Boom Entertainment nets new CFO
US sports betting technology developer recruits former Scientific Games exec Zack Messer amid growth plans
Boom Entertainment has confirmed the appointment of Zack Messer as its new chief financial officer.
The US sports betting technology developer has confirmed Messer will work directly with its leadership team to buoy the startup’s financial performance via the expansion of its online gambling and DFS operations.
A former professional poker player, Messer spent four years at Las Vegas-headquartered supplier IGT in business development and analysis-based roles, and later spent another four years working in similar roles at Pinnacle Entertainment.
In April 2018, he joined another Las Vegas-based supplier, Scientific Games, as senior director of corporate finance and strategic operations, before transitioning to the same role on a commercial basis in January 2020.
Boom Entertainment is led by former High 5 Games executives Stephen Murphy and Med Nadooshan, who serve as CEO and president respectively. The company hired former DraftKings director of sportsbook operations Chris Fargis as its new general manager of real-money sports in June 2021.
Boom Entertainment is set to launch its debut casino and sports betting product divisions in 2022, having raised $15m in seed funding from high-profile investors in September 2021.
Investors in the September funding round include MGM Resorts CEO Jim Murren, Better Collective CEO Jesper Søgaard and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
Boom Entertainment CEO and co-founder Murphy welcomed the appointment of Messer as coming at a critical time in the firm’s upward growth trajectory.
“The growth opportunities at Boom are unprecedented and it’s the right time to bring in a seasoned financial strategist,” Murphy said.
“Zack fits the CFO role perfectly, having spent 14 years in gaming and holding a variety of strategic finance roles at IGT, Pinnacle Entertainment, and most recently Scientific Games as its head of finance for gaming operations.
“He has also been involved in various M&A deals, ranging from tuck-ins to multi-billion-dollar acquisitions, and that experience will be invaluable as well,” Murphy added.
“It’s clear that Steve has created a strong culture at Boom with a compelling growth trajectory,” Messer said about the technology developer.
“I’ve been privileged to work at several industry leaders ranging from suppliers to operators, land-based to online, real-wager to social. I look forward to adding my expertise to the talented group of team members at Boom as we take on the next phase of growth for the company,” he added.