lottery
North Carolina Education Lottery Extends Fastest Growing Instant Game Program in U.S. with Scientific Games

Successful Partnership Positions Lottery for Future Growth to Benefit North Carolina Students, Serves as Model for World Lotteries
Scientific Games and the North Carolina Education Lottery have extended their partnership behind the fastest-growing instant scratch game program in the U.S. based on year-over-year growth. The partnership has propelled the NCEL to the No. 6 ranked lottery in the world for instant game performance (La Fleur’s 2022 Almanac per capita sales) and gained attention as the model for U.S. and international lotteries. The Scientific Games Enhanced Partnership helped responsibly grow NCEL Scratch-Off sales from $1.7 billion in fiscal year 2017 to $2.6 billion in fiscal year 2022. With this partnership, Scientific Games provides portfolio management across the Lottery’s entire scratch game offerings.
The Scientific Games Enhanced Partnership with NCEL began in 2017, aligning the Lottery for future growth to support education across North Carolina, including school construction and scholarships for students attending in-state colleges and universities.
Mark Michalko, NCEL Executive Director, said, “Our partnership with Scientific Games helps the N.C. Education Lottery achieve its goals, and we look forward to continuing our good work together. Last year, the success of scratch-off sales helped to raise $929 million to support education programs in North Carolina. We are aligned in our approach to maximize responsible growth in the coming years. Scratch-off games are the most popular games played in North Carolina and we look for continued success in our ongoing partnership with Scientific Games.”
Through the Scientific Games Enhanced Partnership, the company helps NCEL optimize its product portfolio through portfolio management and game design services, data-driven analytics, advanced logistics, licensed brand services, and retail sales and marketing support. The program is used by more than 20 lotteries, including six of the Top 10-performing instant game lotteries worldwide (La Fleur’s 2022 World Lottery Almanac).
John Schulz, President of Americas and Global Instant Products for Scientific Games, said, “The North Carolina Education Lottery is a great example of how Scientific Games and a lottery can partner on instant games to optimize the product portfolio and generate maximum revenues to benefit residents in the state. The program in North Carolina is a model for the world’s lotteries.”
With products generating more than 70% of global instant game retail sales, Scientific Games is the world’s largest instant games creator, producer and services provider in the world. The company provides retail and digital games, technology, analytics and services to 130 lotteries in 50 countries around the globe, including nearly every North American lottery.
Central Europe
Scientific Games and Polish National Lottery Continue 20-Year Scratchcard Tradition as Sales Grow

Scientific Games will continue to bring exciting instant scratchcard games to Polish National Lottery players through a new agreement with Totalizator Sportowy. Celebrating the instant lottery’s 25th anniversary last year, Totalizator Sportowy is among the top five performing instant game lotteries in Europe (La Fleur’s 2025 World Lottery Almanac). The world’s largest lottery games company has provided scratchcards to Totalizator Sportowy for more than 20 years, with scratchcard game sales in Poland growing by 20% over the past three years (2022 to 2025).
“Our goal is to give our players entertaining scratchcard experiences while responsibly generating maximum proceeds for Polish sport and culture. We are delighted to continue working with Scientific Games to offer fun, modern scratch experiences,” said Katarzyna Woznica-Borkowska, Manager of Instant Products for Totalizator Sportowy.
Most recently, Scientific Games collaborated with Totalizator Sportowy to offer Polish players the PLN30 GIGA 7 game produced with the company’s advanced Dimension technology, which enhances the play experience with three-dimensional, reflection-at-different-angle refractions above and below the game graphics.
Currently, the company provides instant games to 110 government-regulated lotteries worldwide, including more than 50 European lotteries.
“Scientific Games is honored to continue our longtime relationship with Totalizator Sportowy that we have built across two decades,” said Paul Dures, Lottery Sales Director EMEA for Scientific Games. “We look forward to continuing our work to drive meaningful growth for the scratchcard games in Poland creating more innovative and attractive games for players.”
With products that generate more than 70% of global instant game retail sales, Scientific Games is the world’s largest instant games creator, producer and services provider, and the primary provider to nine of the Top 10 performing instant game lotteries in the world (La Fleur’s 2025 World Lottery Almanac).
The post Scientific Games and Polish National Lottery Continue 20-Year Scratchcard Tradition as Sales Grow appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
bingo
ZEAL invests in Swedish iLottery specialist Random State

- Co-investment by ZEAL and French lottery operator FDJ UNITED Ventures
- Strategic partnership drives industry innovation and growth
ZEAL Network SE, Germany’s leading provider of online lotteries, is investing in the innovative Swedish iLottery and iBingo specialist Random State, alongside FDJ UNITED Ventures, FDJ UNITED’s startup investment fund. With this co-investment, both partners reaffirm their commitment to advancing the global lottery industry.
Random State develops modern, digital instant lottery and bingo formats characterized by creative game design and a consistent focus on user experience. Notable clients include The UAE Lottery, the first regulated lottery in the United Arab Emirates and Delta Bingo Online, the digital arm of the Canadian gambling operator Delta Bingo & Gaming.
Investment creates value for all parties
The investment will enable Random State to strategically expand its sales and marketing activities and accelerate the development of new games – supporting the company’s continued growth trajectory. ZEAL, in turn, gains not only valuable insights into new game formats and mechanics but also benefits from the commercial partnership opportunities that come with the investment. This move is part of the strategic goal of ZEAL Ventures, the venture investment department of ZEAL, to actively shape the future of lottery and infuse innovation into ZEAL’s product portfolio.
The partnership with FDJ UNITED Ventures also highlights the increasing collaboration among leading European lottery operators, united by a shared ambition to bring fresh momentum to a modern and future-ready lottery landscape.
Driving the future of the industry together
“With Random State, we are investing into innovation in the iLottery sector,” says Juliane Gutsmiedl, Investment Manager at ZEAL Ventures. “The team impresses with creative game design and a deep understanding of diverse user preferences – providing us with valuable impulses for the development of our own portfolio.”
“Our vision is to reimagine the lottery – digital, user-centric, and globally connected,” said Mattias Westholm, CEO of Random State. “With ZEAL Ventures and FDJ UNITED Ventures, we’ve found strong, strategically-minded partners who share this ambition. This investment allows us to accelerate our innovation pipeline and expand into new markets and customer segments.”
The post ZEAL invests in Swedish iLottery specialist Random State appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
Alexander Pechtold to Step Down as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Dutch Lottery

After more than four years, Alexander Pechtold is stepping down as chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Dutch Lottery. Pechtold was recently reappointed for a second four-year term at the request of the Ministry of Finance, a shareholder of the Dutch Lottery. However, in light of his appointment as mayor of the municipality of Delft in September, Pechtold has decided to step down as chairman and member of the Supervisory Board effective January 1, 2026.
Since April 2021, Alexander Pechtold, as Chairman of the Supervisory Board, has made a vital contribution to the further development of the Dutch Lottery. In addition to recruiting three new Supervisory Board members, he played a key role in shaping the Dutch Lottery’s new governance structure and appointing the CEO and three new board members. Pechtold also contributed to positioning the Dutch Lottery as the most responsible gambling provider in the Dutch market, particularly during the launch of the online gambling market.
Alexander Pechtold said: “Since my appointment, I have greatly enjoyed serving as chairman. The Nederlandse Loterij is a wonderful company, with great brands, fantastic products, and colleagues who provide responsible gambling with great energy and passion. I leave behind an organization that is ready for the future, with a clear positioning, an ambitious strategy, and enthusiastic and driven employees. I thank my fellow board members for their confidence in me and have every confidence in the board and the management to continue to be successful in the future. I will remain fully involved until January 1, 2026, to ensure a smooth transition to a new chairman.”
Frida van den Maagdenberg, member of the Supervisory Board of the Nederlandse Loterij, said: “I deeply regret Alexander Pechtold’s departure. The board is grateful for the way he fulfilled his role as chairman with integrity, using his skill, flair, and energy. The board therefore expresses its appreciation for Alexander’s efforts over the past four years. We will miss him.”
The post Alexander Pechtold to Step Down as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Dutch Lottery appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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