888 announced the appointment of Ben Hurst to its Vice President for North American Expansion.
Hurst is responsible for overseeing North American growth opportunities, including those of 888 and its SI Sportsbook as well as Si Casino as part a US partnership Authentic Brands Group.
This development is especially poignant, given that the operator made comments in the past month about the US and Canada being key growth markets. The US accounts for 10% of the total online revenue.
In its latest trading update, 888 Chairman Lord Jonathan Mendelsohn outlined the US strategy with an emphasis on older bettors who have “longer lifetime values”.
Howard Mittman 888’s North American president commented on Hurst’s appointment: “We’re thrilled to welcome Ben in his new role of VP to our US Team.
“Over the last year, I have had the pleasure to work with him as a consultant, and I’m fully convinced that his expertise in the industry and familiarity with the company makes him an ideal leader for further propelling our US operations into future.”
Hurst was previously the Head of Digital at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Group, where he oversaw transformation projects for franchises such as the New York Knicks and New York Rangers. He also worked on MSG, Radio City Theatre, The Beacon Theatre, among other venues.
He has worked as a Senior Vice President of Mobile Platforms, Digital Partnerships, and Paramount Entertainment where he was responsible for the digital/mobile division of a number of networks, including Comedy Central MTV CMT TV Land VH1, Paramount Network and Logo.
