To help further its foray into the provision of single-team sportsbetting services, American daily fantasy sports operator DraftKings Incorporated has reportedly hired veteran industry professional Johnny Avello (pictured) to serve as its new Operations Director.

To handle land-based sportsbetting operations:

According to a Wednesday report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper, Avello has over three decades of industry experience and joined DraftKings Incorporated on Monday following a 13-year spell running the sportsbook for the Wynn Las Vegas. The 65-year-old will now purportedly oversee the Boston-based firm’s entire network of land-based sportsbetting operations with his duties set to encompass all associated launch, risk management and trading functions.

Extensive industry experience:

The newspaper reported that Avello is a native of Poughkeepsie, New York, and moved to Las Vegas in 1979 where he worked in the sportsbooks for the former Sands Hotel and Casino and Las Vegas Hilton properties. He subsequently spent 15 years with Bally’s Las Vegas before leaving in 2005 in order to help set up the sportsbetting operation at the Wynn Las Vegas.

Avello to the Las Vegas Review-Journal…

“I can’t say enough about my former employer, the Wynn Las Vegas. It’s an amazing property and has amazing people. It was a wonderful organization to work for. But the whole national gaming scene is going to be bigger than everyone anticipated and I just want to be a part of it.”

Building an experienced squad:

The newspaper reported that Avello is just the latest prominent figure to have joined DraftKings Incorporated following the August naming of Frank Kunovic, a former Sportsbook Director for Caesars Entertainment Corporation, as its Retail Sportsbook Operations Director. It detailed that the operator’s executive team is expected to be further strengthened by the imminent signing of Ed Malinowski, a past Sportsbook Director at the Stratosphere Casino Hotel and Tower.

Possible Nevada license application:

DraftKings Incorporated reportedly made history in August by launching the first mobile sportsbetting app in New Jersey but the firm is not currently licensed by authorities in Nevada. But, the Las Vegas Review-Journal surmised that this situation could soon be about to change due to a declaration from Avello that his new post is to see him ‘run the operation from the Las Vegas area’.

Avello to the Las Vegas Review-Journal…

“I can’t get into where some of the places might be but my job will be to oversee the lines and retail operations. By that, I mean the points of sale at the sportsbooks. I can tell you I’m going to be based in Nevada. I’ll run the operation from the Las Vegas area.”

Team to now feature ‘a legend’:

The newspaper reported that Avello is well-known in Las Vegas for setting entertainment-only odds on the annual Academy Awards and regularly being the first bookmaker to establish each week’s markets for collegiate American football contests. Matt Kalish, Chief Revenue Officer for DraftKings Incorporated, purportedly described him as ‘a legend’ that is ‘very respected in the gaming industry’.

Kalish to the Las Vegas Review-Journal…

“We’re committed to building a world-class sportsbetting operation by putting together amazing talent with diverse experiences and backgrounds and Johnny’s arrival brings us one step closer to that goal.”