26 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MAY/JUNE 2022 PGRI INTERVIEWS Paul Jason: Please tell us about your life. Is everyone completely absorbed in the resistance, in fighting the Russian invaders, and fighting to survive? What is everyday life like for you and your MSL Lottery colleagues? Evgeniy Vlasenko: There has been no war in Ukraine since 1945. That’s 77 years… My mom is 77. And now, after all these years of peace, she faces war when she is 77 years old. Along with her, this war changed lifes of 43 million people of Ukraine. On Feb 24, when Russians started to bomb Kiev, Kharkov and other cities and their ground forces started invading, all our lives were divided into Before and After the war. I thought I was a pragmatic man and did not believe that Russians could start a war against Ukraine. I was wrong. They have a mentally sick leader admired by the majority of Russians and after 22 years of his rein he has reshaped the Russian population into his own image, 75% of whom support this war. Amidst others, some MSL people were forced to move from their places, some lost their homes, some stayed under occupation and some of them stay in occupation and work as volunteers, risking to their lives. Some of our colleagues are in the front-line defending Ukraine. For security reasons I cannot open their names before our victory. They are real heroes. Are there still MSL Lottery offices in Kyiv? Do there continue to be lottery operations, initiatives, or work to do? E. Vlasenko: For personal and business security reasons, top management of MSL is located now in different geographies to enable sustainable control over the company even in the case of serious military escalation in one area or another. Our communication infrastructure, including the central computer system, its reserve site and the web site – work stably. I want to thank Tuv Nord, our auditor for WLA/ISO security certification, that for all six years of our joint work together, they were not only good auditors but good advisers who shared a lot of best practices with us which are helping us greatly today, even during the war. MSL is now able not only to operate under daily missile attacks but has managed to design and release a new lottery game. The proceeds from this new lottery are intended to support our Army. It is called D.A.R. (G.I.F.T. – Grant It For The Army). It is a terminal instant game and a charity lottery and soon it will become available online too. All cash after payout will be donated to the best possible good cause that we have today – the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Unfortunately, the retail infrastructure of MSL has been damaged by the war. We lost Life in Ukraine Evgeniy Vlasenko Vice President, MSL State Lottery Ukraine PGRI INTRODUCTION: The miracle of strength, faith, and fortitude of the people of Ukraine inspires awe and admiration in everyone around the world. The resistance has been more effective than anyone imagined it could be. Now, as we move into the next chapter of prolonged conflict, we can see that with a little help, the Ukrainians may actually defeat Russia in this iconic battle between good and evil, against barbaric tyranny and in defense of democratic freedom. The impacts of the decisions and actions taken now by global leaders will have long-term global consequences. We are deciding now if we want to forge a conflict-ridden co-existence with a militarily aggressive and expansionist dictator (like Hitler) or a world in which respect for national sovereignty and human rights is still valued. For the last eleven years, Evgeniy Vlasenko has led the MSL Ukrainian State Lottery. He served on the EL Executive Committee 8 years until 2021 and is a personal friend to myself and so many others in our industry. We connected on Zoom for a video interview which is posted on PGRItalks.com.
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