47 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JULY/AUGUST 2026 The Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation Announces the Retirement of Rebecca Graham Paul, President and CEO on December 31, 2026 After 23 years of dedicated leadership, building the Tennessee Lottery from the ground up with successes year after year, Ms. Paul is stepping down as its President and CEO on December 31, 2026. “Rebecca has been an invaluable asset to Tennessee and the lottery industry,” said Mr. Will Carver, Chair of the Lottery Commission. “We will deeply miss her professionalism, vision, expertise and leadership, but wish her the absolute best in her well-earned retirement. Her legacy cannot be overstated.” Governor Bill Lee added: “Rebecca has served Tennessee with distinction, and her leadership of the Tennessee Education Lottery has expanded opportunity for students across our state,” said Gov. Lee. “Maria and I are deeply grateful for her years of dedicated service and wish Rebecca and her family God’s richest blessings in the days ahead.” With over four decades in the lottery industry, Ms. Paul possesses a wealth of knowledge and is sought after by her lottery industry peers for consultation and advice. Her contributions are numerous. She has had the great fortune of training many talented professionals who have risen to the top level of industry management. Ms. Paul has long played a pivotal role in the lottery industry and is one of its most respected, experienced leaders. She was first appointed to the Illinois Lottery as its CEO on July 25, 1985. From there, she went on to start the Florida, Georgia and Tennessee lotteries as founding CEO. In all four jurisdictions, proceeds were used to support education, helping many millions of students achieve their dream of a higher education. In Tennessee alone, she has led the charge to generating more than $8.3 billion for education, which has funded more than 2.3 million higher education awards to Tennessee students. Denny Bottorff, Nashville banking giant and first Board chair of the Tennessee Education Lottery, commented, “When we hired Rebecca, we were sure we were getting the best lottery executive in the United States. I now believe she is the best in the world. The quality of life in Tennessee has been measurably improved due to the impact she has had on the education level of our citizens.” Ms. Paul’s career accomplishments are numerous. As one of the first females to excel in an industry when leadership roles and positions of authority were held mainly by males, Rebecca’s value and commitment to the industry are unmeasurable. Her accomplishments include a long list of lottery, business and civic accomplishments, honors and awards. She was the first female President of the World Lottery Association and a past Chair of its Corporate Social Responsibility Committee. She has served as President and/or Chair of all offices of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries and the Multi-State Lottery Association, and President of the international industry organization A.I.L.E. She serves on the Board of Trustees at Butler University, where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Ms. Paul is the founder of the Women’s Initiative in Lottery Leadership, a worldwide program designed to support the advancement of women into top positions of lottery management, leadership and responsibility. “Starting Women in Lottery Leadership has been one of the greatest highlights of my career,” said Ms. Paul. “Working with so many talented, dedicated professionals who truly care about the difference they make in so many lives through the support of good causes has been the other.” Mr. Carver reflected on the history of Ms. Paul’s leadership: “She came to Tennessee in September 2003 and helped launch the first ticket sales three weeks early—making it the fastest start-up in lottery history,” he said. “This early start resulted in an additional $30 million in profits that would have otherwise gone unrealized. The Tennessee Education Lottery quickly became the gold standard of effective lottery leadership and success. Rebecca instilled an atmosphere of integrity within the lottery as evidenced by 22 consecutive years of clean state audits.” Ms. Paul commented: “Throughout my tenure, I had the privilege of learning from 28 board members, some of Tennessee’s best leaders. I will forever be grateful to them for their guidance and support. I am extremely proud of the staff and thankful for the opportunity I’ve had to work with such a talented group of employees.” To help ensure its continued success, Ms. Paul committed to her Board a six-month notice in order to assist with the transition to a new CEO. The Lottery will provide additional details regarding its transition plan at a later date. David Gale, Executive Director of NASPL, Announces Retirement Letter from David: Serving as NASPL's Executive Director has been AMAZING!! If you had told me years ago that I would have the opportunity to spend my career working alongside all of you, I never would have believed it. As many of you have heard, I will be retiring at the end of this year. I am pleased now to announce that Andy White, our Vice President of Operations, has been selected to succeed me as Executive Director. I have every confidence that Andy, together with our outstanding NASPL staff, will continue to provide the same level of service and support our members have come to expect. Although I'll remain with NASPL through the end of the year, I'll be stepping into the background to give Andy the opportunity to lead as he begins this new chapter. "To all of you, I simply want to say thank you. "The past 31 years have truly been a dream. There wasn't a single day that I didn't look forward to coming to work. I've been fortunate to spend my career in an industry filled with dedicated, passionate people who make a meaningful difference every day. The work we do benefits millions of people by supporting education, veterans, senior citizens, environmental programs, and countless other important causes throughout our jurisdictions. Those contributions matter to everyone, whether they ever purchase a lottery ticket or not. To our vendor partners, thank you for your unwavering support of NASPL over the years. Our industry succeeds because of the strong partnerships between lotteries and suppliers. While our roles may differ, we've always shared the same goal: ensuring that this industry remains strong, innovative, and positioned for continued success. "I've had the privilege of watching our industry evolve through remarkable technological change. As we continue moving forward, I know we will embrace new opportunities while remaining committed to operating with integrity, protecting our players, and providing entertaining products in the most secure and responsible way possible. "Finally, to my NASPL family, thank you for making this journey so incredibly rewarding. Thank you for your friendship, your encouragement, your confidence, and your support throughout the years. The relationships I've built across this industry mean more to me than I can adequately express. I will always be grateful to have been part of this remarkable community, and I will carry these memories and friendships with me for the rest of my life. https://www.nasplinsights.com/post/a-messagefrom-naspl-executive-director-david-gale Kevin Hall Appointed Virginia Lottery Executive Director Hall previously served as Executive Director of the Lottery from 2018 to 2022, leading a period of significant growth and modernization for the agency. During his tenure, the Lottery launched its online iLottery platform, implemented Virginia's sports betting and casino regulatory programs, and generated record funding for the Commonwealth's K- 12 public schools. Bally’s Intralot S.A. US Subsidiary, Intralot, Inc., has appointed Rich Wheeler as Interim Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Richard Bateson, who has stepped down from his role Rich Wheeler brings more than two decades of senior leadership experience in the lottery and gaming industry, where he has helped drive operational excellence, commercial growth, and the successful execution of large-scale lottery programs. Since joining Intralot, Inc. in 2023 as Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, and most recently serving as Chief Corporate Relations Officer, Rich has built strong relationships across the company’s customer base and with industry stakeholders nationwide.
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