John O'Neill Appointed Echo Acting Chairman

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Echo Entertainment has announced the appointment of a new chairman

Echo Entertainment, one of the leading gaming operators in Australia, has announced the appointment of a new chairman.

John O'Neill, managing director and chief executive officer of Australian Rugby Union Limited, has been unveiled as acting chairman.

The move comes after outgoing boss John Story stepped down on June 8th following a campaign by James Packer.

The billionaire is head of Echo rival Crown, which owns a ten per cent stake in Echo, and is said to have backed the appointment of O'Neill, who is vastly experienced at running large organisations through his dealings in the rugby world.

It is believed that Packer is open to agreeing a deal with the Genting casino group in order to build more casinos in Australia and attract more interest from high rollers from the Asia-Pacific region.

Meanwhile, Melbourne's Crown Casino was recently named as the host for the World Series of Poker's first visit to Australia next year.