www.PublicGaming.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 Also Featuring … Turning Fear and Anxiety into Hope and Positive Action Count Herman Van Rompuy, President Emeritus of the European Council and former Prime Minister of Belgium Lived Experience of a Lotto Game Buyout: The Inside story of a Bulk-Buying Scheme Ray Bates, Honorary President of EL Former CEO of An Post Irish National Lottery Lottery Industry Consultant Scenes from NASPL Niagara Falls: Photo Collage FDJ UNITED’S Transformation Story: A Game Changer Stéphane Pallez, Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of FDJ UNITED
gaminglabs.com We ensure that innovation and confidence go hand in hand. Everywhere you operate, our local teams apply time-tested methods and tailored lottery solutions to advance your strategic goals. Backed by world-class expertise in certification, end-to-end consultation, and cybersecurity, we deliver the assurance only GLI can provide.
BrightstarLottery.com © 2025 Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation. Any trademarks and/or service marks used herein are trademarks of Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation. Brightstar Lottery is a new name. But the company is anything but. In fact, our roots go back to the ’70’s and lottery’s earliest tech pioneers. We’ve steadily grown over the years, but we’ve never been complacent—regularly reinventing ourselves to stay ahead of a constantly evolving industry. Trust a partner with a long history to know how to manage a challenging future.
4 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 Publisher & Chief Executive Officer Paul Jason pjason@publicgaming.com President Susan Jason sjason@publicgaming.com Brand and Design Dan Eggers Design Honored Founders Doris & Duane Burke Subscriptions United States: $145 USD Canada & Mexico: $160 USD All other countries: $225 USD For email address changes, subscription requests and requests to be placed on our e-Newsletter distribution list, e-mail Susan Jason at sjason@publicgaming.com Contact Information PGRI, Inc. 1769 Flagstone Terrace, The Villages, FL 32162 PublicGaming.com T: +425.449.3000 F: +206.374.2600 Public Gaming International Magazine Published six times a year and distributed to readers all around the world. Electronic version is e-mailed and is also available on our news website: PublicGaming.com November/December 2025 Volume 54, Issue 6 ©2025 all rights reserved. Public Gaming Research Institute cISSN: 1042-1912 CONTENTS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 FEATURED INTERVIEWS 10 FDJ UNITED’S TRANSFORMATION STORY: A GAME CHANGER Stéphane Pallez Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of FDJ UNITED 18 NEW RESEARCH: PAY, PLAY, PROGRESS. LOTTERIES EVOLVE THEIR PAYMENT AND RETAIL TECHNOLOGIES BRIGHTSTAR LOTTERY 20 BACON ME CRAZY: A GLOBAL LOTTERY SUCCESS STORY POLLARD BANKNOTE 22 LIVED EXPERIENCE OF A LOTTO GAME BUYOUT: THE INSIDE STORY OF A BULK-BUYING SCHEME Ray Bates, Honorary President of EL Former CEO of An Post Irish National Lottery Lottery Industry Consultant 14 TURNING FEAR AND ANXIETY INTO HOPE AND POSITIVE ACTION Count Herman Van Rompuy President Emeritus of the European Council and former Prime Minister of Belgium FEATURED ARTICLES 22 18
© Universal City Studios LLC. All Rights Reserved.
6 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 Visit Our Family Of Websites PublicGaming.com industry news & information PGRITalks.com videos of conference presentations PublicGaming.org PGRI conference information PGRIDigitalLibrary.com magazine archive of past issues PGRIDirectory.com listing of lotteries and vendors PGRIAwards.com Showcase of industry honorees recognized by the Lottery Industry Hall of Fame PGRI Lifetime Achievement Award Sharp Award for Good Causes Lottery Industry Statesman and Stateswoman Award Rebecca Paul Mentorship Award Collaboration Award Subscribe To Our Free Digital Newsletters Receive our daily newsletters at no charge, published 5 times a week to bring you the latest breaking news in the global lottery industry. Send an e-mail to: sjason@PublicGaming.com with “add to Daily Digest list” in the subject line. FEATURED ARTICLES CONT. 8 FROM THE PUBLISHER Paul Jason 41 SCENES FROM NASPL CONFERENCE & TRADE-SHOW IN NIAGARA FALLS: Photo Collage 49 PULSE OF THE INDUSTRY: SYNOPSIS OF RECENT GAMING INDUSTRY NEWS DEPARTMENTS 24 LOTTERY IN EVERY LANE: HOW POS INTEGRATION CAN BOOST LOTTERY SALES ABACUS LOTTERY SOLUTIONS 26 LOTTO NZ (NEW ZEALAND) AND SCIENTIFIC GAMES COME TOGETHER FOR BOLD OMNI-CHANNEL SYSTEMS CONVERSION 30 WHEN INTELLIGENCE MEETS EXPERIENCE: HOW BALLY’S VITRUVIAN PLATFORM ELEVATES INTRALOT’S LOTOSX OMNI INTO THE FUTURE OF LOTTERY 32 THE LONG GAME: BRIGHTSTAR LOTTERY UNVEILS A NEW SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY TO MARK THE NEXT CHAPTER IN ITS LONGSTANDING COMMITMENT TO BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE. 34 ANALYZING THE FIVE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP BOLSTER GOOD CAUSE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE LOTTERY INDUSTRY FOR 2026. Simon Jaworski, Chief Executive Officer, Lotto Research 35 CARMANAH SIGNS ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP TRANSITION CAMERON WALDIE STEPS DOWN; JON-PAUL BUSSOLI APPOINTED CEO 36 BOOSTING PLAYER ENGAGEMENT, DRIVING SIGNIFICANT GROWTH: ARE EINSTANT JACKPOT GAMES THE KEY TO UNLOCKING YOUR ILOTTERY’S FULL POTENTIAL? BRIGHTSTAR LOTTERY 40 PRO-LITE UNVEILS THE BLADE SIGN, AN INNOVATIVE GAS STATION JACKPOT SIGN
8 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 From the Publisher What an action-packed season its been. It began with the annual NASPL Conference & Trade-Show in Niagara Falls in early September. It was a fabulous event with congrats going to David Gale and Team NASPL and hosts Duncan Hannay and Team OLG for producing a wonderful show. It’s not the same as being there, but take a look at our 6-page photo collage (courtesy of NASPL and UptownMedia.ca). That event was followed by the EL Congress, held in Bern, Switzerland. The theme of EL Congress was Building a Better World. EL President Romana Girandon is a true champion of that vision — lotteries not only serving good causes, but of lotteries as active agents of societal progress, shaping communities and driving change far beyond the role of selling lottery tickets. And then we were so pleased to host you at PGRI Lottery Expo Nashville, and hope you enjoyed our time together as much as Susan and I did. Thank you to Rebecca Paul and Team Tennessee Lottery for co-hosting and all you did to make it a success. The presenters, moderators, and panelists all outdid themselves to produce a truly inspired experience. We’ll be posting the photo collages for PGRI and EL events in the January issue as well as the photos from two Lottery Industry Hall of Fame Induction ceremonies (the first at NASPL Niagara Falls and the second at EL Congress Bern). The Keynote speech delivered at the EL Congress was epochal in scope, timely for its urgent call to action amidst an erosion in social cohesion and fragility of democracy, and confident in the resiliency and resourcefulness of humanity. Reprinted here in its entirety, the Count Herman Van Rompuy, former Prime Minister of Belgium, speech affirms the essential social mission that lotteries play in restoring unity, resilience, and hope. The current trajectory of FDJ UNITED was set in 2014, when Stéphane Pallez became Chairwoman and CEO of La Française des Jeux. In our interview at the EL Congress, she traces FDJ’s evolution from operator of the world’s third-largest lottery into a diversified, forward-looking enterprise with a broad strategic mandate. What has not changed is the mission: serving society and delivering public value. What has changed is the way FDJ captures, organizes, and leverages the full potential of its assets— digital, retail, data, technology, partnerships, and public trust. This conversation offers a clear view into how a 21st-century lottery enterprise can integrate new capabilities, unlock untapped synergies, and create meaningful, sustainable value for shareholders, stakeholders, and the communities it serves. I spoke with Ray Bates at the EL Congress about the challenge of bulk-purchasing syndicates that buy out the remaining tickets of a game—essentially guaranteeing themselves a jackpot under the right conditions. I had assumed this issue was a recent development, but Ray reminded me that very little is truly new. He encountered the same scenario in Ireland more than 30 years ago. I asked him to share how he handled it, and the lessons remain relevant today. Thank you, Ray! In what universe is Predictive Markets anything other than betting? Predictionmarket operator Kalshi is rapidly blurring the line between derivatives trading and sports betting. Although not licensed as a sportsbook, Kalshi has filed multiple selfcertifications with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) seeking approval to list “contracts” that mirror classic betting markets—point spreads, totals, touchdowns, player props, etc. The numbers tell the real story: on one recent weekend, 98% of Kalshi’s trading volume was sportsrelated; over longer periods, estimates run near 80%. Kalshi frames its expansion as a response to “surging demand” for legal, federally regulated alternatives to the $84 billion illegal sports market. The company has already processed more than $2 billion in sports-related trading since launching those markets less than ten months ago. Several states, including New Jersey, Nevada, and Massachusetts, have issued cease-anddesist orders, arguing that Kalshi’s sports contracts are simply unlicensed gambling. Kalshi is now locked in multi-state litigation, asserting that federal oversight preempts state gambling laws and that dual compliance would be “impossible.” If Kalshi prevails, the implications could be seismic. The next question might be: why limit “derivatives trading” to sports betting? The controversy is spreading. Robinhood Derivatives has sued Massachusetts regulators over similar issues. Major gaming operators are eyeing the space: DraftKings is launching its app DraftKings Predictions, FanDuel and plans to launch a predictionmarkets app, PrizePicks has partnered with Polymarket, and even Trump Media intends to introduce event-contract trading. Regulators warn that prediction markets circumvent essential controls that should apply to all forms of gambling and betting: licensing, consumer protections, geolocation, and responsible-gaming safeguards. The core question being: if these contracts look like bets, act like bets, and attract bettors— why aren’t they regulated and otherwise treated as betting? Thank you to our editorial contributors. Simon Jaworski, Scientific Games, Brightstar Lottery, Intralot, Pollard Banknote, Abacus Lottery Everywhere are an invaluable resource whose willingness to share their R & D insights and their global experience is so appreciated! And thank you dear reader for your support. Susan and I hope to see you first in Barcelona, Jan. 20-23, for the EL/WLA Marketing Seminar and then at PGRI Smart-Tech Ft Lauderdale, March 10-12. Paul Jason, Publisher Public Gaming International Magazine
OUR PARTNERS’ DIGITAL GROWTH Proven omnichannel engagement & iLottery solutions © 2025 Scienti c Games, LLC. All rights reserved. scienti cgames.com
10 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 FDJ UNITED’S TRANSFORMATION STORY: A GAME CHANGER Stéphane Pallez Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of FDJ UNITED Paul Jason: We’re eager to dive into FDJ UNITED’s Play Forward 2028 strategy. But first, let’s revisit how you got here, beginning with the corporate transformation you initiated within six months of your arrival at FDJ. In 2014, you secured unanimous approval from the FDJ Board for FDJ 2020. What were the primary objectives of this five-year strategic plan, and to what extent did you achieve the goals you set in 2015? Stéphane Pallez: As you noted, the vision for Play Forward 2028 is based on the success of our previous strategic roadmap FDJ 2020. Within the first plan, we achieved our main transformation goals, built on digitalization, innovation, and diversification. Our goals have been embedded in our equity story with the IPO of FDJ in November 2019, even though the transformation had started years earlier. The story of our company is one of constant transformation, and there is never a point when you can say the work is finished. From the beginning, we recognized that digital technology would transform everything. Our customers are informed, discerning, and expect FDJ UNITED to adapt in this rapidly changing world. Digitalization became the driving force of our strategy, applied across the whole organization, even as we continued to invest in and modernize our retail network, since retailers have always been—and will remain—essential partners in our journey. We also foresaw that sports betting, especially online, would grow faster than lottery. To gain competitiveness, we invested heavily in that vertical in the French market first. Achieving these goals required a major company-wide transformation: overhauling logistics and IT systems, modernizing the sales organization, and reshaping our commercial relationships with retailers. The results speak for themselves. Online lottery grew from 3% in 2014 to 15% of our stakes today. We continued to sustain our retail lottery business by investing in customer experience and product innovation. We became more competitive in online sports betting and grew our market share. We also fundamentally transformed our IT systems to support the development of our digital operations across all of our activities. So yes, we achieved our first objectives. But transformation is a never-ending story. And then there’s COVID, which was not in anyone’s business plans in 2019. Stéphane Pallez: COVID was a difficult period for everyone, including us, but we reacted rapidly to adapt. While retail outlets stayed open, customer visits declined, but many turned to online play, and a large number of new players registered with us since we had already invested in building our digital platform. While COVID was a deeply unfortunate period, it also marked a moment of accelerated digital transformation for FDJ UNITED, as it did for many companies. Online play must have exceeded projections. Did it fall back afterward? Stéphane Pallez: Online play soared during COVID, then naturally leveled off as customers were able to return to retail. The extraordinary digital lottery growth rates of 60% in 2020 and 40% in 2021 could not continue. Today, growth is around 15%, still very dynamic, and from a much larger base of customers (6 million). What matters to reach players is to maintain many points of contact across multiple channels. Our retail network remains a powerful touchpoint and is essential to the scale of our business, to our retail business owners, and for our players to enjoy the fullness of what we have to offer. PGRI INTERVIEWS
11 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 Do your retailers see online playership as a threat to their business? Stéphane Pallez: In this world, we do not believe in a separation between the online and offline worlds, but rather in the development and strengthening of omnichannel retailing. We are now working on a program that empowers our retailers to be an integral part of our customer acquisition programs. Retailers will invite players at points of sale to create accounts that allow them to play both offline and online. This is a new and ambitious long-term objective. One of our key performance indicators will no longer be just measuring the number of digital clients, but also the share of customers who are engaging with us both in-store and online. We are deepening our partnership with retailers; integrating them directly into our relationship with players is new territory. It will take time and adjustment to align expectations across players, retailers, and FDJ UNITED. But it is an exciting new chapter for the future. That’s remarkable. You’re empowering retailers with a big-picture understanding of the value of connecting with customers across every channel. Stéphane Pallez: Exactly. We have already established MOAs (Memorandums of Agreement) with retailers on this objective, and we have started to experiment with the process in points of sale. We want our retailers to be fully integrated and engaged in a holistic ecosystem. Of course, this will require ongoing dialogue to keep everyone aligned and confident in the value of these initiatives, including for responsible gaming. The competitive environment, consumer tastes, and all manner of external factors are shifting constantly. How do you adjust for that? Stéphane Pallez: It’s vital to combine short-, medium-, and long-term vision with the agility to seize opportunities as they arise. For example, we knew that to remain relevant in the global online market, we first had to be stronger in our domestic market. We therefore decided to become a full-fledged operator across all game verticals opened for competition in the French market. We launched online poker organically, and we seized the opportunity to acquire ZEturf, an online horse-race betting operator. These moves were consistent with our vision: to compete in online gaming, we needed to offer customers access to all segments, in a seamless, system-enabled way. That led us to the next step: the French market alone could not provide the scale necessary to be fully competitive in the European market, where large companies can achieve greater efficiencies by spreading fixed costs over higher revenues. Anticipating increased competition and the importance of scale, we expanded our focus beyond France. Stéphane Pallez was appointed Chairperson and CEO of La Française des Jeux (rebranded FDJ UNITED in Q1 2025) in November 2014. Her arrival marked the beginning of a transformation that continues at high speed today. Within six months, she secured unanimous FDJ Board approval for “FDJ 2020”, designed to accelerate digital transformation while driving ambitious revenue and profit growth. Mission accomplished— and just the beginning. In 2019, Mrs. Pallez oversaw FDJ’s privatization through an IPO (the State retains 20% equity). From 2019 to 2024, FDJ UNITED executed a strategy to expand digital and international operations while strengthening its traditional French retail network. FDJ UNITED expanded internationally, acquiring Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI) in 2023 and completing a nearly €2.5bn acquisition of Kindred Group, a leading online betting and gaming operator, in late 2024. These moves extend FDJ UNITED’s strategies globally and confirm its position as a leading B2C operator. International revenue rose from 3% to 26% of total revenue, and digital sales grew from 5% to 35%. Over the same period, revenue climbed by 80% to €3.8bn, with average annual organic growth of over 5%, and net profit increased nearly 1.8x to €351m. Today, FDJ UNITED serves more than 33 million players with a diversified, responsible portfolio: lottery and sports betting offline in France, lottery in Ireland, and online gaming (sports betting, horse-race betting, poker, casinos) across key European markets. With operations in more than 10 regulated markets, international business now contributes roughly one-third of revenue and almost half of the workforce. Looking ahead, FDJ UNITED expects to add over one million new players in France by 2028, building on 27 million players in 2024. Growth will be driven by extending the POS network into large food retailers—potentially 20% of outlets by 2028, offsetting closures in the bar-tobacco-press network—and by continued expansion of online play, expected to represent 20% of lottery revenue by 2028. As far as online betting and gaming is concerned, the Group aims to be in the top 3 in most of its main European markets. Continued on page 12
12 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 The Next Four Years Let’s talk about Play Forward 2028. Stéphane Pallez: We published our four-year plan, Play Forward 2028, in June of this year. This is the next step forward in the transformation we began years ago. During this period, we aim to pursue sustainable growth in our lottery business through our two distribution channels, complemented by an omnichannel approach. The main driver of growth for the French lottery is expected to be the recruitment of more than one million additional players, compared to 27 million players in 2024. This influx will be driven both by the expansion of the point-of-sale network and by the development of the digital channel, which is expected to account for 20% of our lottery business in 2028. And, as explained, we are convinced that an omnichannel strategy is essential to meet the needs of our customers, improve our responsible gaming tools, and create value. In our online betting and gaming activities, the acquisition of Kindred, completed at the end of 2024, is of course the cornerstone of our new strategic plan. We believe online gaming is a sector where scale is essential to compete with the global online betting operators. With Kindred, we now have that scale. The next stage is to realize the efficiencies, synergies, and marketing excellence that come with it and will sustain further growth. In 2025 and 2026, we will migrate all our online businesses onto common platforms: a unified sports betting platform (KSP: Kindred Sportsbook Platform), an online casino platform, and consolidated systems for customer experience, CRM, and PAM. By the end of 2026, this migration will be complete. The result will be fully local operations in each market, empowered by the advantages of common platforms. This infrastructure reduces costs, but it also strengthens marketing, product innovation, and overall efficiency. It gives us control of our IT platforms and our customer operations, while still allowing us to adapt to local differences. This is a profound transformation, one that requires time and sustained investment. We expect the foundations to be in place by 2026, with more benefits accruing through 2027 and 2028. And what will the customer-facing platform look like? Will there be a one-stop destination for all game categories? Stéphane Pallez: For the online betting and gaming business, the technology backbone will be common, but the customer-facing platforms will be adapted to each market, in line with regulations, culture, and user expectations. Customers will be able to access all games, from sports betting to online casinos, in markets where these activities are authorized, and increasingly they will enjoy a personalized experience. Digitization and AI are making it possible to tailor offerings to individual preferences, behaviors, and tastes. Equally important, the system gives players tools to manage their play responsibly and helps us manage financial risks, particularly in sports betting and casinos. Our goal is to empower players to manage their relationship with us in a way that is fun, safe, and suited to their personal preferences. The process of navigating across multiple channels and game categories will be seamless, easy, and intuitive, organically integrating the player’s journey with FDJ UNITED. Building out our IT platform ensures that CRM and PAM tools are optimized to full effect, allowing the player to co-create their own tailored experience. That is the future we are working towards. For our lottery business, customers will have a more and more digital experience but, of course, in a separate relationship from online betting and gaming since we are in a different legal framework. The Absorption of Kindred into FDJ United Kindred's online player base has been integrated with FDJ UNITED? Stéphane Pallez: Yes, it is for the online player base in locally regulated markets. As promised at the launch of our tender offer, after the completion of Kindred’s acquisition, we withdrew from all nonlocally regulated markets where it had been active and established a new online betting and gaming business unit within FDJ UNITED which complies fully with the laws of every jurisdiction. Was it difficult to integrate this multibillion-euro operator into FDJ UNITED and reshape the way business is conducted? Stéphane Pallez: From the beginning of this operation, we saw the planning and the execution of integration as a key ingredient for success. And also, from the start, we framed it as a much larger and fundamental project than solely integration. Therefore, we prepared thoroughly for this phase, as much as we could, ahead of the final completion of the deal. We designed in advance the organization of the Group post-acquisition, so we were able to work from day one in the new organization as one team to bring to life and further develop together this new international group, its new decision processes, and furthermore its new culture. As we all know, this is never achieved in one day but requires high involvement and energy at all levels. I am impressed and proud of the level of change we have already managed to achieve together. It strikes me that FDJ UNITED’s acquisition of Kindred effectively raises the standard of regulatory compliance. We’re here at the EL Congress Bern 2025, and you are embracing its theme of “Safeguarding the European Lottery Model; Building a Better World”, and turning words into action. Stéphane Pallez: FDJ UNITED aims to be the leader in locally regulated gaming markets, standing firmly with those who defend the authority of each country to define its own framework. The long-term health, stability, and sustainability of our industry depend on universal respect for the rule of law. That principle extends far beyond the European lottery model. European lotteries have long set the highest standards of integrity, accountability, and compliance, and they continue to lead by example. FDJ UNITED embraces the privilege and responsibility of being part of the global lottery community and stands firmly to support the goal of fighting illegal and gray-market operations. This was always our vision. Kindred had already begun the process of reshaping its business to comply fully with jurisdictional regulations worldwide when we decided on this operation. Our acquisition accelerated that transformation. Full compliance was an absolute precondition for moving forward with the deal. Continued on page 38
Animal Photography © avantipress.com © 2025 Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation. The trademarks and/or service marks used herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation, its affiliates, or its licensors. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. BrightstarLottery.com Smile. Laugh. Gift. Scratch. Avanti Press has entertained the world with feel-good funny greeting cards for 45 years! They connect people from all walks of life through the universal language of laughter. Avanti characters are sure to put a smile on your players’ faces. It’s not just an instant ticket anymore – it’s a personalized gift perfect for any holiday or special occasion!
14 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 We live in times where, despite high and still growing prosperity and surprisingly low unemployment in most countries, there are many concerns and questions, even despair, in the non-material sphere, especially among young people. The question is why? Some answers are obvious. Since the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, crises have followed in rapid succession. For Europeans, this was followed by the crisis in the eurozone between 2010 and the end of 2012, accompanied by an economic recession; the European refugee crisis in 2015-2016; climate disasters caused by water and fire; terrorist attacks in numerous European cities in 2015 and 2016; the pandemic that lasted almost three years; the war in Ukraine since 22 February 2022; and the resulting high inflation (up to 12%), and more recently, the trade war launched by the US in April of this year. All these developments created uncertainty and fear, which translated politically into an increase in extremism, the fragmentation of the party-political landscape and, as a result, the instability of national governments. The unrest and dissatisfaction of citizens drove some voters to political extremism, but at the same time many people demanded stability. Paradoxically, emotions have therefore become more important, but mostly negative emotions. However, life goes on relentlessly. Our economic competitors in the world and the climate do not care about our emotions. The challenge, then, is to turn fear into hope. We must also take into account nonmaterial reasons to explain the uncertainty felt by so many people. Society is changing rapidly. The world we live in today bears no resemblance to the 1950s, when I grew up, with strong social ties, strong philosophical and religious convictions, strong organisations and respected institutions and authority figures. I speak without nostalgia, because that serves no purpose. Today, individualization has turned into personal isolation. It has slowly grown out of the economic competition model, urbanization, social media, and political democracy. We are seeing the effects of this excessive individualization in the rise of diseases linked to the way in which we live our lives. Mental health is being affected by high rates of depression Following is the extraordinary verbatim keynote speech delivered by Count Herman Van Rompuy, President Emeritus of the European Council and former Prime Minister of Belgium, at the EL Congress in Bern, Switzerland on 15 September 2025. TURNING FEAR AND ANXIETY INTO HOPE AND POSITIVE ACTION Continued on page 16
15 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025
16 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 and burnout, by all kinds of addictions to alcohol, drugs and gaming, and by suicide. Young people suffer from this even more than older generations. Not only is this a tragedy for many of our children and grandchildren, but these phenomena also have an impact on the economy. A lack of mental health threatens to destroy much of our creativity, scientific and technical inventiveness, entrepreneurial spirit and innovation. After all, the best years for creativity are when you are under thirty years of age. We need these qualities now more than ever: due to the ageing population, the burden of social security and economic growth rests on the shoulders of an ever-shrinking proportion of the young population, of which a large number are struggling mentally. Economic growth will have to come mainly from an increase in productivity per hour and no longer from the employment of more people. But productivity requires creativity and a strong work ethic, and these suffer from a lack of mental health. Europe is not the only continent struggling with this. Russia, China, Japan and others face the same demographic and mental health problems. Did you know that China's population will be halved by the end of the century? From a purely economic point of view, migration could offer a solution, but irregular migration in particular is met with strong social resistance in almost all countries, both in the East and in the West. We must therefore do everything we can to make people stronger and more resilient. To achieve this, we need each other. Only people can help people. Together we are strong. Unity is strength. These are political slogans, but they are also true for a societal renaissance. This is not a matter for governments alone. Politics is in everything, but not everything is politics. I would like to take this opportunity, speaking for an audience of representatives of The European Lotteries (EL), to illustrate the role that lotteries play in strengthening precisely those interpersonal connections. Lotteries are not merely games of chance. From the first lottery in Bruges in 1441, it was not a purely commercial activity. The proceeds were used to achieve social and societal goals, to provide public goods where public means fell short. The paradox is that governments set up lotteries to help where the government itself falls short. The support from lotteries can involve poverty reduction, cultural needs, sport, youth work, care for the disabled, etc. Someone recently told me that without lotteries, there would no longer be any Olympic Games, and probably no Special Olympics or Paralympics either. And to my earlier points, lotteries strengthen precisely those interpersonal connections so vital to the restoration of a healthy social fabric. In Europe alone, revenues generated by lotteries amount to more than €22 billion annually. The Council of the European Union (EU) unanimously recognised the important social role of lotteries back in 2010. The case law of the Court of Justice also shows how lotteries are not only part of our cultural heritage but also an integral part of the European social fabric. In general, it is concern for the public interest that sets the limits on the freemarket economic competition model. Restrictions on gambling activities have been recognised by European case law since 1994. In the case of lotteries, and in addition to the motives of public order and consumer protection, preventing addiction and combating fraud and money laundering, it is also about the social approach to gambling and the social purpose of the funds. These specific aspects are not yet properly recognised as constitutive for the further development of a Union that is more than just an economic area. After all, it is ultimately about people's well-being and happiness, which sounds old-fashioned in a world of cut-throat competition. The government must also protect people and, in this case, combat illegal gambling. The law of the jungle should not be the only law. As in everything, there should of course be no over-protection of people that undermines their personal responsibility, but that is not usually the case today. National lotteries must be empowered to continue to play their social role. In my country, advertising spots have been appearing in the media for some time now, clearly showing the social needs that lottery funds help to solve. This positive impact, and the positive role model represented by lottery, is a breath of fresh air in the often brutal and noisy world we live in. The many players who participate in lottery games with small amounts who do not usually win, still know that they provide opportunities and perhaps also happiness for so many others. Maintaining this sustainable contribution of lotteries to society requires that the protection of players and the fight against crime be included in the European approach to regulation. The direct and indirect financing of good and important social causes also deserves recognition in the European discussions on future constitutional structures. After all, Europe is more than just an economic area. We need humanity and those societal values more than ever. In the EU, which endured two world wars in the last century, there have been eighty years of peace, mainly thanks to the Union of twenty-seven countries, which will soon have even more members. The feeling of powerlessness among many people in the face of violence and conflict has only reinforced the feeling that the EU is needed more than ever, because nation states are no longer able to provide the necessary protection. The Eurobarometer indicates that confidence in the EU is now at its highest level in almost twenty years. There is talk of Euroscepticism, but underneath there is a recognition of the 'Europe of necessity'. Amidst this emotionality, people still know where their interests and their future lie. That, too, is a sign of hope. European citizens do not want to choose between 'place' and 'space'. They cherish their home, their homeland, their place; but know that they need the 'space' of Europe. However, that trust in the EU must continue to be earned. The Union can only be strong and achieve results for its citizens if we are united. That unity is greater than many people think. Just a few examples: our joint European response in the form of vaccines, a huge economic recovery fund of 800 billion euros. Our joint response to Ukraine's request for all kinds of support is impressive. Sanctions against Russia require unanimity, and yet we are working on the 19th package of sanctions. Continued on page 39
17 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025
18 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 Listening to what consumers want is essential to the industry’s growth and sustainability, something Brightstar Lottery has long recognized. A new multi-country study, conducted by the company with research partner Foresight Factory, explores how consumers − both lottery players and the general public − are engaging with retail technologies, with a particular focus on payment ecosystems. “Consumers don’t think about topics like payment in isolation,” says Michelle Carney, Brightstar Vice President Global Lottery Marketing. “How people pay is now part of the experience itself. The choices they make are more about convenience, trust, and the seamlessness of that overall experience. “Outside of our industry, payment options have transformed the way consumers purchase goods and services,” she continues. “We invest in studying topics like payment methods – with non-players as well as players – not only to understand what consumers are doing today, but also where they’re headed, so we can develop strategies to support lotteries seeking regulatory changes to accept cashless payments, and develop product roadmaps that are attuned to those preferences.” In recent years, for example, research-based insights have informed the design of Brightstar self-service machines and retail terminals to help lotteries engage new audiences, including non-players and consumers who may not carry cash. The company also regularly shares research, such as the current study, to help lotteries shape their own future plans. Notes Carney, “The findings from this research could inform broader regulatory and stakeholder conversations, such as those happening within state governments, to provide context on payment trends.” Brightstar initiated and steered the study, fielded during the first quarter of 2025, identifying the topics and questions most relevant to lottery’s evolution—from cashless payments and mobile promotions to emerging retail formats. “Foresight Factory brought their expertise in defining the larger trends, and we brought the strategic lens to align the research with the realities and possibilities of the lottery business,” says Gerard Caro, Brightstar Senior Director Market Research. Topics covered by the study include: • Current and future payment methods • The use of in-store technologies • Omnichannel shopping behaviors • Interest in online lottery and courier services • Openness to AI and automation tools. “What really stands out is how interested weekly lottery players are in new payment and tech offerings,” observes Caro. “We found that regular players demonstrate a high level of understanding about budding technologies (see graph). This challenges some conventional beliefs and could point to who the players of the future will be.” The findings are presented as a downloadable, two-part whitepaper, “Pay, Play, Progress: Changes in Payment and Retail Preferences for Lottery.” The research also taps into Foresight Factory’s specialty in forecasting to produce two forward-looking prediction models about the future of lottery engagement, to help the industry look beyond current attitudes and behaviors. New Research: Pay, Play, Progress A major study with both lottery players and general consumers reveals opportunities for lotteries to evolve their payment and retail technologies.
19 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 Part 1: Modern Payment Trends in Lottery Part 1 of the whitepaper offers data and analysis on consumers’ interactions with the increasingly diverse payment landscape, uncovering critical insights into: • How lotteries can meet current consumer demand amid a wide range of payment options, while laying the groundwork for future-facing methods. • Why weekly lottery players are leading the adoption of emerging payment methods. • Interest in dedicated lottery wallets, with an average of 62% of weekly lottery players expressing interest. The findings reveal where lottery players and general consumers have an appetite for flexibility and experimentation. Part 2: Retail Channel Innovation & Access The second half of the whitepaper shifts the focus to the future of the lottery retail experience, analyzing how emerging technologies and evolving consumer expectations are reshaping the path to purchase. It offers a strategic look into: • The Automation vs. Human Dilemma: How to strike the right balance between the efficiency of self-service and the trusted value of human interaction. • In-Store Technology: How omnichannel strategies and digital touchpoints are creating more tailored and engaging retail environments. • The Online Lottery Opportunity: Data-based insights into player interest in buying tickets online and sharing personal information for added convenience or promotions. • The Era of Hyper-Convenience: How automated purchases, AI-driven game suggestions, and personalized promotions could keep lottery play aligned to players' interests. Read the Report The new research into the habits and preferences of players and non-players reflects Brightstar’s ongoing investment in understanding consumer behavior and its implications for the lottery industry. The findings enable the company to ground product and service innovation in data-based insights, to help equip lotteries to connect with current and new players. To download your copy of the whitepaper, visit: brightstarlottery.com/WhitePaper2025
Across all jurisdictions, the game has demonstrated resilience, maintaining strong performance even when stacked against offerings with progressive jackpots. This level of consistent success underscores the universal appeal of a well-crafted, approachable game that engages players on multiple levels. BACON ME CRAZY The lottery landscape has evolved dramatically in recent years, with digital platforms and multi-channel experiences creating new opportunities and new challenges for lotteries. In this dynamic environment, success is increasingly driven by the ability to diversify game portfolios and deliver engaging experiences that appeal to a wide range of players. One game that exemplifies this approach is Bacon Me Crazy by Pollard Digital Games Studio, which has proven to be a standout performer across multiple U.S. and international lotteries. Its broad appeal and adaptability highlight the impact a well-designed game can have across judications and sales channels. WHAT MAKES BACON ME CRAZY UNIQUE At the core of Bacon Me Crazy’s success is a combination of thoughtful design, accessible gameplay, engaging mechanics and, of course, the world-renowned allure of bacon. The game features a fun, lighthearted theme that resonates with players, paired with gameplay that is intuitive and easy to understand. The studio drew inspiration from classic retail pull-tab mechanics, bringing familiarity and approachability, while introducing modern interactive features. Its inclusion of multipliers and multiticket features adds depth without creating unnecessary complexity, while visually engaging animations maintain player interest and enhance the overall experience. A particularly notable feature is the ball drop-style bonus game, which gives players a tangible sense of choice and control. This combination of accessibility, interactive elements, and visual appeal creates a game that is not only easy to play but also memorable, encouraging repeat engagement and broadening the appeal of the lottery’s portfolio. “The Pollard Digital Games Studio creates experiences that meet player expectations by considering every aspect of interaction with a player, including: games that are easy to access and understand, play mechanics that are fun and engaging, that any bonus features are exciting, and the outcome of the game is clear and instantaneous,” says Bradley Johnson, Director, Pollard Digital Game Studio. A GLOBAL SUCCESS STORY The performance of Bacon Me Crazy demonstrates that a strong game can resonate across a variety of markets and player demographics. In Kansas, the game quickly became a top performer. Even as part of the initial eight-game launch in 2025, it stood out, a clear indication of its immediate popularity. In West Virginia, the game achieved record-breaking results. Its 14-day performance post-launch was the best ever recorded for a new game, and it has continued to perform consistently, regularly ranking among the top three games in the jurisdiction. Meanwhile, Lithuania’s national lottery, Euloto, was among the earliest adopters of Bacon Me Crazy. Even a year after its launch, the game maintained a strong leading position, consistently ranking as one of the top games of the year. Across all jurisdictions, the game has demonstrated resilience, maintaining strong performance even when stacked against offerings with progressive jackpots. This level of consistent success underscores the universal appeal of a well-crafted, approachable game that engages players on multiple levels. STRATEGIC CHANNEL CROSSOVER The success of Bacon Me Crazy extends beyond online instant game formats. Its transition into the digital eTab format illustrates how a game designed for one channel can strategically expand into others while maintaining momentum. For instance, in its first month featured at Minnesota charitable social channels, the digital eTab Bacon Me Crazy product set a new record as the best-selling game launch of all time on the platform. This remarkable performance drove a 35% increase in total sales in the market, highlighting the potential for an iLottery-first game design to create a substantial impact across channels. By leveraging the game’s existing popularity while optimizing digital experiences, lottery and charitable gaming operators can capitalize on cross-channel synergies, attract new players, and increase overall engagement.
FUTURE IMPACT AND STRATEGIC INSIGHTS The success of Bacon Me Crazy offers key insights for the future of lottery game development. First, it underscores the value of a diversified portfolio, where a mix of interactive games ensures a broad appeal to players with varying preferences. Second, it demonstrates the potential of multi-channel strategies, showing that well-designed games can be successfully adapted across traditional and online product verticals. As lotteries continue to navigate evolving player behaviors and technological innovations, the ability to design games that are flexible, engaging, and accessible will be critical. Bacon Me Crazy serves as a model, illustrating that thoughtful design and strategic deployment can deliver strong performance and sustained player interest across markets. "The future of lotteries lies in creating experiences that resonate across every channel—woven together by shared themes of excitement, trust, and imagination. That’s been our approach for nearly thirty years: thoughtful innovation guided by continuous learning,” says Shannon DeHaven, Vice President of Digital Engagement. CONCLUSION In an increasingly competitive lottery landscape, a single great game can make a difference, but a diversified portfolio and multi-channel strategy are what drive long-term success. Bacon Me Crazy exemplifies how creativity, accessibility, and cross-channel adaptability combine to create a truly standout product. Its performance across multiple jurisdictions and formats reinforces the importance of designing games that not only capture attention but also sustain engagement, ultimately contributing to the growth and resilience of lottery programs worldwide. VISIT OUR STUDIO
22 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 Ireland 1992: The Inside story of a Bulk-Buying Scheme Lived Experience of a Lotto Game Buyout Ray Bates Honorary President of EL Former CEO of An Post Irish National Lottery Lottery Industry Consultant In light of recent developments in North America with Courier Services and bulk buying of US State Lottery games, and the attendant paper on the “WLA Position On Bulk Sales”, I thought it might be worthwhile reflecting on a personal experience I had some years ago that might provide a relevant and historically unique perspective on the subject of game buy-outs and, in passing, on the European versus North American approach to Lottery games. In 1992 the then Lotto 6/36 of the Irish National Lottery was the target of a buyout by a group of Irish gamblers/businessmen who shared a love of gambling and “beating the system”. The Proposition I was Lottery Director at the time and we had offered a special Lotto promotion of a guaranteed £100 for all Match 4 winners (odds of 299 to 1). The usual Match 4 prize was around £10, so this was a particularly attractive offering. The funding for the promotion came from unclaimed prize money – “giving the players the chance to win back their unclaimed prizes”. And, coincidentally, the Jackpot had rolled-over to be an estimated €1.5million +. PGRI Introduction: You may have seen the recent case in Texas where a “syndicate” bought up every remaining lottery ticket, calculating that the cost of doing so was less than the value of the winning tickets. Buying all the outstanding tickets ensured they would hold the winning ticket – effectively guaranteeing them a multi-million-dollar profit; or, at the very least, tilting the odds decisively in their favor. Within the lottery community, there is broad consensus that these Bulk-Purchase Syndicate schemes violate the spirit and the integrity of the game. Most agree that this practice undermines fairness, disadvantages everyday players, and erodes the public trust that is the backbone of lottery’s reputation. And yet, this is hardly a new phenomenon. As I learned in a conversation with my friend Ray Bates, these schemes have surfaced before. I asked him to share his own experience in dealing with it. And because Ray is an Irish storyteller, his reflections remind us that this issue is bigger than rules or payouts—it’s about values, vision, and what kind of lottery we want to st and for. Ray Bates was the Director of the Irish National Lottery from 1988 until his retirement in 2006. In 1995, Ray was elected President of the European State Lotteries and Toto Association, where he spearheaded the merger of two separate European associations into what became the European Lotteries (EL). In 1999, he was elected the first President of the newly unified EL, and in 2001 was named Honorary President in recognition of his contributions. Between 2001 and 2006, he also served on the executive committees of both EL and the World Lottery Association (WLA). Today, Ray continues to consult internationally for the lottery industry and supports EL’s educational initiatives including the EL Corporate University project. (see european-lotteries.org). Come to the EL Congress in Bern to see Ray moderate the presentation of EL advertising awards.
publicgaming.comRkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTg4MTM=