Codere make Latin American moves; Scientific Game hire Greek expert; Veikkaus make a hire

codere sg veikkausSpanish-based gambling firm Codere have signed a deal with The Global Draw to increase their business in Mexico. The deal will mean 500 new gambling machines in different locations around the country and Felipe Ludeña, corporate CIO at Codere, explained “the agreement is an important contributor” to the company’s continued development in the country.

Codere have also come to an agreement with Churchill Downs-owned United Tote that will see the company’s Brazilian operations expand. The new technological capabilities acquired as part of the deal will allow Codere to expand services to tracks in Brazil and Latin America as well as their off-track sites in the region. Codere’s director of racing, Ramon Rionda, admitted: “This is a significant step for our long-term strategic model. We feel our relationship with United Tote/Churchill Downs is a key component for expanding our international presence in Latin America.”

Scientific Games have enlisted the former OPAP advisor Kevin Anderson as their new VP of international business responsible for the EMEA region. Anderson will focus on the firm’s lottery business thanks to his some six years experience at the Greek monopoly’s sports betting business. Talking about the appointment, Mike Conforti, senior VP of international development said: “We are committed to growing our presence across Europe, the Middle East and Africa and are confident that Kevin’s business acumen, reputation and relationships within the industry will provide significant value to Scientific Games.”

Finnish betting and lottery firms Veikkaus have hired Juha Koponen as its new CEO. The company said there were “three main reasons” they hired Koponen which were “his wide-ranging experience of demanding positions within corporate management, his desire to conduct ethical business operations, and his way of inclusive leadership”.