Pegler departs as Mfuse looks to consolidate operations

Andrew Pegler has left his position as business development director at mobile gaming software provider Mfuse after eight months, and just days after the departure of co-founder and CEO Marcus Wareham.

Pegler, who joined the company in April, left the business last week after the board decided to focus all its resources on existing clients and products for the next four to six months, effectively making his role redundant. As business development director he focused on developing new content, clients and markets and with Mfuse focusing on core clients and products, there was no capacity to execute his strategies. Egaming Review has learned that this shift in focus was prompted by Wareham’s departure, after which the board took the decision to review the direction of the business.

After losing Gala Coral as a client following its 10-year software, platform and games deal with Playtech in July, Mfuse risks being dropped as Ladbrokes’ mobile sportsbook provider once the operator launches its new mobile platform next year. When asked which mobile supplier(s) Ladbrokes would use alongside in-house developers, a spokesman refused to “detail the bolt on suppliers [that we will use] for our ecommerce platform”.

Pegler believes that the company will need to “fight” to keep its existing clients. “The challenge for all developers, as the channel gets more important, is that operators want to be more and more involved. It is difficult as everyone is looking for new business in the economic downturn, and new entrants are looking to take this business.”

Pegler, who joined Mfuse from Chartwell, where he spent a year as sales director, is looking to remain in the mobile gaming sector and is currently open to offers for consultancy work.