rnational betting integrity body, ESSA, has elected Heike Mayer as its new Chairperson and expanded its board.

GVC Holding’s Heike Mayer succeeds outgoing ESSA Chair, Mike O’Kane, who has held the position since 2012 and stepped down following his retirement from Ladbrokes.

The ESSA board has also expanded to reflect its growing membership, with Betway’s Jon Russell and David Foster of Paddy Power Betfair strengthening the board of directors.

Mayer, who is responsible for Public and Regulatory Affairs at GVC, said: “There are a number of key issues and opportunities facing the industry going forward. 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.”

ESSA Secretary, General Khalid Ali, added: “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.”