OLYMPIA—Washington’s Lottery announced on February 11 that it has achieved the highest level of responsible gambling certification in the country.
As acknowledged by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) and the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL), Washington’s Lottery officially was certified for Responsible Gambling Verification Best Practices at the Sustaining Level in December 2024, the culmination of a process that began with certification at the Planning Level in 2019 and Implementation Level in 2021.
Washington’s Lottery is only the third state lottery in addition to Virginia and Ohio to achieve this milestone. NCPG and NASPL also recognize nine other state lotteries that have achieved a similar certification through the World Lottery Association.
“I can’t begin to express how proud I am of the work our team has done to achieve this important standard,” said Kristi Weeks, Director of Legal Services for Washington’s Lottery. “We have a unique obligation as a state agency that sells a gambling product and need to balance the goal of raising money for important state initiatives like education with the need to acknowledge and assist the small percentage of players who may experience gambling-related distress. We take that work very seriously and weave it into all aspects of our jobs.”
To receive the Sustaining Level certification, Washington’s Lottery was evaluated by a team of four independent experts, who reviewed the lottery’s efforts in eight key categories related to responsible gambling: planning, employee training, retailer training, public education and awareness, product oversight, research, advertising, and resources.
“The key to our success has been the integration of responsible gambling initiatives into each and every employee’s position rather than centralizing it into only one or a few positions,” added Weeks.
In its evaluation report, one of the assessors noted that Washington’s Lottery “has done a great job weaving responsible gambling throughout the organization and normalizing it in day-to-day activities.”
To maintain its Sustaining Level certification, Washington’s Lottery will need to re-apply and be re-evaluated every three years.
Source: Washington’s Lottery
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
