FanDuel Taps Christian Genetski, Mike Raffensperger for New Executive Roles

Posted on: July 19, 2022, 11:45h. 

Last updated on: July 20, 2022, 05:45h.

Steve Bittenbender Read More
Expertise: Legislation, Sports Betting, Horse Racing.

FanDuel promoted a couple of executives on Tuesday. In a statement, the Flutter Entertainment brand announced that Christian Genetski would serve as the online gaming company’s president, and Mike Raffensperger will become its chief commercial officer.

FanDuel
On Tuesday, FanDuel announced that executives Christian Genetski (left) and Mike Raffensperger were promoted to new positions. Genetski will serve as the company’s president, while Raffensperger is now its chief commercial officer. (Image: FanDuel)

The statement noted that both Genetski and Raffensperger will report directly to CEO Amy Howe.

Howe said both men have been critical not only to FanDuel’s success, but also to the continued growth of the online gaming industry.

“Each have helped nurture and evolve FanDuel from innovative upstart to the dominant market leader in sports betting and iGaming,” Howe said. “I am delighted to expand their roles as we continue into the future.”

The promotions are effective immediately.

Genetski Moves from Chief Legal Officer

In his new role, Genetski will be in charge of FanDuel’s business development, corporate strategy, partnerships, and government affairs divisions. He assumes the role of president from Howe, who continued to hold the position after she was also named the company’s permanent CEO last October.

As its chief legal officer, Genetski was FanDuel’s lead in first negotiating rights to operate daily fantasy sports in New York and other states. He also worked to position the company as an online gaming leader after the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) four years ago.

The release also noted his role in getting Proposition 27 on the ballot in California later this year. That measure, which would legalize online sports betting across the state, is backed by a $100 campaign funded by FanDuel and six other operators.

Keeping Christian’s deep institutional knowledge within FanDuel was critically important to me,” Howe said. “In his expanded role, Christian’s expert voice will impact decisions that are vital to creating a sustainable long-term business while providing critical continuity for FanDuel to thrive in the future.”

Besides working with legislators and other officials in statehouses, Genetski has also been the point person for the company’s partnership deals with professional sports teams and leagues.

Raffensperger in Charge of Revenue Generation

The chief commercial officer is a new position within FanDuel. Raffensperger will be charged with helping the company generate revenue from all of its platforms. Besides daily fantasy, sports betting, and the online casino, FanDuel also offers horse racing and free-to-play games.

He’ll also oversee content and programming for TVG, the company-owned cable network that covers horse racing.

Before the promotion, he served as the company’s chief marketing officer. He’s responsible for the deals FanDuel has made with ambassadors like Pat McAfee and Craig Carton.

“Mike’s leadership of our revenue-producing commercial units and marketing is a structure we believe best positions us for growth and reflects how important his performance has been to our success,” Howe said.

Last month, Raffensperger was named to the Sports Business Journal’s annual 40 Under 40 list. On Tuesday, he tweeted that he was “humbled” to take on the new role at FanDuel.

“The best is yet to come for the #1 online gaming company in America,” he said.