Jason Delamore: Chief Executive Officer, Lotto New Zealand

Jason Delamore is Chief Executive Officer of Lotto New Zealand, the Crown entity that runs the country’s national lottery. He was named interim Chief Executive in October 2023, succeeding Chris Lyman, and was later confirmed in the role permanently. Delamore didn’t come from inside the lottery industry. He spent his prior career in technology and marketing leadership. Most recently, he was CEO of the New Zealand IT firm Fronde.

That background matters more than usual right now. New Zealand passed its first law licensing online casinos in April 2026. That ended an era in which Lotto NZ and TAB NZ faced no legal local competition for online gambling. Among the operators covered in our executives directory, Delamore’s appointment stands out. It was built around one specific challenge: modernising a decades-old monopoly just as its protection narrows.

Jason Delamore’s Career Timeline at Lotto New Zealand

Here’s how a career built outside the lottery sector led Delamore to Auckland.

• 29 April 2019 – Appointed Chief Executive of Fronde, moving from his role as General Manager, Marketing and Technology at Auckland International Airport.
• October 2023 – Named interim Chief Executive of Lotto New Zealand, succeeding Chris Lyman, who left after 21 years at the company, six of them as CEO.
• 2024 – Confirmed in the Chief Executive role on a permanent basis.
• 20 April 2026 – Appointed Chairman of the Asia Pacific Lottery Association’s Executive Committee, succeeding Lam Chee Weng of Singapore Pools.

Before Auckland Airport, Delamore worked in product marketing at IBM. He then held general manager roles at Landis+Gyr and The Generator Room. Earlier still, he had a marketing role at Vector and a retail general manager role at Contact Energy. He holds a BA in History and Political Science from the University of Auckland. He also has a Masters in Business Studies from Massey University. More recently, he completed further study at Oxford’s Saïd Business School.

Why Jason Delamore’s Appointment Matters

Lyman was a lottery-industry lifer. Delamore is not, and that contrast is the point. The board hired a technology and marketing executive specifically to modernise Lotto NZ’s ageing systems.

• Chris Lyman (to 2023) – a 21-year Lotto NZ veteran, six as CEO, who left to return to the UK.
• Jason Delamore (October 2023–present) – the first Lotto NZ chief executive to arrive from outside the lottery sector.

Delamore has been candid about the scale of the threat he’s managing. He’s estimated that roughly NZ$700 million a year already flows to unregulated offshore gambling sites. The government’s new online casino licensing regime is designed to close that gap with legal local competitors. Under his watch, Lotto NZ has started replacing its core gaming system. It has also begun a MyLotto app and website overhaul. In March 2026, the company announced the biggest changes to Powerball in almost two decades. It added four extra Powerballs and raised the jackpot cap from $50 million to $60 million. The changes also spread more winners across the prize divisions. Whether those changes keep players engaged once licensed online casinos launch is the real test of his tenure.

Regulatory Context Facing Jason Delamore

Lotto New Zealand is a Crown entity under the Gambling Act 2003 and the Crown Entities Act 2004. It reports to the Minister of Internal Affairs. Its profits fund the Lottery Grants Board. Since Lotto NZ’s founding, the board has distributed more than $5.9 billion to community, arts and sports causes.

• Governance note – Delamore runs the organisation day to day as Chief Executive. The Lotto NZ Commission Board, which governs the entity, is chaired separately by Tony Balfour, appointed on 15 April 2026 to succeed Mark Todd after his seven years in the role. Balfour doesn’t run daily operations, and Delamore doesn’t chair the board.
• April 2026 – New Zealand’s Parliament passes the Online Casino Gambling Bill, creating the country’s first licensing regime for online casinos.
• 1 May 2026 – The Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 comes into force. The Department of Internal Affairs will regulate up to 15 licensed operators, with applications due by 1 December 2026 and the market expected to launch around January 2027.

The new law targets online casino games, not lottery products, so Lotto NZ’s own monopoly isn’t directly under legal threat. What changes is the wider market. For the first time, New Zealanders will have a lawful local alternative to the offshore sites. Delamore has already flagged those sites as a drain on Lotto NZ’s potential player base.

Frequently Asked Questions About Jason Delamore

Who is Jason Delamore, CEO of Lotto New Zealand?

Jason Delamore is the Chief Executive Officer of Lotto New Zealand, the Crown entity that runs the national lottery. He was named interim CEO in October 2023, succeeding Chris Lyman, and was later confirmed permanently. He previously led the New Zealand technology firm Fronde as CEO.

How did Jason Delamore become CEO of Lotto New Zealand?

Lotto New Zealand’s board appointed Delamore as interim Chief Executive in October 2023 after Chris Lyman announced his departure. Delamore came from outside the lottery sector, having most recently run Fronde. He was confirmed in the role permanently the following year.

What role does Jason Delamore hold at the Asia Pacific Lottery Association?

Delamore became Chairman of the Asia Pacific Lottery Association’s Executive Committee on 20 April 2026. He succeeded Lam Chee Weng of Singapore Pools in the role. The APLA represents lottery operators across the Asia-Pacific region on shared industry and regulatory issues.

What was Jason Delamore’s career before Lotto New Zealand?

Delamore spent his career in technology and marketing roles rather than the lottery sector. He was CEO of Fronde from 2019, having previously been General Manager of Marketing and Technology at Auckland Airport. Earlier roles included stints at IBM, Landis+Gyr, Vector and Contact Energy.

Is Tony Balfour the Chief Executive of Lotto New Zealand?

No. Tony Balfour chairs the Lotto NZ Commission Board, a governance role he took up in April 2026. Jason Delamore is the Chief Executive, responsible for running the organisation day to day. The two are separate roles held by different people.

Curious how other lottery and gaming leaders are steering their businesses? Browse more gambling executive profiles from across the sector.

Gambling Executive Sources

Career timeline

• Fronde appoints Jason Delamore as new CEO – Scoop
• Briefing for the Minister of Internal Affairs – Lotto New Zealand
• Jason Delamore, Chief Executive at Lotto New Zealand – The Org
• New appointments, APLA Executive Committee – Asia Pacific Lottery Association

Why this appointment matters

• Lotto NZ CEO to step down by end of 2023 – Scoop
• Lotto chief executive Jason Delamore confronts online casinos and hairy alpacas – NZ Herald
• Jason Delamore, Lotto NZ chief executive, on the new changes coming to Lotto – Newstalk ZB

Regulatory context

• Lotto New Zealand – Wikipedia
• Tony Balfour Appointed as Chair of the New Zealand Lotteries Commission Board – Beehive.govt.nz
• New Zealand passes online casino bill, sets stage for 15-license market – AGB

Background

• Executive Committee Members – Asia Pacific Lottery Association