PENN Entertainment snaps up ex-FanDuel head as chief product officer
Billy Turchin moves to ESPN Bet and Hollywood Casino operator to lead on product across its interactive division
PENN Entertainment has secured former FanDuel senior vice-president (SVP) Billy Turchin as its new chief product officer for its digital arm.
Turchin will head up product for PENN Interactive, which encompasses ESPN Bet, Hollywood Casino, theScore Bet and theScore.
He joins the operator after more than three years with FanDuel, where he served as SVP of product since September 2021.
Moving to the Flutter-owned operator marked Turchin’s first steps in the gambling industry.
Before that he was CPO for Honeywell Forge Connected Buildings. He also spent eight years with Intercontinental Hotel Group across a series of vice-president roles, and had a stint as vice-president for global digital and marketing channels at Shangri-La.
Turchin will be based out of Atlanta, Georgia, in his new role.
PENN has been on a product push in recent months, including rolling out standalone apps for Hollywood Casino in the US and theScore Bet Casino in Ontario.
The Hollywood Casino app was also well-received by testers in Eilers & Krejcik Gaming’s latest report, with the app named as the second-best product on the market.
The operator is also further meshing ESPN with the ESPN Bet app, including account linking.
A majority of the revamps have come under the leadership of chief technology officer Aaron LaBerge.
Taking to LinkedIn, Turchin said: “[I’m] excited to share that I’ve joined PENN Entertainment as chief product officer for PENN Interactive.
“In this role I’ll be leading the product strategy for digital experiences across our online gaming brands, including ESPN Bet, Hollywood Casino, theScore, theScore Bet and more.
“I’m thrilled to be part of shaping what comes next and grateful for the opportunity to be a disrupter in this rapidly evolving industry.”
Turchin’s arrival comes at a pivotal time for PENN, with the operator having failed to push ESPN Bet into a podium position in the US sports betting market since its launch in November 2023.
PENN CEO Jay Snowden told analysts earlier this year that a break clause between the firm and Disney in relation to ESPN Bet could be acted upon.
Arnold Ash is EGR’s Executive Recruitment Partner. They support ambitious organisations to identify and attract industry leading executive talent. Find out more here.