Responsible Innovation: A Blueprint for Lottery’s Sustainable Future

At the 12th European Lotteries Congress in Bern, Switzerland, industry leaders gathered to ask a vital question: how can lotteries continue to thrive in a marketplace that is changing faster than ever, while protecting the trust that makes them unique?

For Scientific Games, the answer is clear: responsible innovation.

Why Standing Still Is Not an Option

Lottery has always been different from other forms of gaming. Every instant game scratched or digital play tapped sends money back to schools, hospitals, culture or sport. That’s an advantage no competitor can match. However, the marketplace is shifting: players are spending more time online, younger generations expect seamless digital experiences and retail is undergoing evolution.

In this environment, standing still means being left behind. Players expect fresh, exciting and convenient experiences. They want games that feel modern and that fit naturally into their lives—whether at the corner shop terminal or on a mobile. To remain relevant, lotteries must innovate boldly. To remain the trusted choice, lotteries must do so responsibly. A balancing act.

Responsibility: Our Competitive Advantage

Innovation without responsibility risks damaging the very thing that makes lotteries special: public trust. Lose that, and the ability to fund good causes is weakened.

At Scientific Games, that’s why we see responsibility not as a box to tick, but as the industry’s most powerful competitive advantage.

• Player Protection: Our Healthy Play program puts player safeguards one click away, from spending limits to self-exclusion. Predictive analytics help identify risky play before harm escalates.
• Sustainability: Full lifecycle analysis of products and systems helps us measure and reduce environmental impact, from raw materials to end-of-life disposal.
• Ethical Technology: Personalization and AI are powerful tools, but we deploy them with guardrails—designed to inform, not exploit and always with transparency and player choice built in.

This isn’t a constraint on growth. It’s what makes growth possible, sustainable and defensible.

Turning Principle into Practice

Responsible innovation becomes real when it’s woven into everyday processes. For lotteries, three practices stand out:

1. Start with Responsibility
   Design checklists at the concept stage help ask the tough questions early: Could a theme appeal to underage players? Are prize odds clear? Does this game mechanic encourage positive play?
2. Use Data for Good
   Analytics and AI can be used to personalize responsibly—offering timely nudges, spending reminders and product recommendations that build loyalty while safeguarding players.
3. Go Beyond Compliance
   Responsibility is more than meeting regulations. It’s a culture shift toward proactive risk management and “responsibility by design,” where healthy play principles are built into the mechanics of every product.

What’s Coming Next

The future will test how quickly—and responsibly—our industry can adapt. AI-driven personalization will redefine digital play. Retail technology will keep instant products fresh for new generations. And new regulations, such as the EU Deforestation Regulation, will challenge supply chains far beyond Europe.

Each change brings risk. But with responsible innovation, lotteries can turn these challenges into opportunities—to reinforce their unique public-good mission and secure long-term sustainability.

Closing Thought

The conversation in Bern reminded us of one simple truth: responsibility and innovation are not opposites. They are partners. For government-operated lotteries, this partnership serves as the blueprint for continuing to deliver for players, protect communities and fund good causes for generations to come.

Scientific Games is proud to help chart that path: innovating boldly, quickly and always responsibly.

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