Bertil Knutsson, former owner and chairman of London-based table-game supplier TCSJohnHuxley, died last month in Sweden at the age of 80.
Only weeks prior to his death, Knutsson transferred his controlling shares in the company to his two sons, Michael Knutsson and Tristan Sjöberg. Sjöberg, formerly managing director-Asia, was appointed executive chairman, and Michael Knutsson continues as company director.
“Bertil was an inspiring leader, who became one of the gaming industry’s most influential characters in a career spanning more than 50 years,” said a statement from the company. “The introduction of the revolutionary Chipper Champ in 1979 changed the face of casino gaming forever.”
A visionary who introduced leisure casinos to Sweden in 1958, Bertil Knutsson also signed one of the first foreign company-controlled joint ventures in the former Soviet Union in the late 1980s. He also broke new ground in bringing online sports betting and poker to the Nordic markets through a joint venture with Ladbrokes Plc. He became a major shareholder in online gaming providers Betsson AB and Net Entertainment AB. He became involved in many industries, including bingo in Africa, renewable energy and IT security.
