Global betting operator Entain to create Oldham tech jobs

Entain, the listed global sports betting and gaming entertainment operator, is expanding headcount at its Greater Manchester-based in-house games studio.

The group, which owns brands including Ladbrokes, bwin and Coral,  said it is recruiting for eight new tech roles for Oldham-based CR Games, which will take headcount close to 50, representing an increase of around 25%.

Further roles will also be created at the studio in the near future.

The hiring will accelerate and expand Entain’s ability to provide customers with new and exclusive products and experiences.

The new roles will help the Oldham team take some of Entain’s most popular games, such as Big Banker, to customers across the world, including the US and the Baltic states.

The group said Greater Manchester area is “a great source of talent” with CR Games and Entain being part of a regional hub in the North West of developers and designers to the gaming and entertainment industry.

CR Games is currently versioning the latest release of its popular ‘Big Banker’ game and is also creating new recreational games for the mass market, in the UK and elsewhere, including ‘Fiery Wilds,’a casino game which has already proved popular with players.

New content also includes free-to-play slots tournaments.

This investment is part of a doubling of staff across Entain’s in-house studios around the world, which will take global numbers to 300.

Peter Moran, head of in-house content at Entain, said: “We are extremely excited to be building out our specialist team of developers, mathematicians and artists at our in-house games studio in the North West.

“We are lucky to have many customers in the region and recruiting here ensures our people understand and appreciate the great experiences and exciting entertainment on offer across Entain. The team in Oldham will be developing innovative, first-of-their-kind entertainment products for markets in the UK, Europe and, in time, the USA.”

He added: “Oldham, and Greater Manchester more widely, is home to some exceptional talent and has helped CR Games grow ten-fold since 2013, with exceptional staff retention as our engaged people develop and deliver industry-leading products and experiences.

“Our growth plans show no sign of stopping and we look forward to further delivering for our customers across all our global brands from our dynamic Oldham base.”