Ex-888 veteran becomes Bragg Gaming CEO
Yaniv Sherman links up with Nasdaq-listed B2B supplier following seven-month recruitment search
888’s former head of the US, Yaniv Sherman, has been appointed to the CEO role at Bragg Gaming, the Nasdaq-listed supplier has confirmed.
Sherman, who will officially join Bragg on July 1, spent almost 15 years with 888, where he most recently served as a senior VP and de facto head of the group’s US operations after being appointed to the role in January 2021.
In his role as US lead, Sherman oversaw the development and implementation of the firm’s relationship with Authentic Brands Group (ABG), owner of Sports Illustrated (SI) magazine.
In July 2021, 888 agreed a wide-ranging deal with ABG to develop the SI Sportsbook offering, which has since replaced the 888 sportsbook as the preferred brand in the US sportsbook market.
Prior to heading up the US operations, Sherman served in the twin roles of SVP head of commercial development, where he was responsible for gaming content, epayment partnerships, market research and B2B, and SVP head of business development and sales.
Sherman played a significant role in 888’s bingo-focused B2B arm, Dragonfish, overseeing its disinvestment from the wider 888 group in 2021.
His appointment as Bragg Gaming CEO follows a seven-month recruitment search by the firm’s board of directors, a search brought about by the abrupt departure of former CEO Richard Carter, who vacated the role after only six months.
In the wake of the departure, Bragg Gaming Group chairman Paul Godfrey, a Canadian politician and former president and CEO of Postmedia Network, agreed to take on the role of CEO until a permanent replacement could be found.
Godfrey welcomed the appointment of the highly experienced Sherman, voicing his expectation that it would allow the firm to build on its recent US acquisitions of Spin Games and Wild Streak Gaming.
“His extensive industry experience and strong record of success, including many years of senior management leadership and accomplishments for 888, makes him ideally suited to lead the company’s ongoing execution of our successful growth initiatives,” Godfrey said.
“Yaniv’s appointment brings to a close our strategic review process and signals our intention to leverage our deep array of assets to drive long-term organic growth and build value for our shareholders,” he added.
Bragg bought Spin Games in May 2021 for $30m, but only recently completed on the deal, following this acquisition up with a separate $30m deal for Wild Streak Gaming just a month later.