Ladbrokes “Guru” of Political Gambling Exits After 18 Years

Studies have shown that, on average, a person will have around 12 jobs over the course of their entire professional career. However, there is occasionally the individual that completely skews the numbers and, in this case, it is Matt Shaddick. He has been with Ladbrokes for the past 18 years, including time with its parent company, Entain, but has now decided that it’s time for a new challenge. The man who, among other things, provided analysis to a global audience watching the Trump/Biden fight for the US Presidency has announced that he is stepping down.

Ladbrokes Loses Its Guru

Shaddick announced his departure five days ago on LinkedIn, explaining, “After 18 years, today is my last day working for Ladbrokes, LadbrokesCoral, GVC, Entain.” He added that he already has something else in the works, but decided to remain quiet on the details. He only offered that it is an “exciting new project” and that he would be providing an update as soon as possible.

His exit caught some off-guard and there was no shortage of well-wishers commenting on his announcement. One, Sporting Group CEO Andy Wright, referred to him as the “undisputed oracle on political betting” and European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) Senior Communications Manager Barry Magee said it was the “end of an era.” No announcement has been made regarding who might attempt to fill Shaddick’s shoes.

No Shortage of Notoriety

The gambling industry is replete with a number of experts and whizzes, but Shaddick is a different breed. Among his most notable coverage was the political between Donald Trump and Joe Biden as they vied to take control of the White House last year. That election was one of the most pivotal in recent history in the US and, as gambling had begun to take on a new form, Shaddick’s analysis of the race helped mold gambling markets around the world. It has been estimated that over $1 billion was wagered on the US presidential elections in 2018 and, although he didn’t get a cut of the action, Shaddick and his insight were unequivocally responsible for how the odds were adjusted.

Ladbrokes was able to essentially build an entire political gambling operation around Shaddick and his expertise. The bookmaker has routinely been at the forefront of political markets, offering some of the best and deepest coverage available. Shaddick has also been involved in a number of other activities due to his political prowess, serving as an expert contributor for SBC’s Bookies Corner series, and has appeared at a number of presentations organized by the EGBA. With his knowledge, skills, and talent, Ladbrokes is certainly going to suffer a loss, but that loss will definitely be someone else’s gain.