UK National Lottery Operator Appoints Group Head of Responsible Gaming

Francesco Rodano has been appointed as Group Head of Responsible Gaming at UK National Lottery operator Allwyn AG, bringing with him close to two decades’ experience in regulatory/compliance roles in gambling.

Rodano joins from supplier Playtech, where he started as Chief Policy Officer in 2016, before stepping into the role of Chief Sustainable Gambling Officer in January 2025. During his spell with Playtech, Rodano led a global initiative focused on player protection and long-term business sustainability.

A relevant background

Prior to his time at Playtech, Rodano was Head of Remote Gaming for Agenzia Dogane e Monopoli (ADM), the Italian government’s gaming regulatory authority, between 2007 and 2016. The role entailed putting in place a national online gaming framework as Italy began to regulate online gambling, and working with regulators internationally.

Rodano said:

“I am privileged to be joining Allwyn and to build on the strong responsible gaming platform the company has already put in place across its markets. Player protection is something I live and breathe and I look forward to implementing that passion at scale across Allwyn.”

Existing campaigns

Rodano has replaced Nicole Garrett, who served as Allwyn’s Head of Responsible Gaming from April 2024 to March this year, before leaving to become CEO of the Bingo Association. D

uring her time at Allwyn, Garrett oversaw the launch of the Allwyn Player Protection Lab last September; an initiative aimed at supporting research and innovation.

In the previous month, Allwyn launched its Play the Right Way responsible gambling campaign, in partnership with figures from Formula 1. Robert Chvátal, Allwyn CEO, said:

“As Allwyn expands its global presence, being responsible isn’t just how we approach business, it is a key part of who we are and our long-term strength.

“From how we partner, hire and innovate, to how we make games safer, we embed integrity and care across everything we do. Francesco’s appointment and the experience he brings are another clear commitment to that philosophy.”

Focus on the UK

Rodano’s appointment comes at a time where responsible gambling is a standout topic of conversation in the UK specifically. The 2025 Gambling Survey for Great Britain showed the problem gambling rate had dropped slightly from 2.7% to 2.4%.

However, the rate is still significantly higher than the data was showing in previous surveys published by regulator the Gambling Commission.

The Commission previously announced that in the year to December 2022, a total of 0.2% of 4,000 respondents classed as problem gamblers. That data was based on the Commission’s quarterly telephone survey, which has since been replaced by the GSGB.

UK developments

While Rodano will work for Allwyn’s parent company, the UK is likely to be a key part of its focus; Allwyn took over the running of the National Lottery in February 2024. Allwyn UK announced in January it would be carrying out a major upgrade to the National Lottery’s digital platforms, with the update allowing Allwyn to offer the largest ever range of National Lottery games.

In July, Allwyn launched its partnership with the Multi-State Lottery Association, allowing the Powerball jackpot to be made available to players in the UK as well as the US. Powerball is played in 45 US states, combining 48 jurisdictions, with the UK lottery becoming the 49th to be added to the game. This is the first time a lottery outside the US has been able to take part.