Public Gaming Magazine Sept/Oct 2021

12 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 PGRI INTERVIEWS Paul Jason: Congratulations on your appointment to lead the Maryland Lottery & Gaming Control Agency. What were your first thoughts when you were informed that Governor Hogan had chosen you as Maryland's Director? John Martin: My first thoughts were, “Be careful what you wish for.” From the moment I started with the Ohio Lottery in 2009, I knew I wanted to lead a state lottery. I have loved this industry from the very beginning and have embraced the opportunity to learn more about it every step of the way. Working for Stephen Martino, MLGCA Director from 2010 to 2015, helped me to understand the broader games-of-chance industry and appreciate the importance of effective government relations and outreach to all stakeholders and media. Gordon Medenica came to us in 2015, a lottery veteran with a wealth of experience from his time as director of the New York Lottery and as CEO of the Northstar New Jersey Lottery group. I appreciate the privilege of having served with Stephen and Gordon and the many opportunities I had to learn from these two industry leaders. I also learned a great deal from former Chief Financial Officer Gina Smith -- now Deputy Director of Gaming Compliance at the Virginia Lottery. I am very excited for this opportunity to lead the MLGCA. Your experience has prepared you for this role of overseeing both the lottery and casino gaming sides of the business. J. Martin: This industry is at a most interesting inflection point. Over the last eighteen months, lives have been disrupted and as a result, people are challenged to be resilient, to change and adapt to adverse situations and unfamiliar circumstances. I think this disrupted environment represents an opportunity for us to introduce new ideas, new games and play-styles and new ways to interact with and play the lottery to a new audience that is much more receptive to fresh, new and different than ever before. Our focus has been on those areas that we control, including Instant Scratch-Offs where we have potential to increase our per-cap playership in Maryland. Gordon was very good at installing systems that help to manage business and processes, clarify goals and interim markers, track progress and hold ourselves accountable in ways that drive positivity and focus on solutions and execution. PGRI INTRODUCTION: Appointed Director of the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency this past July, John Martin started his career in the lottery industry in 2009 at the Ohio Lottery. In 2011, he moved to Baltimore to begin his work with the Maryland Lottery, leading the sales, marketing, communications, product development and creative services teams. In 2015, he was promoted to Managing Director & Chief Revenue Officer, responsible for increasing sales and revenue for the MLGCA by overseeing the field sales force, developing corporate accounts, exploring new distribution channels and recruiting additional retail locations, of which there are currently 4,400. The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA) is responsible for generating revenue for the good causes of the state, while also regulating Maryland’s casino program. In FY2021, the Agency contributed an all-time record of more than $1.391 billion to the State of Maryland. Prior to moving to Maryland, John was Deputy Director of the Office of Sales Management at the Ohio Lottery, overseeing sales operations at 9,000 retailers. John has a communications background and is a graduate of John Carroll University in Ohio. REACHING AN INFLECTION POINT FOR THE INDUSTRY AND THE MARYLAND LOTTERY John Martin Director, Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency