Over the course of five decades in any industry, it’s inevitable that technology, products and customer expectations will change significantly. But as Atlantic Lottery celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026, our purpose has remained consistent. Atlantic Lottery was created in 1976 to benefit the people and places of Atlantic Canada. Today, that focus continues to guide our approach to making decisions, serving our players and measuring our impact.

The numbers tell an incredible part of that story. Since 1976, Atlantic Lottery has returned nearly $13.4 billion in profit to the four Atlantic provinces, awarded $13 billion in prizes to players and provided more than $4.6 billion to retailers through commissions. Combined, that represents an impact of more than $31 billion over 50 years.

Behind those figures are Atlantic Canadians, from winners celebrating with their families to local retailers serving their communities and provincial governments investing lottery profit in essential services such as health care, education and infrastructure. The benefits of Atlantic Lottery stay here in the region we call home.

As meaningful as it is to look back, an anniversary like this is also an opportunity to think about what comes next. The gaming environment today looks very different from the one Atlantic Lottery entered in 1976, and the pace of change continues to accelerate. Players expect more convenience, personalization and choice. Digital entertainment has transformed how people spend their time and discretionary dollars. In addition, illegal gambling operators are competing aggressively for Atlantic Canadian players, with an estimated $250 million leaving our regional economy through these operators each year.

At the same time, many Atlantic Canadians continue to face affordability pressures. Those realities were reflected in our latest financial results, as reported in our 2025-26 annual report. We returned $492 million in profit to the four Atlantic provinces, coming in below both our budget and the previous year’s net profit.

As we navigate challenges similar to those faced by other organizations in the retail and entertainment sectors, we recognize that we need to keep adapting so we remain well-positioned to continue delivering value to the region over the next 50 years and beyond. We took important steps forward this past year. We launched AL Rewards, creating new ways to recognize and connect with players. We introduced Live Casino, continued to improve personalization and invested in new technology across our retail and video lottery experiences. We are also preparing to launch a modernized sports-betting platform that will strengthen PRO•LINE for the future.

These investments are about meeting Atlantic Canadians where they are and ensuring we keep pace with their expectations. But beyond products and technology, how we deliver the experience is equally important.

Healthy play is fundamental to everything we do, and we continued to raise the bar in 2025-26. More than 27.5 per cent of our online players set at least one discretionary healthy play limit during the year, exceeding our balanced scorecard target and more than doubling the industry standard. We were recertified at Level 4 under the World Lottery Association’s Responsible Gaming Framework, maintaining the highest level of certification, which we first received in 2010. We also found new ways to make healthy play information relevant and engaging, from educational content through AL Rewards to face-to-face activations at festivals, video lottery locations and Red Shores.

We also give back by supporting cultural celebrations and festivals, charitable programs and wellness initiatives across the region. That commitment is reinforced by a strong team culture grounded in community and purpose. In 2025-26, more than 200 Atlantic Lottery employees volunteered approximately 2,000 hours in support of causes that matter to them and the communities we serve.

These efforts reflect something fundamental about Atlantic Lottery: we provide a legal, regulated and entertaining experience that reflects our values while also keeping 91 cents of every dollar in our region. These differences matter more than ever as we continue to face unprecedented competition from illegal operators. We are making steady progress in addressing this challenge; in 2025-26, our share of regional online betting and gaming increased to 35 per cent, up from 34 per cent the previous year.

As we celebrate 50 years, I’m grateful to the generations of employees, Board members, players, retailers, shareholders and partners who have helped build this organization. Looking ahead, Atlantic Lottery’s offerings, technology and player experiences will continue to evolve, but our purpose will remain constant. We will keep adapting and investing to deliver value for Atlantic Canadians, champion healthy play and keep the benefits right here at home. That’s how we’ve been operating for 50 years, and it’s how we will continue to make a game-changing impact for Atlantic Canadians.