WynnBET adds former Churchill Downs veteran to executive team
Ian Williams joins US online betting arm of Wynn Resorts as chief operating officer
WynnBet has appointed former Churchill Downs president Ian Williams as its new COO.
A 20-year gambling industry veteran, Williams joined the sector in 2000 as an online marketing manager at Gibraltar-based bookmaker Victor Chandler.
Williams has also held roles at William Hill and Buzz Sports, as head of affiliates and in various commercial roles.
He also founded Thistle Gaming, a company that distributes real-time sports data feeds and virtual racing to bookmakers in Europe and Asia.
He spent nearly five years as VP of marketing for Churchill Downs Interactive, where he held oversight responsibilities for marketing, communications, and operations.
Williams was also in charge of spearheading the development of Churchill Downs’ real money sports and igaming businesses, and since 2018 has been responsible for securing market access in nine states.
Williams became president of online gaming for Churchill Downs in February 2018, spending just over three and a half years in the role.
In his new role as WynnBET COO, Williams will oversee WynnBET’s trading, marketing, customer service, payments and data science teams.
He will report directly into Wynn Interactive CEO Craig Billings.
WynnBET is currently live with its online sportsbook in New Jersey, Colorado, Virginia, Tennessee, Indiana, Michigan, and Arizona, with market access agreements in an additional nine states.
Earlier this month, WynnBET secured market access in Louisiana, marking the 17th state in which the firm will be able to offer its products and services.