39 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MARCH/APRIL 2025 that’s what drives engagement, then we need to think about what we offer that delivers a similar kind of excitement; and how we might integrate the appeal of spectator sports into the lottery-playing experience. I think we all need to look at the sports betting phenomenon that way. What is this telling us? What are players signaling with their choices? What are some of the warning signs to heed as we continue to focus on responsible play? It’s clear they’re expressing what they want and where they’re willing to spend their money. What can we do to be part of that conversation in a responsible way? Lottery and sports are very different. We are not trying to sell sports to compete, we are trying to understand the consumer better to sell lottery products. What are your priorities as president of NASPL? H. Mays: I always smile when I think about everything NASPL has accomplished over the past 20 years, and I’m truly honored to contribute to its mission in the role of President this year. One of my main goals is simple—don’t mess anything up! NASPL has a strong foundation, and my priority is to preserve that continuity and ensure we keep delivering value to our members. Cindy Polzin did a fantastic job as NASPL president, and one of her key initiatives was launching a mentorship program for new lottery directors. This program provides new directors with a network of experienced mentors to share insights and guidance, and it has received tremendous support. Many directors come from outside the lottery industry, so having access to mentorship is incredibly valuable. I want to make sure NASPL continues to grow and strengthen this program. NASPL has always been in a unique position to support the collective interests of state lotteries, and my goal is to help David Gale and the NASPL team continue the great work they’ve been doing for years in that area. One of the biggest lessons we learned during COVID was that there are multiple ways to engage with our members and stakeholders. When in-person meetings weren’t possible, we adapted by shifting to virtual conferences and information-sharing. Now that we’ve resumed in-person meetings, seminars, and trade shows, I still see great value in continuing virtual engagement. Video meetings and online seminars allow us to reach more people, making it easier for members to stay connected without having to travel across the country. For example, we’re working on new ways to package and present important topics—like responsible gaming or Request for Proposal (RFP) processes—in virtual seminar formats. That way, members can access valuable information without the time and expense of in-person travel. Another priority for me is strengthening NASPL’s engagement with the World Lottery Association (WLA) and other regional lottery associations around the world. There’s so much we can learn from both our differences and the common challenges we all face. A great example of this collaboration was the recent Responsible Gaming Conference in Atlanta, which NASPL co-hosted with WLA and the Georgia Lottery. Attendees came from all over the world, and the insights shared were incredibly valuable. Seeing how Responsible Gaming is approached in different countries broadens our understanding and gives us fresh perspectives on how to address these universal issues. Strengthening these global connections is something I’m passionate about and will continue to prioritize. Finally, we recently launched a new NASPL website last year with a more user-friendly interface to enhance member engagement. We’re also expanding our resource bank, conducting more industry surveys, and tackling key challenges to better support our members. Improving communication about and access to these resources and continuing to build on NASPL’s infrastructure will be essential moving forward. I know the regional associations around the world want very much to engage more with NASPL. It is great that you are encouraging that. H. Mays: Rebecca Paul’s impact on this industry—especially in helping to shape the role of regional associations—has been a game changer. Among many things, she has been instrumental in fostering stronger engagement with our colleagues around the world. Thanks to her leadership, we’re in a much better place when it comes to global collaboration. I hope we continue to build on that progress and push even harder to strengthen the relationship between North American lotteries and our sister organizations around the world. There’s so much we can learn from each other, and deepening those connections will only make our industry stronger. Lastly, congratulations for the 50th anniversary of the Illinois Lottery. It was amazing to see how you leveraged that into a wildly successful 360 degree marketing event. H. Mays: Last year’s 50th anniversary was a 6-month long celebration that involved a cross-functional team from every part of the organization. It was definitely a team effort. We had events and promotions across the state involving players and retailers. We wanted it to be the talk of the town everywhere we went, and we succeeded. It was incredible to see so much enthusiasm. Now, we’re focused on carrying forward as much of that momentum and excitement about the lottery as possible as we begin another 50 years of success. Looking ahead into the future, I believe we’re at a critical inflection point in the industry. We’re evolving from a traditional monopoly-based model with a core player base skewing older, to a landscape where players have more gaming options than ever before and is skewing younger. That shift makes it essential for us to understand lottery’s role within the broader games-ofchance ecosystem. Consumer expectations are changing rapidly, shaped by pop culture and new forms of entertainment. The rise of sports betting is just one example of how gaming is intersecting with mainstream culture in ways we’ve never seen before. I believe this will be an ongoing trend—one that will continue to connect lottery, entertainment, and the larger gaming industry in ways we need to pay attention to. The challenge now is twofold: we must acknowledge and embrace the disruption we are seeing in order to understand it enough to position state lotteries for long-term, sustainable growth. The next few years will be pivotal in shaping the future of lotteries. If we’re proactive, innovative, and willing to adapt, I have no doubt that we’ll continue to thrive in this evolving landscape. It’s an exciting time for our industry, and I can’t wait to see what’s next. n Changing the Conversation: Connecting with the modern consumer and the next gen’ players— continued from page 20
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