Ex-Rank Group Chief Executive John O’Reilly appointed to UK Tote Group board

(AsiaGameHub) –   The heritage pools betting operator has named O’Reilly as a non-executive director.

UK.- The UK Tote Group has recruited former Rank Group CEO John O’Reilly to serve as a non-executive director. O’Reilly will begin his new position at the start of next month during a period of transition for the company. This follows the exit of Chief Operating Officer Dave Hammond last week after eight months, while Andrew Weir, previously with KPMG, has also been added to the board as a non-executive director.

O’Reilly served as the CEO of Rank Group, the parent company of Grosvenor Casinos and Mecca bingo, from May 2018 until January of this year. He has since taken on the role of chair at Weatherbys, which provides racing services to the British Horseracing Authority and operates Weatherbys Private Bank.

Before joining Rank, O’Reilly spent nearly two decades as an executive director at Ladbrokes between 1992 and 2011, followed by four years as managing director of Gala Coral Group (2011 to 2015). Additionally, he held board positions at TelecityGroup (2007 to 2016) and William Hill (2017 to 2018).

Regarding his appointment, O’Reilly remarked: “Like many who are closely tied to the worlds of racing and gambling, I have many fond memories of the Tote. While the Tote boasts a century of history, I am confident it has a vital role to play in the future of the sport, both domestically and internationally.

“The Tote has a strong recent record of growth and innovation. Through continued improvements to the pool product and the strengthening of international ties, I believe the Tote’s best years are ahead. I am very pleased to join the UK Tote Group board and support its future endeavors.”

UK Tote Group chairman John Williamson stated: “We are happy to welcome John to our board. As a highly respected leader in the betting sector, John will provide the Tote team with significant expertise, particularly in customer experience and product development. We are delighted to have him join us, following Andrew Weir’s appointment to the board earlier this month.”

These leadership changes at the UK Tote Group come at a time when the horseracing industry is facing governance difficulties and falling betting revenues. The British Horseracing Authority has called for opposition to the Gambling Commission’s proposed financial risk checks via the Save our Bets campaign.