16 / 76
16
// PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL // January/February 2016
PUBLIC GAMING
INTERVIEWS
Fernando
PAES AFONSO
Vice-President of Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa
Chief Executive Officer of Santa Casa Gaming Department
First Vice President, European Lottery Association (EL)
Paul Jason, PGRI:
The EL has always
been a powerful advocate for its members
in the political/regulatory arena. Now you
are giving special attention to innovation,
and the ways Lottery can compete in the
market-place.
Fernando Paes Afonso:
Like any
business, we need to adapt to reality
and optimize performance within the
constraints of that reality. The EL has
always been bold and proactive at ad-
vancing the interests of its members in
the political arena. And their educa-
tional seminars and conferences equip
its members to compete in an intensely
competitive market-place.
Innovation is a top priority for all of
us. Our first EL Innovation Seminar
was just held in Warsaw and was very
successful. Wojciech Szpil, the CEO of
Totalizator Sportowy (the Polish Lot-
tery) was the organizer and he did a
fabulous job.
Our charter requires us to be risk-
averse. Preserving the value of the brand,
assuring the security and integrity of
the operations, and promoting a re-
sponsible approach towards gaming are
the values that we hold most dear. That
means we are conservative and cautious
in everything we do. Fortunately, there
is huge potential for government-Lot-
tery to drive innovation and progress
A Fresh Perspective on “Innovation”
PGRI Introduction:
With a background in Economics, Mr Paes Afonso began his professional career in the Portu-
guese National Parliament, and also served in financial services companies and the commercial construction sector.
He has a vast experience in the lottery business, being responsible for several major and decisive changes in the busi-
ness. During his first term at Santa Casa’s Gaming Department (2002–2005), Mr Paes Afonso led the modernization of
the lottery brand (Jogos Santa Casa), the introduction of the multi-channel Portal as well as the player’s card and the
launching of the multi-jurisdictional Game of Euromillions. Over his current term he updated the network of gaming ter-
minals, and launched the online instant lottery and the land-based fixed-odds sports-betting, among other significant
changes introduced to update the Lottery-playing experience to complement the lifestyles of the modern consumer.
My discussions with Mr Paes Afonso always gravitate towards the ways for Lottery to connect with the modern con-
sumer. As a realist whose goal is to bridge the gap between Lottery as a governmental institution and Lottery as a
market-driven enterprise, he is a concrete thinker who focuses on the actionable. “Innovation” isn’t about futuristic
technology or creating the ‘next big thing’ in games. It’s about using our imagination to see opportunity to improve
the way we operate, to unlock value that already resides in the existing infrastructure and ways of doing business.