John Pettit Named Executive Chairman at Press Box PR

John Pettit formalises role at fast-growing digital PR agency

Senior appointment strengthens Press Box PR’s leadership as demand grows from operators, suppliers and fintechs

Appointment reflects Press Box PR’s evolution into a multi-million-pound agency, with offices in London and Manchester

Press Box PR – a fast growing digital PR agency specialising in betting, gaming, sports, consumer and technology – has formally appointed gambling industry commercial expert and former Playtech Chief Commercial Officer John Pettit as Executive Chairman.

Pettit has been involved with Press Box PR since its inception, investing in the business in 2020 shortly after founder Alex Donohue launched the agency.

Since then, he has worked closely with the leadership team in a non-executive advisory capacity, supporting the company’s commercial strategy, market positioning and long-term growth. His move into the Executive Chairman role formalises that relationship and reflects the agency’s evolution into a multi-million-pound operation serving some of the most prominent brands in gambling, sport and consumer sectors.

With offices in London and Manchester, Press Box PR is a digital PR agency specialising in earning coverage in gambling, sports, consumer, finance, hospitality and catering media as well as helping brands appear in AI citations and LLM recommendations.

With more than two decades of experience across regulated gambling, sports betting and technology, Pettit is widely regarded as one of the industry’s most respected commercial leaders. He spent more than eight years at Playtech BGT Sports, including as Chief Commercial Officer, where he led global commercial strategy across both retail and digital channels, working closely with operators, regulators and partners in highly regulated markets.

More recently, as well as continuing to invest in and advise in a number of gambling, technology and property businesses, Pettit worked as a strategic advisor for Grosvenor Casino to maximise the opportunity of incorporating sports betting into land-based UK casinos.

In his role at Press Box PR, Pettit will continue to work closely with Donohue and the senior leadership team to guide the agency’s strategic direction, support client growth in regulated industries and help position Press Box PR as a leading PR and content partner for gambling operators, suppliers and adjacent fintech and technology businesses.

Alex Donohue, Founder and Managing Director of Press Box PR, said: “John has been part of the Press Box PR story from the very beginning. He backed the business at an early stage and has played a hugely important role behind the scenes as we’ve grown. Formalising his position as Executive Chairman is a natural next step and reflects both the scale we’ve reached and where we want to go next. His experience, judgement and understanding of the gambling industry are invaluable.”

Pettit said: “I invested in Press Box PR because I believed in the vision Alex had for building a modern, earned-first PR agency that truly understands regulated industries. I’ve enjoyed working closely with the team over the past few years and I’m delighted to step into the Executive Chairman role. Press Box PR has built a strong reputation in gambling and beyond, and I’m excited to help support the next phase of growth.”

Pettit will be part of the Press Box PR team attending ICE in Barcelona from January 19 to 21. Email John at john.pettit@pressboxpr.co.uk

Industry Insight

Pettit’s formalization as Executive Chairman signals Press Box PR’s maturation within the gambling industry’s specialized communications landscape. The appointment underscores growing demand for PR agencies with deep regulatory knowledge and established operator relationships. With gambling brands facing increased scrutiny around marketing communications, agencies combining sector expertise with digital-first strategies are becoming essential partners. Press Box PR’s focus on AI citations and LLM recommendations demonstrates forward-thinking positioning as gambling operators navigate emerging digital discovery channels. Pettit’s Playtech background brings valuable B2B relationships that could accelerate the agency’s expansion among suppliers and technology providers seeking specialized gambling PR expertise.