CT Lottery Corporation Board of Directors voted to appoint Frank Suarez, Executive Director of the DC Office of Lottery and Gaming, as the new permanent President and CEO of the Connecticut Lottery Corporation (CLC). The appointment of Mr. Suarez will be effective as of August 1, 2024.

The appointment is the culmination of a nationwide search that began eleven months ago, with nearly 300 candidates from across the country having applied for the position. Mr. Suarez was selected for the position, as his strategic vision, dedication to customer-centric solutions, and commitment to fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment best aligned with CLC’s core values and vision for the future.

Mr. Suarez brings with him a wealth of experience and a strong track record of success in the lottery and gaming industry. With over 10 years of progressive lottery leadership roles, including seven years with the North Carolina Education Lottery as Deputy Executive Director of Brand Management and Communications and, most recently, as Executive Director of the DC Lottery for the past 3 years, he is uniquely qualified to lead CLC into its next phase of growth and innovation.

“I am honored and excited to join the Connecticut Lottery Corporation and to work with the talented team here to drive continued growth and success,” said Suarez. “Our focus will be on maximizing revenue for the state while maintaining the highest standards of integrity and responsible gaming.”

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Since 2014, Mr. Suarez has served in leadership roles at two state lotteries, the North Carolina Education Lottery and the DC Lottery. Under his leadership, the DC Lottery saw significant increases in revenue and profitability through innovative strategies and effective management. During his tenure, Mr. Suarez directed a remarkable turnaround in sports betting operations, transforming a loss into profitability in less than a year and establishing the DC Lottery sportsbook as the largest in the District. He also successfully negotiated and led the conversion to a new mobile and online sports betting platform, resulting in an astounding 887% growth in gross gaming revenue within the first 30 days of operation. Mr. Suarez also helped to revitalize iLottery marketing strategies, launch a new mobile app and expand the DC Lottery’s game portfolio. These efforts led to a 168% increase in gross gaming revenue, ensuring long-term growth and profitability for the iLottery segment. Mr. Suarez also currently serves as Vice Chair of Multi-State Lottery Association’s (MUSL) Product Development Committee and Chairman of the MUSL Fast Play Product Group.

In addition to his lottery experience, Mr. Suarez also possesses extensive private sector experience in Brand Marketing and Management, which includes strategy, planning, product innovation, and promotion, for several national and global brands. He holds a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A) degree from Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Virginia, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (B.S.B.A) degree from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina.

“We are thrilled to welcome Frank Suarez as our new President and CEO,” said Robert T. Simmelkjaer, Board Chair of CLC. “His exceptional leadership skills, extensive industry experience, and visionary approach make him the perfect choice to guide our company into the next phase of growth and innovation. We are confident that, under his stewardship, we will continue to achieve remarkable success and continue to deliver value to our players and revenue to the State of Connecticut.”

As CLC welcomes Mr. Suarez to Connecticut, the Board of Directors would like to acknowledge and express gratitude to Greg Smith for his leadership and dedication over the past 6 years. He has been instrumental in steering the Connecticut Lottery to its current position as one of the highest performing lotteries in the country. Effective August 1, 2024, Mr. Smith will assume the position of Special Consultant to assist with the transition of leadership. He plans to officially retire at the end of September.

Jackpot.com – the online lottery courier service that allows consumers to purchase official state lottery tickets on their phone, tablet, or computer – announced it will become the official lottery courier and provider of nationwide lottery results for The Associated Press.

Currently live in six states – most recently launching in New Jersey last month – Jackpot.com will offer various state lottery results on APNews.com and to AP customers via a “lottery results feed.” In addition to offering lottery drawing results, AP customers will have the opportunity to offer ticket purchasing services through their own websites, where such services are available.

“Working with The Associated Press as their official lottery courier and provider of state lottery results marks a pivotal moment for us at Jackpot.com,” said Akshay Khanna, CEO and co-founder of Jackpot.com. “This collaboration not only helps provider readers with the latest lottery drawing results, but enables them to seamlessly and responsibly purchase lottery tickets online. Through AP’s extensive reach, we’re not just selling tickets; we’re transforming the landscape of lottery gaming.”

Jackpot.com has significantly invested in responsible gaming protocols by allowing customers to set spend limits and default limits on daily deposits, all while providing access to local and national responsible gambling resources, self-exclusion, self-suspension and automated notifications that offer help should problematic behavior be detected. Jackpot.com is also the only lottery courier service to launch with iCap certification from the National Council on Problem Gambling.

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“We look forward to working with Jackpot.com to provide the latest lottery results to our customers as well as the audience on APNews.com,” said Barry Bedlan, AP’s global products director for text, data and new markets.

Jackpot.com leadership team has a proven track record in the technology, gaming, and licensing industries. The team is led by Akshay K. Khanna, co-founder and CEO of Jackpot.com, an accomplished sports and licensing executive who formerly ran StubHub’s North America business and Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment’s strategy group; co-founder Roi More, the co-founder of Gett; and co-founder Yariv Ron, a real money gaming industry veteran.