Danielle DeLeon

Lead Compliance Investigator, Colorado Lottery

Lotteries depend on their retailer partners, and players depend on those retailers to provide a seamless purchase and cashing experience. Things usually go smoothly. Occasionally, however, issues arise. Most of the time they are due to procedural failures or misunderstandings, or technical glitches, that are easily rectified. And the person who excels at finding any solutions necessary for the Colorado Lottery is Danielle DeLeon.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I have known Danielle for all 10 years of my time at the Colorado Lottery,” says Director of Security and Investigations Brian Kohnlein. “She has stood out to me with not just her professional knowledge, but her desire to help others – no matter if they’re customers or coworkers. Danielle is always the first to volunteer to arrange a care package for a lottery family member in need. She truly cares. It is an honor to work with her.”

Before she joined the Colorado Lottery, Danielle spent 15 years in public service as a sworn police officer, ultimately attaining the rank of lieutenant. She conducted criminal and administrative investigations and led enforcement operations and personnel in support of public safety initiatives.

That set her up perfectly for the Lottery’s newly-created position of Compliance Investigator in 2011. In that capacity, she is often the customer’s last line of defense when they have issues with a retailer. She is so successful at what she does that she rarely needs to escalate an issue, and is expert at helping retailers understand that it is their responsibility to help the customer and maintain compliance with Lottery rules and regulations as they relate to retail operations. “By addressing each issue, we not only work toward resolving the customer’s concern but also help strengthen retailer compliance and improve the overall player experience,” she emphasizes.

ADVERTISEMENT

When she’s not problem-solving at work, Danielle keeps plenty busy on the home front. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, especially helping her mom prepare cherished family recipes, experimenting with new dishes, shopping, taking trips to Cripple Creek, and discovering great new restaurants throughout Colorado. She also enjoys spending time with her niece and young godson, who both live nearby.

Danielle has a passion for gardening and takes pride in maintaining her hard, often sharing her “yard beautification skills” with family and neighbors. In addition, she helps manage her family’s local rental properties.

She loves traveling, but hasn’t had much time to do that lately, so staycations are more likely. She enjoys visiting family in North Carolina and Virginia, and has traveled throughout the United States and Europe.

All that would be a full-time “leisure” schedule for a lot of people, but Danielle doesn’t stop there. She also shares her life with those who really need her and have nowhere else to go – an army of cats! Passionate about animal rescue, what began with dogs now focuses on cats.

“My precious girl Gertie was my very first rescue kitty and the one who inspired a whole new mission in life – to help as many fur babies as possible. She taught me so much. And I’ll always be grateful for the love, compassion, and purpose she brought into my life.”

Danielle ultimately became a licensed Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) Colony Manager with the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, helping manage and care for community cat colonies.

With custom-made “cat condos,” enclosed catios, and a large, beautifully-maintained backyard, she has created a kitty paradise that serves as a safe and welcoming sanctuary for all her feline friends. Some are there on a temporary basis, waiting for new homes, while others she simply takes in when they are out of options.

“Rescuing animals and being colony manager is a community service,” Danielle emphasizes. She has handled at least 300 “colony cats” over the years: feral, semi-feral and abandoned cats who roam the communities. She gets them fixed, vaccinated, and ear tipped (to easily identify each cat as a colony member). She finds homes for as many as she can and keeps others. She rescues litters and pregnant cats, and fosters kittens until they are ready to be adopted. “They are fabulous candidates for adoption through the Humane Society’s Community Kitten program.”

While she was still focused on dogs, she once found a beagle running loose on I-25 on her way to work. After having him checked out at the local Humane Society, she ended up adopting him herself. Named Buddy, he became famous as one of the stars of the Colorado Lottery’s Lucky Dog scratch tickets.

A Colorado native, Danielle has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration and an MBA, both from the University of Phoenix.

ADVERTISEMENT

What brought you to the Colorado Lottery from your successful law enforcement career?

I retired from law enforcement following a non-work-related accident, in which I broke an ankle and a knee. I often joke that it was a cosmic “2x4” that got my attention and redirected my career path, ultimately leading me to the Lottery. Sometimes life’s unexpected detours end up taking you exactly where you’re meant to be.

I actually had the Lottery on my radar for years, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. My prayers were answered when there was a new compliance position available at the Lottery that was a perfect fit because of my background.

What kinds of issues do you see most often when players make a complaint?

Most of the customer issues I handle involve payment and redemption concerns that are easily solvable after a short investigation. There may be issues with the way a retailer scans a group of tickets presented for redemption, for example. Our reporting system provides a digital footprint of everything that happens with any given lottery ticket. Often it’s just a matter of pointing a retailer in the right direction to solve a problem. Sometimes the biggest challenge is just reaching the owner or manager by phone, and we might have to involve the appropriate Lottery sales rep or field compliance investigator to assist. At that point, I’ll provide the responding representative with relevant reports and documentation to share with store management, helping facilitate a timely and effective resolution for the player.

ADVERTISEMENT

 Some player complaints prompt us to conduct undercover retailer integrity sting operations in partnership with Lottery criminal investigators. These operations may uncover compliance violations and, when warranted, result in criminal citations.

Players are often surprised to learn that the Lottery has an investigations section and to understand the important role we play. They are appreciative that our team exists to help protect players, promote retailer accountability, and ensure the integrity of the Lottery. Our work helps build trust and confidence by providing oversight, addressing concerns, and supporting a fair experience for everyone involved.

What kinds of issues do you see most often with retailers?

Every player complaint also presents an opportunity to educate and train retailer employees and management on Lottery rules, retailer requirements, responsibilities, and expectations. The most common issues I encounter at retailer locations involve training gaps with new employees. The retail industry experiences a high turnover rate, which can sometimes impact the consistency of training and, ultimately, the player experience. By identifying these opportunities, we can help ensure retailer staff have the knowledge and resources needed to provide accurate information, follow Lottery procedures, and deliver a positive experience for our players.

When a store is new to Lottery, they get on-site training from our vendor, Brightstar Lottery. New store managers also get that training, and they always have the support of the Lottery sales team. Beyond that, it’s up to those managers to train new employees. We have printed and digital materials that spell out all the retailer requirements. If certain compliance issues come up repeatedly, we update those materials to provide more information on how to resolve those issues.

ADVERTISEMENT

Has the Lottery implemented any new procedures to help alleviate/prevent some of the most common issues you’ve seen in the course of your work?

Yes! We consistently review our compliance processes to identify opportunities to streamline our efforts and strengthen collaboration with the Lottery sales team and retailers. Our goal is to provide the guidance, support, and resources needed to help retailers maintain compliance while ensuring a positive experience for our players.

For example, I am actively working with sales team management to develop a new procedure designed to improve the tracking and resolution of chronic retailer issues that may involve potential compliance violations. As part of this process, a new form will be utilized by sales supervisors to submit requests for compliance team assistance when on-site sales representatives identify retailers requiring additional support. Once submitted, the form information will automatically populate a tracking spreadsheet. The spreadsheet will then be manually updated throughout the investigation process to include findings, identified non-compliance issues, compliance correspondence, and any resulting license actions, including suspensions or revocations. This process will enhance communication, improve documentation, and provide a more efficient method for monitoring and addressing ongoing retailer compliance concerns.

Some of the chronic retailer issues we have involve inventory rules and procedures (for example, when theft is involved), or something as simple as failure to post their Lottery license. We used to have issues with some retailers selling scratch tickets out of order, another rule violation. It took a while, but that seems under control now.

Our eyes and ears are our customers, our players. We rely on them to bring information to our attention. And then we follow up on it diligently from there.

You’ve been at the Lottery for 15 years – what has changed the most from your perspective?

I can 100% say that the only thing that remains constant is change! It definitely keeps us on our toes and continuously adapting. I think technology has been one of the biggest areas of change since I started here. It’s exciting to see the advancements and learn about new technologies that will continue to shape the way our players purchase games at retail locations and, in the future, through online platforms. These innovations create new opportunities to enhance the player experience while helping us evolve with the needs of our customers. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Our compliance program is continuously growing, learning, and adapting processes to align with new technologies and evolving industry practices. We’ve moved well beyond pads of paper and printed forms. As technology advances, we continue to evaluate opportunities to improve efficiency, strengthen compliance efforts, and better support our sales reps, retailers, and players.

In partnership with our sales team, we’ve implemented Brightstar’s Sales Wizard app as a centralized hub for all retailer compliance forms, inspections, and other essential resources, making it easier than ever to access everything in one place.

ADVERTISEMENT

Do you have any advice for other lotteries?

I have learned that a strong compliance program has played a vital role in the Colorado Lottery's ongoing success by fostering organizational integrity, ensuring accountability, and maintaining public trust. It helps ensure that processes are followed, expectations are clearly communicated, and that retailers, employees, and players all receive the support needed to maintain trust and integrity within the Lottery. I’m always available and willing to share ideas, best practices, and experiences to assist fellow lotteries in strengthening their compliance programs. Collaboration and knowledge-sharing help us all continue to improve and better serve our players and retailers.

What do you enjoy most about working for the Lottery? The least?

I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of an organization whose mission is dedicated to making Colorado the best place to live, play, and enjoy the great outdoors. It is rewarding to be part of a team that positively impacts communities across the state and helps create opportunities for people to experience all that Colorado has to offer. As for the least enjoyable thing? I can’t play! I look forward to retiring so I can play Colorado Lottery games again!

ADVERTISEMENT