Allwyn boosts responsible gaming leadership with Playtech veteran
Allwyn has announced the appointment of former Playtech executive Francesco Rodano as its new group head of responsible gaming.
Rodano spent almost ten years spearheading policy at Playtech as the supplier’s chief policy officer. Then between January last year and August 2026, he led its global player-protection efforts as chief sustainable gambling officer.
During his tenure, Rodano was instrumental in deploying an AI-powered behavioural analytics platform, BetBuddy, which is designed to identify and intervene in potentially harmful gambling behaviours.
Before moving to the private sector, Rodano served as the Director of Remote Gaming at Italy’s regulator, Agenzia Dogane e Monopoli (ADM), for almost a decade.
He played a significant part in establishing Italy’s national online gaming framework and liaised with international regulatory bodies.
During his time in the role he also acted a member of an EU-formed group for gaming experts. Overall Rodano has spent 20 years in the sector.
Speaking during an interview on his appointment published via Allwyn’s Linkedin page, he said he had worked on player protection “from every angle”.
Playtech veteran to lead Allwyn’s RG strategy
Rodano’s appointment reflects Allwyn’s commitment to enhancing responsible gaming as an integral part of its growth strategy, the company said in a statement announcing the move.
The company’s existing businesses have achieved Level 4 accreditation under the World Lottery Association’s (WLA) responsible gaming framework, the highest possible level.
Robert Chvátal, Allwyn’s chief executive officer, said appointment aligned with the group’s long-term vision to embed integrity and player safety across its products and markets.
“Player protection is something I live and breathe and I look forward to implementing that passion at scale across Allwyn,” Rodano added.
He said that by operating in a number of markets, Allwyn had a unique opportunity to learn from each other,
The appointment also follows a period of leadership changes at Allwyn, including Phil Walker’s move to lead the UK business, Katie Harbron’s hiring as director of games in the UK and Khalid Reede Jones’s appointment as North America CEO.