Next Generation Digital: Meet the Experts Shaping the Future of Digital Lottery

By Scientific Games

Published September 9, 2025

What does it take to build a digital lottery business for the next generation of players? At Scientific Games, the answer lies in a powerful blend of deep industry expertise and fresh perspectives from the world's most successful consumer brands. As consumer expectations for seamless digital experiences soar, the lottery industry is at a critical juncture. Matt Lynch, the company’s President of Digital, is leading the charge. He's not just embracing a digital future, he's redefining what it means to be a modern lottery business—supported by a team of industry veterans and forward-thinking experts from outside the lottery world.

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When Lynch joined Scientific Games in late 2024, he brought new ways of thinking about digital lottery from big brands outside the industry. A 20-year digital leader with an impressive track record at Amazon, Samsung and Albertsons, his immediate observation was, “I’m genuinely surprised it’s even called iLottery. If you’re managing the customer data and journey across all channels, no matter how you play, it’s still lottery.”

Lynch’s vision is to unify the player experience with one systems solution that serves both online and offline play. This omnichannel approach allows for the best management of the player’s experience, enabling lotteries to communicate with players and move them seamlessly between digital and retail.

Citing companies like Starbucks, Disney, Nike and Nordstrom, he believes a mobile-first approach with convenience as a core tenet is essential to meeting the demands of future consumers.

As he puts it, “We need to meet players where they are in their daily journeys vs. players seeking out lottery. They should be able to pay in the most convenient way possible: with digital wallets on mobile devices. Modernization will elevate the overall lottery experience to be on par with their other favorite consumer product experiences.”

With this in mind, Lynch set out to build upon Scientific Games’ Digital team of experienced lottery professionals, adding a balance of digital professionals from outside the industry.

Here’s a snapshot of key members on the team serving the company’s 30+ digital lottery customers around the world. 

Keshav Pitani, Senior VP, Digital Games

Well-known in the gaming entertainment industry, Keshav Pitani brought more than 15 years of digital and technology leadership to Scientific Games, where he’s now guiding global digital game development and platform strategy. His background in driving large-scale innovation across gaming, aerospace and broadband makes him a powerful asset as lotteries evolve to a digital-native future. Pitani played a key role in Light & Wonder’s expansion into U.S. and Canadian video lottery markets and helped develop new verticals like historical horse racing. He’s led high-performing game studios, designed scalable content platforms and built patented technologies across several industries, including systems used in Boeing aircraft. At Scientific Games, Pitani oversees a global team of creative and technical talent, uniting efforts to deliver world-class digital games and seamless platform experiences. He sees a significant opportunity for lotteries to adapt and grow by embracing calculated experimentation and reducing barriers to innovation. With a strong vision and cross-sector expertise, Pitani is helping guide the evolution of digital lottery experiences that engage players, drive revenue and support good causes around the world. A Stanford scholar and executive coach, he blends strategic insight with deep technical expertise.

Amy Bergette, Senior VP, Digital Solutions

With 37 years in the lottery industry, including more than two decades at Scientific Games, Amy Bergette is one of the most accomplished digital leaders in the sector. Her 14 years of digital lottery experience includes 10 patents for product innovations and many Scientific Games digital “firsts” for U.S lotteries. Well known in the industry, her expertise spans strategic planning and business development, and continual innovation of solutions that drive player engagement. Bergette now works with lotteries worldwide to create programs that connect physical and digital play, with a focus on the player journey and lotteries’ sustainable growth. She has advanced iLottery initiatives, gamified scratch experiences and evolved loyalty programs, integrating new technologies to make play more accessible and personalized. Her approach is a player-first philosophy, designing solutions based on what players value, then delivering experiences that are relevant, seamless and impactful. Bergette excels at balancing innovation with regulatory priorities and responsible gaming, framing digital transformation as a strategic driver of core lottery goals. She positions digital as a bridge, strengthening lottery brand relationships and maximizing returns to good causes, ensuring lotteries remain relative, competitive and connected to the next generation of players.

Laura Higgins, VP, Digital Strategy & Customer Success

Laura Higgins has more than two decades of experience in strategy, product development, marketing and digital transformation. With a background spanning top consumer brands like Procter & Gamble, Shutterfly and Albertsons, she has built a reputation for driving growth by connecting innovation with real customer needs. Her track record includes launching entirely new categories in e-commerce, building digital engagement platforms and leading high-performing teams through industry transformation. Now she’s applying that expertise to help modernize and elevate the digital lottery experience. Higgins leads a cross-functional team overseeing iLottery, loyalty, CRM, digital marketing strategy and operations. Her focus is ensuring Scientific Games’ lottery partners achieve their business goals through customer-centric, data-informed digital strategies. She brings a holistic approach to creating omnichannel experiences that integrate digital and retail to better serve today’s players. Higgins sees the lottery industry at a critical inflection point and is passionate about helping lotteries embrace digital as a core part of their ecosystem. Reinforcing the company’s commitment to customer success and innovation rooted in player insights, she is guiding lotteries on how to cater to players’ retail and digital needs to help ensure a vibrant, sustainable future for lottery entertainment.

Blair Johnson, VP, Delivery & Client Services

Blair Johnson has worked in the lottery industry for 17 years, with his digital experience spanning 10 years in lottery and other sectors. His career has involved all major product lines at Scientific Games, including systems, instant products and digital. During his time at the company, Johnson’s led iLottery programs, digital operations, project and product management. In his current role, he’s responsible for Scientific Games’ three digital game studios, inspiring innovative experiences in game content from the company’s game designers and partner studios worldwide. He also heads business development efforts for digital game content. Johnson finds creating new experiences for players and leveraging a library of licensed properties to be the most exciting aspects of his work. His professional mantra is to "work and play every day as if you are part of a championship team.” He believes what differentiates the company’s digital games is its deep bench of digital talent, continual innovation and unparalleled portfolio of licensed brands. Johnson recommends that lotteries seek new ways to use digital to support and transform their retail offerings. Looking ahead, he sees more innovation with fully gamified player experiences, more social and community features, cross-platform engagement and deeper personalization.

Joey Lewis, VP, Digital Marketing & Loyalty

Joey Lewis recently joined the Scientific Games Digital team. Her extensive background includes two decades as a loyalty and marketing executive, where she led growth for major brands such as Alaska Airlines, General Motors, Hilton and Albertsons. Lewis was drawn to the lottery industry by the opportunity to help modernize systems, deepen player engagement and unlock new forms of value through digital innovation. Lewis is setting the vision for Scientific Games’ loyalty, digital marketing and CRM products, leading a team that manages active loyalty and CRM programs for multiple lottery customers. Her responsibilities include enhancing loyalty and marketing solutions globally and creating innovative partnerships to expand lotteries’ reach, and drive growth and player engagement. Lewis believes that Scientific Games is differentiated by proven offerings that deliver enduring results for lotteries across all product lines. She looks forward to guiding customers on how to meet players wherever they are on their journey from physical to digital with seamless player experiences. Her vision for the future of digital in the lottery industry centers on personalization and purpose across all touchpoints. She foresees lottery loyalty evolving to become a key driver of trust, emotional connection and community.

Amy Warner, VP, Business Development

Amy Warner has 16 years of experience in the lottery industry, including the past seven years at Scientific Games. Her career has evolved from creating innovative second-chance promotions to leading loyalty strategy and digital programs to her current focus on driving growth through iLottery solutions and omnichannel player experiences. Warner leads strategy and business development initiatives across iLottery, digital engagement, loyalty and CRM. She works directly with lotteries to develop and launch digital programs that drive player acquisition, retention and sales performance both online and at retail. She emphasizes purposeful innovation that creates real value for players, partners and the good causes that lotteries support. Warner is proud of Scientific Games’ deep expertise across both retail and digital channels and the company’s commitment to driving total lottery performance. She advises lottery customers to start with the player, not the platform, because understanding player motivation is the key to success. Her vision for the future of digital lottery is about connection, where digital is not a standalone offering but a core part of a truly omnichannel experience. Warner sees digital reshaping how lotteries grow, innovate and serve their communities.

Matt Taormina, VP, Digital Products

Matt Taormina began his career in the lottery industry when a state lottery became his primary client at the ad agency where he designed and developed digital products as a project manager and then senior program manager. With a background in finance and marketing, his combined experience in the lottery and digital business totals 11 years. Taormina’s primary responsibility at Scientific Games is driving product strategy and building the roadmap to ensure products are innovating player experiences to meet the evolving needs of digital lottery customers. He collaborates with the company’s business and technology leaders to align product roadmaps and resources, helping to bridge the gap between retail and digital to create seamless player experiences. Taormina believes digital is moving at an unprecedented pace in the lottery industry, which requires continual innovation. His advice to lotteries is to launch or expand their digital programs without hesitation, as consumers are increasingly digital every day. He envisions a future where the lottery industry will form partnerships with other brands to reach a broader market and remain relevant. Taormina fosters a fun and engaging culture with his teams to encourage innovation, believing that a good idea can come from anyone no matter their role or level of experience.

CC Ciafone, Senior Director/General Manager, East Coast iLottery

New to both Scientific Games and the lottery industry, Ciafone has 16 years of brand management experience leading brands at The Clorox Company. Her career was strongly focused on omnichannel and digital marketing, where she developed strategies integrating digital platforms, e-commerce and social media to drive consumer engagement. Lottery’s unique blend of entertainment, public benefit and cultural relevance drew her to Scientific Games and the opportunity to play a role in modernizing a legacy industry with a greater mission. Ciafone acts as a strategic partner to lottery customers, focusing on understanding their unique business goals and challenges. She collaborates with internal and external teams to provide support, innovations and insights that help customers succeed. Eager to apply her brand management expertise to the lottery industry, she advises lottery customers to remain focused on the consumer, as understanding their motivations and behaviors is key to building meaningful digital experiences. Ciafone sees the future of the digital lottery industry driven by leveraging data to create seamless, omnichannel experiences that connect the physical and digital worlds to help lotteries evolve and grow.

Lori Szymanski, Director, Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Lori Szymanski has nine years of experience in the digital sector and five years in the lottery industry, with a strong background in marketing and communications. Her career includes experience in land-based casino marketing and digital gaming, where she consistently leveraged data-driven approaches to drive growth and strengthen player connections. Szymanski was drawn to the lottery industry because she sees it as a unique blend of entertainment and purpose, where we not only entertain players but also generate funding for good causes. In her current role, Szymanski works closely with lottery partners and prospects to identify opportunities for growth through digital programs, innovative content and new technologies. She’s focused on understanding each lottery's unique needs, then developing and implementing solutions that engage players and deliver measurable results. A personal value Szymanski lives by is to "lead with data, deliver with purpose," believing that every strategy must ultimately serve the lottery, its players and the good causes it supports. She believes that digital success comes from understanding player behaviors, preferences and motivations and building strategies that meet them where they are. Her vision for digital is to continue bridging retail and online play, creating a seamless engaging journey for every player.

Together, this diverse team is charting a new course for the lottery industry. They are a blend of proven lottery leaders and innovators from consumer-facing giants, united by a single mission: to create a modern, relevant, and engaging lottery experience that meets players where they are. By focusing on personalization, omnichannel strategy, and customer-first innovation, Scientific Games' Digital team is not just building products—they are building the future of lottery entertainment and ensuring its enduring success for good causes around the world.

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