42 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2025 Piet Van Baeveghem – cont. from page 10 The National Lottery in Belgium in 2010. Since 2013, he led the organization’s legal strategy and compliance agenda. Effective July 1, Piet Van Baeveghem assumed the role of Secretary General, EL (European Lotteries association). The appointment of Piet by the EL Executive Committee is a key step for the Association’s future, ensuring that both the EL team and the membership continue to grow and strengthen its unique societal mission. As part of his responsibilities at The National Lottery in Belgium, Piet had been deeply engaged with EL for many years - most notably as Executive Chair of the EL Legal & Regulatory Working Group, but also in various other capacities. His extensive experience and deep understanding of the lottery sector make him well-prepared for his new role as Secretary General. Piet is also a prolific contributor to the global lottery community. He has authored publications on gaming law and regulation, and frequently presents at international conferences on topics such as responsible gaming, advertising standards, GDPR, and online gambling regulation. Piet is a recognised leader in strategy, governance, and regulatory affairs. An experienced team leader, he brings over 25 years of expertise in policy-making and stakeholder engagement, making him a valuable addition to the EL team. Piet holds a Master’s degree in Law from Ghent University, where he was also an active member of the Faculty Board and the University Education Council. His contributions to public policy began in government, serving as an advisor to the Belgian Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, and later as Deputy Director to the Minister of Economy. He went on to hold leadership roles at FEBELFIN, the Belgian financial sector federation, and served on various oversight bodies, including the Kamer voor Verwijzing en Instaatstelling and ACCOM, ensuring auditor independence and ethics. Fluent in Dutch, French, and English and with passive knowledge of German, Piet is recognized for his rational, results-driven leadership style grounded in trust, empathy, and team focus. His strategic insights and regulatory acumen continue to shape the European gaming landscape. Richard Bateson – cont. from page 10 Richard’s achievements are extensive and many. Early in his career at Camelot UK, Richard held leadership roles across Marketing, Sales, Digital – in fact across all consumer touch-points of the UK National Lottery. Under his guidance, Camelot’s annual sales grew from 5bn GBP to 7bn GBP (c. $10bn), in so doing Richard revitalized the core game brands of the UK lottery, and expanded its retail estate and its digital player base by more than four million. Richard project managed the launch of EuroMillions and later served as President of EuroMillions, and Chairman of the Board, helping transform the game into the world’s most successful international lottery — a testament to his ability to lead with strategic vision at both local and global levels. Richard’s influence extends far beyond the UK. He led Camelot’s consortium bid for the Irish National Lottery (PLI), subsequently overseeing digital operations through Camelot Global and serving as Commercial Director. In North America, Richard has worked across more than a dozen states, partnering closely with MUSL on licensing initiatives and new game development. Since joining Intralot, Inc. in 2023, Richard has led the North American business through a bold transformation. As Chief Commercial Officer and now CEO, he has launched the industry’s first multi-state, omni-channel progressive jackpot Fast Play game and has overseen vast change and transformation of Intralot’s business – something that will be felt by its customers for years to come. What truly sets Richard apart is not only what he has achieved, but how he leads. With a leadership style defined by strategic clarity, collaboration, and forward-thinking optimism, he consistently earns the trust of teams, regulators, and industry peers alike. He inspires innovation, drives results, and elevates the organizations and people around him. team accountable to the core values of our highly regulated industry– integrity, reliability, accountability, and commitment to the highest ethical standards. Michelle’s career in the lottery industry has truly grown from the ground up, starting with her earliest role as a marketing analyst at GTECH. By combining an entrepreneurial spirit of innovation with her commitment to building mutually beneficial, long-term business relationships, she has worked with customers around the world to launch new products to grow the lottery business. Michelle contributed to the execution of the lottery industry’s first in-lane solution in the U.K., the first U.S. digital signage implementation, and the introduction of ‘G3’ the first instant win terminal games in Minnesota, the precursor to today’s Fast Play games. Michelle has demonstrated her passion for industry collaboration over many years. In 2009, she was a key contributor to the development of the industry’s first Jackpot Vision Plan, a collaborative effort to advance the multi-state game category in the U.S. This included a detailed plan to execute the cross-selling of Mega Millions and Powerball, and a roadmap for the evolution of the multi-state category. Michelle also led the project implementation on the initial Cash 4 Life draw game introduction in NY and NJ in 2014, which has subsequently expanded to ten jurisdictions and become an important multi-state product to drive incremental revenue beyond large jackpot games. Michelle has held various positions throughout her tenure at Brightstar, assuming increasing levels of responsibility and taking a customer first approach to her work. In her current role, Michelle is responsible for the development of marketing and communication strategies that support growth for Brightstar, including product and content launches, trade shows and customer events. She also manages Brightstar’s relationships with industry associations such as the World Lottery Association (WLA), European Lotteries (EL) and the National Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL), advocating to advance collaboration across the lottery industry. Among many highlights of her career, Michelle most recently led the development and implementation plan to deliver a $5 Mega Millions game in April 2025, on behalf of the Mega Millions Consortium. She developed an inclusive technical, operational and retail execution strategy that provided the framework for a successful project delivery of key milestones across 11 subcommittees. Her comprehensive oversight and leadership ensured that 47 U.S. lotteries experienced a successful game launch. Michelle’s accomplishments are largely a result of her inclusive leadership style and she is a champion for propelling the lottery industry forward. Her passion, authenticity and conviction of character are the reasons why she is a trusted leader and friend to so many across the lottery industry. Michelle Carney – cont. from page 10 PGRI LOTTERY INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME FOR 2025
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