DraftKings continues expansion of sports betting team

(PRESS RELEASE) -- DraftKings Inc. announced today that the company recently opened an office in San Francisco and is planning to open an office in Las Vegas. Additionally, DraftKings has hired several gaming and sports betting executives to further the momentum created by the successful launch of its first-to-market mobile/online sports betting platform in New Jersey.

“The bar for hiring talent at DraftKings is set extremely high, and our success in being first to market in New Jersey with mobile sports betting is the direct result of our skilled team,” said DraftKings’ co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer Matt Kalish. “I am excited to welcome this new group of executives, while expanding the company to San Francisco and Las Vegas. Presence in these international hubs of technology and gaming, respectively, allows us access to a tremendous talent pool and strengthens our position as leaders in this dynamic industry.”

With a growing footprint, DraftKings also added to its talent with the following personnel moves:

• Jamie Shea joins DraftKings as head of digital sportsbook operations. After spending more than ten years as a sportsbook and racebook director in Las Vegas, she most recently lead North American growth opportunities for International Game Technology.
• Frank Kunovic joins DraftKings as director of retail sportsbook operations. Frank joins DraftKings from Ceasars, where he most recently oversaw over 20 Ceasars Sportsbooks and Racebooks.
• Sean Hurley is now head of commercial growth, working with the company’s business development team based in New York City. Sean brings a wealth of experience in this critical area, most recently as the head of commercial for Amelco, and was instrumental in forging deals that enabled the first-to-market DraftKings Sportsbook in New Jersey.

The newly established downtown San Francisco office will be home to some of the company’s growth marketing executives and their team. This office will focus primarily on building out a best-in-class growth marketing organization, expanding the DraftKings digital brand and driving customer acquisition.

Last week, DraftKings announced the addition of Chief Marketing Officer Tom Goedde and Chief Product Officer Andy Yang, both to be based in Boston. With its Massachusetts-based workforce expected to grow by 75% over the next year, DraftKings is also in the process of creating a new state-of-the-art headquarters in Boston slated to open in early 2019. The 105,000 square foot space, which was the largest single-floor space available in Boston, is more than double the size of DraftKings’ current office and will be custom designed to accommodate the company’s burgeoning gaming and media divisions.