Reflecting on Our Progress and Embracing What’s Ahead

Published September 22, 2026

As we gather in Orlando for the 2026 NASPL Annual Conference and Trade Show, it is hard to believe that nearly a year has passed since I accepted the gavel as NASPL President. At the time, I set a simple but important priority for my tenure: telling the lottery industry’s story.

As we know, it is a story worth telling. Every year, lotteries generate billions of dollars for programs and services that strengthen our communities. We support retailers and local economies, provide entertainment responsibly and operate with integrity and accountability. But we cannot assume policymakers, the media or the public fully understand that impact.

Over the past year, NASPL has worked to bring the lottery perspective into more of the conversations that matter. We have engaged with policymakers, public administrators, retailers, media and other stakeholders to talk about the public benefit lotteries provide and the unique role we play within state and provincial government.

We have also worked to ensure our industry’s voice is heard as the gaming landscape becomes increasingly complex. NASPL has remained engaged on issues from iLottery and courier services to illegal and gray-market gaming, prediction markets, and other emerging developments.

These conversations are about more than protecting our business. They are about consumer protection, responsible gambling, regulatory clarity and preserving the public benefit at the heart of the lottery model.

Of course, telling our story externally is only part of NASPL’s work. Just as important is strengthening the industry from within.

Throughout the year, our major events brought together lottery professionals at every level to exchange ideas and learn from one another. We expanded educational opportunities through webinars and other programming, including a three-part RFP series designed to share practical knowledge about one of the most consequential processes a lottery can undertake. The NASPL Matrix has continued to grow as a resource for industry data, surveys, presentations, webinars and other information our members can put to work in their own jurisdictions.

Responsible gambling has remained central to those efforts. Through the NASPL/NCPG Responsible Gambling Framework Certification Program and our broader educational programming, we continue working to provide lotteries with practical, accessible tools to evaluate and strengthen their responsible gambling programs.

Now, we bring many of these conversations together here in Orlando.

The Annual Conference and Trade Show gives us an opportunity to explore what is next for our industry while celebrating what makes it special. Our keynote speakers will challenge us to think about the power of purpose-driven partnerships and how we can build greater creativity and innovation into our organizations. On the trade show floor, we will also have the opportunity to see firsthand the innovative products, technologies and services helping lotteries evolve and better serve their players, retailers and communities. And with the annual NASPL Awards, we will celebrate advertising and promotional excellence across the industry – a fitting way to recognize some of the people finding creative ways to tell our story every day.

As my term as President comes to a close, I am grateful for the opportunity to represent this industry and proud of what NASPL and our members have accomplished together.

There will always be new challenges. Technology will evolve. Competition will increase. New forms of gaming will test regulatory boundaries, and the expectations of our players and stakeholders will continue to change.

That makes telling our story even more important.

We have to keep showing up, building relationships and explaining not only what lotteries do, but why our work matters. That responsibility belongs to all of us.

Thank you for the privilege of serving as your President. And to everyone joining us this week, welcome to Orlando. I hope you leave energized by what we have accomplished together and ready to keep telling the remarkable story of our industry.

Brian Rockey

Director, Nebraska Lottery

NASPL President