888, one of the world’s leading betting and gaming companies with internationally renowned brands including William Hill, 888, Mr Green and SI Sportsbook, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ben Hurst as VP, North American Market Expansion. 

Ben is an experienced executive in the digital, sports, and entertainment industries, and has recently been working as an independent consultant – including with 888 during the last year – helping to expand business opportunities, develop product and general strategies, and provide business development services for a select group of clients in the Betting and AI space.

Ben previously served as Senior Vice President and Head of Digital at Madison Square Garden Sports & Entertainment where he oversaw all digital initiatives for MSG’s portfolio of brands/properties, including the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, MSG, Radio City, The Beacon Theatre, and all other venues. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President, Mobile/Emerging Platforms and Digital Partnerships at Paramount, managing the Digital/Mobile division for Comedy Central, MTV, CMT, TV Land, VH1, Paramount Network, and Logo.

In his new role, Ben will be an important member of the North American management team, creating and implementing strategies to accelerate 888’s presence in the region, with the US and Canada being two of the Group’s growth markets. As part of the leadership team, Ben will be responsible for leading business development, collecting competitive intelligence and providing operational strategy and direction. This will include working closely with the Group’s strategic partner Authentic Brands Group (ABG), to further develop the Sports Illustrated brand presence in betting and gaming in the US.

In addition to his new role, Ben serves as an advisor and mentor to start-ups via TechStars and independently, guiding aspiring founders on how to build their businesses. He also serves as a board member of Landmark on Main Street, a performing arts and community centre in Port Washington.

Howard Mittman, President 888 US commented: “I am delighted that Ben will be joining our US team as VP. Having worked with him over the last year or so as a consultant, I have full confidence that his knowledge of the industry, and of our company, makes him the perfect leader to help continue to grow our US business for the future. Ben has an exceptional track record at some world-class media brands and will bring a huge amount of knowledge of the US digital, sports and entertainment landscape. We very much look forward to working with him.”