Wayne Pickup: Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, The Lottery Corporation

Wayne Pickup became Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of The Lottery Corporation on 24 November 2025. He took over Australia’s largest lottery operator. It runs The Lott brands and Keno under exclusive state licences in every jurisdiction except Western Australia. Pickup replaced Sue van der Merwe, who announced her retirement in March 2025. She’d led the company since its 2022 demerger from Tabcorp.

He arrived with a specific brief: modernise a business built on retail-counter sales. Pickup spent eight years running Allwyn North America, formerly Camelot Illinois. Before that, he’d had two separate stints at Lotto New Zealand. Within months of starting, he’d restructured the company around a standalone digital division. He also signed off on a 40-year Victorian lottery licence extension that state auditors are now reviewing. Among the operators covered in our executives directory, Pickup’s appointment stands out. It’s one of the clearest cases of a board hiring for a specific skill set.

Wayne Pickup’s Career Timeline at The Lottery Corporation

Here’s how three decades in lotteries and gaming technology led Pickup to Brisbane.

• 2003–2008 – Holds senior roles at Lotto New Zealand, including Head of Distribution and Innovation, IT Projects Director and Chief Information Officer.
• 2008 – Joins IGT as General Manager, Sales and Operations for Australasia, based in Sydney.
• 2010 – Moves to GTECH Interactive in Sweden as Head of Government Markets, working directly with lottery regulators.
• March 2012 – December 2017 – Returns to Lotto New Zealand as Chief Executive for almost six years.
• March 2018 – 14 November 2025 – Leads Camelot Illinois, rebranded Allwyn North America after its 2023 acquisition, based in Chicago.
• 24 November 2025 – Starts as Managing Director and CEO of The Lottery Corporation in Brisbane.

Before entering the lottery industry, Pickup worked in logistics and product roles at Carter Holt Harvey and Emerson Network Power. He then moved into gaming product development at Ace Interactive in Stockholm. That mix of supplier-side technology and lottery operations is unusual among Australian lottery executives. It’s the background the board specifically sought out.

Why Wayne Pickup’s Appointment Matters

Pickup is only the second CEO The Lottery Corporation has had since it demerged from Tabcorp in 2022. Van der Merwe built the standalone company. Pickup was hired to push the business into digital sales. Jackpot volatility has made retail growth harder to predict.

• Sue van der Merwe (2022–2025) – led the business from its Tabcorp demerger through to a smooth, planned handover.
• Wayne Pickup (November 2025–present) – the first Lottery Corporation CEO hired specifically for prior digital and technology transformation experience.

The pace of change since he arrived has been fast. In March 2026, Pickup restructured the company into three customer-facing divisions: lotteries, Keno and digital. He told staff the new structure would help the business “accelerate our evolution as a digital entertainment company.” Two months later, the company locked in a 40-year Victorian lottery licence extension worth $1.145 billion upfront, its longest ever. Then in August 2026, Pickup reported financial year 2026 (FY26) revenue down 2.8% to $3.8 billion. He blamed weak Powerball and Oz Lotto jackpots, a “1 in c.45 year” unfavourable run, the company said. How the digital push offsets that jackpot volatility is the real test of his tenure.

Regulatory Context Facing Wayne Pickup

The Lottery Corporation operates under exclusive, long-dated state lottery licences. It also holds Keno licences in Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT. Western Australia sits outside its footprint entirely, served by the separate Lotterywest.

• May 2026 – Victoria extends The Lottery Corporation’s public lottery licence by 40 years, to 30 June 2068, for a $1.145 billion upfront premium payable in two instalments.
• May 2026 – Victoria’s Shadow Attorney-General brands the deal a “secret deal,” pointing to roughly $177,000 in political donations the company made to the state’s governing party.
• May 2026 – The Victorian Auditor-General’s Office opens a review into whether the extension “optimised value for the state,” since it was negotiated bilaterally rather than put to competitive tender.

That audit was still underway as of this writing, with no findings released. Pickup now has to defend a deal signed under his watch as a fair one. The company itself wasn’t the entity accused of wrongdoing, but he wears the scrutiny anyway. The outcome could shape how future licence renewals in other states get negotiated.

Frequently Asked Questions About Wayne Pickup

Who is Wayne Pickup, CEO of The Lottery Corporation?

Wayne Pickup is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of The Lottery Corporation, Australia’s largest lottery operator. He started on 24 November 2025, succeeding Sue van der Merwe. Pickup previously spent eight years running Allwyn North America and two separate stints at Lotto New Zealand.

How did Wayne Pickup become CEO of The Lottery Corporation?

The Lottery Corporation’s board appointed Pickup after Sue van der Merwe announced her retirement in March 2025. He was, at the time, Chief Executive of Allwyn North America. Pickup left that role in November 2025 and started at The Lottery Corporation on 24 November 2025.

What is the controversy around Wayne Pickup’s Victorian licence deal?

In May 2026, Victoria granted The Lottery Corporation a 40-year lottery licence extension worth $1.145 billion. It was negotiated without a competitive tender. The state’s Shadow Attorney-General called it a “secret deal,” citing the company’s political donations. Victoria’s Auditor-General has since opened a review into whether the deal offered fair value.

What was Wayne Pickup’s career before The Lottery Corporation?

Pickup spent over two decades in lottery and gaming technology roles. He held senior positions at Lotto New Zealand twice. He also worked at IGT and GTECH Interactive on the supplier side. He then ran Camelot Illinois and its successor, Allwyn North America, for eight years before joining The Lottery Corporation.

Is the Victorian licence extension audit still ongoing?

Yes. The Victorian Auditor-General’s Office opened a limited assurance review in May 2026. It’s examining whether the 40-year licence extension optimised value for the state. As of this writing, the review hadn’t published findings. Pickup’s company continues operating under the extended licence in the meantime.

Curious how other lottery and gaming leaders are steering their businesses? Browse more gambling executive profiles from across the sector.

Gambling Executive Sources

Career timeline

• Australia’s Lottery Corporation names Allwyn NA head as new CEO – iGaming Business
• Wayne Pickup, Allwyn North America Chief Executive, will be stepping down after eight years – Public Gaming Research Institute
• Wayne Pickup, MD & CEO – The Lottery Corporation Australia – Gambling Insider

Why this appointment matters

• Lottery Corp CEO Sue van der Merwe to retire – Capital Brief
• The Lottery Corporation shifts focus: what the new digital mandate means for newsagents – Australian Newsagency Blog
• Lottery Corporation praises resilience after “unfavourable” year in Australia – Lottery Daily

Regulatory context

• The Lottery Corporation’s 40-year extension branded ‘secret deal’ by shadow MP – iGaming Business
• Public lottery licence extension – Victorian Auditor-General’s Office
• Landmark 40-year extension to our Victorian lottery licence – The Lottery Corporation

Background

• The Lottery Corporation – Wikipedia
• Our Brands – The Lottery Corporation