Flutter Entertainment’s new £15m UK technology and innovation hub in Leeds is now officially open to colleagues from across its UK and Ireland and International divisions.

Designed by MEPC, the state-of-the-art workspace is home to 1700 colleagues and comprises 136,000 sq. ft of flexible space across eight floors at 4 Wellington Place in Leeds Dock – a thriving community for the media, technology, and creative industries. It has been built to the highest environmental standard, achieving a BREEAM Excellent rating on completion and includes a range of accessibility and sustainable features, meeting the WELL building standard, which aims to make the work environment healthier for colleagues.

The hub will act as a centre of excellence in technology and innovation for Flutter brands operating in the UK and Ireland, helping to drive innovation across the Group through the development of industry-leading digital products for consumers across the world, while providing highly-skilled jobs and a sizeable local investment in Leeds and the surrounding Yorkshire region.

The new site will be home to more than 800 technology professionals working in key functions such as its Global Sports Trading Platform, Digital Infrastructure, Platform Services, and Information Security. It will also include several unique attributes, including:

• Seventh and eight floors dedicated solely for social activities between teams;
• IT ‘vending machines’ for certain equipment to free up resource and time for IT colleagues;
• £1m investment in VC and AV equipment to promote inclusive meetings between those working remotely and in the office;
• Six electric car charging points in the basement;
• And break-out furniture items all made from recycled Coca-Cola bottles.

The hub will continue to promote SBG’s ‘Skills Academy’, which offers selected graduates a fully funded MSc in Digital and Technology Solutions from Sheffield Hallam University while they gain in-house experience working with technology teams across the business. To better represent the communities it operates in, SBG has also launched a self-funded version of the government’s Kickstart scheme, creating 13 new roles for young people at risk of long-term unemployment. These are spread across business areas and functions including marketing, finance, people, tech and design.

Conor Grant, CEO of Flutter Entertainment UK and Ireland commented: “Our new office in Leeds is our vision for the future of working and we are excited to welcome our colleagues to this modern, agile and flexible workspace. The entire Flutter Group has benefited greatly from the leading technology capabilities we have developed in Leeds through our talented and highly skilled workforce, and this investment demonstrates our ongoing commitment to both the city and our colleagues. We will also continue to be a positive force in the communities we serve, with our Skills Academy and Kickstart scheme offering exciting opportunities for young people to develop their skills.”