London/Brussels, February 7, 2023 | During the ECA General Assembly, held today at ICE London 2023, the ECA Board of the European Casino Association announced that after eight successful years, Per Jaldung has stepped down as Chairman of the association, and by unanimous member approval, Erwin van Lambaart has been appointed his successor.
A proven leader in the casino and entertainment industry for over 20 years, Per Jaldung has served as Chairman of the ECA since 2015. Prior to entering the casino entertainment business, Per served in multiple capacities for the Stockholm Police Department and the National Criminal Intelligence Service for 13 years.
His background in law enforcement led him to Casino Cosmopol in 2002 as head of Security and Surveillance, after which he was promoted to General Manager of the Gothenburg property in 2005. In 2008, Per was appointed CEO of Casino Cosmopol, a role he held until December 31, 2022.
"It has been an honour to serve as Chairman of the ECA. The greatest asset of this industry is its people, and I have been privileged in this role to have experienced the warmest of welcomes from across all countries and all roles and positions within the diverse and multi-faceted European and international land-based casino sector. It has not been a role without its difficulties, and the industry continues to face ongoing headwinds from multiple directions, but the members of the ECA, and especially this Board of Directors and the new Chairman, can accept and master these challenges. I congratulate Erwin van Lambaart on his appointment as it is a role which he will tackle with the utmost energy and dedication."
The new ECA Chairman Erwin van Lambaart has been a Member of the ECA Board since 2021; he joined Casinos Austria and Austrian Lotteries as CEO in March 2022. Erwin has a substantial background in the media, hospitality, event, marketing and entertainment sectors. After graduating from the Hotel School in The Hague, he worked for 15 years in the international hotel industry. After this, he moved on to the global live entertainment world, where he worked for another 15 years.
Image: Erwin van Lambaart, Chairman European Casino Association
In 2016, he took over as CEO of Holland Casinos, establishing himself as a proven casino and gaming expert. On March 14, 2022, Erwin van Lambaart moved to Austria and took up his position as CEO of Casinos Austria AG and Österreichische Lotterien GmbH.
"I am delighted to have been appointed as Chairman of the European Casino Association by my peers in this amazing industry. I understand that it is a big responsibility to serve the ECA members in these challenging times for the casino industry. I would personally like to thank
Per Jaldung for his distinguished stewardship of the association and for his ongoing support, advice and leadership. I look forward to working with him in the future and wish him the best in his new ventures. The licensed European casino industry continues to face great changes and even disruptions. In the coming weeks, I will be working with the ECA members and the ECA board as well as our partners on the priorities for the future work of our association."
The new chairman of the ECA Erwin van Lambaart is supported in his new role by the ECA Senior Vice Chair, Pascal Camia, from Monte-Carlo SBM and the Vice Chair Tiina Siltanen.
The General Assembly additionally approved in the same session that Yared Gabretensye, General Manager of Casino Cosmopol in Malmoe, Sweden, will take Per Jaldung’s seat representing Sweden on the Board of Directors until next year’s elections.
In recognition of his service at the ECA General Assembly, presented Per Jaldung with the title of Honorary President of the ECA.
About the European Casino Association:
The European Casino Association (ECA) represents licensed land-based casinos in Europe, with 29 members and over 60,000 direct employees supporting local economies across Europe. It has members from nearly all EU Member States, as well as non-EU countries. The primary purpose and objective of the ECA are to address and promote issues related to land-based and online casinos, fight illegal gambling and promote the positive contribution of the industry. To find out more about the ECA, please click here.
