888 Appoints Former Flutter Director as New CPO

In a strategic maneuver that has grabbed the industry's attention, 888 Holdings has named Ian Gallagher as its Chief Product Officer (CPO). Gallagher, who previously held the position of product director at Flutter Entertainment, assumed his new role at 888 last month. As CPO, he will be responsible for shaping the product vision and strategy of 888's various global brands and business units.

Ian Gallagher's appointment comes on the heels of his role as product director at Flutter Entertainment from January 2021 to February 2023. Before that, he spent five years within Flutter's Paddy Power Betfair division, taking on various product leadership roles, including product director for gaming. 

Interestingly, Gallagher's time at Paddy Power Betfair was interrupted by an 11-month stint as the casino senior manager at Rational Group. During his initial tenure with Paddy Power Betfair, he held positions as games product manager and casino operations manager.

Prior to his involvement in the gaming industry, Gallagher worked in marketing roles at Creative Labs and Mitsubishi Electric.

Ian Gallagher expressed his enthusiasm for the new role in a LinkedIn post, stating, "I'm happy to share I've started a new position as Chief Product Officer at 888. I am excited to work with (888 CEO) Per Widerström and his team to help shape and grow the iconic brands that we have."

Per Widerström, who took over as CEO of 888 in October, is also relatively new to the company. He succeeded Lord Mendelsohn, who had been running 888 as an executive chair following the removal of Itai Pazner in January.

Ian Gallagher's appointment coincides with positive financial results for 888 in Q3. The company reported a 10% increase in revenue, totaling £405.0 million (€471.1 million/$516.3 million) year-on-year for the third quarter of its 2023 financial year.

The key highlight of this growth was seen in the retail segment, with a 1% increase in revenue driven by improved product offerings, including self-service betting terminals and gaming cabinets. However, the UK and Ireland online business experienced a 10% drop in revenue, primarily due to safer gambling changes and refined marketing approaches. International operations also faced a 19% decline in revenue and a 2% decrease in average monthly active users.