ECA elects new Board Members, appoints Bettina Glatz-Kremsner joint Vice-Chair

The European Casino Association (ECA) has announced its election of a new Board of Directors, as well as the appointment of a new joint Vice-Chair, in the form of Bettina Glatz-Kremsner.

Following its General Assembly, held virtually on 28th June, the organisation has now unveiled the constitution of its new board, which includes the appointment of three new members.

Announcing the election the ECA acknowledged the task that now lays ahead of it, “following one of the most difficult periods ever faced by the land-based casino industry in Europe”.

The challenge now, which falls upon all members of the Association is that of “stabilising and rebuilding the business”, it identifies.

Per Jaldung, CEO of Casino Cosmopol – Sweden, was reappointed as Chair of the Board.

Pascal Came, Executive Vice President of the Gaming Activity, Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, returned as Vice-Chair, and is now joined by a joint Vice-Chair, in the form of Bettina Glatz-Kremsner, General Director Casinos Austria AG and Austrian Lotteries.

The Treasurer is Thomas Schenk, Chief Compliance Officer, Deutscher Spielbankenverband e.V.

Of six Board Members, three are new additions – namely Erwin van Lambaart; CEO of Holland Casino, Domi De Wilde of Belgian Casino Association, and Tiina Siltanen; General Manager at Casino Helsinki.

The three returning members are Guido Berghmans; Director-General of CASINO 2OOO – Luxembourg, Laurent Lassiaz; CEO of JOA Group – France and Marc Friedrich; Director of Swiss Casino Federation.

Celebrating the new additions, Mr Jaldung commented he is “delighted to welcome three new members to the Board at this year’s General Assembly. The breadth of experience and knowledge that every Board Member brings to their role is vital for the recovery of the land-based casino sector”.

Addressing the appointment of Ms Glatz-Kremsner, he said: “I am especially pleased that [she] has stepped into the Vice-Chair role alongside [Ms] Camia. Having the ability to call upon two such dedicated and experienced casino industry professionals is an invaluable resource for the ECA”.

During the meeting, the ECA also set an agenda for the next three years of operation which includes, but is not limited to:

• Fighting illegal and unlicensed gaming offers
• Promoting Europe’s casinos and local tourism as well as local value creation
• Addressing diversity, environmental and climate issues in the sector
• The integration of digital gaming offers within the portfolio of land-based operations
• Working closely with regulators and stakeholders to optimise the operation environment

Celebrating her appointment as joint Vice-Chair, Ms Glatz-Kremsner said: “I am honoured by the faith and trust placed in me by the ECA membership. I look forward to fulfilling my additional duties as Vice-Chair during this exceptionally difficult period for the land-based casino sector as we meet and adapt to the challenges of sustainability, responsibility, safety and inclusion”.

During the meeting, the Association also thanked its partners and sponsors for their “unstinting” support during the crisis, including Clarion Gaming, Tableswin, Vixio, AGEM, Aristocrat and Playtech.

“I would like to thank all of our partners and sponsors for their continued support of the ECA during the exceptional circumstances of the past year,” stated Hermann Pamminger, Secretary-General.

“As the European Casino Association continues to grow both in numbers and relevance, the support of our partners enables us to continue to provide a unified voice for the land-based casino sector that is heard at all levels of government, resonates with regulators and legislative bodies, and supports the message that this sector makes a valuable contribution to the local communities in which we operate”, he added.