Industry News
Ian Hogg joins RPM Gaming as Chairman
Industry stalwart is recruited by emerging force in online and retail betting
RPM Gaming, the specialists in online and retail betting and gaming, has appointed Ian Hogg to the new role of company Chairman, as it looks to extend its influence and reach across the industry.
Hogg is an industry stalwart bringing over 20 years’ betting and gaming experience at a senior level to RPM Gaming. Having started out in the industry during the late nineties as a Director of Arena Leisure Plc and Managing Director for horse racing network At The Races, Hogg has proved his strategic and sales acumen in numerous capacities since, including COO of Sportech, Chairman and founder of Fox Poker Club and founder and Managing Director of Better. His roles have involved spearheading tech development for digital and retail channels, majoring in the latest machine-learning techniques, customer behaviour and data analytics, alongside securing new business leads.
More broadly, as a seasoned senior executive, Hogg has helped to safely and successfully transition many smaller companies from start-up to scale-up stage and on to successful exits. Now Hogg is bringing those skills to bear at RPM Gaming where he joins former colleague, Co-Founder and Director Richard Thorp, at the helm of an emerging force in the gaming sphere, helping its clients navigate global operational complexities across all channels.
Hogg’s established flair for gaming technology and innovation directly aligns with RPM Gaming’s core competencies around flexible software-system implementation, bolstering a company uniquely equipped to understand which products will be best used across multiple international territories.
Ian Hogg said: “I’ve always based my business relationships on the ability to add value, whether I was at a start-up or a public company. And the RPM Gaming proposition articulates a simple-yet-exciting opportunity: bringing superior products to regions that have traditionally been poorly served by suppliers to date.
“While many are distracted by new dawns in the US, we intend to marshal our efforts in less fashionable countries where an agile mover can strike quickly and effectively. Rich and his partners have already assembled a connected global network that allows us to focus on high-yield, sustainable streams, replacing legacy systems and driving revenues for our partners across growth markets. RPM Gaming has a strong grasp of the space and I can’t wait to get started as Chairman.”
Richard Thorp, Director of RPM Gaming, added: “This role was always going to be a perfect fit for Ian, so I’m delighted he’s joined us on our new venture at RPM Gaming. His eclectic, cross-channel gaming background speaks to our three distinct areas of expertise, whether it’s retail sports betting solutions, online and land-based casino, or delivering the latest data feeds for bespoke pricing on sports such as cricket. So, whichever your chosen domain of discourse, we ensure each project is fully mapped and all parties know their specific roles and responsibilities. Ian’s trusted reputation for clarity and clear thinking neatly complements our mission statement.”
Industry News
SKS365 keeps investing in people: GROW People Management Program took the next level
11 experienced people managers from the SKS365 group’s 4 locations gathered last week in Belgrade for the new GROW People Management Program. From 15 th to 19 th of April, through trainings, discussions, and social connections, people had the opportunity to further grow individually and as a team, while enjoying Belgrade’s city center and rivers.
Created in 2023 with the purpose of building foundation people management skills across the organization, GROW initiative evolved this year by including a new, advanced program for experienced people managers to further consolidate their skills and prepare for future opportunities.
Building and fostering connections, sharing experiences, and enjoying team building experiences – all these activities have been part of the GROWpmp agenda for the 11 people managers coming from Commercial, Product and Development, Finance, and Sportsbook departments of the group’s 4 locations – Malta, Italy, Austria, Serbia.
GROWpmp included a variety of topics that people managers in SKS365 recognized as the key areas for management development. Topics such as influence through communication, team effectiveness, DEI, through to presentation skills and business topics like understanding finance and management reporting, were delivered with the support of external professionals and internal experts, while designed and organized by the SKS365 People & Culture team.
Industry News
Kindred’s Share of Revenue from High-risk Players Shows Slight Increase
Kindred Group plc’s (Kindred) share of revenue from high-risk players showed a slight increase to 3.2% (Q4 2023 3.1%) in the first quarter of 2024. Compared to the first quarter of 2023, the high-risk revenue share decreased marginally. The percentage of detected customers who exhibited improved behaviour after interventions came in at 87.1% (compared to 87.4% in Q4 2023 and 83.0% in Q1 2023). This sustained trajectory in the improvement effect after interventions, observed over an extended period, serves as a testament to the strong dedication and collective efforts throughout the company. It reflects Kindred’s ongoing commitment to fostering positive change within the industry.
“We continue to see our share of revenue from high-risk players fluctuate quarter to quarter, and we are working closely with all teams across the company to support customers towards a more sustainable gambling experience. However, it is encouraging to see that our Journey towards Zero data has steadily decreased since 2020. A similar trend can be seen across the healthier gambling behaviour effect after interventions. This tells us two things: our work is paying off, but we need to continue to push ourselves to propel a sustainable progression,” Alexander Westrell, Director of Communications at Kindred Group, said.
“It was very encouraging to witness the open and transparent discussions at the Sustainable Gambling Conference in London on 20 March, where those with lived experience shared their important stories. Also, it is evident that technology is moving forward, and will provide greater opportunities to detect and intervene in the future. We hope to see more regulators engage with the industry and with experts to secure a more sustainable industry for everyone,” Alexander Westrell added.
Industry News
PENN Entertainment Names Aaron LaBerge as Chief Technology Officer
PENN Entertainment announced that Aaron LaBerge has been named Chief Technology Officer (CTO) effective July 1, 2024, subject to customary regulatory approvals. Mr. LaBerge will report directly to PENN CEO & President Jay Snowden.
In his new role, Mr. LaBerge will be responsible for driving the technology strategy and execution for PENN, while leading the multinational team of technologists and serving as the key business leader for the company’s Interactive division.
Mr. LaBerge spent more than 20 years at The Walt Disney Company, in two stints separated by five and a half years as a technology entrepreneur. He was most recently President & Chief Technology Officer for Disney Entertainment and ESPN where he was responsible for driving all technology and product development in support of The Walt Disney Company’s two media divisions. In that role, he helped set the vision and strategic leadership for how Disney uses technology to enable storytelling and innovation, drive its business, and create unparalleled consumer experiences with entertainment and sports content.
“We are thrilled to have someone of Aaron’s caliber join our PENN executive team. Having overseen a global organization of thousands of engineers, product developers, designers, technologists, and data scientists that created some of the largest scale and most successful media properties in the world, there is no better candidate to lead our Technology and Interactive division into its future. I know Aaron is looking forward to working with Todd George, our head of operations, and our entire Executive Team to continue growing our position as a leader in online gaming, sports betting, and digital sports media,” Mr. Snowden said.
“I’m excited to join another talented team at PENN Interactive and lead our technology strategy. PENN Entertainment is at the forefront of the fast-changing gaming and sports media industry. I plan to use my experience from Disney and ESPN to help make ESPN BET an essential piece of the sports fan experience. Together, we’ll push the limits and redefine how fans interact with sports and gaming,” Mr. LaBerge said.
Prior to his most recent role at the Walt Disney Company, Mr. LaBerge was Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at ESPN from 2015 to 2018. At ESPN he played an instrumental role in the growth of ESPN’s consumer-facing digital media products and services – leading many of ESPN’s most ambitious and challenging projects and helping establish ESPN’s position as the leader in digital sports and innovative sports technology development. He was a key architect in the design, development, and engineering of ESPN’s state-of-the-art facilities in Bristol, CT; Los Angeles, CA; Charlotte, NC; and Austin, TX, as well as data centers and infrastructure that connect those facilities around the world, as well as the technology design and development to support the launch of the multi-platform SEC Network.
Between 2007 and 2012, LaBerge was co-founder and CEO of Fanzter, Inc. – a venture-funded consumer software and digital product development company. At Fanzter, he directed all day-to-day operations and led the development and launch of a variety of consumer-focused internet and mobile products, ground-breaking social and commerce technologies and more.
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