As
online betting grows to a bigger level than ever before, with a plethora of choice for gaming enthusiasts, it’s been essential for firms to develop new groundbreaking tools and approaches to support increasingly demanding punters. As Sportsbet’s Head of Racing Delivery, John Warner works with the latest digital technologies to deliver aggregate services and front-end products to solve complex problems for both the firm and its customers. Since departing Irish shores back in early 2016, the ambitious Dubliner has been climbing the ranks at Sportsbet, now part of the global gaming giant Flutter Entertainment Group (home to big brands such as Paddy Power and Betfair, not to mention over six million customers). Warner looks back at his introduction to the industry in Ireland and his progression within the sector. “I was contracting for a number of years in Dublin and following the economic crash an opportunity came up with a company called Pocket Kings, a company delivering front-end products for Full Tilt Poker at the time. I learned a lot during my two years there, before transferring over to the Paddy Power Group, which ultimately led to a one-year project with Sportsbet in Melbourne at the time Paddy Power was merging with Betfair.” “My role here is higher in terms of leadership,” explains Warner on the role he’s currently engaged in. “I manage a number of cross-functional agile teams and my focus is on strategic thinking, while also working closely with our team to look at customer feedback and new innovations. Additionally, I also spend time verifying the performance of the products and features we’ve delivered.” Horse racing is a key area for Sportsbet and Warner has spent a considerable amount of time building full platforms with the help of his team over recent years. “We’ve just gone through a number of phases of re-platforming our front-end to keep things exciting for our customers,” he says. One such new initiative has been designed to enhance the betting experience for punters
John Warner Trading Places
with a simplification for novice punters and extras including new betting combinations and fixed odds. “The bit we find really intriguing these days in that we’re trying to innovate in an area that hasn’t changed much in decades, where bet types have long been in place. Our latest product, Same Race Multi, is being seen as a big innovation on how we approach horse racing.” These innovations come from a profound understanding of the company’s customer base. “We’ve got a research team here that we work very closely with to find out what’s working, as well as what’s not. By gathering this information we’re constantly looking at how we fare against our competitors and whether we can do anything differently.”
Quality of life
John pictured with wife Suzanne as he picked up the 2017 Sportsbet Annual MVP award
SFA Fact Did You Know? 1.27 million punters attended a horse racing event in Ireland during 2018.
Like all major Australian cities, Melbourne is home to a large cohort of Irish business people across a multitude of sectors. The lure of the city proved too strong to resist for Warner as he embarked on a new and exciting chapter in his career after being offered a full-time contract in late 2016. When asked about how life in Australia differs from that in Dublin, he points to a contrast in office culture. “When it comes to the working etiquette, I’m definitely managing my work-life balance better than I did in Dublin. I think in Melbourne generally, and certainly within our company, team members are encouraged to spend time with their families. Sometimes I’ll get out of the office a little early, but may need to jump on calls to the offices in Dublin or Cluj in Romania in the evening to counteract the time difference.” Warner highlights some other benefits of life in Victoria. “I don’t have to deal with much traffic anymore, which is great. I cycle to work most days, which is definitely a lot more relaxing than sitting in traffic on the East-Link bridge back in Dublin! The quality of life here is similar in certain ways to back home, as Melbourne has a European feel with a great music and arts scene. So, it’s very much like Dublin in that respect, but there’s definitely more sunshine!” With the recent announcement of a proposed merger between Flutter Entertainment and Stars Group – owner of Poker Stars, Full Tilt and Sky Bet and a partner of Fox Corporation – things could become increasingly interesting for Warner as an additional four million customers come on stream. SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 39
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