Inside AGE 2022

austgamingexpo.com | #1 AUG 2022 | INSIDE AGE | 69 I t would have been a bold prediction that the simple, networked numbers game brought to New South Wales back in 1991 to revive the state’s club industry would today be part of one of the highest- performing lottery businesses in the world, available in around 3,400 pubs and clubs across Australia’s eastern seaboard. K e n o h a s r a c k e d u p milestone after milestone in the past year. Not only did it celebrate its 30th Anniversary in NSW in September 2021, but 1 July 2022 marked the 25th Anniversary of the game in Queensland. This year also saw Keno break the record for its largest ever cash prize in the nation – a whopping $10.3 million Mega Millions jackpot. But that winning moment was just one of many. In the 2022 Financial Year, Keno players across the Ea s t e r n s t a t e s ce l eb r a t ed more than 62.2 million wins, collectively worth more than $896.7 million To top it off, on 1 June, Keno joined The Lottery Corporation – the new driving force behind Australia’s lottery games. The company listed on the ASX on 24 May from the demerger of Tabcorp’s Lotteries and Keno businesses, providing enhanced business alignment of the game and more scope to grow its products and services. In the new chapter of Keno, there’s never a dull moment, and masterfully authoring the pages is Keno’s new General Manager The Lottery Corporation Chairman Steven Gregg and CEO Sue van der Merwe ring in a new era at the ASX for Licensed Venue Operations, Paul Malek. Packing almost two decades of experience in business under his belt, the self-professed “forward thinking, change-agile leader” made the shift from GM of Integrated Systems at MAX Gaming to bring his grass-roots management philosophy to the Keno stable. Ma l ek i s no s t ranger to powering team performance t o d e l i v e r r e a l r e s u l t s , having previously held state management positions with Coca-Cola Amatil and Grinders Coffee, followed by nearly six years honing his skills at MAX. “My priority is ensuring we build integrity through honesty, transparency, and consistency”, Malek says of his approach to