Playson appoints Ben Wood as Chief Commercial Officer
Slots supplier Playson has appointed Ben Wood as Chief Commercial Officer, following the departure of Tamas Kusztos.
Wood is tasked with accelerating the delivery of Playson’s slot portfolio to new markets, as well as overseeing its global commercial strategy, expanding its B2B footprint, and fostering operator relationships.
Commenting on Wood’s appointment, Playson Deputy Chief Executive Vsevolod Lapin said, “Ben’s experience and vision make him an excellent addition to our leadership team. His understanding of regulated markets and commercial strategy will be invaluable as we continue to expand and strengthen our relationships with key partners globally.”
Wood has a 15-year track record across commercial strategy, content delivery, and partnership management in regulated markets, having most recently worked in a commercial consulting role for Blueprint Gaming. As a consultant he has also led teams building new market ventures for established operators.
Wood was Vice President of iGaming Content Delivery at Bally’s between August 2023 and May 2024, having joined legacy business Gamesys in November 2021 as Asia Director of Game Content Operations, before becoming Vice President of Commercial Content and Isle of Man Managing Director.
Prior to that, he spent over a decade at Microgaming, joining as a Sales Manager in 2010 and working his way up to Head of Partnerships in 2020.
Playson Strategic Advisor Alex Ivshin said, “Ben’s appointment marks an important step in Playson’s journey to solidify its standing among the top five suppliers globally. His expertise in regulated markets – particularly the UK, Spain, and Ontario – will help us amplify our reach and deliver even greater value to partners.”
Playson has recently expanded its presence in North America through a new content partnership with PointsBet, which is currently live in Ontario.
Commenting on his appointment, Wood said, “Playson has built a fantastic reputation for quality, creativity, and reliability in igaming. Their must-have content has stamped their own indelible mark in established and new markets alike.”
In a statement on the management update, Playson said Kusztos was leaving to “pursue new personal goals” and would continue to collaborate with the business, including assisting with the handover to Wood.
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The Backstory
Why Playson's move matters now
Playson’s decision to install Ben Wood as chief commercial officer reflects a broader reset across igaming as companies race to convert content pipelines into revenue in regulated markets. Wood inherits a remit that spans market expansion, B2B distribution and operator relationships at a time when suppliers are chasing share in jurisdictions like the United Kingdom, Spain and Ontario. The company’s recent push into North America, including a content tie-up with PointsBet in Ontario, underscores the commercial urgency. Wood’s résumé — from Gamesys and Bally’s to a decade at Microgaming — points to a mandate to accelerate deal flow and sharpen Playson's go-to-market execution. The handover from outgoing executive Tamas Kusztos, who will assist during the transition, is designed to keep momentum while calibrating for the next phase of growth.
The move lands amid rising pressure on suppliers to deliver measurable traction with operators, tighter compliance expectations and a more demanding capital market. With content alone no longer a differentiator, commercial leaders are being tasked to translate catalog depth into localized performance, faster integrations and better data on player value. That is the backdrop for Wood’s appointment and the wave of comparable moves around the sector.
Competitors are upgrading commercial benches
Playson is not alone in reshaping its top line. Suppliers across the value chain are refreshing leadership to align commercial execution with market access. Incentive Games tapped industry veteran Ahmed Baker as chief commercial officer, signaling a push to convert its free-to-play footprint into real-money growth. Baker’s experience at Pragmatic Play and Betfair suggests a focus on distribution, branded activations and operator partnerships that can scale in newly regulated territories.
At the platform layer, Relax Gaming named Antonia Svensson as CCO, adding a commercial operator with payments, content supply and boardroom experience. Based in Malta, Svensson is positioned to widen Relax’s Powered By partner roster and accelerate time-to-market for studios seeking reach without heavy infrastructure investment. These appointments track a common theme: commercial chiefs are expected to be cross-functional operators who can bridge product, compliance and sales, not just relationship brokers. For Playson, that means Wood’s remit will likely include prioritizing regulated entries where licensing overhead is matched by predictable returns, while deepening distribution with tier-one brands.
Operator-side reshuffles signal a tighter race
On the operator front, High Roller Technologies is tightening its own leadership to compete in the same regulated arenas suppliers are targeting. In Finland, the company appointed Sara Nunes as managing director and chief commercial officer, tasking her with P&L stewardship and partnerships as the brand eyes high-upside markets. Nunes’ track record at Rootz, Kindred and Betsson suggests a strategy anchored in localized brand building and disciplined unit economics.
High Roller also named Jake Francis as chief operating officer, adding regulatory, compliance and operations heft from stints at Penn Interactive, Hard Rock and a state gaming regulator. Together, the moves point to operators demanding faster supplier response times, compliant integrations and content that meets the test of sustained engagement, not just launch spikes. For Playson, the implication is clear: commercial success increasingly rides on being a preferred partner to operators that are themselves upgrading execution. Wood’s network from prior roles should help align release calendars, data sharing and promotional mechanics with operators’ acquisition and retention goals.
Regulatory gravity is reshaping playbooks
The industry’s center of gravity continues to shift toward regulated markets, where distribution is earned through licensing, governance and investor credibility. A high-profile example sits upstream in the supply chain: Light & Wonder’s appointment of Rohan Gallagher as global chief corporate affairs officer coincides with its move to a sole listing on the Australian Securities Exchange and a push to deepen investor engagement. That transition mirrors how strategic communications, ESG and regulatory clarity have become material differentiators for gaming companies seeking capital and partnerships.
The same forces inform supplier tactics. Ontario remains a proving ground for content performance with clear rules and competitive operator rosters. Playson's live deployment with PointsBet in the province adds a data loop that can guide Wood’s commercial prioritization across Canada, select U.S. states and Europe. Meanwhile, jurisdictions like the Philippines — where Light & Wonder became the first PAGCOR-licensed supplier — illustrate how early-mover compliance can translate into portfolio advantage. For Wood, a disciplined market sequence, supported by transparent metrics and localized release strategies, will be central to scaling in a fragmented regulatory map.
Stakeholders want velocity, proof and discipline
As macro uncertainty pushes capital toward companies with repeatable cash generation, boards are mandating more rigorous commercial KPIs. That will define how CCOs allocate resources: fewer scattershot launches, more depth with operators that deliver steady handle and higher net gaming revenue. Incentive Games’ CCO appointment suggests a pipeline aimed at converting proven F2P engagement into deposit behavior in regulated markets, while Relax’s Powered By expansion indicates a focus on ecosystem effects that compound distribution. High Roller’s operator-side upgrades tell suppliers that responsiveness and compliance rigor will be weighted as heavily as game art and mechanics.
For Playson, Wood’s success will likely be measured by the pace of new market entries, quality of operator integrations and the uplift from must-carry titles in regulated casinos. Expect emphasis on Ontario and other jurisdictions where certification cycles are predictable and partnerships can be scaled across multiple brands within a group. Coordinated go-to-market plans with operators — aligned on promotional windows and responsible gambling standards — will be critical to sustaining shelf space and top-quartile performance.
What to watch next
Watch for a near-term cadence of partnership announcements that diversify Playson's reach without diluting focus on regulated revenue. Comparable moves by Relax Gaming under Svensson and Incentive Games under Baker will offer a read on where operators are concentrating budgets for the next cycle. On the operator side, execution by High Roller in Finland and its global operations under COO Jake Francis will indicate how supplier road maps should adapt.
At the corporate level, Light & Wonder’s ASX emphasis highlights investor scrutiny of governance and growth narratives across the sector. For Playson, the commercial brief is to demonstrate that disciplined market selection, operator-aligned launches and consistent regulatory compliance can translate into durable revenue. Wood’s appointment fits a sector-wide pattern: commercial leaders with operating depth, regulatory fluency and boardroom credibility are being asked to turn content catalogs into defensible, compounding growth.
