With comings and goings commonplace across the industry, FanDuel, PointsBet and Continent 8 are among those to have seen changes to their teams recently.
FanDuel
Former National Indian Gaming Commission Chairman E. Sequoyah Simermeyer has been appointed as FanDuel’s Vice President of Strategic Partnerships.
Announced on Monday February 26, Simermeyer’s position at the sportsbook and casino operator is an entirely new position for FanDuel.
The move comes just one week after the former Chairman resigned from his role at the NIGC, bringing his nine-year stint at the Commission to an end.
“Sequoyah Simermeyer has been at the forefront of shaping and safeguarding tribal gaming, focusing on priority issues and public policy for close to 25 years,” said Rikki Tanenbaum, Senior Vice President, Strategic Partnerships.
“We are very honoured to welcome Chairman Simermeyer to the FanDuel leadership team, as he brings a career dedicated to addressing tribal economic development. With his guidance, we look forward to learning how to best partner with and support native sovereign nations across the country.”
“I am joining the private sector for the first time, and it mattered to me to join a team where I could use my background as a former regulator, legislative staffer and public servant to Indian Country,” added Simermeyer.
“FanDuel is the leader in mobile gaming and has helped shape the rise of the legalised and regulated marketplace in the U.S. Mobile gaming remains a very young and dynamic industry, and I’m excited to help the team build out our capacity to work within Indian Country nationally to take advantage of opportunities ahead.”
PointsBet
Daniel Lucas has been announced as PointsBet’s inbound Group Chief Technology Officer.
Lucas is set to begin his role on September 1, 2024, after having served out his current role as Global Director of Trading Technology at Flutter Entertainment.
PointsBet’s current Group CTO, Jerry Bowskill, will step down from the role to be replaced by Lucas after the completion of the sale of its US Business to Fanatics Betting and Gaming.
“We are very pleased that a Senior Executive of Dan’s quality and experience is joining PointsBet,” commented Sam Swanell, PointsBet Group Chief Executive Officer.
“Dan’s understanding of complex platform and trading operations, in particular algorithmic trading, risk and advanced analytics together with his strong people leadership skills, are valuable assets to PointsBet’s Australian and Canadian operations, as we continue to invest in our market leading live betting and multi capability through Odds Factory.”
Prior to his role at Flutter, Lucas held senior positions at Sportsbet based in Melbourne, including Head of Data Solutions and Head of Trading Technology.
Currently based in the UK with Flutter, Lucas is set to head back to Melbourne to take up his new role with PointsBet.
Lucas added: “I am super excited about the opportunity to join a technology and product led company like PointsBet. They continue to invest in their platforms and there are exciting growth opportunities ahead.”
SkyCity
SkyCity Entertainment Group has announced that Brad Burnett has been appointed to the role of Interim Chief Operating Officer for New Zealand.
The move allows current New Zealand COO, Callum Mallet, to assume the role of Interim Chief Executive Officer, after the company announced in October that current CEO, Michael Ahearne, would be resigning come March 2024 for family reasons.
Ahearne held the role of CEO from November 2020, overseeing the New Zealand and Australian operator after having been with the firm since 2017.
With his new role starting on March 9, 2024, Burnett has previously held the role of General Manager Table Games Auckland at SkyCity since June 2022.
Prior to that role, the inbound Interim COO for New Zealand had held other positions at SkyCity, such as the Group General Manager for Hotels.
Continent 8
Continent 8 Technologies has added Jerad Swimmer to its global sales teams, leveraging Swimmer’s 33-years of experience in the global gaming industry.
Having previously held roles with Gaming Laboratories International, FABI Cash, Indigo Sky Casino, and 13 other gaming companies, Swimmer joins Continent 8 from BIG Cyber where he was Director of Business Development for the past year.
Swimmer will be responsible for supporting the company’s growth across North America, using his knowledge of the Tribal gaming scene, from roles under the Quapaw Tribal Gaming Agency and the Eastern Shawnee Tribal Gaming Commission, to focus on tribal and commercial gaming operators.
Michael Tobin, CEO and Founder at Continent 8, stated: “I’d like to give a warm welcome to Jerad who becomes the latest member of our global sales team. Jerad is an industry veteran, with a deep understanding of the US market and the infrastructure and cybersecurity solutions businesses need to succeed in tightly regulated and highly competitive markets.
“With Jerad on board, we can continue to deliver a world-class experience to our existing customers while engaging those yet to work with us.”
Swimmer added: “It’s an honour to join Continent 8’s global sales team and to be able to support the business with its plans for the North American market, specifically focused on developing relationships with Tribal businesses and Tribal leaders. As a proud member of the United Keetoowah Band and growing up in the gaming industry, I must do my absolute best to protect Tribal country and Tribal assets; the biggest asset being the youth which is the future of our Tribes.
“I look forward to working closely with Tribal Governments, operators, regulators, and suppliers over the coming months and helping them to find the right cybersecurity solutions for their needs. After all, cyber risks are at an all-time high, and all businesses must be prepared.
“This is an aspect of business that simply can’t be ignored, and Continent 8 has the solutions and services needed to ensure resilience and protect sovereignty, assets, networks, systems, and data.”
