WLA initiatives to support members
Kötter presented an overview of industry trends, highlighting statistics from the WLA Global Lottery Data Compendium on global sales by region for 2025, during which Asia led with a few percent ahead of Europe.
He explained key activities undertaken to support members over the past year, including:
- The development of a Position Paper on Prediction Markets, in response to the rapid and largely unregulated expansion of such markets.
- WLA joint project with University of Lausanne, School of Criminology, which resulted in the development of a credible framework for sizing illegal gambling markets.
- The targeted resource, Project RED, which provides tools and strategies to help member lotteries tackle responsible gaming, environmental and broader CSR challenges.
- WLA joint partnership with the East Carolina University, Gambling Research & Policy Initiative, and the microsite Reaching Emerging Adults, created as a resource hub to help members understand and respond to gambling risk among young adults.
- The World Lottery Summit is approaching, and WLA and host lottery The Lottery Corporation are on track to deliver an amazing event and look forward to welcoming the global lottery and sports betting community to Sydney in November.
WLA stance on Prediction Markets
WLA Executive Director Luca Esposito presentedthe WLA’s Position Paper on Prediction Markets, noting:
“Prediction markets offering sport-event or lottery-based contracts without a proper local licence are operating illegally. Rebranding bets as 'contracts' and players as 'traders' does not change thelegal nature of the activity.”
The Paper calls for urgent alignment between gaming and financial market regulators to close regulatory gaps and ensure prediction markets are subject to the same licensing, integrity, return to society and consumer protection standards as betting, and urges stakeholders to act without delay:
- WLA Members should engage proactively with regulators to ensure they are properly informed.
- Regulators and governments should require all entities offering financial contracts on event outcomes to obtain the appropriate gaming/betting licence before operating.
- Sports bodies and integrity monitoring organizations should include prediction markets in sports integrity monitoring frameworks and suspicious transaction reporting (STR) obligations.
Women in lottery leadership
Lucile Goulard, WLA Deputy Executive Director, presented on Women in Lottery Leadership (WiLL), a global movement uniting one community, and why gender equality matters in the global authorized state lottery and sports betting industry organizations that have a true impact on society.
Looking ahead, the WLA role will be to connect and amplify the WiLL program and support initiatives, with a session at the World Lottery Summit, in Sydney in November.
WiLL was established in 2016 as a leadership development initiative designed to strengthen the lottery sector by advancing talent, fostering mentorship, and preparing future leaders when women executives answered a call to action from lottery CEOs and senior leaders.
It has inspired the creation of regional programs and mentoring networks across multiple regions of the world. Goulard underscored the example of The European Lotteries, where the activities comprise mentoring and professional support, mentoring workshops and the creation of an alumni community.
World Lottery Summit 2026
Callum Mulvihill, Chief Operating Officer of The Lottery Corporation and World Lottery Summit 2026 host lottery, gave an update of the industry's landmark event to be held in Sydney from 9-12 November.
Mulvihill detailed what participants can expect at WLS 2026, including the:
- Exceptional business program, keynote and expert industry speakers & parallel sessions to explore key topics, built around the theme: United in Purpose: Driving Change and Building Resilience
- Tradeshow exhibition providing the occasion to meet with global suppliers and see latest product and services offers
- WLA Awards program showcasing the best of our members' advertising and Responsible Gaming work
- World class venue International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney)
- Unforgettable social program for opening and closing dinners at the Sydney Opera House and ICC Ballroom, as well as networking opportunities and tours
For more information and registration, visit: www.worldlotterysummit.org
