Two men standing together in front of a wall that says "Live your bet life". They are Johnny Aitken and Mark Hughes of PointsBet.
PointsBet US CEO Johnny Aitken and global COO and chief product officer Mark Hughes. Image: Lorraine O'Sullivan

PointsBet plans team growth after opening European HQ in Dublin

30 Jun 2022

PointsBet’s US CEO said he could see the number of staff in Dublin rising up to 300 over the next three to five years.

US-based gaming tech operator PointsBet has opened its European headquarters in Dublin, with plans to expand its team over the next year to meet demand.

The new headquarters, located in the Liberties in Dublin 8, will initially have more than 70 employees including developers, quantitative analysts and product managers. There are plans to expand the team further over the next 12 months.

PointsBet US CEO Johnny Aitken said the company sees the new office as a “jumping off point” for increased local recruitment and engagement in Ireland and Europe.

“We firmly believe that through targeted investment in the creation of skilled high-tech jobs, the development of sustainable local projects and the wider promotion of US sports in Ireland, that we can develop opportunities for further, mutually important areas of collaboration between US and Irish business,” he added.

Aitken told The Irish Times that he “could see certainly” the number of employees in Dublin rising into the 200 to 300 range over the next three to five years.

PointsBet is an online bookmaker that first launched in Australia in 2017. The company now has its global headquarters in the US and licensed operations in Canada and Australia.

The company said it provides “the full spectrum” of online and retail betting services to customers in regulated US states with its own technology platform.

The opening of its Dublin office marks the company’s first major operational presence in Europe. PointsBet acquired Irish betting software start-up Banach last year for $43m to help push further into the US market.

The company said it plans to make its Dublin office the long-term home of its European operations and a driving force behind its US business plans.

“Positioning ourselves among some of the world’s most exciting tech talent in Dublin is a strategic decision that we expect will add further significant economic value in both the Irish and US markets going forward,” Aitken said.

The expansion announcement in Dublin follows a recent $65.8m investment in the company from financial trading firm Susquehanna International Group.

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Leigh Mc Gowran
By Leigh Mc Gowran

Leigh Mc Gowran is a journalist with Silicon Republic since November 2021. He has previously worked as an environmental and breaking news journalist, and a local radio presenter. When he’s not writing articles and stressing about the climate emergency, he enjoys judging the latest film releases and perfecting his renowned cooking skills. He also has a love for video games, coffee and cats.

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