Sportsbook start-up Vigtory has appointed Steven Astrachan, former director of media and marketing for PointsBet, as its new vice president of marketing.
In his new role Astrachan has been tasked with developing integrated, consumer driven campaigns to build an audience for the Chicago-based operator, which is plotting its US roll-out later this year.
“Steven is an incredibly talented marketing executive. In my extensive career in gaming, few individuals have such deep domain expertise in sports betting and igaming; knowing every metric on every channel and how they correlate to performance focused marketing initiatives,” Vigtory co-chief executive Scott Butera said.
“He’s joining an already successful, energetic team at the perfect time to spearhead Vigtory’s marketing strategy and operational expansion, and we could not be more excited to have him aboard.”
Astrachan was PointsBet’s first marketing hire in the US, and oversaw the development of its media department and customer acquisition campaigns that helped build the Australian operator’s US profile.
This included deals with media sites such as Bleacher Report, Barstool Sports, The Action Network and VSiN, as well as striking a range of affiliate partnerships.
“Steven understands consumer attention, go-to-market strategy, and customer retention in a way that few executives can hope to, and has a proven track record of maximizing growth potential of digital and social campaigns in the space,” Vigtory’s co-chief executive and founder Sam Rattner added.
Astrachan himself added: “Vigtory is going to come in and disrupt the entire sports gambling landscape.
“When Sam approached me with the opportunity, I immediately knew it was something I needed to be a part of,” he continued. “Vigtory’s offerings will exceed market expectations.
“It’s a privilege to be tasked with getting the word out that Vigtory has assembled the most innovative product, competitive price, and superior betting experience in the entire US market.”
He becomes Vigtory’s second high-profile hire in a matter of weeks, after the business brought in former MGM Resorts president of interactive gaming Butera to share the CEO role with Rattner.
The new business is backed by venture capital fund SeventySix Capital, and is thought to be in the process of negotiating market access agreements, with a view to launching in Fall 2020.