Public Gaming International March/April 2021

8 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MARCH/APRIL 2021 From the Publisher What does it mean to live in a world of “alternative facts” that yield varying degrees of “truthiness” such that we do not know what or who to believe? How does lack of faith in governmental institutions, in political elections, in science a ect our world views? What does it mean if we not only can’t agree on what’s true or false, we are convinced that there is no objective reality that exists separate from our own personal feelings, that truth is wholly subjective with no reference to shared experience? More speci cally, how does this reshape the way consumers relate to brands and make buying decisions? I would submit that this represents an opportunity for Team Lottery to step into a leadership void, to assert its claim to being the people’s game, the local community’s trusted games-of-chance brand that has occupied that position for many decades. People need to trust, have faith in and believe in something. Lottery is among a very short list of brands that have the stature to rebuild society’s trust in themselves and the integrity of its leaders and institutions. As the gaming industry evolves at warp speed (especially in the U.S.), consumers and channel partners are turning to Lottery as the most trusted source for exciting games- of-chance. Legislatures assessing the options to expand into sports-betting are recognizing the need to empower their own state lottery to meet the needs of the consumers. And the brain-trust that drives success in that space is clearly enjoying an incredible cumulative e ect of building on past successes. Michigan, Georgia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire all raised the bar considerably with their iLottery initiatives. And now, I just read a couple days ago that the Virginia Lottery's iLottery has gone from zero to $486 million and 21.8% of total sales – in just eight months following their June launch. Jim Acton conducted a deep dive into iLottery, talking with industry leaders in both the state lottery operator and the commercial vendor sides of the industry. ere may not be a singular set of “best- practices.” But there is now a wealth of experience that is informing the process of setting a course towards e ective iLottery launch and execution of proven success strategies. I would expect there is still a lot of work-in-progress and learning going on. But it is very exciting to get a glimpse into the collaborative relationships that are contributing to the incredibly steep learning curve that iLottery leaders have embraced. PGRI joins hands with our friends in the lottery media and conference sector, more speci cally the lottery trade associations, to share ideas of how we can continue to deliver value and promote the interests of the industry in these precarious times. Our interview with Rebecca Hargrove reassures us of the dedication of the World Lottery Association to ongoing improvement and innovation. Times of severe disruption are an opportunity to set even more aggressive timelines to implement ambitious initiatives and accomplish ambitious goals. Likewise, the EL (European Lotteries Association) has stayed close to its membership in spite of the most restrictive social interaction environment. e importance of ongoing learning and seminars is greater than ever and the associations continue to deliver to their members and the broader audience of industry constituents. e associations in North America (NASPL), Asia-Paci c (APLA), South America (Cibelae), and Africa (ALA) have also adjusted to continue to support their membership with ongoing virtual educational seminars. Even so, we all look forward to actually seeing each other in person. PGRI’s next in-person event will be in Nashville on October 26-28, 2021. We are more anxious than ever! I asked the leaders at the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) if they might be willing to use our publication to keep you informed of their initiatives with a monthly column. is is a special month as they just passed the $100 billion mark in sales of MUSL games (of which Powerball is one). And you may have seen the RFI in which MUSL reaches out to others to explore creative synergies with other mega-brands. e ingenuity of MUSL and our industry trade associations is an inspiration to stretch to nd new pathways forward to deliver more value and drive success for the bene t of good causes. is issue features a wealth of fabulous articles from our commercial partners. A big theme of these articles and of our upcoming “Retail Modernization” eConference is the need to invest in innovation. It costs money to modernize. Fortunately, there has probably never been as high an ROI in any industry as there is in Lottery. Please join us for our Retail Modernization eConference: Monday and Tuesday, April 12 and 13 from 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm Follow PublicGaming.com (PGRI home-page and news website) for virtual conference and webinar updates, and to track the production process as we work together to create a new kind of experience, digitally transformed to not just enable but enrich and enhance the joy of working and striving together. What does it mean to live in a world of “alternative facts” that yield varying degrees of “truthiness” such that we do not know what or who to believe? More specifically, how does this reshape the way consumers relate to brands and make buying decisions? Paul Jason, Publisher Public Gaming International Magazine