Betfred opens refurbished head office
House of Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle attended the opening ceremony in Warrington.
UK.- Betfred has re-opened its head office in Warrington, Cheshire, after a multimillion-pound refurbishment. Founder and chairman Fred Done and House of Commons speaker and Rugby Football League president Sir Lindsay Hoyle unveiled a plaque at the revamped offices on Friday (November 22).
Dubbed Spectrum HQ, the historic 50,000 sq ft site was formerly the Warrington Spectrum, a venue for live music and sports. Now refurbished, it will house more than 450 staff and the Nifty 50 Studio, where Betfred broadcasts its £5m top-prize numbers game with live presenters. Other features include a museum-like Immersion Tunnel, described as a high-tech, stadium-inspired space exhibiting Betfred’s sporting heritage.
The head office will support satellite offices in Manchester, Salford, Gibraltar, the US and South Africa.
Done said: “Reopening our Spectrum HQ is a very proud moment for me and my family. We’ve come a long way since having one shop in Salford in 1967, and I’m delighted that, because of our close association with Rugby League, Sir Lindsay Hoyle has kindly agreed to officially open the building.”
Betfred group CEO Joanne Whitaker said: “The reopening of the Spectrum marks a fresh chapter for us. This redesign is more than just a new look – it’s about building an inspiring, collaborative environment that reflects our bold ambitions. We’ve created a dynamic space where ideas can flourish, and our teams can come together. We’re excited about the possibilities this new headquarters will open up and are looking forward to the journey ahead.”
Betfred reported strong results for its last financial year. It said online revenue doubled to £331m due to its purchase of a 51 per cent stake in the South African operator Lottostar in 2022. Lottostar contributed £134m of revenue and £41m of net profit.
Meanwhile, retail revenue was up by 3.5 per cent at £577m despite the closure of 77 betting shops. EBITDA before exceptional charges was £117m, up from £67.8m in the previous year, while turnover was up 26 per cent at £908m.
In May, Betfred announced that it had rebranded Sharp Gaming as Betfred Technology after absorbing the supplier into its business. Sharp Gaming’s founder Andrew Daniels has been named group chief information officer. Meanwhile, the group has named Nick Cockerill as chief product officer.
