Relax Gaming Appoints Martin Stålros as New CEO, Bringing About a New Era for the Brand

Relax Gaming has appointed a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in Martin Stålros. Following a decade working at the company and a period of working with the brand as a supplier, the 15 years of industry experience that Stålros brings to the role will be invaluable. Over that time, Martin’s positive contributions range from business development through to operations leadership – roles that have helped him to propel growth and value within Relax.

The CEO position was previously held by Simon Hammon, who operated in the senior role from 2022 until now after a three-year stint as Chief Product Officer (CPO). Simon will remain with Relax Gaming until October of 2024, providing full support on handing over the role to Martin whilst continuing the positive trajectory of the company.

Hammon had a leading role in the growth of Relax, and it is hoped that Stålros can take that and bring it to the next level. Speaking on his appointment to position of CEO, the new Executive Officer said:

“Having the opportunity to step up as CEO after seeing the company grow from 30 to 350 people during my time as COO is tremendously exciting. I’m humbled by the task and it’s the strength of the team that surrounds me which makes me even more motivated about my challenge.”

Stålros went on to speak about how his predecessors have built Relax up to be a stable company. He also noted how he will benefit from the close working relationship with former CEO, Hammon, and with Chairman of the Board, Patrik Osteraker. He aims to combine their strengths with his own so that he can push Relax Gaming to achieve even more growth with expansions into new markets.

The Growth of Relax Gaming Over the Years

It was in March of 2010 that Patrik Osteraker founded Relax Gaming alongside his friend Jani Tekoniemi. Within a couple of years, the duo had expanded the business into various areas, opening an office in Tallinn, Estonia. A couple of years after that, the company launched its flagship poker product, while its casino platform came about in 2015, as did its bingo catalogue.

Osteraker pushed to grow the business even more, opening an office in Malmö, Sweden in 2016, and another based in Malta in 2018. A Belgrade office also opened in that year, with Relax growing to 100 employees by that time. As the world entered a new decade, the 2020s, the company continued expanding, opening offices in Gibraltar and Stockholm, and celebrating having 25 partnerships.

The brand’s Dream Drop Jackpots product was launched in 2022, providing a five-tiered progressive jackpot for online slot games. By the end of last year, it entered the United States gambling market, partnering with BetMGM to arrive in New Jersey.

Comments on the New CEO from the Company Founder and Former Chief Executive

Martin Stålros has been present with the company throughout most of its operating years. Thus, there likely isn’t anyone better to take over the CEO position.

Commenting on his rise to Chief Executive status, founder Patrik Osteraker said that he was “delighted” to see him stepping up to the position. “Martin has been involved with Relax from the very early days and has had a material impact on the success of the company”, he said.

Osteraker went on to state that the company believes Martin has “the ideal profile” necessary to support it in moving forward with its ambitious growth trajectory. Stålros has also been given the full support of the Relax Gaming Board to implement the strategy that has been set out for the company.

Furthermore, the Board and Osteraker extended a heartfelt thanks to the outgoing CEO, Simon Hammon. He noted how instrumental he has been in building Relax up to the position it stands in today.

Speaking of the former CEO, Hammon also had his own comments on the new appointment in Stålros. He said that Martin is “the natural choice” as the person to take control of the Chief Executive role. “Having proudly invested the past 5 years in Relax’s outstanding growth journey, it is safe to say that I wholeheartedly believe in and will always cherish the company and team within it” he continued.

Hammon proceeded to highlight Martin’s “extensive understanding of the company’s DNA, offering, and team”. He noted him as having a pragmatic approach to operating, which he believes will enable him to steer Relax Gaming in the correct direction towards achieving its goals.