Skip to main content

PENN Interactive Adds Billy Turchin as New Chief Product Officer

Ziv Chen

Last Updated: April 15, 2025 2:32 PM EDT • 1 min 53 sec read.

PENN Interactive Adds Billy Turchin as New Chief Product Officer
Pictured: ESPN Bet broadcasts inside the PGA Tour Studios building in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, on March 14, 2025. Photo by Clayton Freeman / Florida Times-Union via Imagn Images.

PENN Interactive, the online subsidiary of PENN Entertainment, has appointed Billy Turchin as its new Chief Product Officer to further develop its online gaming operation. Turchin, previously SVP of Product at FanDuel, has significant experience creating online gaming products, with a special focus on regulatory compliance, payments, customer management, and player experience innovation.

Turchin announced his new role at PENN through LinkedIn. He will manage the digital product strategy of PENN's internet gaming brands, including ESPN BET, Hollywood Casino, theScore Bet, and theScore Casino mobile applications. 

In his announcement, Turchin referred to PENN as "having the largest and most varied gaming footprint in North America" and emphasized its commitment to omnichannel experiences—combining digital channels with land-based gaming. He was excited to join the company's ongoing evolution in what he termed as a rapidly changing industry.

Turchin's tenure at FanDuel lasted over three years. He was part of the product strategy and helped manage significant operational segments. His responsibilities included customer acquisition, account and wallet management, KYC policy, anti-money laundering initiatives, fraud prevention, geolocation services, and state and national gaming regulation compliance.

His term at PENN comes amid a leadership transition and product revamp. The Levy family, which initially founded theScore and has managed PENN Interactive since PENN Entertainment's acquisition, officially stepped down from their roles in April 2024. Benjie Levy, the son of John Levy, had served as both theScore's Chief Operating Officer and Head of Interactive at PENN before their move out.

Penn transformation

As the Levy family departed, PENN stated that its search for a new Head of Interactive was near completion. However, the company never officially hired anyone for that very position.

Instead, in April 2024, it announced that it had promoted LaBerge to Chief Technology Officer. In this capacity, LaBerge was the senior business leader of PENN's Interactive business and was tasked with various responsibilities, including digital business and technology planning.

Under LaBerge's leadership, PENN has driven the growth of ESPN BET into new US markets. 

At the same time, the Hollywood Casino brand, previously dedicated to retail casinos, has been redeveloped as a hybrid digital-physical product. The intention is to provide a smoother transition between online and on-the-ground gaming.

Turchin's hiring has been seen as a strategic move to unify and centralize product development across these disparate brands. His experience building platforms while ensuring compliance and consistency of operations will be particularly valuable as PENN Interactive moves forward in the intensely competitive online gaming environment.

PENN Entertainment's online business has been the subject of much speculation as it attempts to keep up with larger, more entrenched competitors in the real-money online casino world and our best sports betting sites. The company has spent heavily on marketing and product development to enhance its presence in the North American-regulated market.

As the new head of product strategy following Turchin's appointment, the company will rely on his years of experience steering innovation and growth into an increasingly demanding marketplace and visionary guidance.

Written By:
Ziv Chen
Ziv has over two decades of experience in the igaming and sports betting industry, having served in senior marketing and business development positions with both B2C and B2B companies, including Playtech and Microgaming. In 2019, Ziv decided to pursue his passion for writing and became a fulltime industry journalist, covering casino, sports, and gambling business news. He’s specialties include casino games and technology, US state gambling regulation, company performance, as well as gambling affiliates and marketing. As a Pitt graduate, Ziv is a diehard fan of all Pittsburgh sports teams, with the Steelers at the top of the list. In his free time, he enjoys reading crime fiction, biographies (mainly of sports personalities, but not only) and American history. Ziv’s Favorite quote: “We're going to pursue perfection, knowing full well we won't catch it, but we're going to relentlessly chase it," Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach.