The Lottery Industry Hall of Fame, which honors individuals who are dedicated to promoting excellence and integrity in the lottery industry, is set to induct industry veteran Gordon Medenica in recognition of years of successful leadership.
Announced by the Public Gaming Research Institute (PGRI), Medenica will form part of a group of six inductees who will be honoured in a virtual ceremony at 5pm Eastern Time on October 4.
“I’m truly humbled to be among this distinguished group,” Medenica said. “The lottery industry is filled with exceptional people who are dedicated to the success of this business, so being in the Hall of Fame is quite an honor – one that I’m proud to share with the many others who make dreams possible every day.”
Medenica’s lottery-industry career, which includes management roles in New York, New Jersey and Maryland, began back in 2007 when he became the director of the New York Lottery and helped set all-time revenue records every year.
Additionally, he authorised the initiative that prompted the US Department of Justice to rescind its interpretation of the 1961 Wire Act, an action that led to the legalisation of online lotteries in 2011.
During his time in New York Medenica and his team created the New York Lottery Black instant ticket which became the all-time best-selling ticket at its price point. The lottery also won multiple industry advertising awards with him at the helm, culminating in the World Lottery Association (WLA) Best of the Best award in 2012.
Medenica went on to become the transitional CEO of the Northstar New Jersey Lottery Group, which won the contract to manage sales, marketing and related functions for the New Jersey Lottery, and to this day he remains the only director to have managed lotteries from both the public and private sides.
Regarding his move to Maryland, Medenica became the lottery’s director in June 2015 and he has consistently set revenue and profit records, focusing his team on instant ticket sales. He also oversees Maryland’s six casinos, including the 2016 opening of the state’s largest, MGM National Harbor.
Moreover, Medenica has also served time as the President of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) in 2012 and currently serves on the NASPL Executive Committee as Region 1 Director. He is also Lead Director of the Mega Millions consortium and Lead Director of the Cash4Life consortium. Internationally, Medenica serves on the WLA’s Sports Betting Integrity Committee.
