Flutter Entertainment has announced significant changes to its organisational structure, as a new UK & Ireland (UKI) CEO has been appointed, while its International division has been expanded.
The operator’s new international division, to be run by current International CEO Dan Taylor, will include five regions: UKI, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Southern Europe & Africa (SEA), Central & Eastern Europe (CEE), and Brazil.
The International division will sit alongside Flutter’s business in the US, FanDuel, which is run by Amy Howe.
Due to these changes, PokerStars CEO Kevin Harrington has been announced as the new CEO of Flutter UKI, taking charge of its Sky Betting & Gaming, Paddy Power, Betfair, tombola and PokerStars brands.
“I’m incredibly proud to be given the chance to take over and run a business I first joined more than a decade ago,” commented Harrington.
“I want to continue the work that has made Flutter the clear market leader across the UK and Ireland and maintain the high standards we have set – with responsible gambling at the core of all our work.”
After joining Betfair in 2012, Harrington has been with PokerStars since September 2020, initially as Chief Commercial Officer before becoming CEO in August 2023.
He will now replace the current Flutter UKI CEO, Ian Brown, who is leaving the operator after two years to pursue his own career ambitions.
“The transformation over the last two years has been tremendously exciting,” stated Brown
“I am particularly proud that we have taken a share in a challenging market, investing in customer innovation and our people. Kevin has a deep knowledge of our business, and I am confident he will build on the strong momentum to take Flutter UKI to new heights.
“I would like to say a sincere thank you to Peter and the whole Flutter team for what has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career.”
Peter Jackson, CEO of Flutter, added: “Ian’s time at Flutter has been enormously successful. He has transformed the UK & Ireland business on almost every metric and he will be a hard act to follow.
“Kevin’s promotion is very well-deserved and the business will be in safe hands as we embark on the next phase of our growth plan.”
Earlier this month, Flutter posted its Q3 financial results, reporting an uptick in revenue and adjusted EBITDA. The group’s 2024 guidance was also raised by 1% across revenue and adjusted EBITDA, reflecting a strong Q3 group ex-US performance.
Jérôme Gallot has been confirmed as the consumer ombudsman for French gambling, following the appointment by Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, President of l’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), the regulatory authority for French gambling.
At the heart of the appointment is ensuring that there is strong oversight in consumer mediation within the country’s gambling ecosystem.
A member of the Court of Auditors since 1985, Gallot has enjoyed a significant spell of his career outside the institution, notably within the Ministry of Economy and Finance. From 1997 to 2003, he served as Director-General of the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs, and Fraud Control (DGCCRF).
The ANJ’s gaming mediation process is designed to resolve disputes between players and gaming operators, including those holding exclusive rights, such as Française des Jeux and PMU. Consumers must first attempt to resolve their complaints directly with the operator by submitting a written claim. If the operator does not respond within 20 days or if the response is unsatisfactory, players may escalate their case to the mediator.
In 2023, Médiateur handled 1,523 mediation requests, with 91% related to sports betting. However, 752 requests were deemed inadmissible, primarily because the consumers had not first submitted a written claim to the operator (89%). Approximately one-third of the admissible cases achieved partial or full resolution for complainants.
As the new mediator, Gallot is expected to leverage his extensive expertise in consumer and competition law to enhance the effectiveness of the ANJ’s dispute resolution framework. His appointment underscores the ANJ’s commitment to “protecting player rights and fostering fair practices in the gaming sector.
