Danske Spil names Christensen as new chairman

Danish gambling operator Danske Spil has announced the appointment of Peter Christensen, a former government minister for taxation and defence in the country, as its new chairman.

Christensen will take over from Peter Gæmelke, who has served as chairman at Danske Spil since 2011.

Having served as a Member of Parliament between 2001 and 2015, Christensen was named as Minster for Taxation in 2011, before going on to become Minister of Defence in 2015.

In addition to his time in politics, Christensen has served on the board at Danske Klasselotteris since 2018, but he will step down from the role during the second half of the year in accordance with his new appointment.

Denmark’s Minister of Finance Nicolai Wammen approved the appointment of Christensen, with Danske Spil being majority owned by the Danish state.

“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,” Christensen said.

“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.”

The appointment comes after Danske Spil last month reported a marginal year-over-year increase in revenue for the first quarter of 2020, with declines in its igaming and gaming machine arms mitigated by growth in its lottery business.

Revenue for the three months through to 31 March climbed 0.8% to DKK1.23bn (£149.8m/€165.0m/$186.3m), of which DKK640.4m came from its lottery arm, Danske Lotteri Spil.