SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
SIS (Sports Information Services) has made two new hires for its growing esports division, appointing Jacob Howard and Aaron St Pierre as Esports Product Manager and Trading Manager, respectively.
A long-standing division of SIS’ business, the firm’s Competitive Gaming esports segment has been enhanced and rolled out internationally over the past two years, having made market entry in South American markets and the US in 2022.
The two new hires have been brought onboard to contribute their experience of gaming and esports betting to build up Competitive Gaming’s ‘considerable footprint’ in the US, where it has launched in New Jersey and Colorado.
Adam Conway, Head of Esports & Competitive Gaming, said: “We are delighted to welcome Jacob and Aaron to SIS. Their knowledge and skills will only strengthen our Competitive Gaming offering as we continue to make positive strides with our industry leading product.
“This is a hugely exciting time for SIS, and to make such key hires is a testament to the company and our continued success in creating engaging esports betting opportunities for our partners and bettors alike.”
As Esports Product Manager, Howard was chosen due to his ‘wealth of experience in the esports sector’, having worked for Alphadraft and Aibios, serving at both firms during their respective acquisitions by FanDuel and Kambi.
Meanwhile, Trading Manager St Pierre will play an active role in enhancing SIS’ US operations and visibility, bringing a decade of experience in sports betting trading, including knowledge of stateside betting operations.
SIS’ esportsbook solution features 180,000 games a year, offering familiar bet types to both sports and esports bettors based around live head-to-head competitions, featuring ESIC-trained integrity referees, live caster commentary and on-screen graphics, which includes form, player stats and results betting prompts.
Taking SBC News on a tour of its esports studios in Media City, Salford, last year, Conway – along with one of the firm’s ESIC-trained referees – explained the firm’s history in esports, and plans for expansion.
“At SIS we produce and deliver round-the-clock content and whether it’s to do with horses, greyhounds or esports, we utilise our knowledge of bet-drivers with a competitive betting market to create a compelling product for operators,” Conway informed us.
“Lessons taken from horse and greyhound racing have added a lot to our global 24/7 esports proposition. We have customers worldwide, which means we are looking just as much at overnight and off-peak times, from a UK perspective, as the more typical Saturday afternoon trading hours.”
