Illinois poaches Vermont lottery director
 Greg Smith appointed to lead Illinois lottery through ongoing RFP process
Chicago Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed former Vermont lottery director Greg Smith to lead the Illinois lottery.
Smith will join the organisation in the midst of an ongoing RFP process to find a new private operator to run the stateâs online and offline platforms.
He comes over from the Vermont Lottery, where he has served as the executive director since June 2012, helping to grow profits by almost 20%
Prior to that, Smith spent five years as director of finance and operations with The Vermont Country Store, a retail and direct marketing company.
He replaces stand-in director Tim McDevitt, who temporarily took over the role last June when then-director B.R. Lane resigned for medical reasons.
Smith joins at a crucial time for the Illinois lottery, as the state is expected to closes its RFP for a private operator in early November.
The winning bidder will be expected to âgrow the lottery through innovationâ, with a particular focus on online sales and instant win games. Illinois was the first US state to enter into a private management arrangement and the first to ask its private partners to take the lottery online.
The previous operator Northstar Lottery Group â a partnership between lottery giants GTECH and Scientific Games â was sacked halfway through the 10-year agreement for failing to deliver on its promises.
Smith will be responsible for helping oversee the current contract with Northstar and any contract the state enters with a new firm.