16 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026 Continued on page 29 The panel, moderated by Harjinder Shergill Chima, Director of the California Lottery, brought together: • Dolly Garfield, Executive Director, South Carolina Lottery • Helene Keeley, Executive Director, Delaware Lottery • Adam Prock, Executive Director, Minnesota Lottery • Brian Rockey, Director, Nebraska Lottery • Alec Thomson, Executive Director, Arizona Lottery Six lottery directors talked about the ways they engage constituents (and everyone is a constituent), the hard work of changing misperceptions, and the urgency of turning passive stakeholders into active advocates. From “Who Are You?” to “We’ve Got Your Back” Harjinder Chima opened by explaining how the topic came out of necessity in California. “When I was appointed director,” she said, “the first reaction in a lot of quarters was, ‘Who is this person?’ So we knew we had to introduce me and, frankly, reintroduce the California Lottery after years of change. Stakeholder engagement wasn’t optional— it was survival.” For Adam Prock, effective engagement begins well before a crisis. “We all have a long list of stakeholders we think we’re communicating with,” he said. “But the real test is: are we building relationships that create advocates and ambassadors? Effective engagement is about finding common ground and investing in people long before you need them.” Harjinder agreed: “You can’t wait until you need a vote or a quote. If you’re quiet, they’ll fill that silence with their own story—and it might not be your story.” Dolly Garfield framed the shift even more starkly. “Our old mantra was, ‘Keep your head down, stay quiet, don’t attract attention, and hope everyone just leaves us alone,’” she said. “I’m done with that. I’m about rocking it.” For Dolly, that means redefining who the “player” is. “We’re not just marketing to people who want to win big,” she said. “We’re also marketing to people who want to do good. The parent who buys a raffle ticket at a school fundraiser—that’s our person. I want them to know that when they buy a lottery ticket, they’re supporting scholarships—just like that fundraiser. We need a base of supporters, not just buyers.” Bringing Stakeholders Inside the Engine Room Several panelists argued that the fastest way to build trust is to open the doors—literally. Brian Rockey has been tied to the Nebraska Lottery since its inception in 1993. Early on, he and his colleagues traveled the state doing what he fondly called the “dog-and-pony show” with beneficiaries. PANEL DISCUSSION This Article is based on a panel discussion held at PGRI Lottery Expo Nashville on November 6 Get ready to be inspired! Engaging Stakeholders, Owning the Narrative, and Getting Loud About the Mission! At the very start of the session, the audience was asked a simple polling question: “It’s wonderful how our lottery beneficiaries, political constituents, media and stakeholders are so outspoken in their support of their state lottery. Agree or disagree?” The result was brutal: 100% disagreed. That unanimous verdict set the tone for a candid, high-energy conversation about what Team Lottery can do to earn visible, vocal support from beneficiaries, lawmakers, media, and the public. Left to right: Harjinder Shergill Chima, Adam Prock, Dolly Garfield, Brian Rockey, Alec Thomson, Helene Keeley,
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