8 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JULY/AUGUST 2026 From the Publisher It feels like a generational inflection point. The retirement of my friend Rebecca Paul from the Tennessee Lottery is an occasion to reflect on who we want to be going forward, how we shape our careers, and how we apply the lessons of our lives for the benefit of others. Rebecca possesses that rare combination of deep experience, keen intelligence, sound judgment, and an instinctive understanding of people. For many of us, she occupies a place far beyond that of friend or business colleague. She has been a mentor, counselor, and advocate. Many others share my appreciation for the generosity with which Rebecca offers her wisdom. She listens, encourages, challenges, opens doors, and helps people see possibilities they might never have recognized on their own. Thankfully, Rebecca’s retirement from the Tennessee Lottery does not mean she is leaving the industry she has done so much to shape. Just as her leadership helped build the modern lottery industry into what it is today, her example can help us decide what we want it to become tomorrow. And congratulations to another beloved luminary, David Gale, who is retiring after thirty-one years as Executive Director of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL). David has guided the organization through countless evolutions with the lightest of touches, ensuring that every member feels appreciated and respected, and that every NASPL officer and president feels empowered to lead. David could write the book on how, and why, to do the heavy lifting while taking none of the credit. Helping others succeed, and allowing them to shine, is a rare superpower. And David owns it. Like so many others, I am deeply grateful for his kindness, his friendship, and all that he has contributed to our industry over these many years. Godspeed, David Gale. But wait, there’s more. Welcome home, Kevin Hall! What a refreshing turn of events to see Kevin return to his role as Executive Director of the Virginia Lottery. These are interesting times, and the Virginia Lottery will not skip a beat in the transition. Kevin knows the organization, the Commonwealth, and the broader lottery landscape as well as anyone. And, in a related development, congratulations to Khalid Jones on his appointment as President of Allwyn North America. Exciting times indeed. Brightstar is consolidating its global lottery leadership with the appointment of Marco Tasso as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Global Lottery. Marco brings a wealth of experience, insight, and international perspective to this newly expanded role. Onward and upward as Brightstar enters a new chapter defined by its singular focus on driving success for lotteries and the beneficiaries they serve. There are plenty of congratulations to go around. In this issue, we proudly introduce the Class of 2026 PGRI Lottery Industry Hall of Fame: Gretchen Corbin, Jesús Huerta Almendro, Jan Karas, Harold Mays, Stéphane Pallez, and Tom Seaver. See their biographies and join us in celebrating six extraordinary leaders whose accomplishments, vision, and service have helped shape our industry. Thank you to Tom Seaver for a fabulous interview. Tom’s decades of leadership include a special expertise in instant tickets, and we dive deeply into the pathways for sustaining growth and driving continued performance in this mission-critical category. Also featured in this issue are executive summaries of panel discussions held at our most recent PGRI conference. Videos of these sessions, along with the complete library of panel discussions and presentations from past PGRI conferences, are available at PGRItalks.com. The EL Industry Days in Marrakech this past June was one of the most exciting industry events ever. No trade show. Just a serious symposium bringing together industry leaders from Europe and Africa, along with an exceptional roster of keynote speakers. EL events are consistently global in both participation and perspective, addressing the issues shaping lotteries today while challenging us to think more expansively about the future. Brightstar, Scientific Games, Pollard Banknote, and Bally’s Intralot are regular contributors to these pages, and their partnerships with lotteries have contributed immensely to the success of an industry that serves players, supports good causes, and generates vital benefits for society. Their insights are grounded in well-funded research, extensive market intelligence, and decades of real-world experience across the widest diversity of markets. We are grateful for their willingness to share that expertise with the PGRI community. And thank you to Don Silberstein for his primer on the nature and implications of Predictive Markets. We spend no small amount of focus on this topic as it hopefully inspires a re-regulation that purges Predictive Markets from the betting industry. Looking ahead, the industry fall calendar is busy as always. Upcoming events include the NASPL Annual Conference & Trade Show in Orlando (Sept. 21–24); PGRI Lottery Expo Nashville (Oct. 20–22); and the World Lottery Summit in Sydney (Nov. 9–12). Visit europeanlotteries.org, naspl.org, world-lotteries. org, and PublicGaming.com for additional information about these conferences and our ongoing services. Paul Jason, Publisher Public Gaming International Magazine
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