www.PublicGaming.com MARCH/APRIL 2026 Also Featuring … “This Isn’t Your Father’s Oldsmobile” Act More Like a Modern Consumer Brand in a Competitive Market. Brian Rockey Director, Nebraska Lottery President of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) From Advocacy to Action: The European Lotteries’ Strategic Renewal. Romana Girandon Chief Executive Officer, Loterija Slovenije President, EL (European Lotteries Association) The Future Won’t Wait — Why Should Lottery? Scott Gunn, Director, Chief Operating Officer, North American Lottery, Brightstar Lottery Article based on MUSL Panel Discussion Article based on iLottery Panel Discussion
BrightstarLottery.com ©2026 Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation. +21% Single-Day Sales Record! +15% Highest Performance to date! +58% Active Players! Results from December 2025 iLottery eInstants Games North America & International Lotteries Break Records
4 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MARCH/APRIL 2026 Publisher & Chief Executive Officer Paul Jason pjason@publicgaming.com President Susan Jason sjason@publicgaming.com Brand and Design Dan Eggers Design Honored Founders Doris & Duane Burke Subscriptions United States: $145 USD Canada & Mexico: $160 USD All other countries: $225 USD For email address changes, subscription requests and requests to be placed on our e-Newsletter distribution list, e-mail Susan Jason at sjason@publicgaming.com Contact Information PGRI, Inc. 1769 Flagstone Terrace, The Villages, FL 32162 PublicGaming.com T: +425.449.3000 F: +206.374.2600 Public Gaming International Magazine Published six times a year and distributed to readers all around the world. Electronic version is e-mailed and is also available on our news website: PublicGaming.com March/April 2026 Volume 55, Issue 2 ©2025 all rights reserved. Public Gaming Research Institute cISSN: 1042-1912 CONTENTS MARCH/APRIL 2026 FEATURED INTERVIEWS 10 “THIS ISN’T YOUR FATHER’S OLDSMOBILE” WHY THE COMPETITIVE MOMENT FEELS DIFFERENT, AND WHY LOTTERY MUST THINK AND ACT MORE LIKE A MODERN CONSUMER BRAND IN A COMPETITIVE MARKET. Brian Rockey Director, Nebraska Lottery and President of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) 18 BRIGHTSTAR’S INNOVATION PLAYBOOK THE FUTURE WON’T WAIT – WHY SHOULD LOTTERY? Scott Gunn Chief Operating Officer, North American Lottery, Brightstar Lottery 14 FROM ADVOCACY TO ACTION: THE EUROPEAN LOTTERIES’ STRATEGIC RENEWAL Romana Girandon Chief Executive Officer, Loterija Slovenije President, The European Lotteries
6 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MARCH/APRIL 2026 Visit Our Family Of Websites PublicGaming.com industry news & information PGRITalks.com videos of conference presentations PublicGaming.org PGRI conference information PGRIDigitalLibrary.com magazine archive of past issues PGRIDirectory.com listing of lotteries and vendors PGRIAwards.com Showcase of industry honorees recognized by the Lottery Industry Hall of Fame PGRI Lifetime Achievement Award Sharp Award for Good Causes Lottery Industry Statesman and Stateswoman Award Rebecca Paul Mentorship Award Collaboration Award Subscribe To Our Free Digital Newsletters Receive our daily newsletters at no charge, published 5 times a week to bring you the latest breaking news in the global lottery industry. Send an e-mail to: sjason@PublicGaming.com with “add to Daily Digest list” in the subject line. 8 FROM THE PUBLISHER Paul Jason 48 SCENES FROM PGRI LOTTERY EXPO NASHVILLE: Photo Collage 50 PROFILES OF THE LEADERS OF THE LOTTERY INDUSTRY 57 PULSE OF THE INDUSTRY: SYNOPSIS OF RECENT GAMING INDUSTRY NEWS DEPARTMENTS 20 THE FUTURE OF MUSL: NEW GAMES, NEW PARTNERS, AND A BIGGER VISION FOR POWERBALL® Matt Strawn, President and CEO of the Iowa Lottery and Chair of the Powerball Group David Barden, President and CEO, New Mexico Lottery Mary Harville, President and CEO, Kentucky Lottery Adam Prock, Director, Minnesota Lottery Drew Svitko, Director, Pennsylvania Lottery; President of MUSL Bret Toyne, Executive Director, MUSL 24 ILOTTERY 2.0 FROM EXPERIMENT TO INFRASTRUCTURE Khalid Jones, Executive Director, Virginia Lottery Shannon DeHaven, Vice President of Digital Engagement, Pollard Banknote Jason Lisiecki, Executive Vice President Global at IWG Stephanie Weyant, Deputy Executive Director of Marketing & Products, Pennsylvania Lottery Andrea Williams, Vice President of Marketing, Intralot Inc. Tina Wolf, Vice President of Business Development, Aristocrat Interactive 26 HOW PLAYER BEHAVIOR, LIFESTYLE SHIFTS, UTILITYDRIVEN EXPERIENCES, AND OMNICHANNEL DESIGN ARE RESHAPING LOTTERY MODERNIZATION Aristocrat Interactive 28 WOMEN, WAGERING, AND THE POST-PANDEMIC SHIFT* Simon Jaworski, Chief Executive Officer, Lotto Research 30 2026 HOLIDAY PLANNING DELIVER MOMENTS OF MERRY WITH NEW INSPIRATIONS AND INNOVATIONS Scientific Games 34 INSIGHTS TO IMPACT: THE MAKING OF SUCCESFUL EINSTANT GAMES Brightstar Lottery 36 THE NEW FOUNDATION FOR DIGITAL LOTTERY ENGAGEMENT Pollard Banknote 38 RETHINKING LOTTERY ENGAGEMENT AND LOYALTY FOR POWERBALL How Players Are Pushing for a New Paradigm Splashdot 43 INTRODUCING THE PGRI AI LAB THINKING, AMPLIFIED 44 CONTENT IS QUEEN: CROWNING THE ART OF STORYTELLING EL/WLA Marketing Seminar, Barcelona FEATURED ARTICLES
8 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MARCH/APRIL 2026 From the Publisher Team Lottery is navigating a moment of quiet but profound disruption. The gamesof-chance marketplace is expanding rapidly, shaped by digital innovation, an explosion of new gaming options, evolving consumer expectations, and regulatory developments that simultaneously create opportunity and uncertainty. Faced with faster, more immersive, more lucrative games — and more economically aggressive competitors — the first impulse may be to respond in kind, offering higher prize-payouts, faster play, and more stimulating experiences in pursuit of competitive parity. Yet this moment raises a deeper strategic question: Does long-term success depend on becoming more like commercial gaming, or on more confidently embracing the qualities that have always made lottery different? As lottery emerges from a monopoly era into a marketplace defined by consumer choice, operators are re-examining how the lottery experience should evolve to engage digital-native players while preserving the trust, accessibility, moderation, and social acceptance that remain lottery’s greatest strengths. The challenge ahead is not simply adaptation but clarity — modernizing the player journey and retail experience in ways that ensure lottery remains unmistakably lottery in a rapidly changing world. Which brings us to our conference theme (Smart-Tech Ft. Lauderdale, March 10–12): What does it mean to be a “Lottery” in 2026 and beyond? Welcome to everyone joining us; with well over 250 attendees, this marks the highest participation ever for a PGRI conference. As always, we videorecord presentations and panel discussions and make them available at PGRItalks. com. Executive summaries are published in this magazine, on PublicGaming.com, or both, extending the conversation well beyond the event itself. This issue highlights sessions focused on iLottery as well as current and future initiatives of the MultiState Lottery Association (MUSL). The theme of defining lottery’s future was explored further last month at the EL/ WLA Marketing Seminar in Barcelona. Lottery is far more than gambling; it is an experience rooted in dreams, emotions, and aspirations. Its value proposition cannot be fully measured by prize-payout percentages or game mechanics alone. Connecting with players at that deeper level requires telling a rich and authentic story — the story of lottery and what it represents for players, beneficiaries, and society. My thanks to Teams EL and WLA for a timely and outstanding conference, and to EL President Romana Girandon for a thoughtful interview that examines how lottery’s societal role can be translated into actionable strategy. A conversation with NASPL President Brian Rockey at last year’s conference evolved into the interview ‘This Isn’t Your Father’s Oldsmobile’, continuing this exploration of how lottery can preserve its identity and core values while evolving to compete for the attention and participation of today’s consumer. Brightstar Lottery is likewise helping shape the industry’s next chapter. Scott Gunn, appointed last year to lead North American Lottery operations, shares an expansive vision in The Future Won’t Wait — Why Should Lottery? In this interview, Scott outlines strategies and actions positioning lotteries for what is becoming one of the brightest eras in their history. My sincere thanks to our editorial contributors — Brightstar Lottery, Scientific Games, Aristocrat Interactive, Pollard Banknote, Splashdot, and LottoResearch’ Simon Jaworski — whose insights continue to enrich the dialogue across our industry. This issue also introduces PGRI’s AI Lab. Thinking, Amplified. I regularly engage with AI large language models as thinking partners — exploring emerging trends, testing ideas, and examining how the industry may evolve in the years ahead. We are now sharing selected insights from those conversations as articles developed through human judgment and AI-assisted exploration. Excerpts appear here, with the full articles available at PublicGaming.com. Looking ahead, the industry calendar remains full. Upcoming events include EL Industry Days in Marrakech (June 7–10), the NASPL Professional Development Seminar in Seattle (July 27–30), 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 european-lotteries. org, naspl.org, and PublicGaming.com for additional information about these conferences and our ongoing services. Paul Jason, Publisher Public Gaming International Magazine
Technology, Services, & Games to Build Lotteries of The Future
10 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MARCH/APRIL 2026 PGRI INTERVIEWS Hoch Zwei Photography Paul Jason: How has the year been going for NASPL, and for you personally as president? Brian Rockey: There is no shortage of exciting work going on at NASPL; retail modernization, RFP best practices, responsible gaming, mentorship—you name it. I’m excited to add to that list raising awareness of the impact of our industry. In a setting like a conference or a panel discussion or an interview like this, we need to stay mindful of the reach our words can have. The lottery industry does operate in the public policy arena. We’re public enterprises, stewards of the public trust. So when we communicate internally, externally, on stage, in press, it helps to be thoughtful and on-point. That same principle applies to how we present the lottery story more broadly. It isn’t enough to “be right.” We have to be specific, intentional, and consistent, because audiences are hearing us through filters: legislative filters, media filters, competitor narratives, and their own assumptions about what lottery is. We need to be clear about our “why”. You’ve said one of your priorities is “getting outside our industry.” Why is that so important right now? B. Rockey: We do ourselves no favors by thinking we are so different, so unique that there’s not much we can learn from others. Of course, lotteries are different, even unique in many ways. Unlike commercial marketdriven enterprises, the lottery belongs to the public, and exists to serve society and good causes. That changes the nature of our mission, and it changes the story we have to tell. Even so, we are still a business like any other in the sense that we have customers, products, distribution, competition, and the need to innovate and evolve. I think we should focus on those commonalities as that is where we will find inspiration for insights and learnings. First, let’s integrate our unique role of generating value for the common good right into our story as consistently as possible. If a soft drink company says, “Listen to our story,” it may be an interesting brand story, but it’s still fundamentally about private market competition and in the service of private shareholders. When a lottery says, “Here’s who we are and what we do,” it’s about creating meaningful beneficiary impact that serves the public instead of individual stockholders. We support programs that touch people’s lives. We operate within a regulatory framework designed to protect players and public trust. We contribute to state finances in ways that benefit taxpayers, communities, and public services. Ours is a story worth telling, precisely because it extends beyond great products, service, and operational excellence. But when it comes to carving out a role in a hotly contested consumer market, we are competing for market share, for consumer mind-share and engagement, for retail space, media attention, and to increase sales and net earnings, just like our counterparts in the world of private shareholders. “Audiences are hearing us through filters: legislative filters, media filters, competitor narratives, and their own assumptions about what lottery is. We need to be clear about our why.” “This Isn’t Your Father’s Oldsmobile” Why the Competitive Moment Feels Different, and Why Lottery Must Think and Act More Like a Modern Consumer Brand in a Competitive Market. Brian Rockey Director, Nebraska Lottery and President of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL)
11 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MARCH/APRIL 2026 It’s not only about telling our story. It’s also about learning from other sectors. Cross-pollination should run in both directions. We need to be in the rooms where policymakers, public administrators, and other industry leaders gather. We should promote lottery within a wide range of interest groups. But we also want to learn about them and from them: how they think and operate, what pressures they face, what objectives they prioritize, how their values and methods may differ from ours, what language resonates, where lottery fits in broader public policy or industry conversations, and how to shape our messaging for optimal impact within this wide variety of audience profiles. We want to increase awareness and legitimacy for lotteries among influential audiences who aren’t necessarily immersed in our lottery world every day. And we want to expose ourselves to the fresh ideas, frameworks, and best practices from other industry sectors that can sharpen how we operate and communicate. We also want to correct the misconception that lottery is a niche category that only matters inside state government. In reality, lotteries are major public enterprises with a broad network of stakeholders: retailers, beneficiaries, regulators, legislators, public administrators, vendors, and of course players. If we don’t tell that story, someone else will tell it for us in a tone we don’t care for, or worse they’ll ignore us. Do you think the competitive environment is truly different now than it was in years past? Or does everyone always think that, and now isn’t that much different? B. Rockey: Are the challenges today meaningfully different than the challenges lotteries faced in the past? Short answer: yes, in important ways. Not because lotteries didn’t have competition before. We have always had competition. But the environment has changed in how fast competition moves, especially in response to regulatory changes. Additionally, modern technologies and communications push everything to the tipping point of mass-market adoption faster than ever. That, and the ability and willingness of the modern consumer to change behavior in response to new options, leaves little time to regroup and catch up. The lottery sector has always been justifiably conservative because the cost of mistakes is so high. But the “fast-follower” approach, waiting to see how a new idea, a new game, an innovation, or a marketing and promotional initiative works for others before we jump in, doesn’t serve us well going forward. Technology is part of it. The delivery mechanisms for entertainment have exploded: mobile devices, streaming platforms, on-demand everything, app ecosystems, machinebased sales, digital wallets, frictionless transactions. It’s similar to the evolution of media. Forty years ago, the idea of 24-hour news was mind-blowing. Before that, the nightly news was a half-hour segment and then it was on to the Johnny Carson show. But once you had continuous channels, more content rushed in, audience expectations changed, and all that caused more media players to enter the space. More
12 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MARCH/APRIL 2026 Continued on page 39 “product” options created more competition in this nascent space. The massive news industry that exists today went from 0 to 60 in like ten years. So it may be misguided to assume that can’t happen in the games-ofchance industry. Today, it’s the mechanisms of capturing attention and engagement that matter as much as the content itself. The mechanisms that enable instant and always-on access, hyper-targeting and personalization, and digital relationship-building are changing the competitive landscape. Another part is geography and convenience. Years ago, certain entertainment choices required commitment: you got on a plane to go to Las Vegas; you traveled to a casino destination. Today, most people are within an easy drive from a casino. Or you don’t drive at all; you simply turn to your mobile phone to open an app. That incredible convenience collapses barriers between categories, minimizing friction that used to impede players from migrating across game categories and channels of distribution. That can blur brand loyalty across consumer-facing industries. Gambling has been de-stigmatized. Now, casino gambling and sports betting are a mainstream entertainment commodity. That shift doesn’t just create new customers for new operators; it changes the baseline of consumer expectations for all of us. Lotteries are revisiting some of the old assumptions. Like “some people are lottery people and don’t go to casinos or bet on sports and everyone pretty much stays in their lanes” may be less true than it once was. As lanes get blurrier, the rate of change gets faster through social channels, media, and technology platforms. So yes, the competitive landscape is different now. It just means we need to be realistic about the threats to our bond with the largest customer base in the gamesof-chance industry. We will need to be bolder and more strategic in defending our business against these mounting competitive threats. Every brand, every business, every consumerfacing enterprise lives or dies on remaining relevant to the lives and preferences of its customers. The lottery has a strong foundation because our relevance is real and visible, and our product has enduring appeal. Beneficiaries are all around us; retailers and players are all around us; our impact is measurable and public. But we also know that history isn’t destiny. Relevance has to be refreshed to be maintained. And it has to be communicated in ways that land with the modern audience and next generation of players. We should also recognize that our competitors are highly capable. Sports betting operators, digital gaming platforms, and new forms of gray-market competition are extremely sophisticated in player acquisition, data science, personalization and nurturing a digital relationship, and delivering a satisfying user experience. We need to act now to avoid losing players at the margins and raise our own standards of player acquisition and retention. That’s why the “Oldsmobile” analogy matters to me. The point of that campaign wasn’t that the company stopped making cars. The point was perception: this isn’t the product you assume it is based on outmoded impressions. It’s fresh. It’s current. It fits your identity and how you want to be perceived now. That is the challenge for lotteries, especially with younger audiences. When you look at lottery’s competitors in the games-of-chance sector, what are they doing especially well, and what could lotteries learn from them? B. Rockey: Notice how other gaming and entertainment businesses diversified their value proposition. The modern casino is an experience beyond gaming that includes shows, restaurants, architecture, destination travel, luxury, climate, nightlife, “exotic fun.” You can walk into a casino and be entertained and feel the energy even if you never gamble. Sports evolved similarly. The modern NFL game experience is not what it was thirty years ago, or even ten years ago. Stadiums are multi-billion-dollar entertainment complexes because the product is not merely the game. It’s the event, the identity, the culture. And sports betting, for better or worse, has added another big layer of engagement. It changed fandom by adding stakes, micro-moments, prop bets, social gaming and a feeling of participation with the in-crowd. The lesson isn’t “lotteries should copy casinos” or “lotteries should copy sports betting.” The lesson is that consumers increasingly buy experiences and identity, not merely transactions or even the chance to win a life-changing event. They buy a feeling. They buy a story. They buy membership and the sense of belonging and participating in a community of likeminded enthusiasts. That’s true in everyday consumer categories, too. Soft drink marketers don’t just sell sugar water. They sell symbolism and emotion. Coffee companies don’t sell caffeine; they sell ritual: “five minutes of me time,” an escape, a vibe. Fast food brands create scarcity moments and cultural buzz around products that everyone knows are essentially the same category. None of that happens by accident. It’s research, strategy, messaging, and the vision to think bigger than the literal product you’re selling. Lotteries have a major advantage here: we have a decades-old relationship with our customers. We know our players in ways that most competitors don’t. Our retail network is a formidable competitive advantage. Lottery websites have an extraordinary level of visibility and engagement. Our loyalty programs and responsible gaming practices set us apart as well. And we have the most unique and proprietary “why.” We exist to create beneficiary impact. Our very reason for being is to return material value to the public. That could be the foundation of how we think about modernizing lottery: focusing as much on brand meaning and story as on product. There’s always a balancing act between customer acquisition and customer retention: “We also know that history isn’t destiny. Relevance has to be communicated in ways that land with the modern audience and next generation of players.”
NORTH AMERICAN iLOTTERY LEADER Live Not yet live *Source: U.S. State Lotteries & Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC **Source: Gross sales per capita for both retail and iLottery is from reported data in La Fleur's FY2125 Sales Reports. iLottery is estimated based on average game payouts. Lotteries that have Aristocrat Interactive as their iLottery platform and content provider have had 42% growth in the past five years (vs. 5% for lotteries using other vendor iLottery platforms and content).**
14 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026 From Advocacy to Action: The European Lotteries’ Strategic Renewal Romana Girandon Chief Executive Officer, Loterija Slovenije President, The European Lotteries Paul Jason: During your first term, you placed great emphasis on the positive societal impact of lotteries and the importance for lotteries to demonstrate this. This remains a key focus under your leadership. How can The European Lotteries go even further to assist its members in emphasizing that lotteries are different compared to other operators and other forms of gambling? Romana Girandon: In today’s fast-paced world, where attention spans are short and nuances are often lost, lotteries cannot assume their societal role is understood. The difference must be clearly demonstrated, and integrated into their brand messaging. Lotteries create value through lower-risk products, high responsibility standards and by reinvesting revenues into good causes. Our task is to show this clearly and consistently. A recent communication by EL during the Winter Olympics, underscoring the essential role national lotteries play in sustaining the Olympic movement, is one such example. That is why The European Lotteries, together with the World Lottery Association, will invest more in shared data and transparency, giving our members solid evidence when engaging with regulators, policymakers and the public. This supports advocacy at European level while also strengthening national discussions. But facts and data alone are not enough. We must also tell our story better and show what these figures mean in real life. Lotteries have helped build fairer, more just, and more caring societies, and have become part of everyday life across Europe, woven into our culture, leisure and shared moments of communities and families. The marketing seminar in Barcelona focused on exactly this – the importance of storytelling and why lotteries need to invest in it. You also commented on the initiatives you have undertaken in Slovenia to inform stakeholders and the wider public about the social contributions of the lotteries. How can these experiences help European lotteries connect more effectively with stakeholders across Europe? R. Girandon: I shared this story because it was an important lesson for me personally. Lotteries have such a rich history, yet much of it remains surprisingly unknown. In Slovenia, no institution had ever systematically recorded or researched this history, not even the lottery itself. So Loterija Slovenije decided to fund this research as a gift to the community for our organization’s 50th anniversary. We found clear evidence that the lottery in our region has existed to support the common good for at least 300 years. Whenever society faced a major challenge, the lottery helped address it. Today you can actually read Slovenian history through lottery tickets: wars, social crises, earthquakes, community and religious needs, patriotic initiatives, and more. This led to an exhibition with a clear message: without the lottery, our towns, streets and lives would not look the way they do today. Sharing these stories publicly changed the tone of many of our relationships, from beneficiaries and employees to regulators, shareholders, players and the wider public. One key stakeholder even checked our claims about the Ljubljana Cathedral and was amazed to discover that our connection goes far beyond the funds we provide for good causes today. Taken together, stories like these across Europe show that lotteries are much more than just games. They are an important social mechanism that has helped co-create European culture as a long-term societal partner. That is why we should seek broader recognition of this legacy - why not even be recognized by UNESCO. Positive societal impact is not just about returning money to society, but also about minimizing harm. Regulators and governments are increasingly sensitive to this, especially in markets with multiple gambling providers competing with each other. Governments impose additional requirements not only on high-risk gambling, but also on lotteries, some of which impair PGRI INTERVIEWS
Right Content. Right Time. Right Place. Transform lottery retail into a networked media channel. Target content by retailer, region, trade style, time, and much more. Automate hyperlocal content that drives player engagement. Deliver and measure in-store ads with the precision of digital. Join the lottery leaders using Carmanah’s digital signage platform to return profits for local good causes.
16 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MARCH/APRIL 2026 our ability to connect with the consumer while having little impact of protecting the consumer. What initiatives can lotteries expect from EL to assist them in their efforts to inform, perhaps even influence, regulators and legislators on issues that affect lotteries? R. Girandon: Minimizing harm is a core responsibility of lotteries, but regulation must be proportionate to risk. Treating low-risk lottery products the same as high-risk gambling is counterproductive, weakening player trust and making safer play harder to achieve. The effect of misguided regulations like this is to channel players away from low-risk lottery over to higher-risk gaming options. That is why EL is leading responsible gaming in Europe with a risk- and evidence-based approach, aiming to set a practical European gold standard - clear, effective, comprehensive, pragmatic, and future-proof. As regulators become more demanding and technology opens new possibilities, EL is updating its responsible gaming standards and certification framework, with an independent expert panel developing the content. The revised standards will help members continuously improve while respecting the different regulatory environments in which they operate in. At the same time, the certification process is being modernized with a shared digital platform and a central independent assessment panel, reducing costs for members and ensuring high quality. The draft Standards are being shared with EL members for input, with the updated framework then set for final approval by the EL General Assembly in June. In short, members can expect EL to maintain a strong presence at European level while also providing some practical KPIs, benchmarks and tools to strengthen both EL’s advocacy and members’ dialogue with national regulators. Expectations regarding responsible gaming are high for lotteries. At the same time, competition is increasing, which can be detrimental to citizens. This is certainly the case when it comes to illegal providers of lottery games and games of chance who do not follow the rules, while lotteries strictly adhere to them. What can EL do to help lotteries combat the proliferation of illegal operators? R. Girandon: Illegal providers of games of chance are one of the biggest challenges. They don’t pay taxes, don’t contribute to good causes, and operate irresponsibly, putting players at risk. Still, they often gain visibility on major digital platforms, which helps them generate significant revenue. In addition to monitoring and interpreting legal cases and ensuring a coordinated sector response at European level, EL strengthens its support to members by systematically collecting and sharing best practices that have proven effective against illegal operators. We aim to make these practices available to EL members, European institutions and national regulators, so that effective tools can be applied more widely. Some regulators in Europe are calling for a joint approach. They advocate harmonization and common standards in the area of responsible gaming, because they consider themselves unable to combat this phenomenon of illegal providers of games of chance. R. Girandon: Recent experience shows why caution is needed. Last year, an initiative within the European standardisation framework to introduce EU-wide responsible gambling standards was stopped after EL, together with 34 member lotteries, demonstrated it could have undesirable societal consequences. This highlights the importance of subsidiarity and evidence-based input. Member States already have powerful tools at their disposal, such as payment blocking, website blocking and advertising restrictions. It is EL’s role to support members, and where relevant, their regulators, by sharing best practices and helping to find ways to implement these tools as effectively as possible. The EU Digital Services Act also offers an important opportunity, as it strengthens mechanisms to remove illegal content online. EL is exploring pilot projects with interested members to encourage major platforms to act more decisively against illegal gambling content. You mentioned the EU Digital Services Act. More legislation is being created in Europe that is not intended to regulate the gambling sector as such, but to regulate general aspects of consumer protection or to regulate certain phenomena in terms of digital crime. Don’t these initiatives have the effect of moving towards a harmonized EU approach to gambling as well? R. Girandon: Player protection is not primarily a question of harmonized rules, but of controlling the supply of gambling activities - what fundamentally distinguishes gambling from other economic services. Moral, cultural and social attitudes to gambling differ significantly across Europe, so regulation must remain the responsibility of each Member State, which decides how to protect its citizens and how far gambling in their environment should be offered. This principle needs to be clearly recognised at EU level. At the same time, EL advocates for explicit recognition of the unique role of lotteries in funding civil society. As Count Herman Van Rompuy, President Emeritus of the European Council and former Prime Minister of Belgium, highlighted at the 2025 EL Congress in Bern, the longstanding contributions of lotteries to good causes deserve a place in European policy discussions. Koen Lenaerts, President of the European Court of Justice, at a a Colloquium in Brussels in 2024, also emphasized that lotteries are part of the EU’s societal fabric, playing a formidable role on both sides: in how they engage with players, and in how proceeds are used to support charities and societal initiatives. EL will continue to actively engage with European institutions and relevant stakeholders to ensure this perspective is properly recognised. Let’s circle back to the beginning of this interview. EL is very ambitious, but how can these ambitious goals be achieved? R. Girandon: By uniting to be a singularly powerful voice, EL can be more than just the sum of its members. From my first experiences with EL, I’ve always seen it as a large and diverse community whose collective expertise, legacy, and reach are our real strength. While this diversity can be challenging, it sharpens our positions and constantly brings us back to our shared societal purpose. Our task is to use this diversity to clarify our commonalities and drive initiatives that matter both for our members and for society as a whole. It is also essential that all EL members – regular, observer and associate – feel that the Association’s work is relevant to their strategic and day-to-day activity. With this in mind, we recently adopted a new Strategic Outline with a concrete action plan for the period 2025-2027. It builds on our long-term priorities and clearly defines our focus areas. Maintaining a lean operational structure allows us to act efficiently. And with a renewed, motivated EL team and a new Secretary General, we also have the right people in place to make it happen. In short, balancing ambition with focus, and turning strategy into daily action, is what will make EL vision a reality. n
©2026 Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation. ©2026 Califon Productions, Inc. BrightstarLottery.com iLOTTERY GAME RECOMMENDATION ENGINE LOTTERYLINK™ SIGNALINK™ OMNICHANNEL GAMES RETAILER PRO S2 CONNECTED PLAY INFINITY INSTANTS™ CASH POP™ GAMEFLEX 48 Innovation that connects every dot We push beyond incremental change, evolving and elevating key dimensions of lottery to deliver what’s next for players and partners alike.
18 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MARCH/APRIL 2026 Brightstar’s Innovation Playbook The future won’t wait – why should lottery? Paul Jason: Brightstar has returned to its roots as a 100-percent lotteryfocused company. How does that shift benefit your customers? Scott Gunn: The impact is profound. As a pure-play lottery company, every Brightstar resource—our people, capital, technology, and leadership attention—is dedicated exclusively to supporting lottery clients. Our whole corporate culture is fully immersed in lottery for the benefit of our customers. Over the past decade, lottery remained critically important within the organization, even as it existed alongside other game categories. Those divisions sometimes had divergent objectives and competed for investment and strategic focus at the corporate level. Today, that ambiguity is gone. Every discussion about innovation, technology, staffing, and investment is centered on lottery and the needs of our lottery customers. Our renewed focus draws on a deep heritage—from GTECH’s founding in Providence and decades of pioneering lottery advances, to Lottomatica’s experience operating one of the world’s largest, most competitive and innovative lotteries. Bringing that collective experience back into sharp focus is energizing for our teams and highly beneficial for our customers. Returning to our roots means aligning not just with our customers but with the interests of the government lottery sector, to act boldly with the conviction that what is good for the lottery industry is good for Brightstar. My responsibility is to ensure that we are strategically focused, operationally excellent, and properly staffed so that our customers receive the value, service, and partnership they need to succeed, and have come to expect from us. Everything we do flows from that commitment. PGRI INTERVIEWS PGRI Introduction: As Brightstar Lottery’s Chief Operating Officer North America Lottery, Scott Gunn is responsible for sales and operations throughout the U.S. and Canada, including Global Instant Ticket Services. He brings more than two decades of industry experience to the role to ensure that Brightstar’s products, technology, and services support each customer’s business objectives. While many know Scott for his leadership in public affairs and government relations since 2009, he credits an earlier period with the company — 1999 to 2009—as the most formative. During that decade, Scott held operational and general manager roles that shaped his approach to lottery leadership, customer partnership, and long-term success. His experience as a district sales manager in Texas, general manager in California, and later as a Regional Vice President gave him an unusually comprehensive view of lottery operations and the importance of aligning organizational capabilities with customer needs. Our discussion with Scott explores how he is applying those insights to Brightstar’s broader goals, preparing lottery customers for an era of digital acceleration, evolving player expectations, and heightened responsibility to protect public trust – while balancing innovation with the principles of integrity, transparency, and partnership that keep lotteries strong. Scott Gunn Chief Operating Officer, North American Lottery, Brightstar Lottery
19 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MARCH/APRIL 2026 What exactly is “lottery gaming”? And what is not? Q: Some people are wondering if the fast-play, high prize-payout lottery games are starting to resemble casino play-styles. Is there any kind of definition for “lottery gaming”? S. Gunn: Lotteries and their technology partners such as Brightstar are working hard to retain and build playership in an unprecedented competitive market, one that now includes online casinos, sports betting, online eGaming, and recent entrants to the pipeline such as predictive markets. We want to preserve the core principles, values, and public trust that define what lottery is, and always has been, even as we compete for the attention and engagement of the modern consumer. Lottery gaming is what each state determines to be the best pathway for that lottery to serve the mission of raising funds for its communities and causes. That definition has proven durable precisely because it allows for evolution. Lottery’s standards of excellence are also higher than other game categories when it comes to responsible play, security, integrity, transparency, and player protection. Brightstar’s mission is to support and strengthen everything that differentiates and elevates Brand Lottery and its state lottery operators. That is core to who we are. Q: But now some state lotteries operate and/or regulate casinos and sports betting, categories which nobody thinks of as “lottery gaming.” S. Gunn: Let’s first unpack this by looking at your question about definitions: In the United States, a lottery is not simply a category of games. Lottery is a public institution, a public trust authorized by the state to raise funds for good causes. According to Federal law, lotteries operate under state authority, with the state determining which games may be offered, how they are sold, and how proceeds are distributed. That is the foundational framework. States decide what lottery gaming is and is not. Full stop. The point is that when the concept of “lottery” originated, it was in a time and place when there was no internet, casinos weren’t available everywhere you looked, and TV advertising wasn’t awash in sports betting advertising. The first lotteries were raffles, similar to today’s draw-based games but certainly not with millions of consumers playing to win a billion-dollar jackpot. Move into instant scratch-off games and the departure from the original concept of lottery becomes even more vivid. Likewise, it would certainly appear that the evolution of lottery games going forward may well include new styles of play and more stimulating games with higher prize-payouts. In fact, I think the phenomenal success story of state lotteries is based on their ability to effectively innovate and update their products to appeal to the consumer, and to change and modernize along with the changing play-styles and preferences of the players. The willingness to boldly innovate is essential for state lottery operators to engage their consumers in an increasingly complex and competitive environment. Brightstar’s focus is on the singular goal of helping lotteries succeed and prosper for the benefit of the causes that lotteries support. Q: And creating compelling, entertaining games remains part of that mission. S. Gunn: Absolutely—but the mission extends far beyond individual games. We think in terms of the entire player journey. That journey begins with awareness, hopefully moves into interest and engagement, and continues with the player’s response after the experience. It includes whether they feel entertained, respected, and inclined to play again. That journey is supported by an ecosystem that we continue to invest in, innovate within, and evolve for modern players: retail and digital channels, technology platforms, payment systems, data infrastructure, and operational processes. All of it must be integrated and work seamlessly. At the same time, we work closely with our customers to ensure that innovation aligns not only with the legal framework, but with the political culture, regulatory environment, and stakeholder expectations within each jurisdiction. Adapting to a rapidly changing consumer market Q: Brightstar collaborates with leading market-research companies worldwide, and you invest heavily in your own consumer research. How is that research shaping the way you and your customers think about their players? S. Gunn: You’re right — we do put a lot into research. Just on the proprietary side, Brightstar completed 317 studies last year covering more than 800 markets, with input from more than 345,000 players and retailers. We collaborate with many of the most important market-research partners worldwide. We dig into consumer patterns that matter most to lotteries, and we share not only the insights but ideas about how lotteries can act on them to strengthen their strategies, advance digital innovation, and offer next-generation solutions. In the past few months alone, we released a trend report for 2026 exploring the digital-first mindset, as well as a set of white papers to help lotteries understand how consumers think about payments today − and what to expect next. When it comes to players, we and the industry know the fundamentals: players want entertaining content, convenience, and intuitive experiences across channels. What has advanced is the depth of insight now available through new methodologies, data analytics, and AI. In the past, research focused primarily on which games players liked. Today, we deconstruct games into individual attributes—payout structures, volatility, themes, mechanics, session length, everything broken down into granular detail—and analyze how those attributes resonate with different player segments. This allows us to answer much more sophisticated questions. Why does a Continued on page 40
20 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MARCH/APRIL 2026 By the time the post-lunch crowd settled back into their seats, Matt Strawn was already framing the moment as something more consequential than an ordinary panel. The Multi-State Lottery Association and the Powerball Group weren’t just managing a successful product; they are stewards of a global property, one of the most recognized lottery brands anywhere in the world. “We have the opportunity to contemplate some of these initiatives today only because of the work of so many who went before us,” Strawn told the room. “Powerball is the brand that represents global lottery. We are just temporary custodians and trustees of that brand.” The organizing principle behind the entire discussion: how do you protect what Powerball stands for while pushing it forward with more ambition than in any period in MUSL’s history? Matt Strawn, President and CEO of the Iowa Lottery and Chair of the Powerball Group Panelists: David Barden, President and CEO, New Mexico Lottery Mary Harville, President and CEO, Kentucky Lottery Drew Svitko, Director, Pennsylvania Lottery; President of MUSL Bret Toyne, Executive Director, MUSL Adam Prock, Director, Minnesota Lottery Together, they described a strategic plan built on a blunt premise that has become a mantra inside MUSL meetings: “Legacy brands don’t evolve by doing what’s always worked.” As Drew Svitko put it, the organization has reached an inflection point, created by Powerball’s scale, the impetus to generate more funds for good causes, and a consumer market that demands more relevance, more engagement, and more disciplined innovation. “It’s going to take aggressive, progressive, active management to fulfil the promise of this humongous gaming brand.” What follows is a look at the initiatives already in flight; new draw games, new brand partnerships, a national Powerball mobile app, and a more expansive vision of what MUSL can become by 2030. A Strategic Pivot: From One Big Game to a Portfolio MUSL’s leaders were candid about a practical reality: Powerball can be the strongest brand in draw games and still experience the familiar peaks and valleys that come with jackpot-driven behavior. The strategic solution is to build a portfolio with new national games that diversify the draw category and deliver steadier performance. “One of the things the MUSL group is looking at is building a portfolio of games, not just being dependent on one game,” said David Barden. “When we do have those jackpot peaks and valleys, the other games in the portfolio pick up where Powerball and Mega Millions encounter their inevitable valleys.” That portfolio strategy is already taking shape through a major consolidation and refresh: Millionaire for Life. Millionaire for Life: A New National Draw Game at a Higher Price Point Bret Toyne described Millionaire for Life as the product of a clear opportunity. Two popular “for life” game families, Lucky for Life and Cash for Life, had proven the concept. The next step was to merge and modernize the offering with a bigger top prize and a simpler national proposition. “There was an opportunity to merge those two games into something that may be more attractive to consumers,” Toyne said. “So now we have a game—Millionaire for Life, with a plan to launch February 22, 2026.” The headline prize is designed to compete on aspiration, not just odds. “Top prize is a million dollars a year for life,” Toyne said. “Second prize is $100,000 a year for life, which is still enough to get your attention.” And the product introduces a $5 price point—an intentional appeal to value perception over price sensitivity. It will be PANEL DISCUSSION This Article is based on a panel discussion held at PGRI Lottery Expo Nashville on November 6 Left to right: Adam Prock, Mary Harville, David Barden, Bret Toyne, Drew Svitko, Matt Strawn The Future of MUSL: New Games, New Partners, and a Bigger Vision for Powerball®
21 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MARCH/APRIL 2026 launched in over 30 jurisdictions, reflecting the widespread confidence in success. For lotteries that already offer “for life” games, Millionaire for Life is positioned as a needed refresh. Mary Harville, who has watched multiple “for life” cycles in Kentucky, emphasized how these products need periodic reinvention to stay compelling. “In my 21 years, we’ve always had a for-life game,” Harville said. “But after a while, it needs a refresh. This will be our fourth for-life game. And what a fantastic refresh, unlike any other really, with the ability to offer this top prize.” Harville also addressed the psychological question MUSL leaders have been testing: will younger consumers accept a $5 draw ticket? “The value proposition is there” she said. “And the younger players, the folks using GrubHub and Uber Eats and going to Starbucks, they don’t find that $5 price point to be a turnoff.” Barden framed it through the lens of profit and the durability of returns. “These are the games that bring your highest return, so they should be our strength,” he said. “We all love scratchers, but the net return on scratchers is not what you’re seeing on Powerball and these for-life games.” If Millionaire for Life is the portfolio strategy’s first big expression, Powerball X’s & O’s is its most ambitious bet on brand partnership and cultural relevance. Powerball X’s & O’s: The NFL Partnership and a Different Kind of Draw Experience Toyne described the progress as substantial and the timeline as aggressive. “Timelines are always challenging with multi-jurisdictional games,” he said, “but the product group has made great strides… Logo approved, rules approved, play slip layout approved; so we’re meeting timelines required to hit that late August, early September launch.” The game design is intentionally different from anything else in MUSL’s stable. “It’s really eight of 32,” Toyne explained. “You choose eight teams of the 32 NFL teams, so that’s different.” And unlike jackpotdriven behavior, this game is built to run on affinity: fandom, identity, and the pull of the NFL shield. “This won’t be a jackpotdriven game,” Toyne continued. “This will be driven by that affinity with the NFL.” The prizing strategy is equally deliberate: not merely second chance, but promotional prizing tied to experiences that feel exclusive and culturally meaningful, especially for younger demographics. “It’s not second chance,” Toyne clarified. “It’s promotional prizing. We talked earlier about experiential prizing which reaches some players who might be less interested in traditional formats. Everyone wants cash, but some players are also interested in experiences you can’t buy.” Adam Prock, who has seen the impact of local NFL partnerships in Minnesota, described the NFL deal as a “next level” moment for Powerball’s brand strategy. “Powerball is a huge global legacy brand,” Prock said. “And if we’re going to be successful, we’ve got to find culturally relevant brands to partner with. I don’t know how you get much bigger than the NFL.”
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