SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Sky Betting & Gaming (SB&G) has recruited two Data Science Masters students to intern with the operator this summer with the aim of having them work on two projects; machine learning techniques to better safeguard customers and the development of a casino game recommendation engine to improve customer experience.
The interns will join the company from Lancaster University’s Data Science MSc course for a three month period, in order to complete two challenging predictive model builds with a view to permanent employment longer-term.
This is the second year of the partnership between the two organisations. Last year, Seb Goring was appointed full-time as a Data Scientist following an internship, in order to continue his work in the field of big data analytics.
Goring said: “The online gambling industry has huge quantities of data that can be interpreted into knowledge for Sky Betting and Gaming to use. I was able to apply data science skills, including machine learning, statistics and development skills in a live, fast-paced, exciting environment.”
He added: “My internship was an opportunity to be salaried as I studied and improve my employability and leadership skills.”
This move is the latest investment by SB&G in a series of talent initiatives for graduates, which includes the launch last month of a £1.5m Graduate Software Academy, a £1m Graduate Commercial Academy, a dedicated portal for graduate talent, with a mid-degree university placement programme due to be announced shortly. The data science placements are designed to allow masters undergraduates to demonstrate advanced skills in the commercial application of their academic knowledge and will count towards their final qualification.
Sky Betting & Gaming’s Head of Insight & Data Science, James Waterhouse, said: “This is further hands-on commitment from Sky Bet towards developing fresh talent flows through university collaborations.”
He continued: “We have a rich resource for graduates to draw upon, particularly those who are seeking to push their talent to the limit and we are well-placed to work closely with educators to offer live projects in support of their existing programmes. The velocity at which we recruit is relentless and in order train a new generation of experts, we need to play an active role in equipping more advanced academics with high-quality skills.”
Dr Simon Tomlinson, Data Science Business Engagement Manager at Lancaster University, stated: “These internships are a great opportunity for our students to apply their knowledge and expertise in real-world situations and further hone their skills and experience while also adding value to their host business.”
He added: “It is great that a company like Sky Betting & Gaming recognise the potential of our data science graduates and the commercial benefits available to those companies that have people who are able to understand and harness the increasing amounts of data available to modern businesses.”
