Khalid Jones Exits Virginia Lottery, Named Allwyn North American CEO

After two years as executive director of the Virginia Lottery, Khalid Jones announced his departure last week, setting the stage for two subsequent major lottery industry personnel developments.

Global lottery powerhouse Allwyn announced Tuesday that Jones (pictured above, in gray suit) will become the new CEO of the company’s North American division — bringing clarity to why he stepped down in Virginia — and Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger named Kevin Hall the Virginia Lottery’s new executive director, also on Tuesday.

This is not Hall’s first run as executive director of the Virginia Lottery, as he previously served in that position from 2018-22. His reappointment to the post ends Tony R. Russell’s tenure as acting executive director after just a few days.

The chain reaction of news was kicked off by Jones’ post on LinkedIn last week announcing his exit with both a few sentences of text and a brief video in which Jones became emotional. “The decision to step into a new journey has been one of the most difficult I’ve ever made,” he wrote. “The group of people who have made this special could fill a stadium. For two years, I have given all of myself to this agency and I hope that in doing so I have given more than I have taken.”

Jones was appointed by then-Gov. Glenn Youngkin in April 2024 and was tasked with overseeing the state lottery as well as the licensing and regulation of online sports betting and of Virginia’s five brick-and-mortar casinos. Jones also was named lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium last December.

All in with Allwyn

Jones now heads to Allwyn, with a start date of July 6, and he will work out of the company’s Chicago office. Allwyn is the operating partner of the Illinois Lottery, among other U.S. lottery dealings.

Switzerland-based Allwyn made the announcement via press release, writing that “Khalid brings a rare combination of commercial discipline, regulatory credibility, and digital‑first thinking. This is built through over two decades of experience and senior executive roles spanning lottery, gaming enforcement, licensing, and private investment.”

Allwyn CEO Robert Chvátal described Jones in the release as a “digitally minded leader who understands the power of partnerships and innovation.” Chvatal added: “I know his perspective and energy will be hugely valuable to our North American business.”

While Jones moves on to the next chapter in his career in Chicago, Virginia welcomes back Hall, who spent the last four years working as a public policy and communications consultant.

“Serving as executive director was the most meaningful and rewarding work of my career, and it’s a privilege to return to a job I genuinely loved,” Hall said in a release. “The Virginia Lottery has a simple but powerful mission: generate funding for Virginia’s public schools. Every day, the work done by the people in this agency helps make that happen. I’m grateful to Gov. Spanberger for the opportunity to serve again, and I’m excited to get back to work.”