Neil Banbury Appointed Managing Director at Sky Betting and Gaming
The former Kindred Group executive has taken leadership of the Flutter Entertainment subsidiary, stepping in amid a wider corporate reshuffle and significant market headwinds in the UK.
- Neil Banbury became the new Managing Director of Sky Betting and Gaming on 29 September, joining from a long career at Kindred Group.
- The appointment is the latest in a series of leadership changes at parent company Flutter, including a new Group CEO and the planned departure of FanDuel's CEO.
- Banbury takes the helm as Flutter navigates a new UK tax structure and a year-over-year share price drop of over 63 per cent.
Neil Banbury has been installed as the new Managing Director of Sky Betting and Gaming (SBG), officially taking up the role on Thursday, 29 September. He confirmed his move to the Flutter-owned operator to the wider industry via a LinkedIn announcement the following week. In his new position, Banbury assumes responsibility for SBG’s portfolio of major UK brands, which includes Sky Bet, Sky Casino, Sky Poker, and Sky Bingo. The Sky Bet brand remains a significant asset, ranking as one of the top five online betting brands by internet traffic, according to data from Blask.
Banbury brings extensive industry experience from his 16-year tenure at Kindred Group, which he left in 2026. He first joined the company in 2010 as a Financial Analyst and steadily rose through the organisation, culminating in his appointment as Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer in 2024. His departure from Kindred followed the group's €2.45bn acquisition by French lottery operator FDJ United, which was completed in 2023.
The role was vacated by Steve Birch, who departed SBG in December 2025 after nearly two decades with the business. Birch’s career at the Leeds-based firm began in 2007 as a Marketing Analyst. He was promoted to Managing Director of Sky Bet UK in 2018 and then Chief Executive Officer of SBG in 2020. After Flutter’s formation, Birch transitioned to the role of Chief Commercial Officer for SBG within the global group structure in 2022. He has since left the iGaming sector entirely, taking on the post of Chief Digital Sales Officer at Great British Rail Journeys.
Executive Overhaul at Flutter
Banbury’s appointment is a key part of a broader period of executive transition at parent company Flutter Entertainment. The most notable change occurred on 1 October, when Dan Taylor, the former CEO of Flutter International, took over as Group Chief Executive Officer, replacing the long-serving Peter Jackson. This change at the very top of the organisation signals a new strategic phase for the global gambling giant.
Further leadership changes have impacted Flutter’s most valuable asset, FanDuel. It was announced earlier this year that FanDuel CEO Amy Howe would be vacating her position. Howe has overseen the brand's ascent to become one of the two dominant regulated sportsbooks in the United States, alongside DraftKings, and the largest contributor to Flutter's group revenue. Her departure marks another significant shift within the company's senior leadership team.
This new executive team, including Banbury, faces a challenging market landscape. In the UK, operators are adapting to a new tax regime that was imposed in April of this year. Concurrently, Flutter is contending with significant investor concern, reflected in its New York Stock Exchange share price, which has fallen by more than 63 per cent year-over-year. Steering SBG's established brands through these financial and regulatory pressures will be a primary focus for the new Managing Director.
