Ian Bradley has been appointed co-CEO of FIRST.bet, joining forces with company founder Tom Light to lead the B2B sportsbook platform forward.
Bradley stepped into the role earlier in June 2026 following his departure from DraftKings, where he served as senior vice president and managing director of the operator’s B2B segment.
His tenure at DraftKings spanned more than six years, making him one of the longer-serving senior executives within the company’s B2B division.
Before joining DraftKings, Bradley spent almost four years at SBTech, holding senior positions including chief strategy officer and chief product officer.
Earlier in his career, he accumulated further industry experience through roles at Sporting Index and Sporting Solutions, building a broad foundation across sports betting.
The appointment marks a reunion between Bradley and Light, with the two having previously worked together during their overlapping time at SBTech.
Alongside taking on the co-CEO title, Bradley will also become a partner in the business, reflecting the significance of his involvement in the company’s future direction.
Light spoke highly of the hire, describing Bradley as “one of the most respected leaders” in gambling and noting that securing him had been a long-held ambition.
“I’ve wanted him alongside me at FIRST.bet for some time,” Light said. “That he’s only now free to join tells you how highly DraftKings valued him. Asking Ian to run the business with me as co-CEO is the clearest statement of intent we could make: FIRST.bet is building the platform serious operators choose, and together we’ll get there faster.”
Bradley expressed enthusiasm for the challenge, highlighting the scale of opportunity across key international markets targeted by the platform.
“Running the company alongside Tom as co-CEO is exactly the challenge I wanted next. The opportunity in B2B right now – across Latam, Europe and beyond – is enormous.”
The dual leadership structure signals a clear strategic push by FIRST.bet to accelerate its growth and compete for operator partnerships across global markets.
