Vanek, who was formerly part of Fortuna’s Game division, will step into the role from 1 March.

The new CEO commented: “I am proud to have been given the opportunity to lead FEG into the next phase of its development. I am truly excited about the tremendous potential the company has and I am looking forward to leveraging the group’s extensive know-how to deliver a market-leading proposition to all our customers.” 

The departing Widerstrom, who held the CEO role for the past seven years, oversaw a period of rapid growth for the company. FEG expanded more than five times in size during his stewardship, growing its presence as a respected gambling operator. 

On his tenure, and his departure, Widerstrom commented: “Seven years is indeed a long time and there are so many people I would like to thank for having been with me and FEG during this journey. Whether that be our customers, business partners or other stakeholders.  

“In particular, I would like to thank the fantastic employees who have made FEG into the great company it is today, as well as to thank Penta Investments for its great support and collaboration.

"Leaving FEG at this time feels right, in particular knowing the company is well poised for further growth, as well as being in very good hands with David Vanek and the rest of the Group Executive team.” 

Fortuna employs approximately 6,200 staff across Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia and Romania, and operates over 3,300 betting shops across these and other Central and Eastern European territories.