Insights from the EL/WLA Vienna Conference 2025

The EL/WLA Vienna Conference 2025, held from 1 to 3 October in Austria, brought together hundreds of representatives from lotteries, regulators, suppliers, and sustainability experts from around the world. Hosted by European Lotteries and the World Lottery Association, the seminar focused on two central pillars shaping the future of the lottery and gaming sector: Responsible Gaming and Environmental Sustainability.

Over three days of presentations, workshops, case studies, and discussions, one theme stood out clearly: the industry faces an evolving set of responsibilities, both to protect players and to minimise its environmental impact, and must adapt quickly to remain credible, trusted, and resilient in a changing world.

Responsible Gaming: Engaging a New Generation

A major focus of the conference was the evolving landscape of responsible gaming, particularly in relation to younger audiences.

Elisabeth Ponocny-Seliger opened with an insightful look at “The New Generations (Gen Z & Alpha)”, exploring the sociocultural and behavioural trends of these cohorts and their implications for gambling engagement.

Several presentations focused on how operators can communicate more effectively with these audiences. Ida Mellbye (Norsk Tipping) shared the TikTok campaign “The Dream Duo”, while Desiree Soto (Rhode Island Lottery) and Victor Baez (Club Ambition) showcased how social media and influencer partnerships can make RG messages more relevant and authentic.

Oscar Castro (ONCE) presented a Responsible Gaming Hackathon, highlighting how innovation and cross-sector collaboration can drive new solutions. Prevention and early education were also front and centre, with Vincent Perrotin (FDJ) and Khalid Jones (Virginia Lottery) illustrating different strategies for reaching young people before gambling becomes an issue.

Sessions led by Michael Kübbeler (Adesso SE) and Julia Cloutier (Pollard Banknote) highlighted the importance of product risk assessment and data-driven approaches to early detection and safer play.

There was also a strong focus on sports and gambling-related harm, with Jeffrey L. Derevensky (McGill University) presenting data on youth betting trends, and Per Einar Karlsen (Norsk Tipping) sharing Norsk Tipping’s work on match fixing and prevention programmes for athletes.

Environmental Sustainability: Collective Action to Tackle Climate Impact

The second pillar of the event centred on environmental sustainability and the industry’s role in supporting broader climate goals.

One of the key sessions was the Scope 3 Emissions Workshop led by Heidi Florence (digitalRG), which addressed how lotteries can measure and reduce indirect emissions across their value chains. Participants explored practical ways to engage suppliers, collect robust data, and integrate emissions reduction strategies into core operations.

Nadia Lambiase (Mercato Circolare) introduced circular economy principles, challenging operators to move away from the linear “take-make-dispose” model and rethink materials, waste, and product lifecycles. Stefania Colombo (Brightstar) followed with a session on life cycle thinking, providing a structured framework for identifying environmental impact across the entire value chain.

Kate Carlson (Hoosier Lottery) showcased a practical case study on implementing circular practices in ticket design, supply chain engagement, and retail operations, proving that environmental improvements can deliver both ecological and operational benefits.

The event also highlighted collective action through the European Lotteries Environmental Initiative, presented by Mélissa Jacquérioz and Heidi Florence. The initiative outlines three core commitments for members: sourcing sustainable paper, measuring emissions, and setting reduction targets by 2030. With 36 member lotteries already involved, it reflects growing momentum for coordinated climate action across the sector.

A Sector Positioned for Leadership

Throughout the conference, several cross-cutting themes emerged:

• Collaboration is crucial: both responsible gaming and sustainability challenges require coordinated action across operators, suppliers, regulators, and communities.

• Younger generations are a key focus: as both players and citizens, their expectations are driving change in communication, product design, and sustainability priorities.

• Data and innovation are essential: from behavioural analytics to carbon measurement, technology enables more precise, proactive approaches.

• Culture change matters: embedding RG and sustainability into the core of business strategies, not just as compliance, is vital for long-term impact.

The EL/WLA Vienna Conference 2025 showed a sector ready to evolve, balancing commercial goals with its responsibility to protect people and the planet. Through shared learning, innovation, and collective ambition, lotteries are positioning themselves as credible, forward-thinking actors in the global sustainability and player protection landscape.

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