Bally’s Interactive unveils new Manchester office for in-house Degree 53 team
US giant hands UX and UI specialists keys to 5,600 sq ft “state-of-the-art” space to focus on North American sports product development
Bally’s Interactive has rebranded and relocated its recently acquired Degree 53 team to a new “state-of-the-art space” in the centre of Manchester.
The division, now known as Sports Product Studio, provides Bally’s Interactive with UX and UI design and software development as an in-house team.
The Manchester office will house designers, QA testers, project managers, developers and product owners working to develop sports products for the North American market.
Based at 60 Spring Gardens, the 5,600 sq ft space has been completely refurbished.
Bally’s Interactive has initially taken the first floor of the building and confirmed to EGR that it had room to grow into other floors within the building.
There are currently more than 50 employees based at Spring Gardens and EGR understands the division is looking to grow the team over the remainder of 2022.
Bally’s Interactive also said it would “continue to champion a hybrid working environment” and encourage team members to hold in-person meetings, as well as offering flexible hours and working from home options.
Bally’s acquired Degree 53 in October 2021 in an undisclosed deal in a move to leverage the firm’s technological capabilities to support its various divisions.
Richard Wagstaff, Sports Product Studio VP operations, said: “Our new office not only marks a new chapter in our lives as a team, but it’s also a clear commitment from Bally’s that they see huge potential in our team and in Manchester as a strategic location.
“It’s been brilliant to welcome our teams and celebrate the new office, as well as making use of it fully. There’s lots of collaborative and social space and I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish in our new base this year,” he added.
Robeson Reeves, Bally’s Interactive president, commented: “We’re so excited to have the Manchester team on board and the growth potential this area offers.
“They are integral to creating our market-leading digital products for North America and there is huge potential to growing our brand across different industries.”