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UK – Ladbrokes Coral opens sports and technology centre

By Phil - 18 September 2017

Ladbrokes Coral is bringing together its sports product and technology teams to create LC2, a dedicated team of highly skilled software engineers, analysts, architects and sports product specialists.

The new arm of the business will relocate to Here East, the former media centre for the London 2012 Olympics, on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London.

The new team will comprise 140 staff from both brands. However, in the coming months there are ambitious plans to grow the team by investing in LC2’s own first class software engineering capability, enabling the firm to continue to differentiate its products in the marketplace. The team will deliver a range of programmes and products including CRM, ePOS and digital sportsbook platforms. There will also be new projects developed as the centre grows.

The creation of LC2 will serve as the product innovation centre for both Ladbrokes and Coral brands and aims to unite sports, technology and the very best talent to deliver an unrivalled and memorable sports betting experience. The merging of the teams aims to speed up communication, improve accessibility and support collaborative ways of working needed in an agile, fast-paced environment.

Graham Calder, Ladbrokes Coral CIO said, “With the creation of LC2 our goal is to deliver excellence for our customers by leveraging the best digital technology, to hire the best digital talent to build the best digital future. With our passion for sports, we can’t help but be inspired by the great sporting legacy that comes with being a part of the Olympic Park.”

Gavin Poole, CEO of Here East, said, “As Here East continues to draw in innovators from more and more sectors, Ladbrokes Coral’s new digital product development centre fits well within the campus. Their newly joined up sport-technology team builds on Here East’s reputation as a centre of innovation for established companies and start-ups to collaborate, test new ideas, prototype new products and learn from each other’s expertise.”

Paul Goswell, Managing Director of Delancey, said, “Bringing in Ladbrokes Coral’s newly combined technology and sports team is a landmark moment for Here East as we create London’s leading technology and creative hub. LC2 joins BT Sport on campus and cements Here East’s position as a leading centre for digital innovation and technology in the sports sector.”

The Here East campus will provide an ideal environment to create and deliver market-leading products. Here East is home to BT Sport, Loughborough University London, Studio Wayne MacGregor, Signal Noise, Plexal – a world class innovation centre – and soon Ford’s new European Smart Mobility Innovation Office. Online luxury fashion retailer MATCHESFASHION.COM will also be shortly moving to Here East and UCL’s campus is due to open this month.