Degree 53 founder launches new gambling tech business
Andrew Daniels, founder of UK agency Degree 53, has launched a new gambling technology business with the aim of providing a full suite of operational services for sports betting and gaming businesses around the world.
Backed by more than £25.0m (€28.7m/$31.1m) of investment from Fred Done, founder of bookmaker BetFred, Sharp Gaming will run as a separate business from Degree 53.
Daniels (pictured) will step away from the day-to-day running of Degree 53 to become chief executive of the Sharp Gaming, while Richard Wagstaff, who has been operations director at Degree 53 for the past four years, will serve as managing director.
Degree 53 will also move other a number of other employees and directors to the new business, with both operations to be based in the same office and collaborate on projects across common areas.
“The online gambling industry works on various legacy technology and white label platforms that lack flexibility for operators when they’re ready to scale up,” Daniels said. “This is why I created Sharp Gaming to help leading brands to improve their processes, and provide products that not only offer a great experience to their customers, but the end users in the business too.
The process to launch Sharp Gaming began in 2017, when Degree 53 created a gaming division and began to recruit specialists for the new business. During this time, it employed over 100 technology experts to support the work to build the platform.
Sharp Gaming continues to develop its technology suite and is currently trialling its capabilities on a test product and, once operational, it will offer functionality to create digital and retail products, integrating third-party services, as well as improving performance for operators.
“Despite the current situation, I’m very excited to be launching Sharp Gaming and developing it into an industry-leading platform,” Daniels said. “The team’s effort to bring it to life and continue working on it remotely has been phenomenal. There are many more projects ahead and it’s only the beginning for us.”
Wagstaff added: “I am delighted to be stepping up to lead Degree 53. We have a talented team who are delivering amazing work for our clients. Our reputation for delivering complex, secure digital solutions in a way that delights end users has enabled us to produce high-quality work across a range of sectors.
“My focus will be on growing our reach, strengthening client relationships, and helping to improve their products and services through our expertise.”