In January 2022, Irina Cornides became Pragmatic Play’s first Chief Operating Officer, a brand-new post. Before that, she drove commercial growth for Gamesys across Asian and international markets. Today, she helps run one of the world’s largest slot and live casino suppliers.
Who Is Irina Cornides?
Irina Cornides is a gaming executive who has worked in top iGaming jobs for over 10 years. She serves as COO at Pragmatic Play, the studio behind Sweet Bonanza and Gates of Olympus. Our Pragmatic Play game developer guide covers the company’s full catalog.
She held C-suite roles at Intertain, Jackpotjoy, and Gamesys before her move to Pragmatic Play. In 2023, Global Gaming Awards judges named her a finalist for their top executive prize.
Irina Cornides’ Career Before Pragmatic Play
Irina Cornides moved from consulting into online bingo, then into senior leadership.
She studied economics at University College London. In 2000, she won a Faculty Medal as the top student in her faculty. After that, she started her career in a junior consulting role at Roland Berger.
Online gambling came next. She ran direct marketing at PartyGaming, a brand that later merged with Bwin.
Then bingo became her specialty. From 2011 to 2014, she served as Head of Bingo at BGO Group. Next, she ran Mandalay Media Group, an online bingo business that Intertain bought in 2014.
That sale moved her into the Intertain and Jackpotjoy group as Chief Revenue Officer. In June 2017, she took over the Jackpotjoy division as its CEO and later served as group CMO.
Her last stop before Pragmatic Play was Gamesys. As CCO there, she ran commercial strategy across Asian and international markets. Bally’s bought Gamesys in October 2021, months before she left.
Here’s her career at a glance.
| Year | Milestone |
| 2011–2014 | Head of Bingo, BGO Group |
| 2014 | Managing Director, Mandalay Media Group, then joins Intertain through the Mandalay deal |
| 2014–2017 | Chief Revenue Officer, Intertain Bahamas |
| 2017 | Takes charge of Jackpotjoy as division CEO in June, later group CMO |
| 2019–2021 | CCO for Asian and international markets, Gamesys |
| 2022 | Named first COO of Pragmatic Play |
| 2023 | Finalist for the top executive prize, Global Gaming Awards |
Irina Cornides’ Role as Pragmatic Play COO
As COO, Irina Cornides runs daily operations across Pragmatic Play’s main product lines. CEO Julian Jarvis said the company made the COO job for its next stage of growth.
Slots remain the company’s core product. If you play online slot games, you’ve likely seen its candy and mythology themes.
Under her watch, the company has also spread well beyond slots. It added an arcade range in July 2025 with Plinko+ and kept building out live dealer casino games.
At ICE Barcelona in January 2026, Cornides said 2025 was a standout year for the business. She pointed to all-time high player numbers and 39 industry awards.
Here are the main product lines she oversees.
| Product Line | Examples | Recent Move |
| Slots | Sweet Bonanza, Gates of Olympus | 100+ network slots launched in 2025 |
| Live casino | Mega Roulette 3000, Money Time | New Brazil studio planned for 2026 |
| Arcade | Plinko+, Chicken+ | New vertical launched in July 2025 |
| Sports | Pragmatic Play Sports | Showcased at ICE Barcelona 2026 |
Irina Cornides and Pragmatic Play’s US Sweepstakes Exit
For US players, the biggest Pragmatic Play story of Irina Cornides’ tenure came in September 2025. The company stopped letting US sweepstakes casinos use its games in states without existing bans.
The exit followed a civil lawsuit from the Los Angeles City Attorney against Stake.us. That case named several game suppliers, including Pragmatic Play. Court papers listed 594 Pragmatic Play games on Stake.us, about 30% of its library.
Connecticut, Montana, and New Jersey had already banned sweeps sites. Then in October 2025, California passed AB 831. It brought game suppliers under gambling rules in California from January 2026.
At the time, only seven states allowed real-money online casinos, including Michigan and Pennsylvania. Maine legalized them in January 2026 but hasn’t launched yet.
Reports at the time said Pragmatic Play held no license in any of these states. That included the New Jersey online casino market. Its latest North American launch was in Alberta, Canada, in July 2026.
The sweeps exit may set up a move into regulated states. Pragmatic Play says it keeps exploring new licenses. Here’s how the two models compare.
| Feature | Sweepstakes Casino | State-Regulated Online Casino |
| Oversight | No state gaming commission | State gaming regulator |
| How you play | Virtual coins redeemable for prizes | Real-money deposits and withdrawals |
| Legal status | Banned in states including NJ, MT, CT, and CA | Live in seven states, with Maine pending |
| Pragmatic Play games | Pulled in 2025 | No US state license announced |
The Bottom Line
Irina Cornides built her career on growth roles, from UK bingo brands to Asian markets. At Pragmatic Play, she oversees one of the broadest game catalogs in the industry. For US players, the next big question is whether Pragmatic Play enters state-regulated markets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Irina Cornides?
Irina Cornides is the Chief Operating Officer of Pragmatic Play, a major casino game supplier. She has held top iGaming jobs for over 10 years.
When did Irina Cornides join Pragmatic Play?
She joined in January 2022 as the company’s first COO. The company set up the post as part of its expansion plans.
What did Irina Cornides do before Pragmatic Play?
Right before Pragmatic Play, she was CCO at Gamesys, covering Asian and international markets. Earlier, she ran Jackpotjoy as division CEO and served as CRO at Intertain.
Are Pragmatic Play games available in the US?
Not at US sweepstakes casinos, since Pragmatic Play stopped supplying those sites in 2025. It also hasn’t announced a license in any regulated US state. Before you sign up anywhere, compare licensed US online casinos and their game libraries.
Has Irina Cornides won any awards?
Yes, the 2023 Global Gaming Awards named her a finalist for their top executive prize. Gaming Intelligence also named her to its Hot 50 list in 2016 and 2020.
