Looking Back. And Moving Forward.

Published Sept 9, 2025

Time flies when you are having fun. It is hard to believe that a year has passed since I assumed the role of President of NASPL. As I reflect upon what the organization has done this year, I do so with a smile. My goal was to ensure the continuity of our efforts and build upon the stellar work of our Immediate Past President, Cindy Polzin, while at the same time expanding NAPSL’s reach and influence in the industry and with our membership.  

There has been a whirlwind of NASPL activity since last September. From partnering with the World Lottery Association on our first joint Responsible Gambling Seminar in January to working with the Israeli National Lottery to help support their efforts to fend off illegal operators in their jurisdiction, we hit the ground running. It is easy to forget that our industry spans the whole world because we all are so focused on our individual jurisdictions. But there is much we can learn from our friends across the pond. That engagement makes us smarter and more well informed as lottery professionals.  

Closer to home, we stayed true to our mission, coordinating our various mainstay events: the Lottery Leadership Institute in Cleveland, hosted by the Ohio Lottery; the Directors’ Meeting in sunny San Diego, hosted by the California Lottery; and the Professional Development Seminar in Louisville, hosted by the Kentucky Lottery. We also continued building on our Director Mentorship Program, providing valuable opportunities for leadership development within the lottery community. 

This year, we also expanded our offerings to the membership by coordinating a number of webinars, beginning with a presentation on writing a responsible gambling plan. Additional topics in development include fraud identification and prevention, research on the new Mega Millions game changes, and guidance on preparing Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for primary vendors and implementing resulting agreements. The RFP process is one that many of us have initiated or completed in recent years, and we all have a lot of knowledge to share and learn. One of NASPL’s many strengths is our ability to bring together resources collaboratively to tackle an issue or explore an opportunity to better serve and add value for our membership.

We helped drive the conversations regarding couriers, bulk purchasing, sports, and iLottery in the industry – and through our committees we have created a framework to continue the dialogue to help come up with real-time solutions and information for our members to consider. We also introduced a NASPL Advisory Group, tasked with shaping the organization’s strategy for future industry partnerships, and expanded the Retail Modernization Committee to include a path for instant ticket universal bar coding, helping ensure that our industry keeps pace with the evolving retail environment. 

The NASPL Matrix has grown to include even more member surveys, industry data, and presentations from previous gatherings. It is literally a treasure trove of useful info for our members to use. And we’ve also partnered with the World Lottery Association and other regional associations in the development of the Unified Data Collection initiative, which will provide insights and information from lottery organizations worldwide. With the progress each association has achieved over the years, this collaboration is a natural next step in advancing our industry together.

NASPL has done so much this year to continue to earn its place as a valuable resource in the industry and to our members. I am proud to have had the opportunity to lead the organization and know we are well positioned to stay relevant and connected to the pulse of the industry we all love. The challenges that lay ahead are many. Increased competition from legal and illegal gaming enterprises, economic uncertainty, and legislative hurdles continue to dominate the conversation. I can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that NASPL will be in good hands with the excellent team it has in place, and the new President who will accept the gavel in Niagara Falls, Brian Rockey from the Nebraska Lottery. Best wishes to you, Brian. You will do an excellent job!  

Harold Mays

Director, Illinois Lottery

NASPL President