PENN Taps FanDuel Veteran Billy Turchin as CPO
- Gaming Eminence
- Apr 11
- 4 min read
In hiring former FanDuel product chief Billy Turchin as CPO, PENN Entertainment is making more than an executive move—it’s signalling a shift in how seriously it treats digital product. With ESPN BET still finding its footing, Turchin’s arrival could mark the beginning of PENN’s most aggressive product transformation yet.
In a move that reads more like a chess manoeuvre than a corporate appointment, PENN Entertainment has hired Billy Turchin—former SVP of Product at FanDuel—as Chief Product Officer of PENN Interactive. At first glance, this might seem like yet another exec shuffle in the high-stakes gaming world. But beneath the surface, this hire signals something sharper: PENN is officially done playing catch-up.
Turchin steps into a role that holds the keys to PENN’s most ambitious digital bets—namely, the still-developing ESPN BET, along with Hollywood Casino, theScore Bet, and theScore Casino. If you're reading between the lines, PENN isn’t just looking for stability. It’s looking for someone who’s been through the wars. And in this space, few have seen more front-line action than Turchin.
From FanDuel to PENN: The Real Value of Battle-Tested Product Leadership
At FanDuel, Turchin didn’t just ride the post-PASPA wave—he helped shape it. He helped scale product operations during a time when the U.S. betting landscape was being redrawn in real-time. The job required navigating regulatory quicksand, managing high user volumes, and fine-tuning retention with precision.
Now, PENN wants that same alchemy. And it needs it fast.
Turchin’s responsibilities span the entire digital product stack: customer acquisition, player account management, payments, compliance, analytics, and—critically—in-app engagement. But the assignment is bigger than the sum of its parts. PENN isn’t just hiring a product lead. It’s bringing in an architect for a digital reinvention.
“I'm thrilled to be part of shaping what comes next and grateful for the opportunity to be a disrupter in this rapidly evolving industry.” — Billy Turchin
Why Now? Why Him?
Timing is everything. Turchin’s hire comes on the heels of the Levy family’s departure from PENN in April 2024—a quiet but significant event that marked the end of theScore’s founding influence at the company. Their exit left a vacuum of vision. CTO Aaron LaBerge (formerly of Disney) stepped in shortly after. Now, with Turchin in the fold, PENN’s digital command center finally feels complete.
“Turchin reflects on his FanDuel tenure in a personal farewell post, signaling gratitude for the past—and readiness for what’s next.” - Source: LinkedIn
Turchin arrives at a moment of both opportunity and vulnerability. While ESPN BET enjoyed early success on the back of one of the strongest media brands in the U.S., app performance and customer retention have reportedly lagged behind expectations in several key states. Branding carried the launch. Product will decide the future.
This Is Not a FanDuel Clone
If PENN’s leadership thinks they can replicate FanDuel’s playbook page-for-page, they’re in for a rude awakening. Turchin knows this better than anyone. PENN’s digital assets are uniquely fragmented—unlike FanDuel, which benefits from a deep fantasy sports funnel and a unified sports/casino interface.
That fragmentation is both a challenge and a chance. ESPN BET, Hollywood Casino, and theScore Casino have mostly operated in silos. Turchin’s task is to unify them—systemically and experientially. That means consolidated backend systems, synced player identity, shared analytics frameworks, and a cohesive product language across platforms.
The goal? An ecosystem that feels like it was designed with intent, not patched together in a boardroom.
Product Strategy as the New Growth Strategy
With LaBerge and Turchin at the digital helm, PENN’s C-suite now tilts heavily toward product and technology leadership. That’s a strategic pivot from its origins as a retail-first operator. But it also reflects a larger industry truth: the next generation of winners in online gaming won’t be determined by license volume or marketing spend. They’ll be determined by product quality.
Turchin’s role isn’t just to optimise. It’s to set a new standard.
“Turchin announces his new role leading digital product strategy at PENN Interactive, calling the opportunity ‘a chance to be a disrupter.’” - Source: LinkedIn
This omnichannel integration is PENN’s secret weapon. With 43+ casino and racetrack properties across North America, the company has a physical-to-digital bridge few rivals can replicate. Turchin’s challenge—and opportunity—is to activate it. That means syncing loyalty systems, aligning app UX with in-venue behavior, and making digital gaming feel like an extension of the retail experience, not a competitor to it.
Billy Turchin didn’t walk into a cushy post. He walked into a mission. His appointment is not just a hiring move—it’s a cultural inflection point. PENN is now treating product as strategy, not support. And if ESPN BET is going to be more than just a licensing deal with a slick logo, it will need someone like Turchin at the controls.
This story won’t play out in headlines. It’ll play out in DAUs, feature rollouts, and whether players feel like PENN’s platforms are truly built for them. Whether PENN leapfrogs the pack or slips back into the middle tier may well hinge on the product moves made in the next 12 months.
