Online gambling treatment provider AnonyMind has recruited Andy Atha as its COO, with the new hire looking to leverage his experience and understanding of safer gambling and risk management to the role. 

Atha’s previous positions saw him hold three roles at Sky Betting and Gaming in just under three years, with the most recent being Head of Risk and Responsibility, where he oversaw due diligence, AML, real time risk, risk assurance, payments and verification operations.

Additionally, AnonyMind has detailed that the appointment will bring ‘knowledge and healthcare technology insights’ from his role as Operations Director at Push Doctor, a digital healthcare provider.

“I’m excited to get started, I genuinely believe in what this ‘Tech for Good’ award-winner is doing,” Atha remarked. “There is a huge need for easy access to effective treatment giving people the skills and support they need to cope with their issues while providing insight to gambling operators to devise and enhance their robust Responsible Gaming strategies. 

“AnonyMind have built their processes and capacity and they have now reached a point where I have a real opportunity as the new COO to help increase awareness and funding for its innovative and potentially life-saving problem gambling treatment. 

“I’m leading from the front and can’t wait to meet a long list of existing and new gambling and healthcare industry contacts to discuss their pain points and our ability to solve them with our treatment solutions.”

Founded in early 2020, AnonyMind offers direct online access to self-help support from people dealing with gambling related harm, as well as a team of professional therapists and clinic-based treatment through its parent company, Manchester-based Leon House Private Clinic.

The company has experienced a strong uptake in its operations throughout 2021, recording a 600% increase in registrations for its online treatment services between the third and fourth quarters of the year. 

AnonyMind’s Co-Founder, Andy Iddon, added: “Andy will make a perfect captain for our ship, he has an outstanding combination of gambling industry experience and operational leadership in health tech for AnonyMind. 

“His insight will help us achieve our mission of supporting as many people as possible in overcoming gambling addiction and poor mental health, especially when the NHS is under so much pressure. 

“Our clinicians, clients we treat, and peers we work with appreciate that compulsive gamblers face barriers in accessing traditional walk-in and residential treatment, from stigma and GP referrals to waiting lists and the cost and time of attending face-to-face centres. With our client-first model of online treatment, we’re proving those barriers can be removed.”