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Mary Harville is wrapping up an exceptional 22-year run at the Kentucky Lottery, including the last five years as President and CEO. In that time, Kentucky delivered record performance, grew sales by more than $1 billion, and transferred nearly $2 billion to the Commonwealth, funding more educational opportunities than ever before, highlighted by the Lottery’s “One in a Million” milestone celebrating more than 1 million scholarship recipients.
In this La Fleur’s interview, Harville reflects on the moments that defined her tenure, from the industry’s long-standing culture of cooperation and the push to protect iLottery sales channels, to Kentucky’s fight against gray machines. She also shares what she believes lotteries must do next to stay competitive, where she sees the biggest opportunities for growth (retail expansion, partnerships, and the NFL initiative), and why Kentucky’s Odyssey 2026 modernization and Connected Play strategy will be a foundation for what comes next.
After 22 years with the Kentucky Lottery, including the last five as CEO, what accomplishment or turning point are you most proud of?
I am tempted to say it is the record lottery sales year over year, or that sales increased over one billion dollars during the 5-year period, or transfers to the State for the past 5 years totaled nearly $2 billion, which accounts for nearly 25 percent of total transfers to the State since the inception of the lottery in 1989. We’ve been named a “Best Place to Work in Kentucky” for the past 5 years in a row. But I’m truly most proud that all of these corporate accomplishments translate into more educational opportunities for Kentucky college students than ever before. I love hearing our beneficiaries’ personal stories about the positive impact that Lottery-funded scholarships have on the trajectory of their lives. It’s always inspiring to hear how appreciative they are. During FY 2025, we launched our One in a Million campaign to celebrate that over 1 million Kentuckians have received college scholarships funded by Kentucky Lottery proceeds. The impact has to be significant and far-reaching!
What has surprised you most about how the industry has changed or hasn’t changed over the last two decades?
Over the past 22 years, one thing that has not changed is the spirit of cooperation and support between and among the lotteries. One of my first tasks upon joining the Kentucky Lottery as General Counsel in 2004 was to draft a new contract with David Gale, Executive Director of NASPL. Then, KLC President Arch Gleason impressed upon me the importance of this contract, industry cooperation, and support for one another. Some years later, in both 2012 and 2015, this cooperation was center stage when I had the opportunity to join a “fly-in” and lobby on Capitol Hill alongside Arch, David Gale/NASPL, and representatives of all of our major lottery vendors. We visited nearly the entire Kentucky delegation and other legislators as part of a successful effort to block legislation that would have modified the federal Wire Act and prevented lotteries from selling over the internet. Today, the door remains open for this important lottery sales channel, and 14 lotteries are selling online! This spirit of cooperation is alive and well in our daily interactions. As we in Kentucky began to experience the influx of gray machines, we tapped into experience from other lotteries to direct our path, and we are pleased to be one of only a few states to have enacted a ban against those gray machines that continue to pose a threat to so many lotteries and the good causes they support. I’ve so appreciated the fact that, over the years, when I’ve called on another lottery for advice or help in any way, I’ve always received a prompt and thoughtful response. This collaborative and cooperative interaction continues to be a tremendous asset for all NASPL lotteries.
Looking at the industry today, if you could change anything, what would it be and why?
It’s often said that our industry is slow to identify and implement innovative solutions in response to market changes, customer preferences, and challenges such as illegal or gray machines and increased competition from ever-expanding forms of legal and illegal gaming. While subject to debate, the primary cause is likely the myriad unique laws governing state lotteries, which make it difficult for lotteries and their vendors to align on industry-wide priorities and implement industry-wide solutions. To alter this trajectory, lottery leaders must adopt a perspective that is broader than the confines of a single lottery, and with one voice, call upon our vendors to collaborate and to find and implement innovative solutions to ensure we remain competitive and successfully fulfill our missions despite new and difficult challenges. Leaders must necessarily trust that a path benefiting the industry as a whole will ultimately benefit all lotteries. As to what the solution ultimately is, I’m confident that a diverse group of both industry and non-industry strategists will be able to focus on who our customers and potential customers are and what they want, which may ultimately reveal an opportunity, solution, or market we have not yet pursued.
What gives you the most optimism for lottery performance in the future?
We hold several cards in our hands that put us in a strong position. The good causes we support are key, for one. Research shows that people, especially the younger demographic, seek to patronize businesses that support good causes. All lotteries were created to support good causes, and this sets us apart from most other forms of gaming. Additionally, on the whole, lottery is sold in retail locations where there are no other forms of legalized gaming, which can give us a significant advantage, and we can make the most of it through promotions and signage. Building on this thought, there are many additional locations where lottery is not yet sold but could be, if only we found a way to tap into them – including big box stores, quick-service restaurants (QSRs), and other places where players and potential players are found. Finally, we have access to a plethora of partnership opportunities, whether through the thousands of our lottery retailer partners across the country, such as grocery stores and convenience stores, or through local vendors. A great example is the Kentucky Lottery’s tremendously successful partnership with the Kentucky Distillers’ Association/The Kentucky Bourbon Trail this year, which drew the attention of many non-players who happen to be bourbon enthusiasts. On a national level, our partnership with the NFL is a tremendous opportunity for this industry to attract new players, and there should be 100 percent participation in this effort by all lotteries in order to give it the best chances of success. Think about how many businesses would love to partner with the NFL right now, and we are there!
Is there a project or strategy that you initiated but will not see fully completed that you hope your successor and team will continue to advance?
Our state-of-the-art retail modernization project, that we call “Odyssey 2026,” is a project I have worked on with my team the last four years. It involved extending our major lottery contracts with BSL and SG through a not-feasible-to-solicit procurement. We believed, and a GLI opinion confirmed, that the extensions provided significant cost savings and leave us well-positioned to fulfill our mission in the years to come. Our 3,500 retailers have received the newest, most streamlined technology that makes selling and buying lottery products easier and more efficient than ever. The equipment enhancements include dual cellular retailer network connections, new vending machines, new terminals, ticket checkers, printers, and marketing monitors. This equipment upgrade completes the expansion of cashless transaction support across the entire vending program.
In February, simultaneous with the launch of the new Millionaire for Life game, but after my retirement date, the Lottery will take the ultimate step by converting to a new central gaming system (CGS) that ties together every component of this project for our retailers and players. Alongside the new CGS, we will implement “Connected Play,” a feature of the new system that merges the retail and online or iLottery player experience. As the first lottery in the nation to offer this trailblazing experience and with this multi-year project nearing completion, I’m confident our team will advance this initiative all the way to the end zone. Which brings me to the other initiative I’m hopeful will continue, and that will be the Kentucky Lottery’s participation in the new NFL game partnership.
After such a long and successful tenure, what is the most important piece of advice you would offer to new lottery directors stepping into a leadership role?
Ensure you have the right people and team around you. A new director can pursue all the right strategies, but a knowledgeable, experienced, and engaged team is necessary to successfully implement those strategies. When I was appointed President & CEO in 2020, I was fortunate to have an experienced, long-tenured team of senior leaders in place. Shortly after I was appointed, however, they began to announce their retirement dates, until 4 years later, all had departed amid much deserved fanfare. But there was no need for concern, because it was an excellent opportunity to restructure and modernize the organization, which included establishing a new Products Department to give the internet channel equal footing with the scratch and draw games, as well as the tender loving care it has always deserved from a Director of Internet Sales, and as well, to name the lottery’s first Chief Brand Officer, first Chief Strategy Officer and first Chief Revenue Officer. What also ensued was the opportunity to develop and grow a team of leaders together, which is what we did with the assistance of an executive leadership coach. In addition, there’s been significant investment in training and development opportunities, including project management training and tuition for accredited coursework. Manager and leadership training opportunities have been offered, paternity leave (in addition to maternity leave) for new parents, and a host of other seminars and other opportunities for staff training and development. We have undertaken a compensation study to ensure fair market pay, and according to a recent analysis, our benefits are competitive. Equally important, the establishment of numerous committees and employment engagement opportunities ensures our employees know they are valued, appreciated, and heard.”
Finally, what are your plans for retirement?
Play the Kentucky Lottery! And while I want to return to the gym and my pre-director weight, reconnect with friends and family, and re-start golf, piano and pickleball, now that I’ll have more control over my time and my schedule, I will be looking for new ways I can give back and serve my community, including additional service to my church and service on the board of one or two charitable organizations near and dear to my heart. I’m looking forward to exploring the idea of writing about the fantastic cast of characters I’ve encountered over the past 22 years in the lottery industry and 16 years as a litigator.”