Is 888.com about to appoint Mattingley as permanent CEO?

The UK newspaper The Sunday Times revved up the online gambling news scene over the weekend, reporting without explanation that interim 888.com CEO Brian Mattingly (58) was in line for the permanent job at the internet gambling group.

Mattingley, who is deputy chairman of 888 Holdings plc, was pressed into service as interim chief exec when former incumbent Gigi Levy departed almost a year ago.

According to the Sunday Times, he will soon be appointed the permanent chief executive officer, the Sunday Times reported, without saying how it obtained the information.

Following up on the story, Bloomberg business news contacted Andrew Benbow, a spokesman for the company, who declined to comment, but actually added fuel to the fire by saying: “Brian has done an exceptional job and I’m sure his appointment would be welcomed by investors.”

Mattingley is the Senior Independent Non-Executive Deputy Chairman of the Board of 888 Holdings plc and has been since March 2006; he was appointed to the Board in August 2005. Mattingley was previously Chief Executive of Gala Regional Developments Limited until 2005. Before that, between1997 and 2003 he was Group Finance and Strategy Director of Gala Group plc, prior to which he was Chief Executive of Ritz Bingo Limited.

He has held senior executive positions within Kingfisher plc and Dee Corporation plc.