‘We have acted’
Atlantic Lottery contributes to a better, stronger Atlantic Canada
Recently, Atlantic Lottery has been the subject of some discussion and commentary in these pages. This stemmed from last year’s operational review of the corporation by the four auditors general for Atlantic Canada.
This week, a Guardian reader and Atlantic Lottery customer, Gary Naylor, asked a very good question of our company that deserves a prompt and fulsome response (Has corporation cleaned up act? Jan. 17, 2017). Simply put, Mr. Naylor wants to know whether he can trust this company, and specifically its leadership, to operate honestly and efficiently.
Just as I welcomed the findings of the four Atlantic auditors general last October, stating that their work would make us a better company, I appreciate hearing from Mr. Naylor and other Atlantic Canadians. At the end of the day, everyone in this region has a stake in our success and a voice in how we operate.
Mr. Naylor, I can assure you that accountability and trust have been and continue to be at the heart of who we are and what we do. Our role as the provider of responsible and regulated games for Atlantic Canadians who choose to game, in an increasingly competitive, commercial environment, is based on public trust in the integrity of our operations and our products.
When we evaluate our business performance, we are doing well. In the past four years we have seen our profits grow as a result of a tighter strategy and more efficient operations. In fact, last year we achieved record profits of $431 million, almost $70 million ahead of where we were in 2012. These profits are returned to our provincial shareholders for investments in our communities.
At the same time, this lottery company received the highest certification possible in responsible gaming performance from the World Lottery Association in recognition of our commitment to social responsibility as the foundation of what we stand for. Nevertheless, the auditors general identified a good number of areas requiring attention and improvement. We agreed with their recommendations — all of them.
We considered the auditors general as “improvement partners” and we worked positively and constructively with their team.
As the CEO, I took on the responsibility of ensuring that we would act swiftly to address each of the recommendations to management thoroughly and quickly. As I write today, all recommendations directed to the corporation have been acted on and have resulted in new processes, reporting and oversight. Yes, we have made mistakes and we can, will and are doing better.
Ultimately, it’s about accountability and transparency. We have acted. For example, we have significantly tightened our policies on expense management, particularly in the area of travel and hosting and we have posted both the policy and the actual monthly expenses of senior leadership on alc.ca.
The same approach has been taken with salaries and benefits for our senior leaders. There is full visibility online. Our board has committed to annually seeking the input and counsel of the shareholders on our total compensation as part of the planning process. Moreover, we have made adjustments to how we recognize the contributions of our employees.
Let me first say that I am extremely proud of our people. We may not be the biggest lottery on the planet, but we punch way above our weightclass and this is made possible because of the talent and commitment of our people throughout the organization in all four provinces. We will continue to recognize exceptional performance, but with clarity on how we define exceptional performance and how it is recognized with full and clear oversight from our board.
My final point reinforces transparency. We have a website - askaway.ca - where any member of the public can ask a question of us and expect a prompt reply.
Mr. Naylor, please be sure that we’re working very hard to be the model of collaboration and partnership across the four provinces. It’s so important as Atlantic Lottery plays such a significant role in our region. Besides the profits returned to the provinces, the millions returned annually to winners and retailers and the salaries paid to 600 employees in four provinces, this lottery company is at the very heart of a cluster of gaming and technology companies that employ almost 9,000 Atlantic Canadians.
We are proud partners in our communities through our support of hundreds of events, festivals and charities in almost every corner of Atlantic Canada — more than 150 last summer alone. Atlantic Lottery is a good company. We will be an even better company as a result of the Auditors General Report and our commitment to progressive change.