Lonnie Moody
Systems Administrator, South Dakota Lottery
By NASPL Insights Online
Published October 20, 2026
Nothing is more critical for a lottery than ensuring that new games and promotions work as advertised. There’s a lot going on in the background to make sure that every possible action produces the desired and expected reactions from the gaming system. That’s where South Dakota Lottery Systems Administrator Lonnie Moody shines – conducting system and acceptance testing for both the Lottery’s video lottery and traditional lottery systems.
“Lonnie is an integral part of the South Dakota Lottery team,” says Trevor Wiebe, Director of Security and Video Lottery Operations. “He has developed a tremendous knowledge of testing processes for both video lottery and draw game operations. His work may often happen behind the scenes, but its impact is felt throughout the entire organization. His dedication gives us confidence that important testing will be completed accurately and timely. Lonnie is a true team player, who is always dependable.”
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After joining the Lottery in 2010 as a Video Lottery Specialist, Lonnie was promoted to Systems Administrator in 2019. He’s responsible for software and hardware testing, plus user acceptance testing, throughout the network of nearly 11,500 VLTs at more than 1,400 locations, customer acceptance testing for draw game changes and promotions, and a variety of other activities that make everything run smoothly.
The video lottery system gets regular software updates and new games, and once GLI certifies the updates, Lonnie continues to make sure they are all accurate and produce the correct results. For a new draw game, like the recently-launched Powerball Xs & Os, he spends days testing every possible outcome, from quick picks to prize payouts.
When not testing, Lonnie is one of five Lottery employees who assist video lottery operators throughout the state who call in with questions. Despite extensive testing on new games, on rare occasions an issue does come up that an operator might see. As with any technology, things happen. There could be a part failure in a machine, or a communications failure. A recent rollout of IP cellular communications means there’s no longer a need to dial into site controllers to diagnose such problems – a tremendous improvement. “We’re always connected and can see things in real time.”
Away from work, Lonnie was inducted last month into the Mitchell High School Hall of Fame for his excellence in both track and field and baseball. The South Dakota native still holds the school record for 100 meters. And as a star defensive baseball player at Dakota Wesleyan University, he helped the Tigers achieve two consecutive conference championships, earning three All-GPAC honors in the process.
His interest in sports continues, and has passed through to his two children. Son Lofton (named after All-Star MLB player Kenny Lofton) plays track, basketball and baseball; he will be 14 in December. Eleven-year-old daughter Brinley plays fast-pitch softball, has done gymnastics, and has now taken up dance. While watching and encouraging them in all their endeavors is Lonnie’s primary hobby these days, he has found time for another fun activity – managing the flora and fauna in a 29-gallon aquarium tank.
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He also spends plenty of time with his parents, two sisters and five nephews, along with his dog Millie, a Boston Terrier. His girlfriend Becca (who painted the accompanying image honoring his HOF induction) has her own Boston Terrier, and they all love going on walks together.
Lonnie has a Bachelor of Arts in sports management, with an emphasis in marketing and promotion, from Dakota Wesleyan University. A communications minor led to strong interpersonal, presentation and communication skills.
It took you a while to “find yourself” after college. What led you to the South Dakota Lottery, and what keeps you there after all these years?
While I was playing baseball in college, a teammate from Oregon mentioned how there were sports-related career options in that state. I thought of moving there, but I ended up staying in South Dakota with a girlfriend, and we got married. I worked in various sales jobs but nothing really felt like a long-term career. I heard many good things about state government jobs, and there was an opening at the Lottery for a video lottery specialist, and I thought it would be something I’d enjoy. Growing up, I always liked video games, and while I didn’t know anything about video lottery, it sounded fun and interesting. Sixteen years later, I’ve learned it is true that people working in state government typically stay in state government – certainly I have! The benefits are great, and in my particular case, I love being in a small office with people I enjoy working with. I do think that my degree – and pre-lottery work in sales – has helped me over the years. Communication skills were important in those jobs, and they are important to me today. There is ongoing communication with all of our video lottery partners, including the owners, operators, technicians, and manufacturers. Being able to talk through any issues that come up has proven to be a valuable skill.
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Have there been any surprising things you’ve learned from customer/user acceptance testing, either on the video lottery side or the traditional side?
I don’t think there has been anything too surprising. For both product lines, I maintain checklists of what to look for. Yet the more I play the games in testing, the more I’m aware of what I’m looking at, and whether there are any issues. On the video lottery side, the machines are mostly similar from one manufacturer to another, but they are a little different in how they operate and receive software updates. The longer I’ve tested, the more confident I’ve become knowing that I’ve looked at everything possible before something goes to production.
What have you learned about what your players actually want from their lottery?
Change is always hard, and keeping up with technology has been something that South Dakota Lottery has really focused on. We are always working on promotions and second-chance drawings to keep things fun and exciting, and each of these things need testing. Players really enjoy being involved in the games and having other options to play and win prizes. For the various promotions, from something as simple as “buy one, get one free” to more complicated promotions, I’ll do several days of testing to make sure everything is paying correctly and that the free tickets or other aspects of a particular promotion will be issued or perform as expected.
What’s it like working at a small lottery, albeit one with an extensive video lottery network?
While I can’t compare what it would be like working for a larger lottery, I think it’s great here! I’ve gotten to know many operators and machine techs over the years. Helping them with questions or concerns not only helps them, but it sometimes also makes me aware of certain issues that could be going on in the field. And with our five-person team in the video lottery computer room, we are all willing to help each other out if someone needs to adjust a schedule if something comes up. And of course, regardless of our size, I’m very glad to be part of an organization that sends all the money earned back to South Dakota to support education, develop natural resources, and promote responsible gambling.
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Is there anything you wish the SD Lottery, or the lottery industry in general, could do differently?
That’s a very good question. There are a lot of rules and laws, and we want to make sure our VLT owners and operators comply with all of them. It would be nice to have fewer rules, but I know they are needed to make sure the Lottery runs as smoothly as possible. As it is, all of our suppliers are pretty good at communicating and are prompt to reply to any questions we may have. I suppose it might be helpful to increase the number of machines per establishment (the current limit is 10) or to increase the max bet beyond the current $2. Those changes could increase the amount of money we send to the state. But I know it’s hard to make changes such as these and it’s the state that makes those decisions.
I am happy to see new VLT suppliers enter the market here. Two recently entered the South Dakota market, bringing us up to six. Our operators have been used to certain manufacturers for so long, but it’s nice to have new suppliers come in with different games.
What do you enjoy the most about working for the SD Lottery? The least?
I enjoy testing new software and seeing new games firsthand before players get to enjoy them. I am thankful I work with people who are willing to help each other out if needed, whether it be switching days or assisting with certain projects. Although at times it feels like I’m in more than one place at a time and trying to multitask more than I’d like, through the years I’ve learned how to manage my time wisely and get things done as efficiently as possible. As for the least, while I know there are always meetings, I confess that I’m not fond of them. I’d rather just continue what I’m doing to get things done and communicate as necessary through emails.
