Cyprus-headquartered operator 1xBet has appointed Chris Bird and Quirino Mancini as strategic consultants as it looks to boost its coverage of responsible gambling and player protection globally.
Bird brings extensive experience across international sport, sponsorship and strategic development. He previously held the position of Chief Operating Officer at Manchester City between 1998-2003 and worked at JD Sports for almost three decades as a Non-Executive Director and later Marketing Advisor.
He has also been Chief Executive Officer at both sports travel company Sports Tours International and The Raheem Sterling Foundation, a charity named after the Man City legend which focuses on empowering young people across the UK and Jamaica. Last year, Bird joined Kinkladze Global, founded by former Man City and Georgia star Giorgi Kinkladze, as a Strategic Advisor.
Meanwhile, Mancini brings expertise in gaming law and regulation and was a former President of the International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL), where he is still a member of the Executive Committee.
His work focuses on regulatory policy, compliance and the evolution of responsible gambling standards across international markets, evidenced by the fact that he was a founder at both SBC Advisory Partners and GamingLaw.eu.
The appointments form part of the company’s ongoing effort to strengthen its global integrity and social responsibility initiative across the 35 jurisdictions in which it operates.
Both consultants will contribute to the development of long-term frameworks designed to support research, policy dialogue, and practical tools aimed at improving player safety and promoting sustainable industry practices.
1xBet’s ongoing repositioning
The appointments build on the success of 1xBet’s Player Protection Index Series, an independently commissioned research programme examining responsible gambling frameworks across multiple regions, including Western Europe, Africa and Latin America.
The duo join Simon Westbury at 1xBet, who was appointed as a Strategic Advisor at the business just under a year ago. Bird’s Man City experience continues the footballing theme for the firm’s Strategic Advisors, as Westbury held a role as Administration Manager at Sheffield United.
Since Westbury joined, the company has renewed its partnership with French footballing giant and current Champions League holders PSG, as well as strengthening its position in the esports scene through the sponsorship of MIBR’s VALORANT team.
With Bird and Mancini now adding to 1xBet’s growing list of Strategic Advisors, many in the iGaming industry will have tabs on the progression of the company in the near future as it continues a repositioning towards regulated markets.
