‍The positive impact of global lotteries
In his opening address, WLA President, Andreas Kötter, highlighted the important work of WLA members to raise funds for good causes that positively impact individuals, communities and societies around the world, amounting to almost 95 billion in the 2024 Financial Year, according to the WLA Global Lottery Data Compendium.
Kötter also underscored the significant contributions from the Asia region, notably that one-third (33.3%) of the year-on-year increase in WLA Regular Member revenues came from the three WLA member lottery and sports betting operators in China.
Other opening addresses were given by Dong Hongfang, Deputy Director of the China Sports Lottery, Zhang Youwei, Deputy Director-General the China Welfare Lottery, and Huang Rong, Assistant Dean and Professor at the School of Management at Fudan University.
Benefits of WLA responsible gaming certification
The WLA Corporate Responsibility Strategy for Responsible Gaming offers a comprehensive approach to promoting RG practices across the global lottery and sports betting ecosystem. It provides strategic direction for raising the level of RG programs among members and establishing WLA as a “go to” center of expertise on Responsible Gaming (RG) in the gambling sector.
Lucile Goulard, WLA Deputy Director, presented how the WLA RG Framework enables sustainable lottery operations and positive societal impact, describing the benefits, types, and levels of certification.
Responsible Gaming supports sustainable growth by building trust and aligning with public-interest goals, while protecting players. A way to achieve this is through certification to the Framework provides a structured and credible way to embed responsible gaming into governance, operations and organizational culture, and enables WLA members to demonstrate that player protection and social responsibility are integral to the way they operate. So far, over 50% of WLA members have attained the highest level.
The process is independently assessed and supports trust, legitimacy and long-term sustainability. Anne Pattberg, Chair of the WLA RG Independent Assessment Panel discussed the evolution of global RG practices, trends and the importance of meaningful and constructive stakeholder engagement for RG, as a way to secure the license to operate.
Find out more about WLA CSR and RG activities
The role of standards for operations security and risk management
Cybersecurity entails protecting systems, networks, and data from a wide variety of threats, such as cyberattacks and unauthorized access, which may halt operations, cause financial losses and damage the reputation of operators and the industry as a whole.
In an increasingly digital world, this includes online platforms, lottery terminals, betting systems, casinos and hospitality systems, as well as customer information, cybersecurity has become an essential strategic priority for business stability and trust, not just an IT concern, and standards help to ensure that security, integrity, and risk management are embedded into governance, decision-making, and daily operations.
FDJ United
WLA Executive Director, Luca Esposito, and Fabien Marechal, Head of Corporate Cybersecurity, FDJ United, France and member of the WLA Security and Risk Management Committee responsible for developing and maintaining the WLA Security Control Standard, gave a presentation on the Standard and the work carried out by the Committee to support members manage risk, including the Lottery Risk Register and risk profiles.
The industry’s highest security standard
The WLA Security Control Standard (WLA-SCS:2024), is the only internationally recognized security standard for the regulated lottery and sports betting sector and has been designed to assist WLA members to obtain a level of security control in line with generally accepted best practices and enable an increased reliance on the integrity of their operations.
The Standard specifies the required practices for an effective security management structure by which to maintain integrity, availability, and confidentiality of information vital to an organization’s secure operation.
How the WLA Security standard is important for lotteries
The WLA SCS: 2024 helps organizations by transforming security from an IT activity into a governance capability, which:
- Clarifies responsibilities across all levels
- Ensures consistency and discipline in management practices
- Demonstrates professionalism, compliance, and reliability to regulators and authorities
It also provides a structured vocabulary and reference point that is understandable by Boards and executive management, actionable for management and operational teams, concrete for IT and security specialists, and measurable for auditors and regulators. It also enables clear roles and responsibilities, ownership of risks, controls, and decisions and traceability from strategy to operations.
Through certification to the Security Control Standard, governance becomes institutional, repeatable, and defensible — not person-dependent. It supports a long-term, structured evolution of security and governance, rather than fragmented improvements driven by incidents or regulatory pressure.
This is important for lotteries in China, which are public institutions with formal responsibilities to governments, regulators, and society.
Global lottery perspectives
During the event, WLA lottery members shared insights, experiences and different aspects of their responsible gaming and security and risk management operations, including:
- RG Policies and initiatives at the Hong Kong Jockey Club (Stephanie Hui, Senior Manager, External Affairs, HKJC)
- Employee programs for strengthening capability and accountability for responsible gaming (Kelly Bleakley, Senior Manager Social Purpose, Lotto New Zealand)
- Player Education: Informed Choice, Risk Awareness, and Public Value Communication, (Hou Chengliang, Director of Responsible Gaming Division, China Welfare Lottery Issuance and Management Centre)
- Minor Protection: The Non-Negotiable “Red Line” for Trust and Legitimacy, (Tay Boon Khai, Chief Risk & Compliance, Singapore Pools)
- The Last Mile in Building Responsible Gaming for China Sports Lottery, (Cheng Shujian, Director of Lottery Responsibility Management Department, China Sports Lottery Administration Center)
- Integrity of Draws and Game Operations: Safeguarding the Symbol of Fairness, (Mi Qing, Lottery Draw Management Division, China Welfare Lottery Issuance and Management Centre)
- Technology-enabled Risk Prevention and Cybersecurity Practices, (Zhang Ning, Director of Information Technology Department, China Sports Lottery Administration Center
- Operational Experience Sharing: Navigating and Breaking Through in a Complex and Dynamic Business Environment, (Raymond Tse, Head of Betting Operations and Systems, The Hong Kong Jockey Club)
A great success
The WLAÂ is grateful to Fudan University and the Hong Kong Jockey Club for their support in organizing the Seminar, and to all speakers and attendees, who together made it a great success.
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