888 has recruited Ian Gallagher to assume the role of their new Chief Product Officer. He previously served as the Director of Products at Flutter Entertainment.
Gallagher joined 888 last month and is now responsible for their product vision, strategy, and development across all their global brands and business units.
Prior to joining 888, Gallagher held the position of Director of Products at Flutter from January 2021 to February 2023. Before that, he spent five years at Flutter’s Paddy Power Betfair division.
At Paddy Power Betfair, he held various leadership positions, including Director of Gaming Products. He has actually worked at Paddy Power Betfair twice, with an 11-month gap in between where he served as Senior Manager of Casino at the Rational Group.
During his first stint at Paddy Power Betfair, Gallagher was Gaming Product Manager and Casino Operations Manager.
Earlier in his professional journey, he worked in marketing at Creative Labs and Mitsubishi Electric.
“I am enthusiastic about taking on the role of Chief Product Officer at 888,” Gallagher shared on LinkedIn. “I am thrilled to be collaborating with Per Widerström and his team to contribute to the shaping and evolution of our renowned brands.”
Widerström is the Chief Executive Officer of 888.
Widerström is now the head of 888, assuming the role of chief executive last fall.
He was selected for the position in the summer, replacing Lord Mendelsohn. Mendelsohn had been serving as 888’s top executive since the beginning of this year when Itai Pazner was dismissed. Lord Mendelsohn has since returned to a non-executive position.
Widerström joined 888 after serving as the chief executive of Fortuna Entertainment Group, a Central and Eastern European firm, for eight years. He stepped down from that position in 2022.
Before that, Widerström held leadership positions at several well-known brands, including Bwin.party and Gala Coral Interactive.
888’s third-quarter income dropped by 10%
Gallagher’s arrival at 888 comes against a backdrop of persistent income declines for the company. In October, 888 stated that its income for the third quarter of its 2023 financial year decreased by 10% compared to the same period last year, reaching £405 million (€471.1 million/$516.3 million).
However, 888 emphasized growth in its retail business. Retail income rose by 1%, driven by investments in self-service betting terminals and gaming cabinets, which enhanced product offerings.
Regarding the online business, online income in the UK and Ireland fell by 10%. This was due to the ongoing impact of safe gambling changes and refined marketing strategies, as well as lower-than-expected net win rates on sports betting in September.
In terms of international operations, income decreased by 19% and monthly active users declined by 2%.
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