Playtech courts former Sportech boss

Ian Penrose, the former chief executive of Sportech, is reportedly being lined up to take over as chairman of Playtech.

Penrose is believed to be close to taking on a non-executive director role at the company, which issued a profit warning last month.

According to The Times newspaper, Penrose is viewed internally as a long-term replacement for chairman Alan Jackson. In May, 35.2% of investors voted against re-electing Jackson, who has been in the role since 2013.

When contacted by iGamingBusiness.com to clarify the report, Playtech refused to comment.

In addition to his time with Sportech, Penrose is well known in the industry for leading UK racecourse operator Arena Leisure. He is currently listed as a non-executive chairman at England’s National Football Museum in Manchester.

The Times said that his appointment could be confirmed when Playtech announces its financial results for the first half of the year on Thursday. Early indications suggest full-year core earnings will be 21% lower than expected, the report added.

Playtech will hope to make more of an impact in the US sports betting market, which is continuing to grow in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling on PASPA earlier this year.

When it issued its profit warning at the start of July, a price war in Asia was cited as a primary reason for its struggles.