European Casino Association Appoints Erwin van Lambaart as New Chairman

During the ECA General Assembly, held 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,” Per Jaldung said.

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.

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,” Erwin van Lambaart said.