ENDORSEMENTS
Gordon Medenica
Former Director of the New York and Maryland Lotteries and
former CEO of the Northstar New Jersey Lottery Group
"Jessica Powell's book clearly reflects her deep intelligence and understanding of an industry much misunderstood by the popular press and regulators. It is a must-read not only for lottery professionals, industry vendors and curious players but, imperatively, for elected officials and key staff who manage lotteries as part of a government portfolio. As big and successful as the lottery industry has become, there is still much growth and opportunity yet to be mined."
Ulli Appelbaum
Founder & CSO at First The Trousers
and author of Brand Positioning Workbook
"More Than Luck: Defeating the Five Saboteurs of Lottery Growth” by Jessica Halter Powell is a masterclass in strategic marketing for the lottery and gaming industries. With 30 years of unparalleled experience, Jessica, one of the finest marketers in the industry, offers a comprehensive and insightful step-by-step blueprint for achieving sustainable growth and increasing revenue in the lottery category. Her practical advice and strategic insights make this book an essential read for anyone looking to navigate and succeed in this complex field.
Jessica’s expertise shines through each chapter, addressing the five critical obstacles that can hinder lottery growth and offering actionable solutions to overcome them. Her approach is reminiscent of Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” in its clarity and impact, making complex concepts accessible and practical.
This book is not just about luck; it’s about leveraging experience, strategy, and innovation to drive success. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to the industry, “More Than Luck” is a valuable resource that promises to transform your approach to lottery marketing.
Bob Wiesner
Principal in the Organizational Effectiveness Practice at Changeforce and author of Winning is Better
"Jessica Halter Powell provides readers with critical insights and guidelines that will make any lottery official think twice about how they plan to grow their business. There are better, quickly actionable ways to enhance a lottery's brand and capture new players. Jessica reveals all of this in a fast, easy-to-digest, thorough manner."
Terry Rich
Former CEO and President of the Iowa Lottery, former NASPL President and coauthor of The $80 Billion Gamble: The Inside Story of How A Suspicious Ticket, Hot Dogs and Bigfoot Foiled the Biggest Lottery Fraud in U.S. History
“Few books have been written about the inner workings of U.S. lotteries. This is an interesting insight to lottery leadership and how decisions are made in the multi-billion dollar industry.”
Court Bluford
Government Mobile App Performance Specialist
This isn’t fluff. It’s not another “change is hard” business book. It’s a direct hit on what’s actually holding lottery growth back.
And everything she’s saying?
It perfectly aligns with what I’ve seen inside the state lottery app space:
The enemy isn’t technology.
The enemy is inertia, indecision, over complication... internal stuff.
Powell breaks down 5 saboteurs that stall lottery growth. And if you work with lottery products, especially digital ones, you’ll see yourself in every single one.
Long contracts, feature bloat, misaligned priorities… it’s all in there. And it’s told with clarity, strategy, and zero sugarcoating.
Massive respect to Jessica for writing something that finally says the quiet part out loud.
The Kindle version is free right now.
If you're in lottery, read it. Full stop.
