WLS 2024 The key contribution of lottery suppliers to industry

WLA Platinum Contributors provide invaluable insights and support to our industry, enabling us to advance, and prepare for the future.

During WLS 2024, the Platinum Contributor Session, was moderated by WLA President, Rebecca Paul, with panellists Renato Ascoli, CEO, Global Lottery, IGT; Nikos Nikolakopoulos, CEO, INTRALOT Group; Doug Pollard, Co-CEO, Pollard Banknote Limited, and Patrick McHugh, CEO, Scientific Games, discussed key industry challenges and opportunities.

Before beginning the session, Paul thanked the Contributors for making it possible for WLA to do much of its work to support members, and the broader regulated lottery and sports betting community.

Disruptors

Regarding the impact of disruptors on our industry, whether those selling tickets illegally in jurisdictions where they're not licensed, or synthetic lotteries, and how the regulated lottery and sports betting industry should react, McHugh highlighted that it was important for all regional trade associations to define these different categories, understand if various models contribute to the industry’s health, or if they distract from it. It was important to question whether they are held to the same level of consumer protection, security, and integrity? Do they siphon off players from our industry? Are they returning money back to our beneficiaries and stakeholders?

RFP process

On the topic of requests for proposals (RFP), Pollard emphasized the need for early and meaningful engagement in the request for proposal (RFP) process, between lotteries and technology solutions providers, to ensure a full understanding of what is available, be able to write as broad an RFP, and make the most of all technology available.

Ensuring responsible gaming

On the question of what Contributors are doing to help WLA provide better services to its members so that they can ensure player protection, Ascoli talked about the general recognition across the board that in comparison to other gaming and sports betting operators, the lotteries were perceived to be very much in the healthy part of the spectrum.

He attributed this to the work of the WLA to set the right standards, support the adoption of such standards, and more importantly, to communicate what the industry is doing by adopting them.

He noted that for IGT, it was not just about checking the box of the last certification process, it was a way to create the conditions for healthy growth.

Driving technology

On the question of what the industry was doing to drive technology, Nikolakopoulos talked about technology being a key enabler for lotteries and the whole industry, in order to achieve the innovation required to be at the forefront of development, and to attract players.

A second important point, which he noted was raised in another session at WLS 2024, was the idea that technology contributes to business strategy and operations and must therefore deliver speed to market for new products, and be able to cater for a multi-vendor strategy, where lotteries have a complete ecosystem that fulfils their needs.

Challenges facing our industry

A number of challenges facing our industry were raised, including:

• Competing in an environment with more competition for gaming and entertainment.
• Unknown competitors that the industry doesn’t currently see, who may come in later.
• How to maintain and grow player bases in the face of competition? For instance, how to grow the retail customer and make them part of omnichannel.

Finally, the panellists agreed that both competition and maintaining player trust were critical for industry growth.

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