North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL)

History and Founding

NASPL was created in 1971 as the National Association of State Lotteries (NASL) during a formative period for U.S. lotteries, following the success of the New Hampshire Lottery and the creation of the New Jersey Lottery. Three key figures—Edward Powers (New Hampshire Lottery Director), Ernest Byrd (New York Lottery Director), and Ralph Batch (Executive Director of the New Jersey Lottery)—recognized the critical need for inter-lottery cooperation after federal banking regulations threatened to derail lottery operations. Their initial meeting in September 1971 led to the formation of NASL, with Ralph Batch serving as its first President. The association later changed its name to the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries to reflect the inclusion of Canadian provincial lotteries.

Governance and Structure

Today, NASPL is governed by an Executive Committee composed of lottery directors elected from the membership, while day-to-day management is handled by a small staff led by an Executive Director. The association operates as a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association. Membership is open to any government-authorized lottery in the U.S., Canada, and affiliated territories; associate membership is available for suppliers and industry partners. The highest governance body is the Executive Committee, whose officers include a President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Immediate Past President, and six regional directors.

Key Products and Services

NASPL offers a range of products and services to its members. The official quarterly publication, NASPL Insights, covers industry trends, retail strategies, game innovations, security, and responsible gambling initiatives. The NASPL Matrix is a proprietary online research platform available exclusively to member lotteries, containing detailed financial and operational data for benchmarking. NASPL organizes several major annual events: the Professional Development Seminar (PDS), the Annual Conference & Trade Show, the Responsible Gambling Seminar, the Lottery Leadership Institute, and the Directors Meeting. Regular webinars cover topics from compliance to digital engagement. The association also develops and promotes industry-wide standards, particularly in security and interoperability, and maintains a library of model legislation and regulations.

Responsible Gambling and Advocacy

NASPL partners with the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) to run responsible gambling awareness campaigns, such as Problem Gambling Awareness Month and the Gift Responsibly Campaign. The association has been instrumental in shaping the multistate lottery landscape, including support for the formation of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) and Powerball. It successfully advocated for changes to federal statutes that restricted lottery operations, such as the 1974 amendments to the Gambling Devices Act. NASPL also launched the “Lottery Myths” campaign to counter common misinformation about lottery games.

Financial Impact

While NASPL itself is a non-profit with modest staff and does not publish its own annual financials publicly, its member lotteries collectively generate tens of billions of dollars annually for public education, infrastructure, health, and environmental programs. In fiscal year 2025 alone, U.S. lotteries contributed approximately $25 billion to state budgets.

Current Leadership

NASPL’s Executive Director is David Gale, supported by a small management team including Andrew White (Vice President of Operations), Tamika Ligon (Director of Programs and Education), and others. The elected Executive Committee is led by President Brian Rockey (Nebraska Lottery), First Vice President Mark Michalko (NCEL), Second Vice President James Carey (New Jersey Lottery), Treasurer Helene Keeley (Delaware Lottery), Secretary Adam Prock (Minnesota Lottery), and Immediate Past President Harold Mays (Illinois Lottery).