Danish gambling body appoints Betsson MD as chairman

The Danish Online Gambling Association (DOGA) has appointed Betsson managing director Peter Weinreich Johansen (pictured) as the trade organisation’s new chair, replacing the outgoing Martin Thorvaldsson.

Johansen was voted in last week at DOGA’s annual general meeting following the organisation’s membership previously stating it needed a Danish chair to replace Swede Thorvaldsson, who is general counsel at Betsson.

Johansen will hold the position of chairman until at least next year, when he can be re-elected.

“It’s an exciting challenge with elections in Denmark coming up no later than September this year, and several of the political parties have expressed a desire to further liberalise the market,” Johansen told eGaming Review.

Morten Rønde, DOGA’s chief executive, said Johansen would be a great asset to the association.

“Peter has an excellent understanding of the many aspects of the online gambling market. Furthermore, he has a very trustworthy and amiable personality that eases dealings with stakeholders in Denmark,” Rønde said.

In March a DOGA-commissioned survey found that found that 8% of Denmark’s online sports betting players placed their bets with unlicensed operators, while 17% of the total monthly spend is placed with betting operators without a Danish licence.

The same month the Danish Gambling Authority released figures which showed the Danish gambling market had grown 20% year-on-year to DKK2.9bn (£270.8m).