Lotteries and the circular economy

So what is the circular economy? The Oxford Dictionary, describes it as: “an economic system based on the reuse and regeneration of materials or products, especially as a means of continuing production in a sustainable or environmentally friendly way.”

Expert Nadia Lambiase, CEO at Mercato Circolare, research fellowship University of Turin, presented on the concept in broad terms, before underscoring some ways for the lottery and sports betting industry to participate in the circular economy, such as:

• Paper: recycling tickets and packaging.
• Machines: ensuring they are designed to be modular and energy efficient.
• Energy: considering what and how much they use.
• Water: making water use efficient.
• Suppliers: ensuring standards, policies and code of conduct for suppliers and partners that include social, environmental, human rights, gender equality, non-discrimination, health and safety, as well as capacity-building initiatives.

Life cycle thinking for lotteries – a supplier’s perspective

As part of its sustainable strategy, industry supplier Brightstar acts to protect the climate, preserve natural resources, and advance circularity, by considering the environment in the production of its products and services.

During the SRG Seminar, Stefania Colombo, Global Sustainability Senior Director, Brightstar, highlighted the company’s commitment to reducing the environmental impact of retailer terminals and their components across the full lifecycle, noting a focus on thoughtful design and material choices, and energy efficiency solutions.

Lottery terminals

Adopting a lifecycle assessment approach (LCA), involves analysis to address environmental aspects and potential impacts (e.g. resource use and environmental consequences of emissions) and carbon footprint measurement throughout the life cycle of a product.

Thus, LCA for lottery terminals, enables developing eco-design strategies during the product design phase and promoting the product through marketing strategies linked to environmental product labeling.

Going paper free

A key part of the player experience is the playslip validation. This process can differ, and depends on factors, for instance:

• Game access – physical (at retailer) and online
• Game validation at retailers with paper playslip – by voice, with re-reading, with playslip (APP), and online

From a carbon footprint perspective, energy consumption of datacenters, which execute the transaction, must be considered for all playslip validations.

Nonetheless, where possible it is advisable to adopt paperless playing modes.

One lottery’s approach

The session ended with Kate Carlson, Director of CSR and Compliance, at the Hoosier Lottery in Indiana, who described the lottery’s lifecycle approach to design.  

To minimize harm or improve performance, and encourage redesign for the circular economy, the approach taken encompasses cradle to grave thinking in the design process, and of impacts. Equally, the environmental impact is embedded into the process, and not an afterthought.

Scratch off ticket supply chain hot spots

Supply chain hotspots raise issues and provide opportunities to find effective solutions.

• Print vendors – considering paper type, energy used for production, ink type and adhesives
• Print process – recycling excess print runs
• Transport – ticket delivery and pick up
• Disposal – unsold and retail tickets

Positive solutions

• Returning and reusing wood pallets
• Secure recycling of unsold tickets which were incinerated for energy resource recovery
• Pooling ticket deliver and pick up with other already scheduled trips
• Finding homes for unused and gently used POS bins, displays, and playcenters
• Using recycled and FSC paper, green energy for production, and recyclable adhesives

Diverse initiatives are underway by the lottery and sports betting industry to ensure an environmentally sustainable future, with consideration for regional, national and even international regulations and standards.

Find out more about the WLA/EL SRG Seminar in Vienna.

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