The online gambling industry is a complex business and goes much deeper than the casino and bookmakers we all enjoy. There is a structure to every online gambling company and some companies own more than one brand. With a large portfolio of brands, companies must appoint people who can bring the best out of the company and take it to the next level. Jette Nygaard-Andersen is a good example and she is the Chief Executive Officer of Entain.
Who is Nygaard-Andersen?
Nygaard-Andersen has been part of the Entain group since 2016 and previously served as a non-executive director of the group. The Dane was born in 1968 and studied at the University of Copenhagen, coming away with a master’s degree in business, finance and economics. Before joining Entain, Nygaard-Andersen’s roles included chairperson of a Danish owned eSports team and senior positions at Modern Times Group, a leading media company based in Sweden. In fact, Nygaard-Andersen spent a great deal of her career with the Modern Times Group, before accepting a position at Entain.
Entain
Before we look more closely at the appointment of Nygaard-Andersen as the CEO of Entain, it is important to understand more about the gambling company. Entain is an international sports betting and gambling company that is listed on the FTSE 100 Index. They own several popular online gambling brands, including Ladbrokes, Coral, Bwin, Sportingbet, and PartyPoker. Each of these brands offer sports betting and a casino online, meaning they are the complete package. Entain continue to add new brands and gambling companies to the group, with BetCity being a recent example. Entain purchased BetCity from its parent company, Sports Entertainment Media, for €450 million in January 2023. With significant acquisitions like BetCity, it is clear Entain have no intention of slowing down as they attempt to dominate the online gambling space and Nygaard-Andersen has a huge role to play in the future of the company.
Nygaard-Andersen’s Appointment
Having become the CEO of Entain, Nygaard-Andersen is the first female CEO of a UK-listed betting company. The number of women at the top of FTSE 100 companies now stands at six thanks to the appointment of Nygaard-Andersen. Speaking about the opportunity, Nygaard-Andersen said: “I am very excited to have the opportunity of continuing the extraordinary momentum that Entain has in its existing markets, as well as helping it enter new regulated markets and reach new audiences.”
Nygaard-Andersen also addressed the role of women at the top of the world’s biggest businesses. The Danish CEO said, “It’s all about fairness and the right to opportunity,” before continuing, “Women not only need to play their part in organisations but have the opportunity to thrive within them at all levels.”
One of the major jobs facing Nygaard-Andersen is the expansion of Entain in the United States. With regulated online gambling rolling out across the US, there is plenty of opportunity. Entain and MGM already run a joint venture in the United States and Nygaard-Andersen will be keen to increase the presence of Entain in what is an enormous online gambling market.
