EL Elects New Executive Committee and President

Šibenik, 7 June 2023 – During the EL General Assembly on 7 June in Šibenik (Croatia), Members elected a new Executive Committee for the period 2023-2025 and appointed Romana Girandon, CEO of Loterija Slovenije, as the first female EL President.

‘’I am delighted to be elected EL President at this year’s General Assembly. This is a real honour, and I would like to thank the Members for trusting me to lead EL in the next mandate,’’ says Romana Girandon, EL President. ‘’Over the coming years, I look forward to fulfilling my role together with a strong and experienced Executive Committee, to prove that we, The European Lotteries, are here to benefit society. Together we can make a difference and provide a new momentum for a sustainable and responsible future. I would like to thank especially, the outgoing President Hansjörg Höltkemeier, now EL Honorary President, for his dedication and commitment to EL over the past eight years and wish him all the best for the future’’.

From left to right: Jan KARAS, Jannie HAEK, Olgierd CIEŚLIK, Jesús Almendro HUERTA, Stéphane PALLEZ, Romana GIRANDON, Rosangela ROBBIANI, Hansjörg HÖLTKEMEIER, Niels ONKENHOUT, Olli SAREKOSKI & Jean-Luc MONET-BANET

The General Assembly took place on the occasion of the 11th EL Congress & Trade Show in Šibenik, Croatia from 4- 7 June 2023. Under the overarching theme ‘’Looking Forward – Lotteries of the Future’’, this was an opportunity to reconnect and learn from inspiring keynote speakers as part of a forward-looking programme.

1. The newly elected members of the EL Executive Committee are (in alphabetical order):  Olgierd CIEŚLIK, Totalizator Sportowy Sp. z o.o (PL), Romana GIRANDON, Loterija Slovenije, d.d. (SL) & EL President, Jannie HAEK, Loterie Nationale Loterij (BE), Hansjörg HÖLTKEMEIER, Deutsche Klassenlotterie Berlin (DKLB) (DE) & EL Honorary President, Jesús Almendro HUERTA, Sociedad Estatal de Loterías y Apuestas del Estado (SELAE) (ES), Jan KARAS, OPAP (GR), Jean-Luc MONER-BANET, Loterie Romande (CH), Niels ONKENHOUT, Nederlandse Loterij (NL),  Stéphane PALLEZ, La Française des Jeux (FDJ) (FR) & EL 1st Vice President, Rosangela ROBBIANI, Sisal S.p.A. (IT) and Olli SAREKOSKI, Veikkaus Oy (FI) & EL 2nd Vice President
2. During the General Assembly, EL welcomed Loterie Korunka and Malta National Lottery as new Regular Members and OpenBet and Fennica Gaming as new Associate Members.
3. EL Members adopted updates to the 2019 EL Antwerp Resolution on advertisement for games of chance, now known as the Antwerp-Šibenik Resolution 2023.

The European Lotteries (EL) is the European umbrella organissation of national lotteries operating games of chance for the public benefit in 39 European countries with a total of 70 members, including all EU Member States. It is the largest and most representative lottery and gambling sector’s organisation in Europe whose members only operate in those jurisdictions in which they are licensed and where they comply with the legal requirements. EL stands for the sound and sustainable gaming model for the benefit of society based on the values of responsibility, sustainability, and integrity. In 2021, EL members secured €20 billion for society and directly supported public projects related to sport, cultural heritage, art, individuals with disabilities and disadvantages, education, science and many other areas.

Contact: Lucy Lenaers-Mathieson, EL Communications Officer, E-mail: lucy.mathieson@european-lotteries.eu

SOURCE: European Lotteries (EL).