July 22 (Reuters) - Global sports betting and gaming

group Entain ( GMVHF ) said on Monday Gavin Isaacs, former chief

of U.S.-based lottery games and betting firm Scientific Games

Corp, has been appointed as its new CEO, effective Sept. 2.

Entain ( GMVHF ) said Isaacs has over 25 years of experience across

the global sports betting, gaming and lottery industries, and

has handled roles with companies including DraftKings Inc ( DKNG )

, SB Tech ( SFBTF ), Bally Technologies Inc and Aristocrat

Technologies.

Issacs was a former board member at sports betting firm

DraftKings ( DKNG ), which in 2021 walked away from its $22 billion

buyout bid for Entain ( GMVHF ) to focus on its core U.S. market.

In the midst of a challenging past year marked by penalty

settlements for alleged bribery in its former Turkish operations

and the sudden departure of Nygaard-Andersen, the company has

now proceeded with a new appointment.

The company announced in April that its Chair Barry Gibson

could potentially leave before September, ending his over

four-year tenure, if a CEO was appointed sooner, leaving interim

CEO Stella David to succeed.

Entain's ( GMVHF ) former CEO Jette Nygaard-Andersen resigned in

December 2023, following reports that certain shareholders were

unhappy with her leadership.

In April, the group reported a smaller-than-expected fall in

online gaming revenue for the first quarter, as an increase in

active customers helped it offset stiff competition and

regulatory pressures in its main markets.

Gambling firms, which gained from a rise in online

betting during the pandemic, are dealing with stiffer

regulations and a cost-of-living crisis.