OpenBet, the sports betting technology provider previously owned by Light and Wonder, has appointed Debra Krupinski as its new vice president of commercial for the US as part of its wider growth plans in the country.
In the role, Krupinski will be responsible for driving OpenBet’s commercial opportunities across the US, as the provider seeks to build on its North American-facing relationships with Betfred, BetMGM, DraftKings and FanDuel.
Krupinski takes up the new position having spent the last three years as M&A advisor for West Monroe.
Prior to this, she was vice president for commercial operations and analytics for Light and Wonder, which at the time was known as Scientific Games, for six years.
Krupinski also spent three years with WMS Gaming, first as its senior director of business operations, and later executive director of business operations.
In addition, earlier in her career, Krupinski worked in a number of senior roles for Motorola Solutions.
“I am delighted to be joining OpenBet as VP commercial for the US in what I expect to be an exciting challenge,” Krupinski said. “It’s a real privilege to work alongside such a talented team and be part of a company which holds such high standards and is the global partner of choice for many of the biggest brands in the industry.
“OpenBet continues to deliver world-class content, advanced technology and tailored services to its partners across the globe, and in my new position, I intend to utilize the incredible product offering available to carry on growing the commercial success seen across multiple US markets.”
OpenBet chief commercial officer Cathryn Lai added: “As the new year gets underway, we are confident we will see an increase in commercial activity in the US with our reputation for delivering an unrivalled betting experience via our technology, content and services in high demand, and Debra is perfectly positioned to drive growth and success in this area.”
Light & Wonder completed the sale of OpenBet to Endeavor in September last year, three months after the initial planned closing date and for $400m less than was first agreed.
Endeavor – a sports media business that owns IMG Arena – agreed to pay $750m in cash for OpenBet, plus 2.3 million Class A shares, worth $50m.
The sale forms part of a general streamlining of the Light & Wonder business, formerly known as Scientific Games. It also sold its lottery arm – which retained the Scientific Games name – in October of last year to private equity group Brookfield Business Partners.