PGRI Digital Library: Thought Leadership
Brightstar Lottery Articles

The Connected Future of iLottery

As lotteries across North America accelerate their digital transformation, iLottery is emerging as a core driver of growth, modernization, and long-term sustainability. In 2025, Brightstar Lottery supported some of the fastest growing iLottery programs in the United States. According to Srini Nedunuri, Senior Vice President of iLottery Global, that momentum is built on a simple but disciplined foundation: strong partnerships, modern technology, and an unwavering focus on the player. “Collaboration with our customers is paramount,” Nedunuri says. “Our role is to be a proven partner, one that aligns closely with each lottery’s objectives and delivers meaningful results.” Brightstar’s approach combines dedicated Player Marketing Services, data-driven game design, and technology platforms built to scale. Winning themes, engaging mechanics, and thoughtful design continue to resonate with players, while cloudbased solutions have helped lotteries streamline operations and accelerate innovation. The payoff has been tangible. In 2025, Brightstar delivered strong double-digit growth to customers and achieved a record year across its iLottery portfolio. “We’ve continued to align the pace of innovation so we can meet the needs of customers, players, and stakeholders,” Nedunuri explains.  CLICK HERE TO READ 

With self-service sales on the rise, the case for optimizing lottery vending has never been stronger

“Have you hugged your LVM lately?” It’s a question Brightstar Lottery’s Paul Riley posed lightheartedly in a presentation to industry peers not long ago. But behind the humor was a serious point: Lottery Vending Machines (LVMs) have become an indispensable sales channel in the modern lottery ecosystem, meriting ongoing attention and investment.

The trends and data back this up. LVMs are more prevalent than ever, aligning squarely with consumers’ growing preference for convenient, frictionless self-service.

Today there are more than 51,000 LVMs active in the field across more than 166,000 U.S. retailer locations,1 and their contribution to overall lottery sales is accelerating. Brightstar analysis shows that LVMs accounted for $8.4 billion in U.S. lottery sales in 2022, a time when units with modern, digital interfaces were already widely deployed.

By 2025, that figure had climbed to $10.4 billion, representing a $2 billion increase in sales via LVMs in just three years. “This kind of growth in such a short period is explosive,” notes Tony Kirkland, Director, U.S. Strategic Retail Sales Development at Brightstar. CLICK HERE TO READ 

Brightstar’s Innovation Playbook The future won’t wait – why should lottery?

PGRI Introduction: As Brightstar Lottery’s Chief Operating Officer North America Lottery, Scott Gunn is responsible for sales and operations throughout the U.S. and Canada, including Global Instant Ticket Services. He brings more than two decades of industry experience to the role to ensure that Brightstar’s products, technology, and services support each customer’s business objectives. While many know Scott for his leadership in public affairs and government relations since 2009, he credits an earlier period with the company — 1999 to 2009—as the most formative. During that decade, Scott held operational and general manager roles that shaped his approach to lottery leadership, customer partnership, and long-term success. His experience as a district sales manager in Texas, general manager in California, and later as a Regional Vice President gave him an unusually comprehensive view of lottery operations and the importance of aligning organizational capabilities with customer needs. 
​Our discussion with Scott explores how he is applying those insights to Brightstar’s broader goals, preparing lottery customers for an era of digital acceleration, evolving player expectations, and heightened responsibility to protect public trust – while balancing innovation with the principles of integrity, transparency, and partnership that keep lotteries strong.    Click here to read 

As iLottery continues to evolve, eInstant games have emerged as a critical engine for growth. Behind every standout title, from Lucky Coins Disco Pig to Money Strike Jackpots, Brightstar Lottery’s iLottery Game Studios utilizes a disciplined process built on market insight, creative vision, and close collaboration. At the center of that process is a commitment to designing experiences that resonate with players and sustain engagement.

Concept to Creation

Every intriguing eInstant begins with clarity of purpose. First, the iLottery Game Studios team focuses on understanding the market. Player behavior, performance data, and competitive trends help identify opportunities and define the role a new game should play within the broader Brightstar portfolio. This early research informs decisions around game mechanics, prize structures, visual themes, and expected gameplay duration. Factors such as target audience, market specifics, and thematic tone are considered. Once a direction is set, the team moves into rapid prototyping, testing ideas collaboratively, and refining them based on both data and instinct. “The data acts as a compass,” explains Adele Lawton, Vice President Content iLottery, Brightstar. “It helps ensure that creativity is aligned with clear goals, while still allowing room to explore new ideas.”  CLICK HERE TO READ 

How can you refine a game post-launch to more fully satisfy player preferences? A recent example from Italy offers a framework for innovation—one that can be leveraged in other markets to evolve games in ways that truly resonate.

Sometimes you think you know which player groups are likely to adopt a new game − and which features they will enjoy. You might have tested concepts and planned the launch based on research and a current understanding of the projected player groups. 
And sometimes players surprise you when their engagement with a game reveals unexpected preferences and behaviors. 
“It’s exciting when this happens, because players themselves are pointing the way to evolution,” observes Federica Valentini, Vice President Instant Lottery Product Management & Development, Brightstar Lottery Italy. “But you can only turn those insights into action if you have collected and analyzed players’ feedback. In addition to extensive pre-launch research, we have found that gathering insights from consumers after a game is in market can reveal important new information and provide a blueprint for continued innovation, specific to your players.”   CLICK HERE TO READ 

A major study with both lottery players and general consumers reveals opportunities for lotteries to evolve their payment and retail technologies.

Listening to what consumers want is essential to the industry’s growth and sustainability, something Brightstar Lottery has long recognized. A new multi-country study, conducted by the company with research partner Foresight Factory, explores how consumers − both lottery players and the general public − are engaging with retail technologies, with a particular focus on payment ecosystems.

With the transition from IGT Lottery to Brightstar Lottery, the company has unveiled a new sustainability strategy to mark the next chapter in its longstanding commitment to building a sustainable future.

“This past year has been transformative for our company. We’ve embraced a new name, a refreshed brand identity, and a sharpened focus on our core lottery business,” says Wendy Montgomery, Brightstar Senior Vice President, Branding, Communications, and Sustainability. “We’re committed to advancing the lottery industry through insight- driven, future-ready solutions that bolster our customers, inspire their players, and support a more sustainable future. With this in mind, we have evolved our sustainability strategy to ensure that it grows with us.”

Are eInstant jackpot games the key to unlocking your iLottery’s full potential? Many lotteries are already seeing results by integrating these games into their portfolios.

From boosting player engagement to driving significant revenue growth, eInstant jackpot games have proven to be powerful tools for success in the evolving iLottery landscape.

When paired with the right strategies, these games offer lotteries a unique value proposition that stands out among competitive entertainment options.