Jette Nygaard-Andersen made history when she became the first female chief executive of a United Kingdom listed bookmaker. The Dane was appointed in January 2021 and took over from outgoing CEO, Shay Segev, who held the position for only six months. Nygaard-Andersen and Entain will be hoping for a longer partnership and with over 20 years of experience, including senior roles in media and gaming companies, this could be an exciting period for the group.
Who is Nygaard-Andersen?
Born in October 1968, Nygaard-Andersen studied at the University of Copenhagen and holds a master’s degree in business, finance, and economics.
She was employed for 16 years in a senior role by Swedish media company, the Modern Times Group and has chaired the Danish e-sports team Astralis. Having left the Modern Times Group, Nygaard-Andersen was appointed as a non-executive director of Entain in 2019.
Speaking about her appointment as CEO of Entain, 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.”
A Big Step for Female CEOs
The appointment of Nygaard-Andersen as the CEO of such a big iGaming company is huge news for women who are aiming to reach the top in the online gambling industry. Never has a female held the position of CEO at a UK-listed betting company and it shows that not only do women have the knowledge and talent to succeed at the highest level of the iGaming industry but companies are willing to appoint the best person for the job.
Indeed, Nygaard-Andersen has received many plaudits for the work she has done following her appointment and there have been many challenges along the road.
The senior vice president of American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gaming at Entain, Martin Lycka, spoke 500 days into Nygaard-Andersen’s appointment and said, “Jette has been the key architect of Entain’s successful evolution from a world’s leading gambling business into a global entertainment and technology heavyweight.”
Nygaard-Andersen’s Responsible Gambling Work
There have been many aspects of Nygaard-Andersen’s work to draw plaudits from industry insiders, including how the CEO has dealt with advances from other gambling companies, including MGM Resorts and DraftKings. BetMGM is a joint venture between Entain and MGM in the United States and together it has led the operator to be live in more states than any other sportsbook.
The BetMGM brand operates in 25 states at the time of writing and some of the other brands in the Entain group include Bwin, Ladbrokes, Coral, Borgata, Party Poker, and Party Casino. However, despite driving the company to significant success in the United States and beyond, one of the major aspects of Nygaard-Andersen’s time has been responsible gambling.
The Advanced Responsibility and Care program introduced by Entain was launched in 2021 and has progressed nicely under the guidance of Nygaard-Andersen. The model uses artificial intelligence to detect the signs of compulsive gambling behaviour early, so people can become aware of the problem before it gets out of hand.
There are over 25 behavioural markers that help Entain make accurate decisions when it comes to limiting an account or stopping someone from gambling altogether for their own safety. Irregular betting patterns, chasing losses, and increased deposits are just some of the markers used by the ARC program and the model was devised with the assistance of several research teams, including Harvard Medical School.
Aside from the ARC program, there have been rumors of further bids for the Entain group by MGM but this has yet to materialize. The US Casino operator has tried to take full control of the partnership with Entain, only to be denied.
Stories have emerged that MGM are no longer considering a second bid but Nygaard-Andersen knows it is unlikely they have walked away for good and a bid could be received soon. Such has been her start to life as the CEO of Entain, Nygaard-Andersen will be prepared for anything and with her successful work to date, the Dane is leading the way for female CEOs in the iGaming industry.
