Wortmann succeeds Hans-Jürgen Reissiger of Deutsche Klassenlotterie, Berlin, who did not run again for election after 4 years as President of the association. Wortmann is 58 years old, and has been working with the Westdeutsche Lotterie since 1994.

In his first address, Wortmann stressed how vital it is for the European institutions to understand the importance of a legal orientation and consequently maintain the State monopoles in the gaming sector. Seeing that, contrarily to other domains of activity, in the gaming sector it is not a question of offering consumers the possibility of unrestricted expenditure, but of channelling the gaming impulse.

EL actually counts 73 Member Lotteries (from 42 European countries); the Association is based in Lausanne, Switzerland, and Bernadette Lobjois is its Secretary General.

Ten Executive Committee Members were also elected during this assembly: Christophe Blanchard-Dignac, President-General Director of La Française des Jeux, France, was appointed 1st Vice-President and Sotiris Koulossoussas, Member of the Board and President of «Sports Business Partnership», Greek Organization of Football Prognostics OPAP, Greece, was appointed 2nd Vice-President.

Hans-Jürgen Reissiger was nominated Honorary President by the General Assembly in acknowledgement of his successful work for enhancing awareness in the domain of State Lotteries in Europe.