Legalization of sports betting in West Virginia has reached another milestone, with the issuing of the first sports betting licenses by the state Lottery Commission. That includes the first casino operator’s license, issued to Hollywood Casino, in Charles Town. “They are the first casino licensed to offer sports betting,” Danielle Boyd, legal counsel for the Lottery Commission, said Monday. “They are committed to going live at Charles Town and accepting bets on Sept. 1.”

“Generating more than $100 million for Texas veterans and their families is a major milestone that we are thrilled to celebrate,” said Gary Grief, executive director of the Texas Lottery. “In addition to generating more than $22 billion for public education in Texas, support for our veterans is at the core of the Texas Lottery’s mission. We will continue to work and collaborate with the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) to provide support for veterans in our state.”

“With this new wager, Pick 3 players now have 27 chances to win with a single ticket, and Pick 4 players have 81 chances to win,” said Tom Delacenserie, president and CEO of the Kentucky Lottery. “These daily games have been popular ever since they were introduced in the Commonwealth, and these new features are definitely going to create more winners – which in turn will create more excitement.”

Also hitting a new high was Lottery aid to education, finishing the fiscal year at $3.372 billion, about a third of total sales

"Several new initiatives really helped push sales to this record-breaking level," said KLC President and CEO Tom Delacenserie. "An increased emphasis on marketing and in-store messaging, changes in prize structures that players really liked, and new measures implemented by our outstanding staff and retailers are the reason for this increase. FY18 was a year where we laid the groundwork for continued success, so we look to continue this growth pattern into FY19."

A former state prosecutor, Carey brings a wealth of experience in New Jersey government. He is a graduate of Seton Hall Law School, where he was an editor on the Law Review.

“It was a great year all around, and we couldn’t be prouder of the contribution that the Lottery and the casinos made to important state programs,” said Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director Gordon Medenica. “It’s especially gratifying to see both the Lottery and the casinos growing simultaneously.”

“The addition of our first GIGANTIX® game, $10 Royal Gems, proved popular with instant ticket players, and KENO®, which is now entering its tenth year, continued to see growth this year,” Ohio Lottery Director Dennis Berg said, “As we move into the next fiscal year we’ll continue to explore new and innovative products to bring to the market.”

"We are very pleased to continue our strategic partnership with OPAP," said Lorne Weil, Executive Chairman of Inspired. "We have worked closely with OPAP to deliver the best possible products and we are grateful to be awarded additional machines and Virtual Sports content as recognition. We look forward to extending our success with OPAP."

Tabcorp chief executive David Attenborough said digital sales rose strongly in Tabcorp's lotteries business, growing by 27.8 per cent and accounting for almost 18 per cent of total lottery sales. Mr Attenborough said despite customers shift towards online gambling, bricks and mortar stores weren't going anywhere. "It's really at the heart of the of a lot of Australian communities - their local pub and club," he told reporters. "We do not see a development where you end up with digital without retail, all our long-term strategies are about the integration within the retail environment."

“Racetrax has come out of the gate very strong for us,” said Kansas Lottery Executive Director Terry Presta. “With only a minimal amount of advertising, Racetrax is already out performing our expectations and looking like a winner.”

“We’re excited to bring players another Carolina Panthers scratch-off ticket,” said Mark Michalko, executive director of the N.C. Education Lottery. “This prize would be a big win for any Panthers fan, and the money raised from ticket sales will be a big win for education.”

"Jennifer brings a tremendous combination of experience in government, leadership, and knowledge of how things work in our environment,” said Colorado Lottery Director, Tom Seaver. “Her legal credentials will prove invaluable to the lottery, as will her work ethic, and effectiveness as a manager. We're very happy to have her on the team."

"The Western Canada Lottery Corporation is excited to partner with IGT to update the Saskatchewan VLT network with IGT's best-in-class Video Lottery Terminals and game content," said Eric Karmark, WCLC Vice President, VLT Gaming & Operations. "IGT has been a trusted WCLC partner for more than two decades, and we're pleased that our relationship will continue through this machine replacement cycle."