Pavilion Taps Veteran CIO to Architect its Digital Gaming Future

LAS VEGAS, NV – May 13, 2026 – Pavilion Payments, a central player in the gaming industry's rapid shift to digital transactions, has appointed veteran technologist Kaiu Pettigrew as its new Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer. The move signals a significant reinforcement of the company's leadership as it aims to dominate the increasingly complex and lucrative world of omnichannel gaming payments.

Pettigrew's appointment comes at a pivotal moment for both Pavilion Payments and the broader gaming ecosystem. As casinos worldwide accelerate their transition away from cash, the demand for secure, scalable, and compliant payment platforms has never been higher. Pettigrew is tasked with leading the company's technology organization, unifying its IT, risk, and product teams to fortify the infrastructure underpinning this digital revolution.

A Cross-Industry Architect

With over 25 years of experience, Kaiu Pettigrew brings a formidable resume that uniquely bridges the worlds of gaming, hospitality, and financial services. Her career is a testament to the growing convergence of these sectors, where expertise in one is now critical to success in the others. Most recently, she served in executive technology leadership at First Hawaiian Bank, where she was responsible for enterprise technology, risk management, and IT infrastructure—skills directly transferable to the highly regulated payments space.

Her background reads like a who's who of the gaming and hospitality industry, with senior leadership and consulting roles at giants like Wynn Macau, Las Vegas Sands, and Pinnacle Entertainment (now PENN Entertainment). She has also held positions with Maverick Gaming, Everi Holdings, and Fontainebleau Resorts. This deep operational experience as both a technology operator within casinos and a leader at a payments manufacturer gives her a rare 360-degree view of the industry's challenges.

“Kaiu is a proven gaming and payments technologist with deep industry experience as an operator and manufacturer,” said Diallo Gordon, CEO of Pavilion Payments, in the company's announcement. “She has spent her career at the intersection of gaming and financial services, leading teams across infrastructure, cybersecurity, compliance, and risk. Those are exactly the disciplines needed to scale a payments platform within one of the most highly regulated industries.”

Powering the Cashless Revolution

Pettigrew steps into her role as the gaming industry undergoes a profound transformation. The global gaming payments market, valued at $38.6 billion in 2025, is projected to surge to over $102.4 billion by 2034. This explosive growth is fueled by a fundamental shift in player behavior towards digital and cashless solutions. Mobile apps, digital wallets, and contactless payments are no longer novelties but expectations.

Pavilion Payments has been actively positioning itself at the forefront of this trend. The company's solutions, such as the VIP Preferred network and the Tap2Play™ feature that supports Apple Pay, are designed to reduce reliance on cash, streamline operations for casinos, and enhance player convenience. The goal is to create a seamless experience where players can securely fund play and access winnings with the same ease they experience in e-commerce or retail.

Pettigrew’s mandate will be to ensure the technological backbone of this ecosystem is not just robust but also future-proof. "The opportunity to further align technology, risk, and product to support scalable, secure, and high-performing solutions is incredibly compelling," Pettigrew stated. Her focus will be on advancing the company's platform strategy to handle the increasing volume and complexity of digital transactions securely.

A Strategy of Aggressive Growth

Pettigrew's appointment is the latest move in a clear and aggressive growth strategy for Pavilion Payments. The company, which became an independent entity in 2023 after being acquired by Parthenon Capital from Global Payments, has wasted no time in expanding its capabilities.

In the past year, Pavilion has made key acquisitions to vertically integrate its offerings. The purchase of CasinoSoft brought critical compliance technology under its roof, strengthening its solutions for anti-money laundering (AML) and Title 31 requirements—a major pain point for casino operators. More recently, the acquisition of assets from DiTRONICS Financial Services expanded its market reach into new segments like historical horse racing (HHR) and charitable gaming.

Bringing in a CIO with Pettigrew's caliber is a strategic masterstroke to unify these disparate assets. Her role will be crucial in integrating the newly acquired technologies into a cohesive, powerful platform. This allows Pavilion to offer a single, comprehensive solution that simplifies operations and compliance, a compelling value proposition that competitors like Everi Holdings, Sightline Payments, and NRT Technology will be hard-pressed to match without similar strategic foresight.

Navigating a Complex Digital Frontier

The role of a CIO in a gaming fintech company is uniquely challenging. It requires a delicate balance of driving innovation while navigating a labyrinth of state, federal, and international regulations. The platform must be scalable enough to process millions of microtransactions in real-time, yet fortified against constant cybersecurity threats targeting the vast sums of money and data that flow through it.

Pettigrew’s deep experience in risk management and compliance across both banking and gaming makes her exceptionally suited for this environment. Her leadership will be instrumental in ensuring that as Pavilion Payments scales, its platform remains a fortress of security and a model of regulatory adherence. This focus on building a trusted, seamless experience is not just a technical objective but a core business strategy. By solidifying its technological and compliance leadership, Pavilion Payments is not just hiring a CIO; it is making a definitive statement about its ambition to define the future of money in the global gaming industry.