Leadership changes at Gambling.com Group: McCrystle to replace Gillespie as CEO
Gambling.com Group has announced changes to its leadership: co-founder Charles Gillespie (pictured right) is moving from the role of CEO to that of Executive Chairman, whilst co-founder Kevin McCrystle (pictured left) will become the new CEO. The changes will take effect following the annual general meeting of shareholders, scheduled for mid-May 2026.
Gillespie has led the company since its foundation in 2006 and, over the past 20 years, has established it as one of the leading online gambling affiliate businesses in the US. In his new role as Executive Chairman, he will focus on strategic M&A initiatives. The leadership changes come amid weak share price performance and record financial results in 2025.
The company announced the changes in a LinkedIn post:
Building Gambling.com
“Under Charles’ leadership, Gambling.com Group has grown from just an idea to become the first publicly traded online gambling affiliate in the United States that today is a large, highly profitable, global marketing and data services business that has engaged millions of consumers and provides products and services to hundreds of online gaming companies,” said Michael Quartieri, lead independent director of Gambling.com Group, according to Business Wire.
He added that Gillespie’s vision, achievements, and 20 years of leadership as CEO make him one of the longest-serving and most successful executives in the online gaming industry. “As Executive Chairman, Charles’ insights and guidance will continue to benefit the Company, including through his active role in evaluating strategic M&A opportunities and ensuring the Company remains at the forefront of the AI revolution,” noted Quartieri, expressing his gratitude to Gillespie.
“Since the Company’s inception, Kevin and Charles have worked in lockstep on the execution of all of its key initiatives,” added Quartieri. “Kevin is an incredible leader, and with his vast knowledge of our business and the industry, he is highly respected by all of our internal and external stakeholders. The Board is highly confident he is ideally suited to become our next CEO to continue to lead and execute on the initiatives already in place to keep the Company moving forward as it becomes a bigger player in the online gambling ecosystem.”
McCrystle’s key achievements
McCrystle, who has served as Gambling.com Group’s Chief Operating Officer since 2007 and joined the Board of Directors in May 2024, has overseen product, marketing, content, commercial, and technical operations. In 2015, he moved to Dublin to develop the European business, and in 2020, he returned to Charlotte to work on the North American market. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The Board of Directors noted that McCrystle is well acquainted with the business and is respected among internal and external stakeholders. Both executives plan to hold a joint conference call on the first-quarter 2026 results in mid-May.
Mixed financial performance at Gambling.com
The decision to change leadership comes amid weak share performance, according to Investing.com. Shares are trading near their 52-week low of $3.99, having lost approximately 70% over the past year. However, the company maintains high profitability: its gross margin exceeds 90%, and revenue over the last 12 months has grown by 30% to $165 million. The company’s market capitalisation is estimated at approximately $140 million.
In the fourth quarter of 2025, Gambling.com Group reported record revenue and adjusted EBITDA. The company’s revenue grew by 31% year-on-year to reach $46.2 million, whilst adjusted EBITDA increased by 5% to a record $15.5 million. The expansion of the OpticOdds service and improvements in the core marketing segment drove this growth. Furthermore, in the fourth quarter, revenue from non-SEO channels exceeded revenue generated by SEO for the first time.
The company currently operates in 22 markets, including the recently legalised online betting market in Missouri. Gambling.com Group was one of the first to announce that it had received a provisional supplier licence from the Missouri Gaming Commission. The company’s marketing division has also been licensed to serve legal bookmakers.
These management appointments come amid mixed analyst forecasts and ongoing challenges, such as the growing complexity of search engine optimisation or regulatory uncertainty in the United Kingdom. The company and its investors will closely monitor future financial results and the execution of the development strategy under the new leadership, assessing the impact of the management change on revenue growth, margins, and the path to profitability.
This article was originally published in Russian on 27 March 2026.
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