ESSA confirms Mayer as new chair

Betting integrity body ESSA has announced that GVC Holdings’ Heike Mayer is to succeed Mike O’Kane as its chairperson. O’Kane has served in the role since 2012 but will now step down following his recent retirement from Ladbrokes. Mayer is currently responsible for public and regulatory affairs at GVC and also serves as vice-chair of ESSA. “I’d like to thank Mike for all of his hard work over the last five years; he has done a great job in repositioning the association and has been an influential and vocal advocate of ESSA members and our sector in general,” Mayer said. “There are a number of key issues and opportunities facing the industry going forward, and I will be working with my board colleagues to deliver and implement a strategy that meets those challenges and maintains the strong working relationships that ESSA has built.” Meanwhile, ESSA has moved to strengthen its board of director with the addition of Betway’s Jon Russell and David Foster of Paddy Power Betfair. ESSA secretary general Khalid Ali said: “The expansion of the board reflects a desire to ensure that we are best placed to represent the association’s increasing membership and to meet the ongoing challenges facing the sports betting sector. “We are very fortunate to have a wealth of experience and knowledge within our membership to help drive us forward to achieve our goals.” Related article: Tennis retains top spot in ESSA suspicious betting report