19 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MARCH/APRIL 2026 What exactly is “lottery gaming”? And what is not? Q: Some people are wondering if the fast-play, high prize-payout lottery games are starting to resemble casino play-styles. Is there any kind of definition for “lottery gaming”? S. Gunn: Lotteries and their technology partners such as Brightstar are working hard to retain and build playership in an unprecedented competitive market, one that now includes online casinos, sports betting, online eGaming, and recent entrants to the pipeline such as predictive markets. We want to preserve the core principles, values, and public trust that define what lottery is, and always has been, even as we compete for the attention and engagement of the modern consumer. Lottery gaming is what each state determines to be the best pathway for that lottery to serve the mission of raising funds for its communities and causes. That definition has proven durable precisely because it allows for evolution. Lottery’s standards of excellence are also higher than other game categories when it comes to responsible play, security, integrity, transparency, and player protection. Brightstar’s mission is to support and strengthen everything that differentiates and elevates Brand Lottery and its state lottery operators. That is core to who we are. Q: But now some state lotteries operate and/or regulate casinos and sports betting, categories which nobody thinks of as “lottery gaming.” S. Gunn: Let’s first unpack this by looking at your question about definitions: In the United States, a lottery is not simply a category of games. Lottery is a public institution, a public trust authorized by the state to raise funds for good causes. According to Federal law, lotteries operate under state authority, with the state determining which games may be offered, how they are sold, and how proceeds are distributed. That is the foundational framework. States decide what lottery gaming is and is not. Full stop. The point is that when the concept of “lottery” originated, it was in a time and place when there was no internet, casinos weren’t available everywhere you looked, and TV advertising wasn’t awash in sports betting advertising. The first lotteries were raffles, similar to today’s draw-based games but certainly not with millions of consumers playing to win a billion-dollar jackpot. Move into instant scratch-off games and the departure from the original concept of lottery becomes even more vivid. Likewise, it would certainly appear that the evolution of lottery games going forward may well include new styles of play and more stimulating games with higher prize-payouts. In fact, I think the phenomenal success story of state lotteries is based on their ability to effectively innovate and update their products to appeal to the consumer, and to change and modernize along with the changing play-styles and preferences of the players. The willingness to boldly innovate is essential for state lottery operators to engage their consumers in an increasingly complex and competitive environment. Brightstar’s focus is on the singular goal of helping lotteries succeed and prosper for the benefit of the causes that lotteries support. Q: And creating compelling, entertaining games remains part of that mission. S. Gunn: Absolutely—but the mission extends far beyond individual games. We think in terms of the entire player journey. That journey begins with awareness, hopefully moves into interest and engagement, and continues with the player’s response after the experience. It includes whether they feel entertained, respected, and inclined to play again. That journey is supported by an ecosystem that we continue to invest in, innovate within, and evolve for modern players: retail and digital channels, technology platforms, payment systems, data infrastructure, and operational processes. All of it must be integrated and work seamlessly. At the same time, we work closely with our customers to ensure that innovation aligns not only with the legal framework, but with the political culture, regulatory environment, and stakeholder expectations within each jurisdiction. Adapting to a rapidly changing consumer market Q: Brightstar collaborates with leading market-research companies worldwide, and you invest heavily in your own consumer research. How is that research shaping the way you and your customers think about their players? S. Gunn: You’re right — we do put a lot into research. Just on the proprietary side, Brightstar completed 317 studies last year covering more than 800 markets, with input from more than 345,000 players and retailers. We collaborate with many of the most important market-research partners worldwide. We dig into consumer patterns that matter most to lotteries, and we share not only the insights but ideas about how lotteries can act on them to strengthen their strategies, advance digital innovation, and offer next-generation solutions. In the past few months alone, we released a trend report for 2026 exploring the digital-first mindset, as well as a set of white papers to help lotteries understand how consumers think about payments today − and what to expect next. When it comes to players, we and the industry know the fundamentals: players want entertaining content, convenience, and intuitive experiences across channels. What has advanced is the depth of insight now available through new methodologies, data analytics, and AI. In the past, research focused primarily on which games players liked. Today, we deconstruct games into individual attributes—payout structures, volatility, themes, mechanics, session length, everything broken down into granular detail—and analyze how those attributes resonate with different player segments. This allows us to answer much more sophisticated questions. Why does a Continued on page 40
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