Throughout his career, Manny Atwal has helped organizations navigate change, solve complex business challenges, and drive sustainable growth across lottery, gaming, liquor, and other regulated industries. Drawing on his experience as a Lottery Director, he understands the unique pressures organizations face and brings a practical, customer-first approach to addressing them. Known for his collaborative leadership style, Manny has built a reputation for creating strong partnerships and aligning teams around shared goals.
Earlier this year, Manny joined Pollard Banknote as Executive Vice President, Global Lottery Sales & Development, where he leads the company’s Sales, Marketing, Business Development, and Retail Solutions teams. In this role, he works closely with lotteries to identify growth opportunities and navigate an increasingly dynamic marketplace.
Q. Why did you choose to join Pollard Banknote?
Manny: For me, it started with Pollard’s reputation as a trusted partner to lotteries around the world and its strong commitment to supporting the local communities where we operate. But what really convinced me to join the team was something Doug Pollard said during our conversations: “Manny, our primary goal is to help lotteries responsibly drive revenue so they can contribute more to the good causes they support.”
I’ve been fortunate to work with organizations that prioritized customer success and long-term relationships, and I saw those same values reflected in Pollard’s leadership and team. The lottery industry is evolving rapidly, and Pollard stands out for its ability to connect retail and digital solutions together in ways that engage existing players and attract new ones.
What particularly resonated with me was Pollard’s belief that retail and digital deliver the greatest value when they work together as part of a seamless player experience. Rather than treating them as separate channels, the focus is on strengthening the overall lottery business. I was excited by the opportunity to help shape that future alongside a talented team committed to helping lotteries succeed.
Q. What excites you most about this role?
Manny: The opportunity to work alongside incredibly talented people who are passionate about helping lotteries succeed. One of the first things I noticed at Pollard was the depth of expertise across the organization.
I believe leadership starts with understanding the strengths of your team. My role is to help align our teams around a shared purpose: helping lotteries grow responsibly.
Our role is to work alongside lotteries as strategic partners, helping them solve challenges and identify opportunities. We should be in this together.
Q. What has impressed you the most since joining the company?
Manny: I’ve been impressed by the strength of Pollard’s culture and its long-term vision. As a family-owned business, Pollard has a level of leadership continuity that is increasingly rare, reflecting the company’s dedication to employees, customers, and the lottery industry.
What has stood out most to me is the organization’s commitment to customer success. Across the business, teams are focused on understanding customer challenges, identifying opportunities, and working together to deliver meaningful results. That same collaborative mindset is reflected in Pollard’s Blueprint™ approach, which helps lotteries align strategy and execution to drive sustainable growth.
Q. Looking ahead, what opportunities and challenges do you see for lotteries?
Manny: The lottery industry is entering a period of significant change. Lotteries face more competition for consumers’ discretionary spending than ever before, while player expectations continue to evolve.
This isn’t a time for simply repeating past approaches. Success will require lotteries to take a more connected approach to growth by aligning product strategy, retailer performance, marketing, digital engagement, and operations.
Data and insights will play an increasingly important role. By understanding player behavior and portfolio performance more effectively, lotteries can make faster, more informed decisions and improve results across the business.
While there are challenges ahead, I also see tremendous opportunity. We’re entering a period where strong partnerships are more important than ever. Lotteries need partners willing to work alongside them, challenge assumptions, and explore new opportunities for growth. That includes finding new ways to connect retail and digital experiences, because long-term success comes from strengthening both together, not treating them as separate channels. After all, a great digital lottery is a great retail lottery.