of online casino content in early 2023 and has deployed more than 1,000 games across all regulated iGaming markets , culminating in the release of Caesars Palace Online Casino in July of this year .
De Leon attributes much of his success in his early years simply to “ getting things done .” He also acknowledges and appreciates that he has had a mentor every step of the way during his Caesars career , and he has learned different things from all of them at different points in time . De Leon has used those lessons to build new relationships and assist other professionals starting their careers .
The defining point in de Leon ’ s career was during the time of the Eldorado / Caesars merger , when there was a lot of uncertainty , and an opportunity came up for him to go back to the video gaming industry as a producer . De Leon took a long , hard look at the state of iGaming in the United States and saw its potential . With only a few brands and a few states online at the time , he felt in his gut that Caesars would be a big player in this space , and he knew this was where he wanted to be .
What does de Leon look forward to in the next 12 to 18 months ? The continued growth of the iGaming industry in the U . S ., and making waves and being a part of the big things in store for Caesars Digital are just a few .
So what does de Leon look forward to in the next 12 to 18 months ? The continued growth of the iGaming industry in the U . S ., and making waves and being a part of the big things in store for Caesars Digital are just a few .
De Leon currently lives in Saskatoon , Canada , and has a love of driving which has inspired him to travel the span of the country , nearly completing it from coast to coast . In his spare time , he enjoys outdoor activites like camping , hiking , paddleboarding and rowing . — Kevin Dennis
30 Global Gaming Business NOVEMBER 2023