Entain esports managing director announces his departure
Former Twitch VP Justin Dellario spent more than three years at Entain, and departs a little over a year since B2C esports operations were shuttered
Entain esports managing director Justin Dellario has confirmed he has left the company, bringing an end to his three-and-a-half-year spell with the multi-brand operator.
Dellario arrived in August 2021 from video gaming streaming platform Twitch where he had served as vice-president of original content since May 2020.
He originally joined the Amazon-owned platform as its vice-president of global esports in January 2016.
His move to Entain coincided with the FTSE 100 firm snapping up esports betting operator Unikrn in October 2021 as it planned to expand into new verticals.
Entain acquired the Seattle-based operator for an undisclosed fee but announced at the time it was ploughing £50m into the vertical. This included the purchase of Unikrn, with Dellario installed as CEO.
However, in October 2023, Entain revealed it was scaling back esports B2C operations, with Unikrn having been live in Latam and Canada.
Instead, the product and tech were repurposed to support Entain’s esports offering across its global brands, with Dellario overseeing that process full time after the B2C business was shuttered.
Entain had previously earmarked the global esports betting market to have a 2025 total addressable market (TAM) of around $12bn.
Entain marked Dellario’s first foray into the gambling sector, having also spent time as head of global esports for Razer and as the co-owner of It’s Gosu.
Confirming his Entain exit, Dellario said: “Today marks my last day with Entain, leading the esports betting and video game skill wagering mission, and helping to drive innovation in sports product.
“Over the past three-and-a-half years, I’ve had the privilege of gaining new experiences, overcoming challenges and learning from so many talented individuals. This chapter has been incredibly rewarding, and I’m deeply grateful for the journey.
“As I close this chapter, I’m excited about what’s to come and look forward to new opportunities to grow, contribute and create impact.
“To my talented employees and colleagues, mentors, and friends at Entain – thank you for your support and inspiration along the way. Here’s to new beginnings.”
“For now, I’ll be taking some time to consider my options and prepare for whatever comes next. I hope to be able to update soon.”
Arnold Ash is EGR’s Executive Recruitment Partner. They support ambitious organisations to identify and attract industry leading executive talent. Find out more here.