Atari Founder & Technology Innovator Nolan Bushnell Joins Esports Technologies as Strategic Advisor

LAS VEGASDec. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ —Esports Technologies, a global provider of esports wagering experiences, announced today that Nolan Bushnell has joined the company as a strategic advisor, along with the addition of two senior industry veterans to its leadership team. A pioneering legend in video gaming, Bushnell will lend his vision and creativity to the positioning of Esports Technologies and its products.

Bushnell is best known as the founder of Atari, which he started in 1972 as the pioneer of home video and arcade games. He also created the Chuck E. Cheese concept and opened the first location in 1977. Four years later, Bushnell founded Catalyst Technologies Venture Capital Group, the first “technology incubator” dedicated to startup and early-stage tech companies.

“Esports has exploded in 2020, providing Esports Technologies with a huge opportunity,” said Bushnell. “Their products and customer features in esports wagering will help them shape the burgeoning industry and position them as a leader. I’m excited to contribute my experience and my network to accelerate the growth of Esports Technologies in this industry that has massive potential.”

Industry Veterans Bart Barden and Jason Finch Join Esports Technologies Leadership Team

Esports Technologies has also announced the addition of industry veterans Bart Barden and Jason Finch to its leadership team. Barden joins as Chief Operating Officer, bringing more than 25 years of experience in video games, wagering and esports. Previously he was Paddy Power Betfair’s U.S. exchange director, where he was part of the launch of the first legal, online fixed-odds betting product in the U.S. He also served as Betfair’s commercial director of UK/Ireland, and Worldwide Franchise Director for Games of Chance at Electronic Arts.

Finch, a veteran of real-time analytics, trading, and modeling, will serve as Director of Research and Technology. For the past decade, he has been modeling pricing for esports and US Sports and was Director of Liquidity at the gaming platform Pivit, where he worked on the development of its mobile app and automated pricing system. He also directed and created real-time models for pricing sports, politics and other innovative products such as Rotten Tomatoes ratings, as well as traditional financial investment models at Morgan Stanley.

Said Barden, “I am excited to join Esports Technologies and its current team to accelerate and scale its future product and commercial growth in the marketplace.”

Aaron Speach, CEO of Esports Technologies, said, “It’s really a breakthrough moment for us. Nolan Bushnell created video gaming as we know it, and his strategic insight will help shape the future of Esports Technologies. And the addition of Bart Barden and Jason Finch will provide tremendous value to the company with their depth and breadth of expertise.”

About Esports Technologies

Esports Technologies is developing ground-breaking and engaging wagering experiences for esports fans and bettors around the world. Esports Technologies is one of the global providers of esports product, platform and marketing solutions. The company operates a licensed online gambling platform, gogawi.com, that offers real money betting on esports events and professional sports from around the world in a secure environment. The company is developing esports predictive gaming technologies that allow distribution to both customers and business partners.