Roa to lead responsibility efforts at Svenska Spel

Svenska Spel has named Scarlett Roa as its new sustainability manager as part of its preparations for regulatory changes in the Swedish market.

Roa will join the company on October 1 after a spell as deputy chief executive of Sweden’s Digital Agency Authority. The appointment comes after a recruitment process that included both external and internal applicants.

In her new position, Roa will head up Svenska Spel’s sustainability and gaming responsibility efforts, with a focus on re-regulation in the Swedish market.

Roa succeeds Zenita Strandänger, who opted to leave Svenska Spel earlier this year.

“We have an exciting time ahead of us with a new gaming legislation that will come into force at the turn of the year and will place higher demands on all players in the market,” Roa said.

“I look forward to working with the employees at Svenska Spel to continue to develop the group’s gaming responsibility work and to lead the way in sustainability, including business ethics and anti-corruption issues, as well as gender equality and diversity.”

New domestic gambling laws are due to come into effect from January 1, 2019, and national regulator Lotteriinspektionen has received a host of applications for licences.

Svenska Spel was one of 22 companies to submit an application on the first day of submissions last month and has since been joined by the likes of Kindred Group.

Svenska Spel will be hoping re-regulation brings with it an upturn in fortunes after the company reported a dip in revenue for the three months to June 30. In contrast, rival Swedish firm Betsson saw revenue climb 12% in the same period.

Image: Svenska Spel