Ladbrokes veteran Roger Tull departs after 46-year career
Staffers pay tribute to the trader who laid the £100,000-winning bet on Lewis Hamilton to be F1 World Champion at nine years old
Ladbrokes veteran Roger Tull has left the business after a 46-year shift at the Magic Sign, EGR Intel has learned.
Tull’s official last day is next Monday, although he has been on special leave for two weeks.
He told EGR Intel he was “ready for a break” with no immediate plans to find something new.
Tull joined the company straight from school aged 16 and went on to lead the sports betting department for a number of years.
More recently he headed up the motorsports offering, as well as continuing to trade tennis and several other sports.
Tull was the infamous trader who laid the bet on Lewis Hamilton to win a grand prix and be world champion when Hamilton was only nine years old, which duly copped and cost the firm £100,000.
“He worked tirelessly for the Magic Sign, was incredibly loyal to the firm and he really is one of the good guys,” said Ladbrokes head of PR Jessica Bridge.
“Just in case that wasn’t already apparent, he once worked a 32-hour shift during the Australian Open to make sure that Ladbrokes had a gold standard product available to customers.
“Roger can also lay claim to the invention of frame betting for snooker, and is still owed £500 from Willie Thorne from when he was the head bookmaker at the Crucible!”
Roger Tull (beige jacket) and the Ladbrokes team
In related news, Ladbrokes also today announced the launch of its revamped live casino offering, in partnership with Playtech.
The improved product features a new studio design, improved app functionality and an “industry first” video system will allow customised messaging with players direct from the casino table.
In addition, the product will feature a broader product be given greater prominence on the Ladbrokes.com home page.
In keeping with Ladbrokes’ sporting heritage, the look and feel of the new studio will pay homage to some of the best-known sporting events.
“Our gaming customers want an authentic casino experience and that is why we’ve updated our live casino offer and increased player interaction to create the ultimate live gaming experience,” said Antonio Ruggeri, live casino product manager for Ladbrokes Coral.