Light & Wonder appoints Matthieu Labbat as SciPlay CEO
Light & Wonder, Inc. (ASX: LNW) has appointed Matthieu Labbat as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SciPlay, its social casino business, effective 4 November 2026. The SciPlay CEO appointment follows a period of leadership transition at the business.
Matt Wilson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Light & Wonder, framed the appointment around extending the reach of SciPlay’s portfolio of brands. Light & Wonder also thanked Oliver Chow, Chief Financial Officer, who has provided executive oversight during SciPlay’s leadership transition.
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A proven mobile gaming operator
Labbat joins from Product Madness, where he held a series of leadership roles. The announcement sets out his record in building and scaling mobile gaming businesses.
Product Madness track record
Key credentials listed in the announcement include:
- Nearly 13 years of experience building and scaling mobile games, including 7.5 years in leadership roles at Product Madness
- Most recently SVP and head of Product Madness, with profit-and-loss responsibility for a mobile gaming business generating more than $1 billion in annual revenue
- Helped grow the company from approximately 120 to more than 600 employees
- Drove social casino bookings and revenue growth above category rates, increased direct-to-consumer sales and improved margins
- Helped establish Product Madness as the No. 1 publisher in its category, with six titles among the top 30 apps, and expanded its product, data, technology and creative capabilities
Earlier career
Earlier in his career, Labbat held product management and business-performance leadership roles at King, a leading interactive mobile and cross-platform video game developer. There, he built and led a product and data science team and helped bring King’s first multiplayer game to market.
Before King, he was a consultant at Analysys Mason, advising mobile operators, media companies and private equity funds on strategic reviews and due diligence.
| Experience | Detail | Investor relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Product Madness | SVP and head, with profit-and-loss responsibility for a business generating more than $1 billion in annual revenue | Experience running a mobile gaming business at scale |
| Product Madness | Headcount grew from approximately 120 to more than 600 employees | Experience scaling teams |
| King | Built and led a product and data science team | Product and data capability |
| Analysys Mason | Consultant on strategic reviews and due diligence | Strategic and analytical grounding |
What the appointment means for investors
Social casino refers to free-to-play mobile games with casino-style themes. Bookings measure the value of player purchases made in a period, direct-to-consumer sales are sales made through a company’s own channels rather than third-party app stores, and margins show how much of revenue is retained as profit.
Labbat’s stated record touches each of these measures: social casino bookings and revenue growth above category rates, increased direct-to-consumer sales and improved margins. The announcement does not give SciPlay financial figures or guidance.
Light & Wonder’s Q3 results showed the mobile social casino arm falling 12% to $173 million, with management citing weak social casino demand, the backdrop against which the new chief executive takes over.
Management view
Wilson said of the appointment:
Matt Wilson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Light & Wonder
“Matthieu has a proven record of building and scaling mobile gaming businesses, paired with exceptional product vision and a talent for developing teams. That combination makes him the ideal leader for SciPlay as we seek to extend the reach of its portfolio of brands.”
Wilson described SciPlay as having “a talented team, a portfolio of beloved brands and a clear path to long-term value creation…” Labbat will work side by side with SciPlay’s experienced leaders as he immerses himself in the business, its people and its players.
For investors, the combination is continuity from SciPlay’s existing leaders alongside a new chief executive with a record of scaling mobile gaming businesses.
Light & Wonder describes itself as a cross-platform global games company, with a 6,500+ member team across three business segments.
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