Yogonet, a gambling trade publication, has published an interview with Sujit Lahiry, Executive Director and CEO of Skilrock Technologies, ahead of the World Lottery Summit in Sydney. The summit's stated theme this year is "United in Purpose: Driving Change, Building Resilience". What follows is Mr Lahiry's account of the industry's challenges. These are his views and have not been independently verified.
Resilience and illegal operators
Mr Lahiry said the industry faces challenges and opportunities at once because the pace of technological change is accelerating. He said public trust must be reinforced through operational resilience, and that the social contribution of lotteries should stay at the centre of the business.
He described several pressures. According to Mr Lahiry, illegal operators are becoming more sophisticated, cybersecurity threats are growing, and regulatory frameworks are evolving faster as regulators gain more advanced technological tools. He also said markets are at different stages of development, with the level of AI adoption, cloud infrastructure and payment systems varying significantly between them.
He argued that resilience now means more than traditional business continuity. In his view, companies must adapt to disruptive technologies, respond to changing consumer behaviour, manage different channels of play, diversify distribution and strengthen governance. He also said the industry must be equipped to stand up to illegal gambling, cybercrime and cross-border threats, which he said can involve criminal or borderline criminal practices. He expects the World Lottery Association (WLA) to keep leading work on security control standards, responsible gaming initiatives and sports integrity.
'Outcome-led' AI
On artificial intelligence, Mr Lahiry said it is "no longer just a catchphrase" and is already affecting operational capabilities. He said adoption costs have become quite affordable and that operators should be embracing it, but that it should be judged on measurable outcomes.
"We should move away from technology-led innovation towards outcome-led innovation." — Sujit Lahiry, Skilrock Technologies
He suggested operators ask what they want to achieve that they could not before, rather than looking for uses for a tool they already have. He pointed to player engagement and risk management, security and fraud prevention, and business intelligence as areas of opportunity. He noted that AI tools are also available to fraudsters and cybercriminals. He also advised operators with legacy systems to modernise step by step rather than replace everything.
Player protection claims
Asked about moving beyond compliance towards proactive, data-driven player protection, Mr Lahiry said AI was adopted early in this area and that many European lotteries invested in it at a relatively early stage. He did not name specific operators or give figures.
He identified two fundamental priorities: preventing underage gambling and avoiding excessive or addictive play that can lead to harm. He said underage gambling can be addressed through strong onboarding controls and that AI can help identify and verify registrations more effectively and cost-efficiently. He called excessive gambling the "bigger challenge" and began to describe how AI can identify behavioural patterns. The source text is cut off at that point, so the rest of his answer is not available.
What is not disclosed
The available text includes no data on the effectiveness of AI-based harm detection, no independent evaluation, and no specific commitments by any Australian operator or regulator. Skilrock Technologies is a commercial supplier, and the interview does not state where it is headquartered or which Australian clients, if any, it has. Readers should treat the claims as industry perspective.