Allwyn appointed Francesco Rodano as Group Head of Responsible Gaming on September 9, 2026. He will oversee the company’s responsible-gaming strategy across its international brands and its National Lottery operations in Great Britain.

Allwyn said Rodano spent 10 years at Playtech, where he led work on player protection, behavioural analytics and long-term business sustainability. He also spent almost a decade as director of remote gaming at Italy’s gambling regulator, Agenzia Dogane e Monopoli.

Why the appointment matters in Great Britain

Allwyn holds the Gambling Commission’s current licence to operate the National Lottery from February 1, 2024, until January 31, 2034. The Commission also issues separate licences for individual National Lottery games.

The appointment changes Allwyn’s internal leadership. It does not change the National Lottery licence or represent a new regulatory ruling.

The Gambling Commission remains responsible for protecting National Lottery participants. Its regulatory framework requires the lottery to be run with due propriety, while protecting players and maximising returns to good causes.

Regulatory pressure remains unchanged

The current licence uses an outcomes-based model. This gives Allwyn flexibility to change products and systems. It also leaves the operator responsible for meeting its licence obligations and providing policies and information for regulatory review.

The Commission has said it will continue to monitor and challenge Allwyn on player protection. In decisions covering new National Lottery products in 2026, it also stressed the need to monitor harm, prevent excessive play and intervene when high-risk players are identified.

Rodano’s experience in behavioural analytics could be relevant to how Allwyn tests interventions, identifies risk and evaluates player-protection measures. That is an editorial inference based on his stated experience and the Commission’s published expectations. It is not evidence of a confirmed change to Allwyn’s controls.

What changes next

  • Rodano will lead Allwyn’s responsible-gaming agenda across its brands, products and markets.
  • Allwyn will remain accountable for the obligations attached to its Great Britain National Lottery licence.
  • The Gambling Commission will remain responsible for licensing and monitoring the National Lottery in Great Britain.
  • No new licence condition or enforcement action was announced with the appointment.

The practical test will be whether the new leadership produces measurable improvements in age checks, risk monitoring, player interventions and the handling of potentially harmful play. The appointment itself does not show that any such improvement has occurred.