Fitzdares is a British

bookmaker A bookmaker, bookie, or turf accountant is an organization or a person that accepts and pays out bets on sporting and other events at agreed-upon odds In probability theory, odds provide a measure of the probability of a particular outco ...

established in 2006 by Balthazar Fabricius, with financial backing from

Zac Goldsmith Frank Zacharias Robin Goldsmith, Baron Goldsmith of Richmond Park, (born 20 January 1975) is a British politician, life peer and journalist who served as Minister of State for Overseas Territories, Commonwealth, Energy, Climate and Environmen ...

Ben Goldsmith Benjamin James Goldsmith (born 28 October 1980) is an English financier and environmentalist. The son of financier James Goldsmith and Lady Annabel Goldsmith, he is founder and CEO of London-listed investment firm Menhaden, which focuses on en ...

and James Osborne.

History

Fitzdares' founder Fabricius worked in the different departments of

Ladbrooks Ladbrooks is a locality in Canterbury, New Zealand. It is named after William and Eliza Ladbrook, who moved to the area in 1842 on the boat the ''Birman''. Ladbrooks Hall, built in 1913, was substantially extended in the 1960s. Demographics ...

' betting business for three and a half years after qualifying for their graduate scheme. In 2005, Fabricius approached Zac and Ben Goldsmith with his idea, proposing a bookmaker that would emphasise exclusivity and personal relationships. At the time, the majority of large bookmakers were moving their operations online, and Fabricius felt that a high-spending minority of sports fans would favour a upmarket bookmaker over a mass-market betting shop. The Goldsmiths liked the idea and backed it financially. Fitzdares obtained its gambling license in December 2005 and became operational in March 2006. In 2016, Fitzdares acquired telephone bookmaker Sunderlands, who had previously bought T Guntrip, dating back to 1882. Fitzdares appointed William Woodhams as its CEO in 2018. Previously, Woodhams had worked for the French luxury goods conglomerate Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and a marketing consultancy advising other luxury brands. Since Woodhams' appointment the company launched a sports betting app. In 2020, Fitzdares opened a private sports and betting venue on Davies Street, London's

Mayfair Mayfair is an area of Westminster, London, England, in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. It is between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane and one of the most expensive districts ...

area. The club served approximately 2,000 members.

References

{{Reflist British companies established in 2006 British bookmakers Companies based in London