Australian gambling giant Sportsbet announces the appointment of Doug Brown as the new CEO, effective June 1. The current CEO, Barni Evans, is promoted to CEO of APAC & Emerging Markets at parent company Flutter Entertainment, responsible for broader regional coordination. According to the PASA official website, this is not the only recent executive change at Flutter—its US brand FanDuel has also changed its leadership.
Internal Succession Path: Brown Promoted After Eleven Years at Sportsbet
Since joining Sportsbet in 2015, Brown has held key positions such as Chief Operating Officer, Chief Product Officer, and Chief Growth Officer. Flutter describes him as "a key architect of Sportsbet's growth," recognizing his ongoing contributions in product innovation and customer-driven expansion. Brown stated, "Sportsbet is a dynamic company with smart talent and strong momentum, and I am grateful for the opportunity to lead the company into the next stage. My focus is simple—continuously improve customer experience, bring more excitement to users, and fully seize the opportunities ahead." Evans also highly praised his successor: "Doug is the right person to lead the next phase; he knows the business inside out and has played a significant role in getting us to where we are today. This is not a reckless gamble with a parachuted leader, but a well-considered internal move—a veteran of eleven years taking over, with virtually zero risk to business continuity."
Evans Promoted to Head Flutter APAC, FanDuel Also Changes Leadership
Evans's promotion is not a demotion but quite the opposite—he will serve as CEO of Flutter APAC & Emerging Markets, expanding his jurisdiction from Australia to the entire Asia-Pacific and emerging markets. Flutter emphasizes that this move aims to keep Evans "closely connected to the business" while managing a broader geographical scope. Evans expressed, "Being part of the Sportsbet story has been a tremendous honor, and I am proud of the business we have built as a team." Meanwhile, Flutter's flagship brand FanDuel also announced a personnel change—Amy Howe, CEO for five years, steps down, and Christian Genetski, who joined the company in 2015 as president, takes over. For the parent company Flutter, the revenue for the first quarter of 2026 reached $4.3 billion, exceeding the analysts' expectations of $4.2 billion, indicating a solid overall foundation. A dual leadership change across Australia and the US, Flutter is reorganizing its forces for the next phase of global expansion.
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This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leader," a gambling industry news channel:https://t.me/pasa_news
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