Danske Spil appoints former minister as chairman

State-owned gambling operator Danske Spil has appointed Denmark’s former Minister of Defence, Peter Christensen, as Chairman.

Denmark.-  Danske Spil has appointed Peter Christensen as its new Chairman after Peter Gæmelke announced his intention to step down after almost a decade in the role.

Christensen is a former politician from Denmark’s Venstre Liberal Party, for which he served as a Member of Parliament from 2001 to 2015. He was Denmark’s Minister for Taxation for a short period in 2011 and served as Minister of Defence from September 2015 to November 2016.

He has been on the board of the lottery operator Det Danske Klasselotteris as a Non-executive Director since 2018 and will step down from that role in the second half of the year owing to the new position.

Speaking after his approval for the position by Denmark’s Ministry of Finance, he said: “I am very proud of the confidence that the Minister of Finance has shown me, and I look forward to contributing to Danske Spil’s ongoing journey.

“Danske Spil has an important social role in continuing to ensure a balanced and responsible gaming market in Denmark. We must prevent problem gambling and protect our young people, and also ensure games are not abused for crime such as money laundering.

“Danske Spil must set the standard for responsible gaming in Denmark.”

Outgoing Chairman Peter Gæmelke has been in the role since January 2011.

Danske Spil, which is 80 per cent owned by the state, saw 0.8 per cent growth in revenue in Q1 to DKK1.23billion (€165million). DKK640.4 million of that came from the lottery business, Danske Lotteri Spil.