Amy Howe is Now FanDuel’s New CEO
The Irish bookmaking holding company Flutter Entertainment has announced that it has officially appointed Amy Howe as the new full-time chief executive of its FanDuel brand. The appointment follows Howe becoming the company’s interim CEO in July 2021, after its previous chief executive Matt King departed from the role.
Bookmaking holding company Flutter Entertainment has officially appointed Amy Howe as the new full-time chief executive of its FanDuel brand. ©StockSnap/Pixabay
Howe was Previous COO of Ticketmaster
FanDuel, a brand owned by the major bookmaking holding company Flutter Entertainment, finally has a new formal chief executive at its head: Amy Howe. She had previously joined the company as interim chief executive in July 2021 but now occupies the role full-time.
Howe took on the role in July following the departure of the company’s previous chief executive Matt King. What followed was an extensive and lengthy selection process to appoint an official replacement. However it seems that Howe proved victorious here, as she now occupies the role in a full-time, official capacity.
However the role of chief executive is far from being Howe’s first position at FanDuel. In February 2021, she joined the sportsbook and fantasy sports operator as president. Here she took on the responsibility of leading the operator’s core commercial functions across its sportsbook, casino, racing and daily fantasy businesses.
Howe has extensive experience in the corporate entertainment world, having previously served as the global chief operating officer of Ticketmaster, which is the largest division of Live Nation Entertainment.
Prior to her stint at Ticketmaster, Howe also acted as a partner at the major businesses and management consultant firm McKinsey & Company, where she collaborated with clients across the media and entertainment, retail, and consumer goods industries.
Expansion of US Market is Flutter’s Most Exciting Opportunity
In her first shared statement as the latest chief executive of sportsbook provider FanDuel, Amy Howe praised the brand’s reach and level of expertise, all while stressing the need to avoid being complacent and remain focused on long-term goals:
“Since joining the business, I have been very impressed by the quality of our team and the strategic advantages we enjoy in terms of brand reach, product quality and the broad expertise we leverage from being part of the wider Flutter Group. That said, we must avoid complacency and remain focused on executing on our long-term strategy to build the embedded value of the business. I look forward to working with Peter and the wider team to drive FanDuel’s continued success.”– Amy Howe, Chief Executive, FanDuel
Chief executive of holding company Flutter Entertainment Peter Jackson stepped in to add his praise of Howe’s work at FanDuel ever since she joined the company back in February, noting how the ever-expanding US market stands as Flutter’s number one most promising opportunity moving forward:
“Since joining the business at the start of this year Amy has done an excellent job of leading our commercial functions and ensuring that we execute well at this critical phase of growth for our business. The expansion of the US market represents the single most exciting opportunity for Flutter today. Amy’s track record of leadership and experience in scaling a digital business will be invaluable as we look to grow our leadership position there.”– Peter Jackson, Chief Executive, Flutter Entertainment
Mohegan Partnered with FanDuel in Connecticut in July
Like many other operators, FanDuel has been experiencing a very active 2021 thus far, having partnered together with the gaming branch of the Mohegan Tribe, Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment, in Connecticut this past July 2021.
The partnership took the form of an exclusive market access deal in the Constitution State, enabling FanDuel to provide both retail and online sports betting, along with online casino gaming. The signing of a secured tribal compact and a legislative bill between two Connecticut tribes and the state of Connecticut is what allowed such a partnership to even occur in the first place.
President and chief executive of Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment Ray Pineault called the company’s blossoming partnership with FanDuel a “top priority”:
“We’re excited to work with FanDuel, one of the leading sports-tech entertainment companies in the U.S. to bring the brand’s innovative sports betting and iGaming solutions to Mohegan Sun Connecticut. Our partnership is a priority for Mohegan Digital, as we look to grow and enhance our casino, sportsbook and online operations in Connecticut – and beyond. We’re confident that FanDuel will deliver a best-in-class digital and in-person experience for our loyal guests.”
FanDuel Finally Launched in Louisiana in May 2021
Not long before its launch in Connecticut, FanDuel announced in May 2021 that it was making considerable progress with local legislators to finally secure a sports betting license in the state of Louisiana.
This proved fortuitous, as along with the news came a promise from the operator that it would launch in the Bayou State just in time for the kick-off of the NFL season, which normally takes place at the beginning of September.
At the time of the announcement, the Louisiana Gaming Board clarified that politicians in Louisiana were still in the process of considering nine different laws which would have needed approval before FanDuel could formally begin offering its services.
