888 has confirmed the appointment of Ben Hurst as its new Vice President of North American Expansion.
Hurst’s brief is to oversee North American strategic growth opportunities for 888 as well as its SI Sportsbook and SI Casino brands, as part of a US partnership with Authentic Brands Group.
The development is particularly poignant given the operator’s comments last month on the US – alongside Canada – being a key growth market, which accounts for around 10% of its total online revenues.
888 Chair Lord Jonathan Mendelsohn also outlined the firm’s US strategy in its trading update, with a focus on older bettors with “longer lifetime value”.
Commenting on Hurst’s appointment, Howard Mittman, 888’s North American President, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Ben to our US team in his new role as VP.
“Over the past year or so, I had the pleasure of working with him in a consulting capacity, and I am fully convinced that his industry expertise and familiarity with our company make him an ideal leader to further propel our US operations into the future.”
Hurst previously served as the Head of Digital for Madison Square Garden Entertainment Group (MSG), where he led transformation projects for the franchises of the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, MSG, Radio City, The Beacon Theatre and other venues.
The seasoned sports executive has also served as Senior VP of Mobile Platforms and Digital Partnerships for Paramount Entertainment, where he oversaw the digital/mobile division for a range of networks including Comedy Central, MTV, CMT, TV Land, VH1, Paramount Network, and Logo.
