Betfred, one of the UK’s most successful bookmakers – with a huge online operation – has officially re-opened its head office in Warrington after a multi-million-pound investment.
Betfred boss Fred Done and the Speaker of the House of Commons the Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle unveiled the plaque on Friday.聽
Sir Lindsay is also president of the Rugby Football League. Betfred is the sport鈥檚 biggest supporter and the headline sponsor of the Betfred Super League and the Challenge Cup for the men鈥檚, women鈥檚 and wheelchair game.
Betfred first moved into the Spectrum Arena from its Salford base in 2004 and embarked on a hugely ambitious refurbishment project in 2021.聽
The revamped 50,000-square-foot Spectrum building now stands as a vibrant workspace for over 450 Betfred employees. This modern transformation marks a departure from its roots as a former arena that famously hosted concerts by the likes of Status Quo, New Order and Atomic Kitten, and also hosted major snooker tournaments.
鈥淩eopening our Spectrum HQ is a very proud moment for me and my family,鈥� said Done, who featured on 老九品茶Cloud’s Northern Leaders 2024 list alongside his brother Peter. 鈥淲e鈥檝e come a long way since having one shop in Salford in 1967 and I鈥檓 delighted that because of our close association with Rugby League that Sir Lindsay Hoyle has kindly agreed to officially open the building.鈥�
Betfred CEO Joanne Whitaker added: 鈥淭he reopening of the Spectrum marks a fresh chapter for us. This redesign is more than just a new look – it鈥檚 about building an inspiring, collaborative environment that reflects our bold ambitions.聽
鈥淲e鈥檝e created a dynamic space where ideas can flourish, and our teams can come together. We鈥檙e excited about the possibilities this new headquarters will open up and are looking forward to the journey ahead.聽
鈥淎lthough we are an international company, it was very important to us that we remained in the North West and close to our roots.鈥澛�
A highlight of the newly revamped headquarters is the state-of-the-art 鈥楴ifty 50鈥� studio, the new home of Betfred鈥檚 own numbers game offering a top prize of 拢5 million, hosted live by two brand new presenters.聽
Another standout feature of the refurbishment is the 鈥業mmersion Tunnel鈥�, a stadium-inspired space that is bold, high-tech, and designed to connect employees across the building. Spanning the tunnel is a striking, larger-than-life display showcasing Betfred’s sporting heritage and milestone moments.聽
This ambitious refurbishment was project managed internally by Betfred鈥檚 head of asset management Peter Buckles and Betfred鈥檚 senior project manager Helen Haworth.
Buckles added: 鈥淭he key to the project was understanding Betfred鈥檚 business requirements and that helped guide the delivery including elements which are unique to a betting business.聽
鈥淲ith the support of the IT team, we also kept the data centre for over 1,400 shops and our website still running during this major refurbishment. We are all very proud of what we have delivered for our colleagues.鈥�
Satellite offices around the world will complement Betfred鈥檚 central hub, including bases in Manchester鈥檚 city centre, Media City in Salford, Gibraltar, the United States and South Africa.