888 has brought Ian Gallagher on board as their new Chief Product Officer. He previously held the position of Product Director at Flutter Entertainment.
Gallagher commenced his new position at 888 last month. He is now responsible for all product-related matters for 888’s brands globally.
Gallagher was employed at Flutter from 2021 to 2023. Prior to that, he spent five years with Flutter’s Paddy Power Betfair division.
At Paddy Power Betfair, he oversaw a wide range of product responsibilities, including serving as the Director of Gaming Products.
This marked his second stint at Paddy Power Betfair. He worked there for a period, then moved to Rational Group for a year, before returning to Paddy Power Betfair.
During his initial tenure at Paddy Power Betfair, he held the roles of Gaming Product Manager and Casino Operations Manager.
Before these positions, he worked in marketing at Creative Labs and Mitsubishi Electric.
Gallagher expressed his enthusiasm about his new role as Chief Product Officer at 888 on LinkedIn. He aims to collaborate with the CEO, Per Widerström, to enhance 888’s brands.
Widerström is currently the head of the company.
Widerström is now at the helm of 888, assuming the role of chief executive last autumn.
He was selected for the position in the summer, succeeding Lord Mendelsohn. Mendelsohn had been serving as 888’s executive chairman since Itai Pazner was removed in January. Lord Mendelsohn has since returned to a non-executive position.
Widerström joined 888 after spending eight years as the head of Fortuna Entertainment Group, a business operating in Central and Eastern Europe. He left that position in 2022.
Before that, Widerström held leadership roles at several well-known companies, including Bwin.party and Gala Coral Interactive.
888’s third-quarter earnings decreased by 10%
Gallagher also joined 888, while the group’s revenue continued to decrease. In October, 888 reported that its revenue for the third quarter of its 2023 fiscal year dropped by 10% compared to the same period last year, reaching £405 million (€471.1 million/$516.3 million).
However, 888 emphasized growth in its retail operations. Retail revenue increased by 1%, driven by investments in self-service betting terminals and gaming cabinets, which enhanced product offerings.
Regarding the online business, online revenue in the UK and Ireland declined by 10%. This was attributed to the ongoing effects of safer gambling regulations and refined marketing strategies, as well as lower-than-anticipated net win rates on sports betting in September.
In terms of international operations, revenue decreased by 19%, with average monthly active users dropping by 2%.
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