Stålros takes on the CEO position after almost 10 years as chief operating officer of Relax Gaming.
He is replacing Simon Hammon, who has served as Relax CEO since 2022 after three years as chief product officer.
Hammon joined Relax as CPO in 2018 after more than six years at NetEnt, which saw the studio launch some of its most successful titles.
During his time as CEO at Relax, Hammon oversaw the continued development of Relax’s Money Train series, considered to be one the industry’s most popular set of titles in recent years.
Under his watch, Relax also launched its Dream Drop progressive jackpot in 2022, which has so far made 14 players millionaires since its launch.
Hammon will now remain with Relax until October 2024 to support the handover process.
As an experienced gambling executive, Stålros held several other industry roles before joining Relax in January 2015. These included business development manager and head of poker operations at Kindred-owned Unibet.
In addition, Stålros spent more than two years at Ladbrokes Egaming. Here, he worked as customer development manager for poker and also as a marketing executive.
“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,” Stålros said. “I’m humbled by the task. It’s the strength of the team that surrounds me which makes me even more motivated about the challenge.”
Stålros set to drive “ambitious” growth trajectory at Relax
Relax chairman Patrik Österåker also commented on the appointment. In his statement, he highlighted Stålros’ extensive knowledge of the business and his confidence that Stålros will continue to drive Relax’s growth plans.
“Martin has been involved with Relax from the very early days and has had a material impact on the success of the company,” Österåker said. “As the business and organisation continues to mature and grow we feel that Martin has the ideal profile needed to support and guide us on our ambitious growth trajectory.
“Martin has full support from the board to implement the strategy set out for Relax Gaming.”
Outgoing CEO Hammon added: ““Martin is the natural choice to take the reins at this pivotal junction. Having proudly invested the past five 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.
“As Relax moves into its next stage, Martin’s extensive understanding of the company’s DNA, offering, and team, along with his passionate yet pragmatic approach, will enable him to successfully steer Relax to achieve all the goals set.
“It has been a true honour serving as CEO of Relax gaming for two years, and I look forward to seeing what the future brings them.”
Relax makes US debut
The appointment comes just a few months after Relax expanded into the US market. Relax secured a vendor transactional waiver for New Jersey towards the end of last year. The provider is partnering with BetMGM in the state.
Under its US name RLX Gaming, the supplier’s slots selection is now available in the US. This includes titles such as The Great Pigsby and Epic Joker.
The move follows a successful launch in Ontario, Canada in 2022. The company sees its New Jersey debut as the next landmark step in its North American expansion.