Former ITV strategy lead Dan Colton assumes Sky Bet MD role

Dan Colton has begun his tenure as Managing Director of Sky Betting and Gaming, one of Flutter Entertainment’s flagship sportsbook brands.

He joins the Leeds-headquartered firm at a hectic time in the sports schedule for operators, following the World Cup and with the domestic and European football schedule now back underway.

Colton first announced his new position three months ago, posting on Linkedin: “Delighted to be starting a new role as Managing Director, Sky Betting at Sky Betting & Gaming!”

The new role marks a career change for Colton, who worked in strategy development at ITV for four years, holding the positions of Strategy Implementation Director, Group Strategy and Transformation Director, and Group Director of Strategy & Transformation, MD Digital Ventures.

Sky Bet had been without an MD from August 2022 when Steven Monaghan confirmed that he was vacating the role after 11 and a half years with the sportsbook. 

Monaghan’s tenure as MD oversaw Sky Bet’s repeated listing on The Times Top 100 businesses list and Glassdoor index best employers – and the best tech employer in Yorkshire – as well as the beginning of its long-running sponsorship of the EFL.

However, Colton also joins Sky Bet as the firm is reportedly considering job cuts in the UK and Ireland, as Flutter examines its international operations to refocus on other markets such as North America.

According to a report in Bloomberg last year, the FTSE100 company has been considering the future of up to 200 jobs in the UK and Ireland, although some could be relocated.

On the other hand, successive years of growth at Sky Bet prompted the group to relocate its Leeds office to a new building in 4 Wellington Place in the city centre, with room to accommodate 1,400 employees.

The firm later revealed to the Yorkshire Post that it would be making 300 vacancies available at the new offices, although this was a year prior to Bloomberg’s report.

According to Flutter’s Q3 trading report, although the US generated by far the most revenue, its UK and Irish home brands of Sky Bet, Paddy Power and Betfair had returned to profitability, with revenues increasing 4% to £509m (Q32021: £491m).

Lastly, Colton assumes his role on Sky Bet’s senior executive team ahead of the Gambling Act review White Paper publication, laying down the future regulatory framework for the British betting sector.