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Regal Appoints Rod Runnalls as Head of Business and Product Intelligence

Published

6 years ago

July 20, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Regal Gaming and Leisure, part of the Gauselmann Group’s portfolio of leading UK-facing brands, has appointed Rod Runnalls to the newly created post of Head of Business and Product Intelligence.

Rod is having more than 30 years of gaming machine experience with The Rank Group, Ladbrokes, Leisure Link and MHG. He joins Regal in what is a critical post lockdown period for both the gaming machine and pub sectors.

Looking forward to the challenge, which follows a 12-month consultancy role, during which he was instrumental in developing and delivering the reportage required to turn raw data into meaningful customer information, Rod believes that Regal is best equipped of all the industry operators to deliver value on behalf of its customers.

“Investment into connectivity and data analysis has formed the cornerstone of Regal’s successful growth strategy over the last 24-months and the business continues to invest significant levels of Capex to ensure that all digital AWPs are connected to the Gauselmann Group’s industry leading MARS system,” Rod said.

“Thanks to the MARS system we have the ability to share a wide range of data with our customers in real-time, including the number of machines that are switched on and working, as well as the number being played and transmitting data. We are also collating daily data for customers on how much physical cash is going through their estate of machines – by site and by position – which in turn allows us to understand whether all machines within a venue are trading and to what levels,” he added.

The benefits of the MARS digitally connected estate was put into sharp focus during reopening when Regal was able to track and analyse machine performance as pubs began trading over 4 and 5 July.

“We know that on the opening weekend we saw an average of 35 percent of our digital machine estate on and being played. More interestingly we were seeing these machines generating 48 percent of the total pre-lockdown levels of cash-in and 51 percent of the VTP. By the end of the opening week the proportion of active machines had risen to 45 percent, with the cash-in levels increasing on a daily basis, factors which bode well for the continued growth of pub machine income,” he said.

“Rod brings a wealth of experience to our business and we are confident that he will help us to leverage the investment we have made and continue to make in order to deliver for our customers by driving machine profitability through analysis of the data from Regal’s connected digital estate,” Andy Bell, Finance Director of Regal Gaming and Leisure, said.

Alona Shevtsova

Sends CEO Alona Shevtsova moderates Global Gaming Expansion panel in Riyadh

Published

42 minutes ago

June 25, 2026

Wladimir P.

sends-ceo-alona-shevtsova-moderates-global-gaming-expansion-panel-in-riyadh

Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends, will moderate a panel at The Blockchain show on 29^th June, bringing together experts from entertainment, location-based gaming, and content localisation to examine what it takes to build sustainable gaming ecosystems across emerging markets.

The panel, titled “Global Gaming Expansion: Lessons from Untapped Markets,” will structure its discussion across four themes: the growth dynamics reshaping emerging gaming markets; the role of localisation in creating experiences that genuinely connect with new audiences; the infrastructure and communities needed to build gaming ecosystems beyond the game itself; and the lessons and opportunities that will define successful expansion in the years ahead.

Alona Shevtsova plans to frame the discussion around the central challenge for companies looking to expand globally: entering a new market requires far more than bringing an existing product to a new audience. Understanding local cultures, building communities, adapting experiences, and creating ecosystems that allow gaming to grow sustainably are all as important as the product itself.

Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends, said:

“The future growth of gaming will come not only from new technologies, but from understanding people — their cultures, communities, and the experiences they want to be part of. Successful expansion will belong to those who can combine global ambition with local understanding.”

The first segment will examine why regions including the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia are becoming increasingly significant for developers, operators, and investors — driven by young audiences, accelerating digital adoption, and new entertainment models creating substantial growth potential. Panellists will explore how consumer preferences differ across markets and what trends among younger audiences are shaping the future of gaming and entertainment.

The third segment will broaden the lens beyond the game itself, exploring the role of location-based entertainment, gaming centres, esports, and experiential destinations in attracting new audiences and building long-term communities. Panellists plan to address how entertainment ecosystems — spanning physical venues, events, and community infrastructure — accelerate gaming adoption in markets where the category is still establishing itself.

Earlier this month, Alona Shevtsova was shortlisted for the 2026 Great British Entrepreneur Awards in the Established Business of the Year category. Her team is also preparing for the Fintech Connect conference in London later this year. Sends will be a leading sponsor of this event.

*Sends is a trade name of SMARTFLOW PAYMENTS LIMITED, registered in England and Wales (Company No.11070048). For more information, visit sends.co .

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