Growth hungry SAZKA appoints Kenneth Morton as new CFO

Czech gambling conglomerate SAZKA Group has confirmed the appointment of Kenneth Morton as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective from 1 February 2020.

Morton is the former Head of Corporate Finance for SAZKA Group’s main investor KKGC – a private equity vehicle led by Czech billionaire Karel Komarek.

As a KKGC executive, Morton is reported to have spearheaded a number of SAZKA group investments, which in 2019 saw Komarek’s fund take outright ownership of the Czech gambling group.

In its update, SAZKA governance confirms that outgoing CFO Peter Stohr will remain with the group until the end of March, ensuring a smooth transition of duties.

Robert Chvatal, CEO of SAZKA Group, commented: “I am delighted to welcome Kenneth to the SAZKA Group team. We have worked together extensively on some of SAZKA Group’s most important initiatives since he joined KKCG, and his banking and international experience will be valuable assets as we execute our business and financial strategies.”

Closing 2019 trading, Robert Chvátal confirmed to media that Sazka would participate in the UK government’s 2020 tender, bidding for exclusive rights to operate the National Lottery in 2023.

Underlining SAZKA’s motives, Chvátal stated that ‘investing in the UK is the next stop’, following a busy 2019 in which Sazka had secured majority shareholdings in OPAP Greece and Casinos Austria.