37 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2025 Shannon DeHaven: We’ve been working in the digital space together for years, and through countless conversations with lotteries, one thing keeps coming up: the cloud. Specifically, what it really means to go cloud-native. I thought we could walk through the key questions, starting with the big one. What’s your take on how the industry’s responding to cloud-native technology? Pedro Melo: Absolutely, and it’s a topic that’s gathering pace in the lottery industry. It’s not just a buzzword but a key step to staying competitive. A recent Akamai report showed over 75% of gaming companies had moved most applications to cloud-native platforms, with nearly all others planning to follow within a year. That’s a rapid and significant shift. Lotteries can’t afford to fall behind. They’re competing with iGaming and sports betting operators already leveraging cloud-native advantages. This isn’t just a tech upgrade; it’s a strategic necessity to stay relevant in a fast-evolving digital landscape. Digital transformation is accelerating across gaming, but it’s also causing some confusion. Many lotteries say they’ve “moved to the cloud,” but often that just means their legacy systems are just hosted in a cloud environment, not built for it. That’s where the Pollard Catalyst™ iLottery Platform stands apart. It’s cloud-native from the ground up, unlocking capabilities that legacybased systems simply can’t deliver. Shannon DeHaven: Before we go further, what’s the difference between being in the cloud and an on-premise solution? Pedro Melo: Let’s use a restaurant analogy. Imagine a traditional restaurant with a fixed space and equipment to serve 50 people. It works fine until 100 show up. Then the kitchen slows, orders get delayed, and customers leave unhappy. That’s what on-premises systems look like during traffic surges. The lottery industry is facing rapid change, and understanding cloud-native technology is more important than ever. In this insightful conversation, Shannon DeHaven, Vice President of Digital Engagement at Pollard Banknote Limited, and Pedro Melo, Executive Vice President of Information Technology & Digital at Pollard Banknote Limited, discuss how cloud-native platforms are transforming innovation, scalability, and security, offering a clear path for lotteries to stay competitive in today’s digital world. Let’s Talk Cloud-Native Unlocking the Future of Lottery Innovation
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