Corporate Social Responsibility Policy

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Objective

The purpose of the Missouri Lottery’s Corporate Social Responsibility Policy is to establish Lottery priorities on issues pertaining to corporate social responsibility (CSR) for internal and external stakeholders. This policy was created to document the actions taken by the Missouri Lottery to commit to social responsibility. This CSR policy follows the guidance provided by ISO 26000, an internationally recognized standard and best practice in social responsibility.

Definitions

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): How companies manage their economic, social, philanthropic and environmental impacts, as well as their relationships in all key spheres of influence: the workplace, the marketplace, the supply chain, the community and the public policy realm1.

Missouri Lottery (Lottery): A Type III division of the State of Missouri, created to generate revenues for public education through the operation of a lottery pursuant to Article III, Section 39(b) of the Missouri Constitution and governed by sections 313.200 through 313.351 of the Missouri Revised Statutes.

Missouri State Lottery Commission (Commission): A constitutional body of the State of Missouri. It consists of a five-member commission that is appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Missouri Senate.

State Lottery Commissioners (Commissioners): Five individuals appointed by the Governor of Missouri to supervise and administer the operation of the Lottery pursuant to section 313.230, RSMo.

1 Definition provided by the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu 

Missouri Lottery Governance

The Missouri Lottery’s Corporate Social Responsibility Policy will be overseen and implemented by the Missouri Lottery’s Responsible Gaming Coordinator, Communications Department, and Responsible Gaming Committee, while considering the feedback and interests of the Missouri Lottery’s community of stakeholders. The Corporate Social Responsibility Policy will be reviewed and updated by the Responsible Gaming Coordinator on an annual basis. Revisions to the policy will also be considered on a case-by-case basis during the Committee’s quarterly meetings.

The Missouri Lottery’s Corporate Social Responsibility Policy is designed to support the organization’s vision and mission, while adhering to the Lottery’s core guiding principles, which include:

-    Missouri Lottery Mission: To help fund educational opportunities for Missouri students, support Missouri businesses and entertain millions.
-    Product Mission: To offer creative games that bring fun and dreams into people’s lives.
-    Economic Mission: To responsibly maximize our revenues for Missouri public education and our retail partners.
-    Social Mission: To commit to responsible gaming practices and the integrity of all our games and products, and to enhance the quality of life for the people of Missouri by supporting education and our retail partners.
-    Missouri Lottery Vision: The Missouri Lottery strives to be an innovative leader in the Lottery industry and a trusted and valued partner for public education.
-    Missouri Lottery Core Values: Integrity, Customer-Focused, Diversity, and Entertainment
-    Missouri Lottery Aspirational Value: Innovation

The Lottery is governed by the Missouri State Lottery Commission, which is comprised of five commissioners that are appointed by the governor and approved by the Senate. The commission supervises the Lottery by issuing rules and appointing a director. The director runs the day-to-day business of the lottery, including hiring employees, issuing licenses and negotiating contracts with vendors.

Legal services for the Lottery are provided by an onsite director of legal services and the attorney general. The state auditor reviews operations by conducting audits every two years, in addition to annual audits by an independent auditor. Missouri Lottery legislation in Chapter 313 of the state statutes details the operation of the lottery, including distributing of lottery monies, conflicts of interest, who may play the lottery, criminal penalties and taxation of lottery winnings.

  

Org Chart

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PROGRAM

The Missouri Lottery's CSR program is designed to support our efforts and initiatives that positively impact players, the community, and our business partnerships. The foundation of our CSR program integrates four elements: Responsible Gaming, Engagement, Responsible Practices, and Transparency.

Responsible Gaming

Guided by its responsible gaming policy, the Missouri Lottery aims to use fact-based research as the foundation behind initiatives to train employees, create sound products, market responsibly, educate players and engage with stakeholders to seek continuous improvement.

The Missouri Lottery is a Level-4-certified organization through the World Lottery Association under their responsible gaming framework. Our responsible gaming program incorporates 10 program elements from the WLA framework. Those elements include:

     1.    Research
     2.    Employee Program
     3.    Retailer Program
     4.    Game Design
     5.    Remote Gaming Channels
     6.    Advertising and Marketing Communications
     7.    Player Education
     8.    Treatment Referral
     9.    Stakeholder Engagement 
   10.    Reporting and Measurement

1.    Research
In recognizing its prominence as a gaming provider in the state of Missouri and that – similar to many aspects of life – gambling can be done in excess, the Missouri Lottery strives to initiate and participate in ongoing research efforts to better its knowledge and understanding of how our products and brand can affect players and Missouri citizens.

The Missouri Lottery will enhance its responsible gaming program from the insights gained by an investment into responsible gaming and problem gambling research. The Lottery will pursue these endeavors through internal and independent resources.

2.    Employee Program
As a gaming provider in Missouri, the Missouri Lottery requires that its workforce be trained on problem gambling, the free treatment available through the Bets Off program, how to promote responsible gaming, and how Missouri Lottery products can potentially cause adverse effects for some players. This training subject matter is reinforced in accordance with the Missouri Lottery’s “Employee Development Policy 2.3 Section III, Lottery Core Curriculum Training No. 4: Problem Gambling and Responsible Gaming.”

The Missouri Lottery will increase its workforce’s knowledge concerning problem gambling and responsible gaming practices.

3.    Retailer Program
With more than 4,700 retail partners statewide, the Missouri Lottery acknowledges that its retailer base serves as a player-facing extension of the Missouri Lottery’s community. Due to their inherent prominence with players, the importance of the Missouri Lottery’s retail community in respect to the promotion of responsible gaming and problem gambling treatment cannot be understated. By engaging with its retail community, the Missouri Lottery aims to establish an understanding about the reality of problem gambling and knowledge of the treatment available.

The Missouri Lottery will develop meaningful programs designed to inform its retail partners about problem gambling and responsible gaming practices with the intent to connect anyone with a problem to help.

4.    Game Design
With each new game that is introduced, the Missouri Lottery is dedicated to ensuring that each product remains responsible in design. Each new product and supporting material will also promote playing responsibly.

The Missouri Lottery will design its products and work with associated vendors to ensure that the products offered by the Lottery are fair and responsible while maximizing public education contributions, player prizes and retailer benefits.

5.    Remote Gaming Channels
As trends and technologies advance in the lottery industry, so too do the types of products that the Missouri Lottery can offer its players. While the Lottery does not currently provide products outside of the traditional Scratchers, Draw Games and Pull-Tabs, the Lottery believes that the potential introduction of new types of products must be preceded by efforts focused on understanding their impact, as well as engagement with the General Assembly/bill drafters to ensure responsible gaming considerations are incorporated into proposed legislation.

In the event that new types of products are placed under its jurisdiction, the Missouri Lottery will pursue research and contractual initiatives designed to inform and protect the integrity of the institution.

6.    Advertising and Marketing Communications
The Missouri Lottery strives to be creative and responsible in the development of its advertising program. Missourians have the right to expect Lottery-related advertising and marketing to be truthful, respectful and sensitive to the potential for harm that could result from excessive spending on Lottery or other forms of gaming. These efforts will not specifically market to vulnerable sections of the population, including to anyone under the age of 18.

The Missouri Lottery will comply with Missouri Lottery policies, federal and state law to accurately and responsibly represent its brand, products and beneficiary through mass advertising.

7.    Player Education
As an integral stakeholder to the Lottery’s success, the Missouri Lottery is committed to using its own resources to provide players with relevant information that supports playing its products responsibly, as well as promoting the availability of free help. By extension, these efforts should also aim to inform the general public about these issues.

The Missouri Lottery will advance the awareness of problem gambling, responsible play, and accessibility of free help among its player base and the general public.

8.    Treatment Referral
The Missouri Lottery believes that partnerships with applicable experts and organizations serve as hallmarks of a well-rounded program focused on reducing harm and promoting treatment. By bringing various independent, government, industry and healthcare entities together, the Missouri Lottery and its partners can more effectively address problem gambling within the state of Missouri, the Midwest region and the United States. 

The Missouri Lottery will foster and sustain relationships with relevant organizations to further advance the awareness of problem gambling, promote responsible play and maintain the availability of free treatment in Missouri.

9.    Stakeholder Engagement 
As stewards of the state of Missouri, the Lottery must consider the feedback, interests and insights of the community of individual groups that have a vested interest in the Missouri Lottery, its successes and its shortcomings. Therefore, the Missouri Lottery has integrated its relationships with these groups within the framework used to develop the strategies, goals and policies which seek to guide the organization.

The Lottery recognizes the following groups as the primary stakeholders in its responsible gaming program:
 

  •     Missouri Lottery players
  •     Missouri Lottery employees
  •     Missouri Lottery retailers
  •     Missouri Lottery vendors
  •     Missouri government
  •     The general public of Missouri 
  •     Lottery industry peers
  •     Missouri Alliance to Curb Problem Gambling and other relevant advocacy groups 

By engaging in constant communication, engagement and learning initiatives, the Lottery integrates its stakeholders into the development of its responsible gaming program. In an effort to ensure blanket coverage of all stakeholder groups and each aspect of the Missouri Lottery’s responsible gaming program, each stakeholder group is represented in each section of the Responsible Gaming Policy.

The Missouri Lottery will engage with each of its stakeholder groups by fostering avenues of constant communication instilling opportunities for feedback to make meaningful changes to the responsible gaming program.

10.    Reporting and Measurement
Using its relationships with stakeholders and the feedback sought from these groups, the Missouri Lottery aims to sustain its responsible gaming program by way of regular systematic updates. As a government entity for the state of Missouri, the Missouri Lottery is dedicated to being transparent with its stakeholders about its corporate social responsibility program.

To ensure consistent growth, the Missouri Lottery participates in activities designed to provide continuous learning, improvement, reporting and evaluation. With this method, the Missouri Lottery’s responsible gaming program operates on a cyclical system focused on sustainability and growth.

The Missouri Lottery will pursue continued growth of the responsible gaming program through the creation of an annual action plan. The Lottery will provide all stakeholders with an annual report outlining the results of all major corporate social responsibility measures while using feedback and results to foster continued growth.

The Missouri Lottery also maintains a “Sustaining Level” certification through the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) and the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG). This verification validates the Lottery’s responsible gaming efforts as an established program with measures in place designed for sustainable improvement.

Community Involvement and Development
Driven by our social mission, the Lottery is dedicated to corporate social responsibility practices that include employee and community engagement. This engagement involves mutually beneficial partnerships, community programs, and membership associations with a network of local and national organizations.

World Lottery Association (WLA)
The Missouri Lottery is a Level-4-certified organization through the World Lottery Association under their responsible gaming framework. To maintain this accreditation, the Missouri Lottery must demonstrate full integration of responsible gaming practices within day-to-day business operations, as well as a commitment to long-term continuous improvement.

North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL)
The Missouri Lottery remains an active participant of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries' Responsible Gaming Committee. The group strives to use the strength of its members' responsible gaming programs to create a unified responsible gaming presence among all lottery organizations. The Missouri Lottery holds the highest "Sustaining Level" certification for our responsible gaming program.

Missouri Alliance to Curb Problem Gambling (MACPG)
The Alliance works to educate Missourians on the potential characteristics and dangers of problem and compulsive gambling, to refer compulsive gamblers and their family and friends to free treatment through a toll-free helpline, to prevent underage play and to promote responsible gaming. The Missouri Lottery was a founding member in 1997. The Alliance was the first coalition in the United States to focus on problem gambling by bringing together gaming operators and healthcare providers. The Lottery’s Communications Manager is a voting member, and the RG Coordinator serves as the group’s secretary and produces its Annual Report.

Bets Off Problem Gambling Helpline
As a member of the Missouri Alliance to Curb Problem Gambling, the Missouri Lottery provides marketing support for the organization's problem gambling helpline and referral program, 1-888-BETSOFF. Problem Gambling resources are also available at 888betsoff.org – a website maintained by the Missouri Lottery – and by emailing freehelp@888betsoff.org.

Feeling Kinda Blue – Provident Health
Feeling Kinda Blue is a social networking site accessible within 888BETSOFF.org. It was created to serve individuals living with depression, anxiety, grief, emotional pain and other mental illnesses. Among its offerings, the online community features a quiz to help users determine if they are experiencing problem gambling behavior. The Feeling Kinda Blue mission is to decrease social isolation by making connections through experience sharing. This program allows members to engage with other individuals through chatting, creating blogs, sharing mutual interests of artwork, music and photos. The community is administered by our partners at Provident, who also oversee the 1-888-BETSOFF helpline.

Midwest Conference on Problem Gambling & Substance Abuse
The Missouri Lottery has been involved with the Consortium and the planning of the annual Midwest Conference on Problem Gambling and Substance Abuse since 2003. The Conference is designed to promote and unify education, science and services in order to improve the quality and availability of community-based problem gambling and substance abuse treatment services. The annual event hosts speakers and participants working within the fields of addiction, mental health and clinical treatment. The Lottery's Responsible Gaming Coordinator is a contributor to the conference, serving on its planning committee. In addition, approximately five Lottery employees from our Marketing and Sales divisions attend conference sessions each year for training credit.

Do the Right Thing – Retailer Integrity & Responsibility Program
The Missouri Lottery is committed to retailer integrity and the integrity of our products. Our "Do the Right Thing" program helps to ensure player and retailer protection. Our on-going program provides retailers with best practices to successfully manage Lottery products, while ensuring the integrity and security of our business and theirs. Each year, our Sales team performs compliance checks to ensure retailers are demonstrating best practices in the areas of Supplies & Selling, Cashing, and Responsible Gaming.

Self-Exclusion Program
Offered by the Missouri Lottery since 2013, the voluntary Self-Exclusion Program (SEP) is a responsible gaming resource for players who identify themselves as problem or compulsive gamblers. The program allows players to enter into voluntary lifetime self-ban agreements with the Lottery, prohibiting those individuals from claiming prizes of more than $600 or accessing the My Lottery® Players Club.

Missouri Amber Alert
Missouri Lottery retailers and players are in a unique position to help spot missing children. In the event of a Missouri AMBER Alert, the Lottery will send messages through Lottery terminals to retailers. In addition, the Missouri AMBER Alert message will be broadcast on monitors in retail locations. When possible, this message will also appear on all Draw Games tickets, and the Lottery will publicize the alert on our Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Missouri Blue Alert
Similar to the Missouri AMBER Alert for missing children, the Missouri Lottery also helps disseminate information whenever a Blue Alert is issued. Blue Alerts provide details about violent offenders who have killed, seriously injured, or pose an imminent and credible threat to law enforcement. In the event of a Missouri Blue Alert, the Lottery uses terminal messages, monitor signage and Draw Games tickets at retail to get news out quickly.

Marine Corps Toys for Tots
Established in 1947, the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program collects donated toys to be distributed to less fortunate children during the holidays. Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City serves as a collection site for this program each year.

Responsible Practices

Environmental Footprint
The Missouri Lottery is committed to achieving environmental sustainability through its recycling efforts and utilization of green products and digital playslips. We work with our primary vendor to ensure our products are environmentally friendly and sourced from recycled materials. Identifying how to reduce our environmental footprint is the first step in becoming more environmentally stable.

The Lottery follows a standardized recycling process by recycling the large volumes of cardboard we receive, in an effort to minimize environmental impact. We also participate in the Missouri State Recycling Program each year. This program is a partnership of state team members and agencies that facilitate strategies for reuse and recycling of state property. In 2022, a Missouri Lottery employee was recognized as the State Recycling Champion for his tremendous recycling contributions.

The Lottery makes a conscious effort to utilize green products as part of our manufacturing process. The instant lottery tickets manufactured by our primary vendor consist of printing ink and scratch-off coatings that are composed of non-toxic, non-hazardous ingredients, which are compliant with the U.S. Federal Government Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1876 for the protection of human life and the environment. The paper and card stock used for Scratchers tickets follows the government-regulated standards and guidelines, including those for recycled material, recycled paper and secondary waste materials. Packaging materials used in our vendor's finishing process are 100% recyclable. Our vendor's distribution centers also maintain a variety of recycling efforts.

To reduce the use of paper, the Missouri Lottery offers a digital playslip feature, which allows players to use the Missouri Lottery’s official mobile app to create a playslip for their favorite Draw Games on their smartphone and save their numbers for future use. As a result, the total number of paper playslips distributed since 2017 has decreased each year, even while Draw Games sales have increased. By offering a digital playslip, the Lottery is able to decrease paper waste and continue to increase proceeds for Missouri education. This impact is beneficial to both the environment and our beneficiaries.

Culture and Belonging
The Missouri Lottery is based in Jefferson City with three regional offices located in Kansas City, St. Louis and Springfield. The Lottery is broken down into five divisions: Division of Sales, Division of Operations, Division of Marketing, Division of Executive Director's Office and Division of Information Technology. The Lottery strives to maintain a culture of belonging within and across all divisions. All employees of the Missouri Lottery are required to participate in training to foster a positive workplace culture.

Mentoring & Training
The Missouri Lottery has created an organizational culture of development with the support of our employees through an Employee Mentor Program. This program was established to ensure employees take an active role in spreading institutional knowledge and best practices throughout the organization. The mentoring program provides Missouri Lottery employees with career guidance and encouragement through the establishment of formal mentor partnerships. Since the program began, an average of 33 employees have participated each year. This is equivalent to approximately one out of five current employees. In addition to internal mentoring, Lottery employees complete training each year to develop our organization further.

Fair Employment Practices
The Missouri Lottery has set forth policy and procedures, pertaining to applicants for employment and employees, that are fair practices and in compliance with applicable laws and statutes. The Lottery is an equal opportunity employer. Employees are hired and advanced on the basis of knowledge, skills, and ability and no applicant for employment or employee will be discriminated against in regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability, genetic information or political affiliation. These procedures are outlined in the Missouri Lottery Fair Employment Practices, Policy Number 2.1 of the employee manual.

Code of Conduct
The Missouri Lottery has adopted the State Code of Conduct to provide Lottery employees guidelines for conduct. Executive Orders 92-04 and 18-10 state the Code of Conduct that all employees of the State of Missouri are to follow in executing the responsibilities of their positions. Missouri Lottery employees shall adhere to this code. Employees are also expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner. These guidelines are outlined in the Missouri Lottery Code of Conduct, Policy Number 2.4 of the employee manual.

Transparency

In additional to our corporate responsibility efforts, the Missouri Lottery strives to be transparent about ticket sales, our contributions to education and how Lottery proceeds are appropriated and expended. Every dollar spent on a Missouri Lottery product goes somewhere, so it’s incumbent upon us to ensure this information is easy to access and easy to understand for our stakeholders. Most of it is returned to players in the form of prizes. After prizes awarded to players, the next largest amount goes to Missouri Education — the Missouri Lottery's primary beneficiary. Next, Missouri retailers earn commissions and bonuses on every ticket they sell.

Education
Since ticket sales launched in 1986, the Missouri Lottery has contributed more than $8 billion to the state of Missouri and public education. Annual Lottery contributions comprise about 3-4% of the state's funding for public education – an effort shared by local, state and federal governments. Lottery proceeds are appropriated to Missouri's public education programs by the Missouri Legislature each year. The Lottery funding helps support for the operating budgets of community colleges, colleges and universities throughout the state, as well as a variety of programs, including: Foundation Program, Transportation, Classroom Trust Fund, Virtual Schools, Special Education Excess Costs and more. These programs and others that receive Lottery money provide the resources that help Missouri students fulfill their individual dreams – dreams that define Missouri's future and ultimately benefit all of Missouri's residents.

Specifics regarding appropriations and expenditures shall be made available for stakeholders at MOLottery.com.

Retailers
Without the partnership of retailers across the state, the Missouri Lottery's continued success would not be possible. But it's not a one-way street – selling Lottery products continues to be a profitable and customer-engaging part of our retail partners' business. Since 1986, Missouri retailers have received more than $1.9 billion in sales commissions and incentives. The past three fiscal years can be viewed – by county – at MOLottery.com.

Players
The Missouri Lottery strives to provide players with products that are innovative, entertaining and administered responsibly. Our players have won more than $21.1
 billion in prizes since 1986. The amount of prizes won by players in each county is made available for the three most recent fiscal years at MOLottery.com.