【stake account】Former Kindred CEO to lead FDJ’s new online division

Andén, who has led Kindred since May 2023, will become the group’s new chief online betting and gaming officer.

In this role, he will lead the firm’s online betting and gaming business unit, which is responsible for all FDJ’s sports and horse-race betting, poker, and online casino operations.

The company said: “FDJ Group’s acquisition of Kindred creates a European champion with a diversified, balanced profile, underpinned by businesses under exclusive rights — chiefly the lottery in France and Ireland — and businesses open to competition in the European online betting and gaming market.

“The group’s new operating model highlights the digitalisation, diversification and globalisation of its activities. It represents the newest phase in the organisational transformation of the group, which is now present in nearly 15 countries.”

The online division will be one of four business units making up the new structure of FDJ, alongside French lottery and retail sports betting, international lottery, and payments and services.

The French operator added that the four business units will be supported by cross-functional departments covering areas such as innovation, technology, digital acceleration, data and AI.

These functions come on top of group functions like finance, strategy, legal corporate social responsibility and communications.

The news follows FDJ’s €2.45bn acquisition of the Unibet operator, which closed in October 2024 and created one of the largest gambling businesses in Europe.

As part of the deal, Kindred agreed to exit all markets it was involved in without a local licence.

The operator reported revenue from high-risk players as 2.7% following its grey market exits, a significant decline from the 3.2% previously recorded.

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