Public Gaming International Magazine November/December 2016

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10 // PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL // November/December 2016
From the
Publisher
Many of you will be picking this issue up at the World Lottery
Summit in Singapore ( ). Susan and I are very excited
to be there with you! We always look forward to this wonderful
bi-annual event. We see many of you at other events in Europe
and North America, but the WLS is indeed a special time to learn
from premier industry speakers, view and learn about the latest
innovations from our commercial partners, and visit with friends
and colleagues. We all make the most out of the brief time we
have together.
One of the WLS keynotes I am looking forward to is Jean
Claude Biver, the president of the Watches Division for the
LVMH Group. We think that the games-of-chance industry is
besieged with changes in consumer tastes, regulations, technol-
ogy, and so much more. Well, what would it be like to be in
the luxury watch business? What will happen to their business
when Smart-Watches evolve to meet a wider range of budgets and
deliver a level of functionality that we can’t even imagine right
now? I would think this will blow a giant hole in the demand for
high-end watches. And this day is coming sooner than later. For
all the sturm und drang that we feel in trying to keep ahead of the
market-place, what must it be like to reposition yourself amidst
that kind of sea-change?
Marshall McLuhan said some 50 years ago that “The first ver-
sion of a new medium imitates the medium that it is replacing.” For
example, the first cars were built with the driver set way up high.
That’s because the driver of horse-drawn carriages had to be set up
high in order to see over the horses. It took a couple of years for
someone to figure out that the driver of a car does not need to be
seated up high to look over horses anymore. When magazines like
this one were first posted online, we thought it would be clever
to flip pages like we are used to doing with the hard copy. Some
of us even added a swishing sound to further the resemblance.
Now we realize that the goal is not to transpose the analog world
onto digital platforms, trying to preserve the analog experience.
The true potential of digital is realized when we reimagine and
then reinvent our world to take full advantage of the potential
that new technology represents. And I would respectfully submit
that it is not the consumer who drives progress. It is the ingenuity
of visionary leaders who know that we have to lead and show the
consumer a better way, a better product, a better gaming experi-
ence. As Steve Jobs famously remarked “People don’t know what
they want until you show it to them.”
I want to thank our editorial contributors and interviewees for
doing just that. They are showing us the way. The technology and
the brain-trust is at the ready to reinvent the games-of-chance uni-
verse. The unique partnership between government and private
enterprise that drives this industry do so much for so many people
and Good Causes is truly special. Nurturing a healthy and produc-
tive collaboration is so vital and central to PGRI’s mission.
Congratulations to the 2017 Lottery Hall of Fame inductees.
These five leaders were voted in by the current membership of the
Lottery Hall of Fame. Their illustrious biographies begin on page
12. The induction ceremony for Rose Hudson and Norm Lingle
was held at NASPL Atlanta on October 4. The ceremony to induct
Dermot Griffin, Hansjörg Höltkemeier, and Sue van der Merwe
will be held at the World Lottery Summit in Singapore on Novem-
ber 8. It is truly an inspiration to know these five leaders. And that
really is the mission of the Lottery Hall of Fame—to inspire in all
of us the passion and conviction to make the world a better place.
And Congratulations to Debbie Alford and Team Georgia Lot-
tery and David Gale and Team NASPL for delivering a fabulous
conference and trade show experience. There wasn’t just one A-list
keynote speaker. The entire conference was an immersion into the
vision, and the practical application of the vision, of the most pro-
gressive business leaders in the world.
PGRI’s SMART-Tech New York event is still a few months away.
But we are getting started early to ensure a great program and to en-
able you to plan ahead. Mark your calendars for March 20, 21, and
22 in NYC for this popular event. Visit for con-
ference info, updates, and registration and room reservations links.
Thank you for your support and see you at the bi-annual World
Lottery Summit in Singapore. This will be a busy and rewarding
fall conference season! ■
Paul Jason, Publisher
Public Gaming International Magazine
It is the ingenuity of visionary leaders who
know that we have to lead and show the
consumer a better way, a better product, a
better gaming experience. As Steve Jobs
famously remarked “People don’t know
what they want until you show it to them.”