FanDuel Opens UK Collaboration Hub
International sportsbook operator FanDuel has returned to its Scottish roots, launching a brand-new collaboration hub in Edinburgh. The high-tech space can accommodate 550 people, and hundreds of skilled jobs are to be created this year. The leading betting brand is hoping to mirror its US success, where it is now the number one sportsbook in thirteen out of fifteen states.
Global betting giant FanDuel was first launched in Edinburgh, back in 2009. ©Carsten Ruthemann/Pexels
A New Chapter
FanDuel is recognized around the world as one of the most popular betting and gaming providers around. Following its 2018 merger with Paddy Power Betfair, it is now Flutter Entertainment’s leading brand in the US. However, FanDuel started life as a rather different company, far away from its current headquarters in New York City.
FanDuel was the brainchild of Nigel Eccles, Lesley Eccles, Tom Griffiths, Rob Jones and Chris Stafford, who launched the company in 2009 in Edinburgh, Scotland. A year later, the company held its first ‘FanDuel Fantasy Football Championship’, and the rest was history. It was soon one of the top daily fantasy sports providers, competing mainly with rival DraftKings.
In 2016, the pair expressed an interest in merging, but those plans were vetoed by the Federal Trade Commission. The combined company would have controlled 90% of the daily fantasy sports market, a figure that is considered a monopoly position. FanDuel may now have switched focus away from just daily fantasy sports, but the company has decided to return to where it all began.
It has opened its first UK collaboration hub in its birth town of Edinburgh. The office in Scotland’s thriving capital aims to drive project innovation and encourage cross discipline working. FanDuel’s Vice President of Software, Mathew Taylor, spoke about what the operator hopes to achieve in its new hub, stating:
“We believe a collaborative approach is the best way to drive results and truly innovate when it comes to product delivery. The official launch of our new Collaboration Hub today signals an exciting new chapter in the FanDuel story that will proactively bring together the best talent from across the country to innovate and excel in this dedicated creative space.”
Continuing, Taylor explained that the UK and Scottish tech sector is going from strength to strength. In creating a fresh, dedicated space for its engineering teams, FanDuel aims to maximize on the success of this growing market. The collaboration hub will help it to support its existing staff and drive recruitment is it builds is employee base.
Positive Results
The new premises is located on Freer Street, in the redeveloped area of Fountainbridge west of the city center. Spread over three floors are a gaming area, consoles, a pool table, wellbeing pods and a rooftop garden. There are of course an array of breakout areas and meeting rooms too, some of which have been named after iconic Scottish sports stars.
A far cry from the work from home restrictions of the pandemic, FanDuel’s new collaboration hub is a hive of activity. With room for up to 550 people at the hub, it is open to staff across the UK, as well as those visiting from the US. The company is seeking to create 250 more jobs this year, to support its mobile sports, casino and racing platforms.
FanDuel’s latest move follows successful reports from parent company Flutter Entertainment. The operator’s interim results, published in August, showed that overall group revenues were up 11% to nearly £3.4 billion. Revenues in the UK dipped following the introduction of safer gambling initiatives. However, overall revenue was up 9% thanks to recreational player growth.
The number of average monthly players was up 14% to a total of 8.7 million. A strong performance in the US was buoyed by FanDuel’s growing popularity amongst bettors. The brand’s market share in the US sports betting market increased to 51% in the second quarter. It now ranks in number one position in thirteen of fifteen states.
Flutter is optimistic that its UK revenues will continue to grow over the course of the second half of the year, as product improvements that took place during the first half show their returns. The return of the football season will also have provided a welcome boost for betting revenues. However, continuing delays to the government’s Gambling Act Review white paper are proving frustrating for operators like Flutter.
Safer Gambling
Earlier this month, FanDuel welcomed Amanda Serrano as its Responsible Gaming Ambassador, as part of its commitment to support safer gambling. Marking the American Gaming Association’s Responsible Gaming Education Month, FanDuel held its inaugural Play Well Day on September 20th, announcing a number of additions to its responsible gaming initiatives.
Play Well is at the core of Flutter’s global sustainability strategy, which it has named ‘The Positive Impact Plan’. As part of its ambition to promote safer gambling, the group is setting out to achieve 50% of online customers using a safer gambling tool by 2026. By 2030, it aims to raise that figure to 75%.
Other announcements made on the day included the renewal of its partnership with seven-division boxing champion Amanda Serrano. FanDuel has been working with Serrano since April, when the two paired up ahead of her fight against Katie Taylor. She will now by working more closely with FanDuel to endorse the operator’s Play Well strategy.
Serrano will be lending her bilingual abilities to the program, recording her videos in both Spanish and English. The boxer was pleased to announce her involvement with FanDuel’s initiative, where she will also be working with fellow ambassador Craig Carton. The radio personality has used his platform on podcast ‘Hello, My Name Is Craig’ to help listeners work through gambling addictions and other problems. Serrano stated:
“I am delighted to be joining FanDuel as a Responsible Gaming Ambassador. I appreciate how serious the team at FanDuel takes this issue, as it’s one of personal importance to me. Being able to use my platform to advocate to sports fans a play well lifestyle is something I’m proud to be a part of.”
