Google recruits head of US betting in bid to launch RMG apps on Play Store
Niall MacKenzie appointed to build case for launching betting operations on Google’s US marketplace within next 12 months
Google has hired a head of US sports betting in a newly created role as it considers opening up the Google Play Store to real-money gaming (RMG) apps in the States.
Niall MacKenzie, former senior agency lead for the online tech giant, was promoted to head of US betting last month after five and a half years with the firm.
In his new role, MacKenzie will work with US operators to help them meet requirements for publishing RMG ads on Google.
He is also building the case to launch RMG apps on the US Google Play Store within the next year.
“It took Chris [Harrison] and team five years to do this in the UK which at the time was a comparatively well-established and regulated market,” MacKenzie told EGR.
“My role is to ensure that we are offering the best possible experience to operators and users in the US where online RMG and DFS products are regulated,” he added.
He will also develop premium partnerships with industry stakeholders to establish opportunities across Google-owned video and streaming platforms including YouTube.
The role also involves MacKenzie working alongside the Google Cloud Platform team to expand betting operator partnerships.
In 2015, MacKenzie spent two years as a Google manager for betting and gambling in EMEA and the US, during which time he collaborated with operators and advertising agencies over RMG ads.
MacKenzie said: “I’ve always stayed close to the EMEA gambling team and with my experience in the sector as well as the US, coupled with our ever-increasing focus on the US RMG industry, this was a logical next step for not just my career but also for Google.”