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// PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL // September/October 2016
A. Garland:
Sustainable is the key word here. Lotteries and their public
service mission are here for the long term. Our games need to appeal to a
broad and diverse audience. Our success depends on a lot of people play-
ing a little rather than a few people playing a lot. The history of the lottery
industry in the U.S. shows us that. Yes. There’s lot of competition today and
more is coming. We can meet the competition by moving more quickly to
embrace the technologies that provide a better lottery experience. We can
expand our base of players with innovative games—some for everybody and
some for important niches. Building your base of customers is actually one
of the most important pieces of growing a lottery responsibly. We can meet
that competition by knowing that in the end, today’s consumers, especially
that much sought after millennial demographic, want to do business with
businesses that show they care. They expect and demand great customer
service. And responsible gaming is at the heart of good customer service.
I realize that the purpose of RG is to protect the consumer—that its purpose isn’t
to burnish our image and be leveraged as a PR tool. But still, why couldn’t and
shouldn’t it be leveraged into our brand-messaging as a value that Government-
Lottery delivers much more effectively, and with much more genuine dedication
and commitment, than other sectors in the games-of-chance industry like casino
and Daily Fantasy Sports operators; and to explicitly differentiate Lottery from
those other sectors as regards to RG performance?
A. Garland:
I agree. Our brand is responsible play. That’s one of the
main things that makes state lotteries unique and different from other
gaming enterprises. We’re accountable. We’re transparent with our custom-
ers and the public about how we operate and where the money goes. Our
engagement with our customers is different. And our profits go to good
causes. When people think of lotteries, they should see fun, fair and respon-
sible play. That’s our brand.
Government-lottery applies a social consciousness to its mission in ways that
other purveyors of games-of-chance do not. What can we as an industry do to
gain recognition and appreciation for that fact from stakeholders like the media,
the legislators who shape regulatory policy, and the general public?
A. Garland:
Making responsible play part of our brand helps everyone
see how lottery is different. Isn’t that what a successful brand does? We all
just need to do a better job across all our platforms and channels ensuring
that our responsible play message gets seen and heard. We need to turn
up the volume. And it can’t just be part of a holiday campaign or a flag
we fly each March during National Problem Gambling Awareness Month.
We need to make it part of a conversation that goes on every day, all year.
Check out NASPL’s new home page. Responsible gambling has a promi-
nent, can’t-miss-it spot on the page. Here in North Carolina, all of our civic
presentations include a section on responsible play. If the public sees that we
acknowledge the part we play in problem gambling and that we take steps
to mitigate any harm that comes from lottery games, we will eventually get
the recognition we deserve.
All lotteries endeavor to employ RG measures to protect the consumer and
players. What are some action-items that might be missing in the RG programs
as they exist for lotteries that have not secured the Level 3 RG accreditation
from the WLA?
Continued on page 65LOTTERY CHIEF EARNS NATIONAL
HONOR FOR RESPONSIBLE
GAMING ADVOCACY
—Alice Garland Accepts Award
from the National Council
on Problem Gambling
The Don Hulen Award for Advocacy was con-
ferred by the National Council on Problem Gam-
bling. Executive director of the North Carolina
Education Lottery Alice Garland is the first lottery
or gaming industry professional to earn the honor,
which was presented to her at the 30th National
Conference on Problem Gambling in Tarrytown,
NY. The conference provides information on pre-
vention, treatment and responsible gaming.
Director Garland pioneered a program to share
responsible gaming training resources developed
in North Carolina with other U.S. lotteries. The
program was embraced and advanced by NASPL,
the U.S. lottery industry’s professional associa-
tion. “Alice’s leadership in responsible gaming
resonates across the country,” said Keith Whyte,
executive director of the National Council on
Problem Gambling. “She has helped set the stan-
dard for the lottery industry.”
Her vision led to a broader discussion about the
active role lotteries must play in responsible gaming
and new partnerships with advocacy groups. From
those collaborations, NASPL launched a program
to implement best practices in all member jurisdic-
tions and added responsible gaming components to
its national seminars. “We can balance our mission
to raise money for good causes with our responsibil-
ity to look after the interests of players,” Director
Garland said. “Everyone who works at a lottery—
whether they work in sales, security, advertising or
any other department—has an important role to
play in sustaining that effort.”
While the lottery has always encouraged respon-
sible play, developing a robust responsible gaming
program became a top priority when Director Gar-
land rose to the lottery’s top leadership post in 2010.
Under her direction, the lottery has obtained Level
3 certification under the World Lottery Association’s
Responsible Gaming Framework, dedicated a new
position to support the program, and has required
all employees and retailers to undergo training.
The N.C. Education Lottery began in 2006 and
now raises more than half a million dollars a year
for education. For more information, visit nclottery.
com and click on the “For Education” tab.
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