Sportsbet’s parent company Flutter’s focus on the American market has sharpened as it consolidates its entire US business under one structure and its international business, including Australia, under another.

Flutter
Flutter has announced a realignment of its international strategy as it targets the American wagering market. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

In a significant strategic step, the UK and Ireland aspects of the business will now be consolidated under International, which also includes Asia-Pacific (APAC), Southern Europe and Africa (SEA), Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and Brazil.

The International division is headed up by Dan Taylor, with Pokerstars boss Kevin Harrington to take over as CEO of the UK and Ireland region (Flutter UKI) from January 2025. Ian Brown, current Flutter UKI chief executive, will depart the company.

“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,” Flutter Entertainment chief executive Peter Jackson said.

“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.”

Harrington said he was looking forward to taking the reins of Flutter UKI, which runs Sky Betting and Gaming, Paddy Power, Betfair, tombola and PokerStars.

“I’m incredibly proud to be given the chance to take over and run a business I first joined more than a decade ago. 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,” he said.

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Harrington joined Betfair in 2012 and has been involved with PokerStars since September 2020, initially as Chief Commercial Officer before becoming CEO in August 2023.

The change will see Sportsbet’s Australian operations come under the APAC group, which reports into Taylor.

The change re-affirms Flutter’s focus on the booming American market which it is represented in through the Fanduel business run by Amy Howe.

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Revenue in the US market grew 51 per cent in the most recent quarter compared to the same time last year, while average monthly players jumped 29 per cent.

The US business represented US$1.25 billion of the US$3.25 billion of revenue generated in the September quarter. In comparison, the UKI business drove US$850 million and the Australian business US$370 million.

In further evidence of its American focus, Flutter switched its primary listing to the New York Stock Exchange earlier this year.

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The share price has risen from US$178 in June to a historic high of US$267, giving it a market capitalisation of US$47.5 billion.

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