Star Sports Group Appointed Russ Wiseman as Group Chairman

Omnichannel sports betting operator Star Sports Group of Companies announced the appointment of gambling industry veteran Russ Wiseman as the group’s first Chairman.

‘Valuable Addition’ Going Forward

The addition of Wiseman to Star Sports Group brings nearly 30 years of gambling industry experience gained across senior commercial, strategic and operational roles at industry leaders such as Sporting Index, Sportech, Betdaq, and Entain.

Commenting on the appointment, the founder of Star Sports Group, Ben Keith, was thrilled to announce Wiseman as the company’s first Chairman, convinced that his “wealth of experience in the industry” will become “a valuable addition” to the senior management team at the group.

“I look forward to working with him personally over the coming years,” Keith added, outlining the future objectives for the business to expand its existing portfolio of businesses, as well as complement the work done at both Star Sports and Playbook Engineering.

Joining Star Sports Group at a time when the gambling industry in the UK is eagerly awaiting the changes to the regulatory regime following the Gambling Act review, Wiseman will be tasked to weather regulatory headwinds and continue the momentum of growth for the group.

Wiseman’s area of expertise seems to be public relations, with much of his responsibilities over the past 20 years focused there. His career in the gambling industry dates back to the nascent stages of the sector in 1999, and his previous roles include Director of Public Relations at Sportech, Business Development Director at Betdaq, Head of Media at Sportingbet, and others.

Growth and Responsible Operations

On his appointment, Wiseman said: “I am genuinely delighted to join Star at this exciting period in its development and expansion,” Wiseman said on his appointment before going on to pay tribute to Keith and his management team.

“Ben [Keith] has been a respected industry figure I have known and admired for over 25 years and I’m hugely looking forward to working closely with his management team to fulfill the group’s growth strategy and commitment to operating responsibly,” the newly-appointed Chairman of Star Sports Group concluded.

As an omnichannel operator, Star Sports Group operates both retail high-street betting shops and online and mobile sports betting channels, offering telephone credit and debit betting, spread betting and services for bookmakers, including white label and affiliate programs, as well as hedging.

Among the group’s partners is Spotlight Sports Group, after a strategic agreement signed last year saw the supplier of tech, media and content boost Star Sports’ offerings with numerous daily informative print products.