Washington’s Lottery earns top responsible gambling certification

Washington’s Lottery has achieved the highest level of responsible gambling certification in the U.S., becoming one of only a few states to achieve this milestone.

The “Responsible Gambling Verification Best Practices at the Sustaining Level” certification was awarded in December 2024 by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) and the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL).

The milestone follows previous certifications at the Planning Level in 2019 and the Implementation Level in 2021. The lottery was evaluated in eight categories in order to be granted accreditation.

Washington’s Lottery becomes the third state lottery, alongside Virginia and Ohio, to reach this milestone. Nine other state lotteries hold similar certifications through the World Lottery Association.

Kristi Weeks, Director of Legal Services for Washington’s Lottery, said: “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.”

To earn this certification, Washington’s Lottery underwent a review by four independent experts, assessing responsible gambling efforts in eight areas, namely planning, employee training, retailer training, public education, 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.

The evaluation praised Washington’s Lottery for "weaving responsible gambling throughout the organization and normalizing it in day-to-day activities.” To maintain certification, Washington’s Lottery must reapply every three years.