12 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 WALKING THE TALK: INVESTING IN SUSTAINABILITY Romana Girandon, EL President and CEO of Loterija Slovenije Paul Jason: There is a lot of talk about social responsibility and being good corporate citizens. As EL’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Programme demonstrates, you’re not just talking about it. Is it hard to get genuine buy-in and action when it comes to fulfilling our environmental and social responsibilities? Ramona Girandon: I believe, for most members of The European Lotteries (EL), deciding for a real ‘buy-in’ and action on environmental and societal responsibility hasn’t been very difficult. We are in a specific industry that was historically developed in Europe to serve the public good. That’s the reason why most of us were founded decades or even centuries ago. Social responsibility isn’t a PR stunt or a marketing tool for us; it’s our actual purpose. We exist to generate funds for the most vulnerable parts of our societies, which only makes sense if we fulfill it in a way that minimizes harm as much as possible. This commitment is also why EL members are voluntarily joining our Environmental Initiative and contribute to its continuous improvement. Alongside the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Programme you mentioned, we also offer an initiative encouraging lotteries to use only responsibly harvested (FSC or similarly certified) paper. Although our Responsible Gaming Standards are mandatory, our environmental initiatives are voluntary. Yet, 50 percent of EL members have already joined, which I believe speaks about our commitment to the sustainable lottery model for itself. I think everyone can appreciate the long-term ROI for a widespread commitment to sustainability and CSR. Is there a short-term ROI for committing resources right now? R. Girandon: For lotteries, the most compelling motivation lies in championing the broader societal benefits of our model. We must seize new opportunities to prove that we deliver far greater value to society – across all game verticals – than any other model. The environment is yet another chance for us to demonstrate this impact. Moreover, younger generations, whom we especially want to engage as players, increasingly expect brands to actively care about the society they operate in – not just provide products. This is particularly true for activities like ours, which lack direct practical value and aren’t essential to daily life. While faster, higher-risk games are on the rise, there’s also a growing group motivated by the positive impact of their play. In Slovenia, our efforts to shape and communicate the purpose behind our games are paying off - recent research shows that a significant segment of players is now driven by a strong, altruistic motivation. This is crucial, as it shows that our work is not only socially responsible but also essential for building meaningful connections with players and solidifying our existence and market position. More and more businesses are incorporating sustainable practices into their operations. If you could envision the ideal future for the lottery sector in terms of environmental sustainability, what would it look like? R. Girandon: It wouldn’t be far from what I believe is already happening. The first step is that everyone must be transparent. At EL, we advocate for objective KPIs that can be verified and compared across different operators of games of chance. This will help eliminate green- or other kinds of washing and make it harder for those unwilling to truly invest in sustainable practices to hide behind vague promises. This also applies to misleading responsible gaming practices. Unfortunately, many businesses still try to create confusion by saying one thing and doing another, which makes it difficult for regulators and stakeholders to assess their true impact on public health, equality, the environment, and more. Once transparency with clear KPIs is in place, it will be easier for our stakeholders - such as customers, regulators, states and courts - to distinguish between those who genuinely contribute to society and those who exploit people and the environment they operate in. From there, it will only be a matter of time before players and regulators demand that you either operate sustainably and benefit the society, or not operate at all. The EL Environmental Initiative is just part of a larger sustainability project for the Association. What do you see as the next sustainability challenge for EL members to tackle? R. Girandon: The biggest challenge I see is how to effectively become a trusted benchmark for European institutions, helping politicians and regulators recognize the value of the lottery model and the impact of games of chance. This is primarily a challenge of measuring, demonstrating, comparing and communicating our efforts while raising stakeholder awareness both PGRI INTERVIEWS continued on page 20
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