Ex-Betfair exec to head Spanish egaming trade body

Former Betfair executive Mikel Lopez de Torre has been appointed president of Spanish egaming trade body JDigital, as longstanding chief Sacha Michaud steps down.

Lopez de Torre has been in the industry for over 12 years, having held senior positions at Betfair until 2015, while he is currently the digital director at Ladbrokes’ Spanish-language JV Sportium.

He said his first challenge as president would be to maintain good relations with partnering operators and the Spanish regulator.

“It is clear that in the next 5 years, the industry will go through its consolidation and the responsibilities that entails. As a mature market we must be aware of the impact we have on our society,” he added.

“If we want a healthy industry it is necessary to understand that taxation should be reviewed and we will continue betting on a responsible market with new initiatives that work in that line.”

The group was founded by Michaud in 2012 prior to Spain implementing its online gambling legislation.

The outgoing president said he had not been able to dedicate the necessary time to the association in recent months and that Lopez de Torre was the best candidate to take over.

Spain is currently accepting licence applications, with the licensing window expected to be open for most of 2018.