Svenska Spel, the Swedish gaming monopoly, will have a new CEO, Gaming Intelligence reported December 18.
It has named Anna Johnson, who comes to the job from the global accounting services group Grant Thornton, where she was CEO in Sweden.
The current CEO, Patrik Hofbauer, who has led Svenska Spel for five years, announced in October that he would leave the state-owned operator on January 31, 2024. He will become president and chief executive officer of Telia Company, a telecommunications firm.
Group Chairman Erik Strand will be interim CEO until Johnson takes over, no later than next June.
He praised Johnson: “Anna Johnson has a successful leadership based on inclusion and building strong teams that create customer value which has resulted in profitable growth over the years,” and added, “Her drive and curiosity are excellent qualities for the task of leading Svenska Spel. We have implemented significant changes in recent years and are today well equipped to offer sustainable gaming experiences that contribute to a better Sweden.”
The CEO-to-be said she looked forward to the company’s “journey of change,” and added, “This is a fantastic opportunity and I am both grateful and humbled by the trust.” Johnson continued, “Svenska Spel has one of Sweden’s strongest brands. The group has a unique position and opportunity to run sustainable gaming that contributes both joy and excitement to the benefit of the Swedish people and Swedish sports.”
Sweden’s gaming industry is currently the subject of the National Audit Office, which is investigating regulator Spelinspektionen (SGA), to determine whether the re-regulation of the market five years ago has been a success.
The investigation was sparked by research that showed that visits to illegal black market websites have skyrocketed by a factor of 10 since the re-regulation and that channelization rates for online gambling last quarter was between 70 percent and 82 percent.
