Better Collective Reviews

The executive leadership appears out of touch and incompetent. BC is structured so their executives are based in geographic locations (South America, North America, etc) and oversee the companies they own in those regions. However, the leadership seems to have little knowledge of the businesses they run and how to operate them. They appear to lack a fundamental understanding of the sports gambling space in the U.S. and how it differs from Europe, failing to adapt and adjust to obvious trends in the industry (sportsbooks spending less on marketing and affiliate partnerships, legalization in major states stalling, etc.). The executives then blame these struggles as the reason for layoffs and suggest that they are exploring new revenue streams, but then those never come to fruition. In 2023, there were layoffs that were deemed as a result of failing to meet affiliate revenue projections. Instead of investing in other revenue streams (monetizing content, selling media partnerships and sponsorships, selling ad space on podcasts/video shows, brands' websites and apps, etc) they acquired two more companies, then laid off 300+ more people a year later in 2024. When they acquire companies, they do not integrate them so you end up with company leadership that is often at odds because the brands (Action Network, Playmaker HQ, The Nation Network, RotoGrinders, Vegas Insider, etc) are in the same sector, but have no incentive to collaborate. Then every year, senior leadership at these companies are forced to re-sign with their positions going unfilled, full teams are let go and these individual companies are left understaffed and under-resourced. These companies then are left without key components (Vegas Insider had an understaffed content team, The Action Network never had a dedicated sales team, Playmaker HQ didn’t have a dedicated studio space, etc.) They also seem to skirt the line between legal compliance and ethics with many things and their decision-making when conducting performance reviews and layoffs does not appear merit-based with executives seeming to protect those they are friends with while laying off those who are actually meeting or exceeding performance standards. Overall, Better Collective is neither an effective collective or better than other brands in the space. And it’s much worse than you can imagine.

Better Collective was once an exceptional company but has been on a steady decline over the past year and a half. Management became overly ambitious, making several poor decisions that have significantly impacted the company. Initially, acquisitions focused on iGaming companies, making adaptation relatively seamless. However, recent acquisitions of larger and more complex businesses have been poorly handled, with integrations being a nightmare. Many of these acquisitions are unlikely to become profitable in the foreseeable future. The company has lost its focus on meaningful results, with many employees working on tasks that lack real purpose or tangible benefits. Decisions are now driven by individuals with limited technical knowledge, sidelining the expertise of SEO professionals who once played a critical role in the company’s success. Managers often insist on pursuing initiatives that are clearly destined to fail, which has become incredibly frustrating. The company’s direction has taken a turn that will be incredibly difficult to recover from. The CEO's decision to position Better Collective as the "best media company in the world" was a misstep, as the true profitability has always come from iGaming affiliation. Media companies acquired by Better Collective have shown significant resistance to adopting the company’s way of working, creating further challenges in achieving the desired synergy. Career progression and salary improvements have been neglected, as managers seem more focused on maintaining their own power and inner circles. Knowledge-sharing within the organization has diminished, and remote employees are often left feeling isolated due to a lack of genuine support from leadership. The company’s fragmentation from rapid growth has resulted in slow and cumbersome processes. This lack of direction and accountability culminated in the layoff of 300 employees. Although my department consistently delivered strong economic results, I received little to no recognition for my contributions. Ultimately, I decided to leave because I no longer identify with the company and its current trajectory. Better Collective was once a place where I gave my heart and soul, but it has strayed too far from the values and focus that made it great. It’s deeply disappointing to see a company with such potential take a direction that has made it nearly unrecognizable.