Yannis Xirotyris

Yannis Xirotyris began his career as a professional poker player, competing in international tournaments and earning recognition in the high-stakes poker circuit. He later leveraged his deep understanding of the game to transition into the business side of the industry.

After his poker career, Xirotyris joined Sportingbet as Regional Manager for Greece and the Balkans, a role he held for six and a half years. He then moved to PokerStars in 2012, where he spent eight years in various leadership positions, including Regional Manager for Greece, the Balkans, Middle East and Africa, Director of Regional Marketing, Director of International Market Development, and finally Director of International Development and Regulatory Affairs.

In June 2021, Xirotyris became Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Novibet, a Greek GameTech company. During his tenure, he played a key role in orchestrating commercial agreements, including a SPAC merger with Artemis Strategic Investment Corporation that aimed to list Novibet on the NASDAQ with a $650 million valuation. He also oversaw the company's entry into the US market and expansion into Mexico and Ireland. He resigned in August 2022 for personal reasons.

Prior to Novibet, Xirotyris served as International Development Director at Flutter Entertainment (2020–2021). As of May 2025, he is Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs at Kaizen Gaming.

Xirotyris's career exemplifies a successful transition from professional poker to high-level executive roles in the gaming industry, combining his firsthand player experience with strategic business acumen.