Public Gaming International July/August Magazine

28 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JULY/AUGUST 2025 vision on just one area in isolation. When, at the start of the separation process, we asked ourselves, what do we carry forward and offer to enable our customers’ business strategies and fuel industry growth, we recognized a point of difference: We maintain a holistic vision that considers each aspect of lottery’s potential evolution, enabling us to offer products and solutions across the entire lottery value chain. We grow lotteries ourselves using compelling solutions that we have trialed and proven in the field. This perspective equips us to be a bold partner in the range of practical solutions we can apply and in the level of collaboration we offer our lottery partners to implement solutions that serve their strategic goals. What is the fourth pillar of focus? Renato Ascoli: It is centered on reshaping the lottery landscape with efficiency and scalability, continuing to push the boundaries of what is possible to deliver smarter, faster, and more efficient solutions. Migrating customers’ systems to the cloud, for example, is a game-changer for scalability, adaptability, and deployment speed. Through AI and machine learning integration, our cloud solutions are already enabling faster time-to-market, more seamless feature updates, and enhanced performance tailored to customers’ needs. Upgrading the iLottery platform to our seamless, scalable cloud solution has brought up to a 20% revenue increase to our customers. Also part of this pillar is our ability to offer cross-jurisdictional insights, a datacentric approach that enables lotteries to make better informed decisions and create tangible operational improvements. And we will continue working to expand the availability of cashless payment options across retail and vending, aligning with evolving player preferences and market trends. Lotteries play a role in delivering important benefits to local communities. Does this come into play with the new company, when you think about engaging the next generation of players? Renato Ascoli: The way lotteries contribute to society through goodcauses funding is an important part of the industry’s identity. Emerging generations are likely to resonate with this connection, perhaps much more so than in the past. We support lotteries in this goal, and we do not lose sight of the rest of the picture, which includes not only promoting the responsible nature of the industry and advocating for that, but also prioritizing player health, enabling people to play responsibly and thoughtfully. Positive play is embedded in our culture and the solutions we offer to lotteries. So, too, are our efforts to apply innovative thinking to industry sustainability and competitiveness. We are ambitious in each of these areas, which are all part of this longestablished form of play. The industry’s connection to community and efforts to embed sustainability can speak loudly − more loudly than in the past − about what differentiates lottery and makes it an appealing form of entertainment. Finally, what makes you optimistic these days? Renato Ascoli: It’s the potential for lotteries. More is possible today than the industry has known in its long history. The paradigm shift in how our customers engage with and serve players is well underway, and it continues to propel our people to apply new ideas and achieve more for customers and players. Knowing that our customers can leverage the expertise of world-class people to deliver on those opportunities is also cause for optimism. Because the lottery category itself does face a fundamental challenge – it is increasingly in competition with many other entertainment options. Yet, it is also the one gaming option that is structured with a commitment to responsibility and good causes, as we were just discussing. It’s in this larger context that we are defining our role and working to sustain and elevate the category. We know that to stay ahead we must keep changing too, and this, in itself, is an optimistic stance. The new brand represents a commitment, what we aspire to live up to. We are known for quality, for trustworthiness and technological innovation. We can keep the best of our identity and continue to be a catalyst for what’s next. n Follow Brightstar’s new LinkedIn page to keep up with the latest news. For more information, visit www.brightstarlottery.com.

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