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.
Sir Lindsay is also president of the Rugby Football League. Betfred is the sport’s biggest supporter and the headline sponsor of the Betfred Super League and the Challenge Cup for the men’s, women’s 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.
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.
“Reopening our Spectrum HQ is a very proud moment for me and my family,” said Done, who featured on BusinessCloud’s Northern Leaders 2024 list alongside his brother Peter. “We’ve come a long way since having one shop in Salford in 1967 and I’m delighted that because of our close association with Rugby League that Sir Lindsay Hoyle has kindly agreed to officially open the building.”
Betfred CEO Joanne Whitaker added: “The reopening of the Spectrum marks a fresh chapter for us. This redesign is more than just a new look – it’s about building an inspiring, collaborative environment that reflects our bold ambitions.
“We’ve created a dynamic space where ideas can flourish, and our teams can come together. We’re excited about the possibilities this new headquarters will open up and are looking forward to the journey ahead.
“Although we are an international company, it was very important to us that we remained in the North West and close to our roots.”
A highlight of the newly revamped headquarters is the state-of-the-art ‘Nifty 50’ studio, the new home of Betfred’s own numbers game offering a top prize of £5 million, hosted live by two brand new presenters.
Another standout feature of the refurbishment is the ‘Immersion Tunnel’, 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.
This ambitious refurbishment was project managed internally by Betfred’s head of asset management Peter Buckles and Betfred’s senior project manager Helen Haworth.
Buckles added: “The key to the project was understanding Betfred’s business requirements and that helped guide the delivery including elements which are unique to a betting business.
“With 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.”
Satellite offices around the world will complement Betfred’s central hub, including bases in Manchester’s city centre, Media City in Salford, Gibraltar, the United States and South Africa.