IWD: Breaking through and making a difference

As I reflect on what International Women’s Day means to me, the sentiment that comes to mind is believing – believing in your skills and experience and knowing your worth. Whether you aspire to play the game or work in the sports betting industry like I do, there is truly room for every woman. You just must believe it. 

Why do I say this? I’ve always loved sports but, no matter how big my love was, the industry clearly skewed toward men. The universe seemed to scream, “boys club!” As a trained sports journalist early in my career I was often in the minority, so I followed what I felt was a clearer path to opportunity: retail. 

Retail went from a hobby to a passion – coaching and developing my teams to win year after year (often using sports analogies as part of the mix). I earned a reputation for top notch results and a luxe customer experience, along with scalable processes. In short, I built a successful career with some very familiar brands. Of course, I never lost my love of sports. I knew one day I would use the skills I had become known for in retail to make a difference in the sports industry.  

And then one day I saw my chance. BetMGM was looking for someone who had a deep understanding of retail operations and customer experience. Sports, retail operations and customer experience? I was hooked. I read about a company that valued striving for greatness, prioritised integrity, sought colleagues who make smart choices and, most of all, were not afraid of hard work – all with a “we” in front of it. This job description implied a place where all, whomever and whatever, were welcome to bring their talents to the game. So, I applied. I felt sure they would never call. They wouldn’t call because I didn’t match against every single requirement of the job, I’d never worked in gaming and, quite possibly, just because I was a woman. 

I share this story because I was wrong. 

I found a place that valued me for what I brought to the table – my unique set of experiences, my unique set of skills: driving best-in-class retail customer experience, people leadership and mentorship on a large scale, process development and change management. They were confident I could learn sports betting – and so was I. They were confident I could make a difference leading the next chapter of retail operations at BetMGM – and so was I. They saw the whole me! This was an important lesson, and it was life changing.   

Let belief be your guide

I’ve always built teams by focusing on the whole person within those teams, understanding each individual’s skills and experiences and being willing to break the norms. I’ve held true to that philosophy for my teams, but never for myself. And now in the most unexpected place, I was honoured with the chance to bring a lifetime of skills to an industry dominated by people not like me. I’ve learned so much (sports betting is fun!) and in turn have shared many skills with my team and peers. I’ve made a difference in my own way. 

On International Women’s Day, remember this: you can do anything if you believe. Don’t let yourself get in the way of a great opportunity because you are concerned you might not fit a mold. Doing something you’ve never done before can be scary but oh so rewarding. Shoot your shot. I did and I look forward to many more women joining the ranks of sports betting, especially here at BetMGM! 

Holly Farner is the VP of retail sportsbook operations at BetMGM.  She leads the MGM Resorts Sportsbooks as well as our free-standing venue sportsbooks. 

Holly is responsible for creating the operational roadmap for the sportsbooks, translating business goals into actionable, measurable growth goals.  She is also responsible for leading the regional marketing teams to optimise customer-facing promotional opportunities, ensuring alignment with the broader BetMGM strategy.