Walter Szrek

Co-Founder and Chief Technologist, Szrek2Solutions

Published August 19, 2025

Nominated by the Florida Lottery

The Florida Lottery posthumously recognizes Walter Szrek for his outstanding contributions and enduring partnership with the organization. Together with Irena Szrek, Walter founded Szrek2Solutions in 2003. He was widely admired for pioneering lottery solutions that transformed the industry, co-authoring several patents related to transparent methods in random number generation and transaction security. Walter applied these innovations to develop Random Number Generator (RNG) technology with fraud detection, setting new standards for lottery security and integrity.

Walter and his team played a pivotal role in the transition of the Lottery’s bonus game draw process from the SPSS software system used to manually code scripts for each promotion to a more secure and reliable offline RNG system. This marked a significant improvement in the integrity and accuracy of draws, setting a new standard for operations.

Further demonstrating his commitment to advancing the Lottery’s capabilities, Walter collaborated with the Florida Lottery and its central gaming system vendor, IGT, again to develop the CASH POP draw process using an online RNG system. This innovative solution not only ensured a secure and transparent draw process but also streamlined operations, reducing manual intervention and enhancing the efficiency of draw procedures.

Most recently, Szrek2Solutions partnered with the Florida Lottery and IGT to convert the RAFFLE bonus play promotion draw process from offline RNGs to online RNGs. This conversion has resulted in substantial time savings, reducing employee hours spent on draw processing by dozens of hours for each draw while maintaining the highest standards of security and integrity.

Walter’s technical expertise extended beyond the Florida Lottery, as he also provided strategic consulting for major industry vendors in gaming and secure transaction systems architecture. Alongside Chris Olsen and Irena Szrek, he co-designed the Szrek2Solutions Trusted Suite of Products and played a key role in deploying these innovative offerings. Even after his retirement in 2022, Walter remained deeply committed to supporting Szrek2Solutions through various projects, mentoring staff and engaging with clients. Walter always answered the Lottery’s calls and worked with the teams to figure out the best way to get the job done, no matter when or how often he was called.

Walter’s passing is a profound loss to the lottery industry and to all who had the privilege of working alongside him. He was a visionary leader whose passion for technology and commitment to excellence left an indelible mark on the Florida Lottery and beyond. Despite his absence, Szrek2Solutions continues to uphold his legacy through their ongoing dedication to innovation, quality, and service. Their efforts to maintain Walter’s standards of excellence are a testament to his enduring impact on the industry.

The Florida Lottery is honored to nominate Walter Szrek posthumously for his exceptional contributions to its operations and to the broader lottery community. His work will be remembered not only for its immediate impact but for the lasting influence he has had on the standards and practices that continue to guide the industry forward.