Allwyn has appointed Khalid Reede Jones as Chief Executive Officer of Allwyn North America. Jones, who led the Virginia Lottery to record sales during his two years as Executive Director, joins the Chicago-based operation on 6 July 2026.
From Virginia Lottery to Allwyn
Jones was appointed Executive Director of the Virginia Lottery by Governor Glenn Youngkin in April 2024. In his first full year running the agency, the lottery delivered $5.8 billion in sales and contributed $901.5 million to public education, the second-highest profit in the Virginia Lottery’s 37-year history. Those results came during a difficult year for state lotteries across the US. The absence of major multistate jackpots weighed on performance nationwide; Virginia posted a decline of just 2.6%, the best result of any US state lottery in fiscal 2025.
In December 2025, Jones was named lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium, the multijurisdictional group administered by the directors of its 12 original member lotteries. He stepped down from the Virginia Lottery at the end of May 2026.
Before his public sector role, Jones worked as an attorney defending financial institutions in large-scale government investigations. He later became founding partner in a boutique investment firm focused on real estate, media, sports, and technology, then established a licensing consulting practice for state and national lottery organisations. He holds degrees from Wake Forest University and Stanford Law School.
Scope of the Role
As CEO of Allwyn North America, Jones will oversee the company’s position as operating partner of the Illinois Lottery and its offer as a technology and games provider to lottery customers across the continent. The appointment does not extend to PrizePicks, the fantasy sports operator in which Allwyn acquired a majority stake for $2.5 billion in 2023.
Allwyn North America has managed the Illinois Lottery as its private partner since 2017. Under that arrangement, the Illinois Lottery has led the US in year-over-year sales performance for two consecutive fiscal years. In the first half of fiscal year 2026, covering July to December 2025, the lottery reported nearly $2.0 billion in sales, a new half-year record, with iLottery sales up 8% year-on-year supported by Allwyn’s platform, website, and mobile application.
The Illinois Lottery is also preparing to solicit a new private management contract. Jones’s background in state government regulation and lottery licensing gives Allwyn direct experience of the processes involved in winning and renewing contracts of that type.
Allwyn’s Wider North American Push
Allwyn AG is listed on Euronext Athens and holds leading lottery positions across Europe, including the Czech Republic, Greece, Austria, Italy, and the United Kingdom, where it operates the National Lottery. Allwyn North America combines that parent group’s technology base with a dedicated operator and supplier proposition for US and Canadian lotteries.
The appointment of a named CEO for the North American division signals a more structured approach to growing that business beyond Illinois. Jones’s career spans legal work in securities and government enforcement, private investment, regulatory consulting, and two years leading a major US state lottery. That profile covers most of the decision-making pathways through which state lottery contracts are won and renewed.
“I’m pleased to share that Khalid Reede Jones will be joining us as CEO of Allwyn North America. Khalid brings a rare mix of regulatory insight, commercial experience and a genuine commitment to responsible growth. A digitally minded leader who understands the power of partnerships and innovation – I know his perspective and energy will be hugely valuable to our North American business.”
— Robert Chvátal, CEO, Allwyn
Jones joins the Allwyn team in Chicago on 6 July 2026. The Illinois Lottery contract re-solicitation process will be the first major test of his tenure.
Source: Allwyn AG
