49 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JULY/AUGUST 2022 Despite the ongoing pandemic, 2021 saw inspiring innovations within our lottery community. There was the attitude to be flexible and agile, to adapt to unforeseen circumstances and to stand together, to help each other, and to work creatively and differently in unique circumstances. Lockdowns had differentiating effects on game verticals, and yet national lotteries continued providing regulated services to their players. EL Members continued to uphold their historic of society in times of need - from offering relief and welfare aid to providing medical supplies to the health care sector. At the time of writing the 2021 EL Annual Report, another crisis has unfolded in front of our eyes – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Once again national lotteries continue to live up to their values from providing medical supplies to housing for Ukrainian refugees in this crisis situation. Reconnecting in new and innovative ways In this fourth edition of the EL Annual Report, EL reflects on a unique year. Services to its Members continued and offering a platform for the exchange of best practices was never more visible than in 2021. EL reconnected with its Members more often and in a closer way than ever before. A wide range of online events brought them together, from smaller expert workshops and Working Group meetings to new e-learning modules, the EL virtual Corporate University and webinars reaching audiences in Europe and worldwide. With the aim to improve the services to its Members, create added value to their Membership and of course eventually meet again in person, the overarching theme of ‘‘Reconnect’’ was unveiled as the new 2021-2023 Executive Committee workplan. EL held a unique digital General Assembly and elected a new Executive Committee and re-elected the EL President. Player protection remained of utmost importance to national lotteries, and EL Members adopted mandatory Responsible Gaming Certification for all Members and an EL Resolution on CSR. EL found innovative ways to provide an even better service-orientated approach. The MyEL environment introduced an easy to access and understandable overview of the relevant EU dossiers as well as a new library of Europe-wide studies on the gambling sector and markets. Advocating the sustainable lottery model 2021 also saw advocacy activities continue. EL remained vigilant and continued creative ways to reach EU policy makers on the hot topics in 2021 including the Digital Services Act, Artificial Intelligence and Anti-money laundering. EL debated the DSA in a dedicated webinar, bringing together EL’s experts on EU policy dossiers and a broad audience. In 2021 EL continued to monitor important legal issues from gambling advertising to taxation and Members remained committed to providing continuous care to channelling the gambling desire of the population towards and regulated and responsible offer of gambling products. In 2021 EL announced its collaboration with IP protection company White Bullet to help fight ad-funded piracy. "We Connect’’ at EL Industry Days 2022 Conference Against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the 9th edition of the EL Industry Days 2022 Conference in Wiesbaden, Germany highlighted the importance of the core lottery values (responsibility, sustainability, and integrity) for the benefit of society. Under the theme ‘’We Connect’’ participants had the opportunity to reconnect and unite in solidarity. They exchanged on important and inspiring topics from innovation to digital developments. During the Industry Days, an Environmental Initiative was launched by EL, emphasising the importance of sustainability in the lottery sector. All over the world more and more companies are integrating sustainable practices into their business models, and lotteries continue to play a crucial role. The new Environmental Initiative aims to create a collective dynamic among EL Members on concrete commitments in the environmental field, including the use of paper coming from certified sustainable forests for gaming materials (i.e., scratch tickets); and the regular monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions (i.e., an action plan to reduce carbon emissions). EL Members are invited to confirm their voluntary commitments in the Initiative, exchange best practices in order to be able to present the outcomes during the 2023 EL General Assembly in Sibenik, Croatia. Showcased by KANTAR, the world's leading data, insights, and consulting company, the results of a recent EL Research Study on Young Generations and Games were presented for the first time at the Industry Days. Following an earlier study in 2018, the key objective of this follow-up study was to identify relevant and unique ideas/product development directions. The results showed that younger players seemingly prefer a game based on both luck and skill/knowledge, and that there is not an ideal game for everyone. As entertainment is a driver of consideration to play, games should be truly entertaining. It is therefore advised that lotteries have a wide portfolio of games to satisfy many different needs. EL and Members will use this important and timely research to engage further with younger players, whilst at the same time keeping a high level of responsible play and integrity. Reflecting on the challenging and opportunities of the pandemic, a special segment of this year’s Industry Day brought together lottery CEOs to reconnect during an interactive Directors Table. All CEOs agreed that as a result of the pandemic, lotteries move faster in their operations, and are more efficient, flexible, and innovative, whilst retaining the highest level of responsibility and integrity. National lotteries also demonstrated their important role to benefit society in times of need. Digital development, omnichannel and customer behaviour are to be watched closely in the months and years ahead as well hot topics including gambling advertising and the fight against illegals. Hosted by Lotto Hessen and in close collaboration with EL’s Level 1 Partners Scientific Games and IGT, EL Industry Days 2022 brought together a record number of participants (nearly 250 in total) to reconnect after two long years. The Environmental Initiative follows the EL CSR Guidelines and Resolution on CSR. Over 69 percent of respondents who took part in a EL CSR Commitments Survey (72 percent of the Membership) in early 2022 already use FSC/PEFC paper in their daily operations. 43 percent of respondents calculate their GHG emissions. As part of the research, EL Members generated concepts and ideas based on their market knowledge and experience. 4,500 people aged between 18 and 35 years old were then examined across the EL Membership in Europe (CZ, DE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR HR, IT). The results showed that media and tech addicts represent the smallest segment of youth in Europe. The Directors Table panel discussion included: Stéphane Pallez (President and CEO FDJ), Romana Dernovšek (CEO Loterija Slovenije), Hansjörg Höltkemeier (CEO Deutsche Klassenlotterie Berlin) where joined by Jay Gendron (COO, Global Lottery IGT) and Patrick McHugh (CEO Scientific Games) on behalf of EL’s Level 1 Partners. The EL General Assembly took place on the occasion of the EL Industry Days. National Videolottery of Macedonia was approved as a new Regular EL Member. EL Members approved the decision of the Executive Committee to suspend the membership of its Members in Russia and Belarus. EL Legal Seminar: ''Gambling Regulation And Gambling Taxation: Two Sides Of The Same Coin?'' Taxation is an important lever to reduce the attractiveness of gaming products and protect consumers as well as being an powerful tool to create a level playing field for all the gambling operators on the market, and in particular in the fight against illegal operators. Taxation might also be an instrument to regulate markets and contribute to compliance in responsible gambling programmes. European Lotteries recently chaired a seminar in Brussels to discuss the importance of taxation as a tool for regulating gambling. Hosted by the Loterie Nationale Loterij, the Belgian national lottery, the seminar saw the participation of legal experts among EL members from 12 to 13 May. https://www.european-lotteries.org/news/ellegal-seminar-21
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