WLA President pays tribute to the late Guy Simonis

Going international

In 1985, Simonis was the first non- European elected to the Executive Committee of the International Association of Toto and Lotto Organizations (Intertoto), an association regrouping State-authorized sports betting organizations. It was one of the two forerunners of the WLA, the other being the International Association of State Lotteries (AILE), on whose Board he also sat.

In the same year, Guy was also elected president of what was then called the North American Association of State Lotteries, enabling him to realize his vision of putting the “P” (Provincial) in NASPL.

Talks to merge both international associations, since many lotteries offered both sports betting and lottery products, were only fruitful when Simonis became AILE president in 1995 and Intertoto president the following year.

Founding the World Lottery Association

His unique position enabled him to gather all parties (NASPL, AILE and Intertoto) together in 1996, at the World Meet in Vancouver.

His great ambition to create a single World Lottery Association was realized in 1999, at the Oslo Relations convention, where he was chosen to be the new Association’s first president.

Shortly thereafter, he retired from BCLC and stepped down as WLA President.

Helping the next generations

Simonis continued with the Erewhon lottery program he had created. Erewhon – the name of his fictitious lottery – spells “no where” backwards. Using different case studies, he trained over 600 lottery managers, on all five continents, on how to handle the different challenges the lotteries can face.

On a personal note

Those who knew Simonis, knew a true showman, who inspired everyone around him and loved to entertain audiences, large and small on the piano. He was also a great family man.

Simonis wrote autobiographical books, which look back at our industry and a life well lived.