6 TopBetta

Australia’s sports betting market is fiercely competitive, and has traditionally been dominated by overseas conglomerates.

When Todd Buckingham founded TopBetta six years ago, his number one challenge was generating brand recognition.

“TopBetta faced challenges in brand awareness, client acquisition and developing the appropriate technologies to be competitive with little budget and resources,” he says.

Based in Newcastle, the family-owned business sought to draw on industry expertise and experience from a small team of staff to allow its ‘tournament’ wagering and other betting products to grow into the $5.6 million business it is today.

The ASX-listed business has grown its revenue by 398.6% over the past three years and now employs 35 employees.

Buckingham says as this growth has happened, he’s had to come to terms with handing the reigns over to other team members to negotiate tasks in the heavily-regulated wagering industry.

“Remaining ‘in the loop’ and ‘on the ball’ while also empowering my staff at all levels to take ownership of their own work is both a challenge and a rewarding aspect of my job,” he says.

Having grown a loyal audience at home, the business now has its sights set on the US and UK.

“TopBetta’s goal is to be a recognised global wagering provider within the next 24 months, with a strong presence in Australia, US and the UK. In turn, this will bring sustained business growth and return to investors,” Buckingham says.