FanDuel CEO Amy Howe Removed as Company Faces Growth Challenges

(AsiaGameHub) –   Flutter has confirmed that Amy Howe is stepping down from her role as FanDuel CEO after five years. Flutter CEO Peter Jackson acknowledged the decision to leave was not Howe’s own and cited FanDuel’s underwhelming performance as the reason for a leadership change.

“It’s widely known that FanDuel hasn’t met expectations, but moving forward, we need to put the right team in place to support the business,” Jackson stated.

Current President Christian Genetski will serve as interim CEO following Howe’s departure. In a press release announcing the shift, Jackson said, “I’m pleased that Christian will lead the business. He has a strong track record at FanDuel and deep market knowledge, and we are confident he will build momentum and continue strengthening FanDuel’s position as the leading online sportsbook and iGaming operator in the US.”

Flutter also announced that Dan Taylor, CEO of its international division, will take on the newly created role of President at Flutter while continuing to oversee the international business.

Flutter Feels the Impact of FanDuel’s Challenges

The main driver behind Howe’s exit appears to be FanDuel’s stagnation. On the same day Flutter confirmed her departure as CEO, it reported overall 17% growth for the first quarter of the year. FanDuel, however, only saw a 6% revenue increase.

The platform performed well in iGaming, with revenue up 19%, but its sportsbook sector struggled—revenue rose by just 1% as betting handle dropped 9%.

Adjusted EBITDA fell 26% year-over-year to $119 million, largely due to high customer acquisition costs and a December launch in Missouri that failed to deliver immediate returns.

As a result, Flutter’s stock price dropped sharply. After Wednesday’s announcements, it fell by over 10%—and is now down more than 60% from last year’s price.

Howe’s Past Comments Hint at Her Departure

FanDuel established itself as a market leader as more states legalized sports betting starting in 2018. Under Howe’s leadership, the company took an aggressive approach to profitability.

Howe led FanDuel to become the first U.S. mobile sportsbook to achieve full-year profitability in 2023. She identified online casinos as a fast-growth revenue area, and the 19% segment increase this quarter confirms the vertical remains a major contributor to Flutter.

However, she also advocated for innovation and quick pivots when things aren’t working.

“If I look at my business right now, we are at a very interesting inflection point where what got us to the No. 1 position today will not be what’s going to strengthen our position over the next three, five, 10 years,” she said in an interview two years ago.

“Continually evaluating the team structure—what complementary skills do we need to build into the organization? And also sometimes that means making some really tough decisions around certain leaders who may have gotten you here, but may not be the right leaders to take you where you need to be,” she added. Her words now carry a strong sense of irony.

What’s Ahead for FanDuel?

Flutter blamed the 26% adjusted EBITDA decline on FanDuel’s Arkansas launch and its investment in FanDuel Predicts, a venture that has yet to prove its value.

In Arkansas, the company said it was satisfied with early performance but admitted overall: “FanDuel exited 2025 with a smaller customer base than anticipated, which continued to impact growth during the quarter.”

On prediction markets, Jackson said the company sees “only a limited cannibalization impact.” He also believes the markets offer “a very attractive, incremental opportunity providing an avenue to acquire customers ahead of sports betting regulation in new states.”

FanDuel Predicts has expanded its sports market range and targets users in 18 non-sportsbook states, including California, Texas, and Florida. The company has pivoted to prediction markets after launching FanDuel Picks in those states last year—a move now seen as a misstep.

As FanDuel’s former Chief Legal Officer, Genetski will oversee the push into prediction markets, balancing regulatory scrutiny with expansion.

Jackson said the company is already using other prediction market platforms to boost trading rather than target new users.

“In April, we began trialing market-making services on a major, third-party prediction market platform,” he said during the company’s earnings call. “Early indicators have been encouraging, and we expect to launch our market-making platform in the coming months.”