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lutter Entertainment, the owner of major brands including Paddy Power, Betfair, FanDuel and PokerStars, announced Thursday the opening of its new £15 million ($20.7 million) technology and innovation hub in Leeds, now available to colleagues from across its UK and Ireland and International divisions.
This landmark development at 4 Wellington Place brings 1700 employees under one roof in what is one of the largest technology hubs in the city. It will act as a center of innovation in key areas such as product development, software engineering, and research and insights. It will help to drive innovation across the Group through the development of digital products for consumers across the world, while providing jobs and local investment in Leeds and the surrounding Yorkshire region.
Our new £15m UK technology and innovation hub in Leeds is now officially open to 1,700 colleagues from across our UK&I and International divisions. Designed by MEPC, the workspace comprises 136k sq.ft across 8 floors at 4 Wellington Place. Read more here: https://t.co/lzfzpRBZte pic.twitter.com/EszHqwnojt
— Flutter plc (@FlutterPLC) October 21, 2021
The new site will be home to more than 800 technology professionals working in key functions such as its Global Sports Trading Platform, Digital Infrastructure, Platform Services and Information Security.
It will also include several attributes, among which there are:
- Seventh and eight floors dedicated to social activities
- IT vending machines for certain equipment to free up resource and time for IT colleagues
- $1.3 million investment in VC and AV equipment to promote inclusive meetings between those working remotely and in the office
- Six electric car charging points in the basement
- Break-out furniture items made from recycled bottles.
The hub will continue to promote SBG’s “Skills Academy”, which offers selected graduates a fully funded MSc in Digital and Technology Solutions from Sheffield Hallam University while they gain in-house experience working with technology teams across the business.
SBG has also launched a self-funded version of the government’s Kickstart scheme, creating 13 new roles for young people at risk of long-term unemployment. These are spread across business areas and functions including marketing, finance, people, tech and design.
In an official press release, Conor Grant, CEO of Flutter Entertainment UK and Ireland commented on the company’s new hub and said: “Our new office in Leeds is our vision for the future of working and we are excited to welcome our colleagues to this modern, agile and flexible workspace. The entire Flutter Group has benefited greatly from the leading technology capabilities we have developed in Leeds through our talented and highly skilled workforce, and this investment demonstrates our ongoing commitment to both the city and our colleagues. We will also continue to be a positive force in the communities we serve, with our Skills Academy and Kickstart scheme offering exciting opportunities for young people to develop their skills.”