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PGRI Digital Library: Thought Leadership
Brightstar Lottery Articles

March/April 2026

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 


March/April 2026

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 


January/February 2026

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 


January/February 2026

Today’s diverse iLottery games offer some unique challenges to their creators and players. One major challenge is the fact that players can experience choice overload. With some lotteries offering more than 100 active eInstant games in their catalogue, players can feel overwhelmed.

Without guidance, they may struggle to discover eInstant games that match their preferences or playing style. Players who do not find relevant or exciting games may disengage quickly. This leads to lower session times and fewer repeat visits due to low engagement and retention. 

Without personalized recommendations, lotteries may fail to surface eInstant games that are trending or have high conversion potential, resulting in missed revenue opportunities. That is why Brightstar Lottery has introduced the Game Recommendation Engine. Like Netflix, Brightstar’s Game Recommendation Engine provides an enhanced, personalized consumer experience.


November/December 2025

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.


November/December 2025

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.”


November/December 2025

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.


September/October 2025

Solutions & Investment Where It Matters to Lotteries

As lotteries strategically reshape their operations to adapt to changes in consumer behavior, digitalization, and new forms of competition for players’ attention, taking action requires flexible solutions that meet current needs and support ongoing evolution. In its transformation to Brightstar Lottery from IGT Lottery, Brightstar has set the stage by purposefully evolving its lottery product roadmaps and aligning its resources with these objectives in mind. The result is forward-looking products and services that meet the challenges lotteries have cited as high priorities. Here are just some of the ways lotteries can take action to unlock more potential today, in accordance with their specific needs, and drive sustainable and meaningful revenue growth for lottery beneficiaries.


January/February 2026

As lotteries strategically reshape their operations to adapt to changes in consumer behavior, digitalization, and new forms of competition for players’ attention, taking action requires flexible solutions that meet current needs and support ongoing evolution. In its transformation to Brightstar Lottery from IGT Lottery, Brightstar has set the stage by purposefully evolving its lottery product roadmaps and aligning its resources with these objectives in mind. The result is forward-looking products and services that meet the challenges lotteries have cited as high priorities. Here are just some of the ways lotteries can take action to unlock more potential today, in accordance with their specific needs, and drive sustainable and meaningful revenue growth for lottery beneficiaries.


July/August 2025

Forward-Thinking Global Leadership: ​IGT Lottery transitions to BRIGHTSTAR

PGRI INTRODUCTION: Newly reborn in anticipation of the separation from IGT’s Gaming and Digital Business, the company now known as Brightstar Lottery has a legacy of innovation, leadership, and a steadfast commitment to the lottery industry.

From its origins as GTECH and Lottomatica to its position today as a pure play global lottery leader, the company is known for its depth of experience, expertise, and commitment to elevating the lottery sector.

With a presence in more than 100 jurisdictions across six continents, an impressive track record as a lottery operator in diverse regions around the world, and as the primary technology provider to seven of the world’s top 10 lotteries, Brightstar has positioned itself as a trusted partner in the evolving gaming landscape.

At the heart of Brightstar’s success lies a drive to evolve lotteries and revolutionize how the industry engages players. This focus has yielded groundbreaking games, connected digital experiences to evolve the retail channel, and innovative purchase and play solutions. These offerings not only prioritize player engagement but also deliver the data and insights to empower lotteries to expand their businesses in unprecedented ways. Brightstar’s impact is evident in its reputation as a go-to resource for lotteries seeking to adapt and thrive in a changing market.

In an exclusive interview, Renato Ascoli, Brightstar CEO Global Lottery, shares the company’s vision, leveraging its rich heritage and forward-thinking mindset to empower customers and lottery dreams around the world.


July/August 2025

IGT Lottery – now known as BRIGHTSTAR − helped 26 lotteries cross the finish line for the launch of the recent Mega Millions™ game change.

Victoria Catt, Brightstar Vice President Solutions Delivery, reflects on her team’s coordinated approach. 

Delivery teams are central to the success of any system implementation. But handling one for multiple customers ahead of a multijurisdictional game change must be another order of complexity. How did your team approach it?

Victoria Catt: Given that we were coordinating efforts among 26 customer delivery teams, the analogy that comes to mind is “The Wave” − that incredible crowd phenomenon where stadiums or arenas erupt with fans standing and raising their arms in a ripple-like motion. It creates a visual effect that travels through the crowd, symbolizing unity and togetherness. We have our own version of The Wave. For us, it’s about working and communicating in unison and overcoming barriers to achieve a shared goal – in this case, a major national game change. Many lotteries and vendor partners were involved in different aspects of the Mega Millions™ launch, and as they can probably attest from their own experiences, this wasn’t just any project. For us, the project involved the contributions of hundreds of people based on the many facets of the project scope. It also required a high level of precision, communication, and expertise. One of the things I’m most proud of is how we demonstrated our approach to collaboration. From the beginning, it was about more than delivering software and meeting deadlines. It was about ensuring that every milestone was executed as promised on behalf of our customers.


March/April 2025

Boost player engagement, instant ticket sales, and operational efficiency with the new Digital Menu Board solution from IGT.

This unique software solution is integrated with the lottery terminal application, making it easy for retailers to showcase their in-stock instant games and update their digital menu displays in real time.

IGT’s solution to drive lottery point-of-sale digital displays marks a huge step forward for retailers. What sets it apart? For one, it uniquely provides cuttingedge integration with IGT’s lottery terminal application — ensuring that a retailer’s digital menu display reflects a store’s current instant ticket inventory. For another, it’s not hardware. The Digital Menu Board solution from IGT is software that works with just about any digital signage monitor on the market.


The trusted partner to the world’s most successful lotteries  IGT is at the forefront of lottery transformation – delivering unparalleled player experiences and industry-leading innovation.

We partner with lotteries around the globe, applying our insights and research to deliver dynamic player journeys with seamless interaction across all devices, venues, and touchpoints.

With consumers more receptive than ever to new ways of engaging with lottery, we’re applying our unique lens as an operator-supplier to provide customers with a full spectrum of solutions that accelerate retail and digital transformation.