The European Lotteries (EL) Executive Committee has decided to postpone this year’s Congress and Trade show to 2023 due to the ongoing global health crisis.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, EL has continued to adapt its work to serve its members, from digital working group meetings and webinars to an e-learning platform and a virtual Corporate University.
While the lottery umbrella organisation stated the decision to postpone the 2021 Congress was a hard one, it looks ahead to continuing its work with the Croatian Lottery as the 2023 host.
Arjan van ‘t Veer, Secretary General of EL, said: ”On behalf of the President, Executive Committee and EL team, I would like to thank the Croatian Lottery and project team for their dedication, continuous openness, and realistic approach over the past months.
“Cancelling this year’s Congress and Trade show was not an easy decision but we are safe in the knowledge that we are not taking any unnecessary risks. I am optimistic that we will have a fantastic event together in 2023.”
Mario Musa, CEO of the Croatian Lottery, added: “The original theme of the Congress ‘Looking Forward’ is more relevant as ever as we look towards a slow but nonetheless, a road to recovery, and the moment when we can welcome you all to sunny Sibenik in 2023.
“Over the coming months and years, we will seek to take stock of the most valuable lessons learned from the pandemic and look forward to sharing our ideas and experiences together in person.”
This year’s EL General Assembly (for EL members only) will still take place, but in a simpler format than usual, with a short introductory programme including some keynotes planned for the original 2021 Congress.
Last month, EL hosted a ‘Data & Research’ webinar about the lottery sector and the trends and learnings from COVID-19.