CHATTER THAT MATTERS Volume7, Issue 2



Winter 2017

Message from Board Chairman and Interim President & CEO, Frank Farricker: Kudos to the Corporate Responsibility Team! We just received the fantastic news that we have been awarded a Responsible Gambling (RG) Certification from the National Council on Problem Gambling and the National Association of State and Provincial Lotteries at the Implementation Level. This was the highest level we could apply for, and the Certification is good for a three year period; after which there will be a new level for us to aspire to. Our RG program was evaluated in the following eight primary areas: research; employee training; retailer training; player education; new and existing product oversight; advertising; engagement and awareness; and budget. An independent four member panel assessed the CLC in each of these areas. In each area, three or more members needed to determine that the CLC was proficient in order for us to earn the certification. Shortly, we will receive a written formal assessment that will help guide our RG efforts into the future. We look forward to this feedback and the challenges that lie ahead. As you all know, RG is woven into the mission and the culture here at the CLC, and is the cornerstone of our corporate responsibility efforts. Thank you, CLC employees, for all of your RG efforts. This Certification simply evidences what we all already know. — Frank A. Farricker

In This Issue Message From Interim President & CEO ....... 1 Interview with Yale Professor Marc Potenza . 2 Vendor Focus: GivaGeta .............................. ..3 Middlesex Business Expo ...……………….…..4 RG Holiday Campaign.................................... 6 Campaign For Charitable Giving .................... 7 Plus... ● Milestone Award Recipients (2) ● Reuse, Recycle, Declutter! (5) ● History of the Rainbow Flag (7) ● Corporate Responsibility Team (8)

Robin Raboin receives the Awareness Award at this year’s CT Council on Problem Gambling (CCPG) Annual Conference. Congratulations, Robin!

Copyright © 2017. Connecticut Lottery Corporation. All rights reserved.

RG Focus: Dr. Marc Potenza By: Andrew Walter Dr. Marc Potenza, a clinical psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry at Yale University, is a leading scholar in the field of addiction psychiatry. Among other responsibilities, he is Director of the Problem Gambling Clinic and the Center of Excellence in Gambling Research at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Potenza sits with Chelsea Turner on the Board of Directors of the National Council on Problem Gambling, and is an in-demand speaker and scholar with respect to several issues concerning responsible gambling and gambling addiction. Chelsea and I recently had the chance to visit with Dr. Potenza and discuss his areas of expertise. Although his PhD is in cell biology, he was “most interested in psychiatry.” Accordingly, he entered Yale’s clinical neuroscience training program “with the idea of studying addiction.” Unlike other forms of addiction, such as substance abuse, gambling disorders do not have a “home,” or designation, at the National Institute of Health or the National Institute on Drug Abuse. “People have been doubtful about the extent to which non-substances may be addictive.” Consequently, without recognition or support from these large organizations, “there hasn’t been brain imaging studies or trials [to the extent there have been for narcotics and other substances]. There is still lots to do,” Dr. Potenza says. “To not have information for gambling addiction like other addictions” caused him to dedicate his professional life to this field. As lotteries, casinos, and other gambling entities enter the online world, Dr. Potenza cautions that we are entering “a difficult world now, versus a generation ago, with respect to digital technology, including risks and benefits.” Sales data, consumer preferences, and other information related to online gambling are simply too new and too small of a sample from which to derive any meaningful conclusions. I found it interesting that, although the bulk of his working time is centered on research and scholarship, Dr. Potenza also treats addiction patients weekly and “enjoys that aspect” of his career. He is also an avid Red Sox fan, with an impressive collection of memorabilia in his office that spans a century of Sox teams. It was fascinating to speak with Dr. Potenza, and the CLC looks forward to maintaining a professional relationship and, if possible, looking for opportunities to partner with and support the important research and work Dr. Potenza and his colleagues perform to further understand and help problem gamblers.

Congrats 2016 Milestone Recipients! 10 Years

15 Years

Eugene Brown

Joyce DePastino

Jim Hesse

Wendy Gasparini

Chris Michaud Tony Peña Rob Raczka

Jamie Kyle Todd Scheuy

Richard Shea Sue Starkowski Andrew Walter

20 Years John Gasparini

Chatter That Matters™: Volume 7, 5, Issue 2

30 Years Irene Berta Karen Kalandyk

To Infinity & Beyond Award

Sharon Drummey Get Your Shine On Award

CCPG Awareness Award Robin Raboin

Magician Award Nubia Sanchez

Deb Clancy Diane Geary Luci Goodwin Jen Hunter Rebecca Lambert Michelle Wytas

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GivaGeta: A Vendor’s Story of Paying it Forward By Jessica Hayton Over the past 14 years, the CLC built an excellent working relationship with Jim Cantoni, founder and CEO of Creative Concepts & GivaGeta, Inc., a promotional item business certified by DAS as a Small Business Enterprise. The CLC enjoys working with Jim; he always has a positive attitude and is focused on customer service. Products purchased through his company run the promotional item gamut and our long-standing business relationship is a testament to the quality of products received. Jim holds a MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a B.A. in Marketing from Central Connecticut State University. However, his true passion is helping others, especially children, reach their full potential. Inspired by his son, who was born with cerebral palsy and other life changing disabilities, Jim and his family created "GivaGeta" with short, catchy, positive messages such as: Give a Smile … Get a Smile™, Give Understanding … Get Understood™ and Give Inspiration … Get Inspired™. Jim and his family believe in the power of these positive give and get messages, and teach children the power of a smile, hug, and acts of kindness and respect.

Jim and his family believe in the power of these positive give and get messages, and teach children the power of a smile, hug, and acts of kindness and respect.

In 2014, GivaGeta transformed into part of Realizing Dreams with the goal of inspiring today’s youth to discover their passion, dream big at an earlier age and reach their potential. Jim sparks “Aha!” moments in a game style of play and moves talk to action with his action journal 7 Steps for Empowering Youth: SelfAwareness Developing Grit and a Growth Mindset, professional development workshops and Einstein inspired teaching strategies that all help children overcome obstacles in life and realize their dreams. Through his lessons, 85% of children discovered and wrote about their passion in life; 94% critically thought about and planned their future; and 89% improved their decision making and emotional intelligence. Jim has already made an impact here in Connecticut by visiting schools in Waterbury, Hartford, Bridgeport and Rocky Hill (just to name a few). Jim has found a way to bridge his two businesses together - part of the profits (up to 20%) he receives from logo items purchased through Creative Concepts & GivaGeta, Inc. is given back to Realizing Dreams to fund workshops and provide learning materials free of charge to empower student success plans, our schools, families and communities. The CLC should feel proud knowing that with each logo item purchased through Creative Concepts & GivaGeta, Inc. we are contributing to a wonderful cause. Jim is looking to transform children’s lives one promotional item at a time and we are happy to help.

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KENO Showcased at 2016 Middlesex County ‘Business to Business’ Expo By: Annmarie Daigle

The CT Lottery set up shop at the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce’s ‘Business to Business’ Expo on Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at the Radisson Cromwell. Visitors stopped by to try their luck at KENO to discover ON THE SPOT FUN™. With a live KENO monitor, players got the chance to win real money on games happening every 4 minutes. Congratulations and thank you to everyone who helped setup and run the amazing display as the CT Lottery took home 1st PLACE, “BEST OVERALL BOOTH”! In fact, this is the second year in a row that the CT Lottery has claimed the expo’s top booth! In its 25 years, the annual Middlesex Chamber event has grown to over 100 vendors displaying a wide variety of products and services with over 5,000 people from all over New England attending. Congratulations again and we look forward to making next year’s display another success! Left, Elena explains how to play to two visitors. Below, Theresa and Diane accept the Best Overall Booth Award — Again!

Coming in March…. Problem Gambling Awareness Month! We look forward to introducing our new Responsible Gambling button on our retailer terminals. More to come on this exciting endeavor...

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Reuse, Recycle, Declutter! By Suzanne Colley, Nikki Nearing, and Sharon Zarotney

Reuse, Recycle, Declutter! The recently held 1st Annual CLC “Stock Exchange” satisfied each of these objectives. The event was a success thanks to you, the CLC’s browsers and participants. To refresh your memory, the Stock Exchange was an online opportunity open to all CLC employees that allowed interested participants the ability to take office supplies from Purchasing’s overstock for their own work purposes. Call it the excitement of the pursuit, getting knee deep among the offerings, rummaging through a box filled with unrelated treasures, discovering the perfect item among the abundance and then strategically claiming it for yourself ~ Jumbles (as they are called in the U.K. and Australia) are worthwhile events. Our Stock Exchange “Jumble” was different. No getting up early on a Saturday morning to chart a course through town ... with the tap of a key and the click of a mouse, we were able to open an email, click on a link, and easily browse the items directly from our workstations. CLC employees vied for overstock submissions and quickly claimed their picks. The Stock Exchange Team kept track and did their best to keep up with the demand which came fast and furious. Not only did participants declutter the Purchasing storage room by adding items to their workstation or department, they saved unnecessary ordering by reusing what was already on hand.

These concepts are familiar and can sometimes seem mundane, yet the ecological benefit of recycle, reuse, and repurpose is environmentally significant! Together, let’s make a difference!

Did You Know ... The Department of Energy & Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Natural Resources celebrated its 150th Anniversary in 2016! A bit of History: “Back in 1866, the Connecticut State Legislature took action and created the Fisheries Commission, starting on the path that led to the Bureau of Natural Resources. Over time, the original "commission" evolved and grew to encompass the Divisions of Wildlife, Inland Fisheries, Marine Fisheries, Forestry, and Environmental Conservation (EnCon) Police.” [DEEP website] “The Bureau of Natural Resources and its partners work to protect and conserve our natural resources…”

So, why not Grab your binoculars and take a hike around Connecticut to discover for yourself the beauty that lies within our state. For more information visit: www.ct.gov/deep

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CLC 2016 RG Holiday Campaign a Success! By: Derek Wong CT Lottery’s 9th Annual Holiday Responsible Gambling Holiday Campaign began with a kick off soup and salad luncheon on November 18th and ended with the Annual CLC Holiday pot luck event on December 16th. During this time there was plenty of holiday cheer and generosity, all while raising RG awareness and benefitting the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center (CCMC) in Hartford. For the past 9 years, the CT Lottery has partnered with the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University and the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) during the holidays to promote the message that lottery tickets are not suitable gifts for children.

Employees and Connecticut residents donated new, unwrapped toys to CCMC that are given to children who have a procedure, celebrate a birthday or special event; they are used in multiple playrooms throughout the hospital, and utilized as a distraction from pain, before shots, tests and surgeries. “Do a ‘Lotto’ Good, Give a Toy, Not a Ticket’” was the campaign motto that rang through the halls of the CT Lottery. To build upon the already successful campaign, a Holiday Snack Cart visited the desks of CT Lottery employees exchanging delicious snacks for toy donations. “No toy? No Problem!” allowed employees to purchase snacks off the cart. 100% of the money raised went directly to purchasing additional toys for CCMC. In total, the CT Lottery raised well over 1,000 toys for donation. To highlight the heart of the campaign, the CT Lottery was treated to two very special guest speakers. Genevieve Neiman, a 10 year old CCMC patient, and her mother, Meredith Neiman, spoke about the positive impact of raising toy donations for patients in need. Genevieve’s upbeat optimism and bravery in speaking about her diagnosis was awe inspiring. Thank you very much to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, the Neiman family, and to all who donated for this amazing cause. We look forward to making next year’s campaign an even better success.

In total, the CT Lottery raised well over 1,000 toys for donation to CCMC, while raising awareness that lottery tickets are not suitable gifts for children.

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2016 Connecticut State Employees’ Campaign for Charitable Giving at the CLC Exceeds Goal! By: The Finance Charitable Giving Team

The Connecticut State Employees’ Campaign for Charitable Giving (CSEC) provides an annual opportunity for Connecticut State Employees to voluntarily contribute to participating non-profit charities of their choice through their workplace. This year, the Finance Department coordinated activities around the Connecticut State Employees' Campaign for Charitable Giving. We set a lofty goal of $7,500, and encouraged participation by offering an extra dress down day, along with donut and ice cream sales. Through our CT Lottery team, together we donated $7,812, with 54 participants. We exceeded last year’s fundraising by 18%, and our number of participants increased by a full 50%. Last year, the total organization participation was 27%. This year, our participation was 41%! Many thanks to the participation of everyone, and a big thank you for your generosity! *¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*

A Special Thanks to the Finance Charitable Giving Team! *´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯*

By spearheading this year’s campaign, you helped raise awareness for compassionate opportunities. WELL DONE! — CLC Employees

Did you

ow?

By: Andrew Walter

The Rainbow Flag, also referred to as the Pride Flag and the Freedom Flag, was created by a San Francisco artist, Gilbert Baker, in 1978. Baker had met Harvey Milk (subject of the 2008 biopic “Milk”), who asked Baker to design a symbol for the gay rights movement. The flag debuted at the Gay Freedom Day Parade in 1978, initially featuring 8 colors. Thereafter, turquoise and hot pink were removed. Today, the flag has 6 colors: red; orange; yellow; green; blue; and violet. Each color is ascribed a meaning. For instance, red means “life,” and green means “nature.” Today, nearly 40 years after its creation, the Rainbow Flag still stands as the predominant symbol of LGBT pride. In fact, the design has been replicated in several other items, such as jewelry, and can be found globally.

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The Corporate Responsibility Team:  Janice Beckner

 Jessica Hayton

 Jane Rooney

 Suzanne Colley

 Lori Hecht

 Theresa Scott

 Annmarie Daigle

 Jennifer Hunter

 Maggie Slysz

 Fred DuPuis

 Rebecca Lambert

 Susan Starkowski

 Kendra Eckhart

 Violetta Lukin

 Linda Tarnowski

 Rita Finocchiaro

 Francine Magnano

 Chelsea Turner

 Steve Fox

 Zuleika Mercado

 Steve Wagner

 John Gasparini

 Bruce Morley

 Andrew Walter

 Wendy Gasparini

 Nikki Nearing

 Derek Wong

 Valerie Guglielmo

 Diane Patterson

 Michelle Wytas

 Cindy Hadden

 Robin Raboin

 Jeff Yue

 Janet Rocco

 Sharon Zarotney

Chatter That Matters™ is printed on 100% recycled paper! Connecticut Lottery Corporation ● 777 Brook Street ● Rocky Hill, CT 06067 ● 860-713-2700