Since 01 June 2007, the National Lottery has had a new Managing Director. And a new helmsman of course means a new course for the company. A little look at the career, the vision and the ambitions of Mr. Ivan Pittevils.
“Continue to work relentlessly!”
Could you please briefly retrace your career until your arrival at the head of the National Lottery?
I studied Economics and Tax Law before working with the Ministry of Finance for 22 years, initially as a tax inspector then as an application analyst, as I had meanwhile studied computing. In 1990, I joined the Ministry of Finance’s Research Department, where I made a fair number of contacts in the academic world. It was thanks to the scientific work carried out there that Prime Minister Verhofstadt’s Principal Private Secretary invited me to join their office in 1999. From there, it was only a step away from becoming the Principal Private Secretary of the Minister for the Economy, Energy, Foreign Trade and Scientific Policy. That was the last position that I held before becoming CEO here on June 1st.
That huge experience gives you some serious assets for your mission within the National Lottery.
I do find several points of convergence, that’s true. Both during my studies and my business activities, I have had an opportunity of familiarising myself with the field of taxation with regard to gambling and betting. To be able to apply that tax, you need to know the games of chance and to understand how the market works. Moreover, my experience as a tax inspector put me in touch with many companies and as a result taught me a great deal about how corporate life works. You’re in a privileged situation where the company leaders have to explain the supporting figures to you, and why they took such or such a decision. Lastly, I learnt how to direct teams, and that’s a kind of experience that has to be acquired in the field.
You already had considerable knowledge of the National Lottery’s sphere of activity before taking its helm on June 1st.
As I had familiarised myself with the field of tax in relation to gambling and betting during my period as a taxman, I was tasked, in the Prime Minister’s office, with preparing notes for the Council of Ministers. Whenever a new game was launched or the regulations of a game were altered, the responsible minister informs the Council of Ministers about it. Each year, the responsible minister also submits an RD to the Council of Ministers enacting the provisional distribution of the National Lottery’s winnings. That’s what enabled me to measure for the first time the importance of the Lottery’s social role! During my period in Marc Verwilghen's office, he also asked me to represent him on the Games of Chance Committee. That gave me the opportunity of discovering the philosophy that lies behind the legislation on games of chance. Lastly, during the last months before my arrival, I have read a great deal of literature about the National Lottery: the legislation, the Articles of Association, the management contracts, the annual reports, the website, and I could go on.
Did you also put a toe in the CTN waters during your induction period?
In addition to my usual Lotto sales outlet in Wezemaal - which serves at the same time as a dry cleaners and sells croissants and pastries the morning! – I have visited a great many CTNs ‘incognito’.
You are not only a tax expert but also an economist. However, the National Lottery is not governed by economic laws alone. Its social dimension is extremely important and is protected by its monopolistic position, which is the subject of considerable debate.
I’m particularly attentive to this question! I started here on 01 June, and on 10 June the elections took place. Before the dissolution of Parliament, it was impossible to get a new law on games of chance approved by it. This is why I sent the Mediator a memorandum articulated around two major points: the defence of the monopoly at the European level and a proper legislative framework at the national level in order to allow us to fulfil our duty of channelling, to fight against gambling addiction, to offer the pleasure of socially responsible gaming and to support a heap of social initiatives via subsidies and sponsoring. On a turnover of approximately 1.2 billion euros, we remit approximately half to the winners, with more than 500 million euros returning in one way or another to society. Not forgetting that we employ 350 people and that we constitute an important source of revenue for 6,200 sales outlets. However, the illegal gambling companies that descend from abroad on the Internet redistribute 90% of the income from their gambling to the winners. I therefore believe that it is important for them to be subject to the same ethical code as ourselves!
Don’t these new on-line games techniques risk diluting the appeal, and therefore the CTN income?
I most certainly don’t share that opinion! We have indeed noted that, in the under 35 age group, many people get information from the Internet and don’t go into CTN’s anymore. On this Internet, the share of the companies of online gambling is increasing. It is also part of our channelling duty to resort to these channels in order to offer a socially responsible alternative. But it is to other players that we are addressing ourselves via this new channel! There are 6,200 sales outlets with which we are doing a good job and which we should look after and support as best we can. This is what we do through a range of dynamic products, wide-ranging advertising support and the supply of advice and equipment. We thus help them to make their shops more attractive, which obviously helps to increase our turnover and theirs. And that’s a situation that’s not going to change.
The National Lottery’s mission is to support a large number of good causes in various cultural, social and sporting fields. Where are your personal affinities at this level?
A work agenda of 80 hours per week unfortunately leaves little time for personal hobbies or affinities. But cycling is a discipline that I’ve enjoyed since my student period. It will be one of my hobbyhorses for the months ahead. As the sponsorship contract with the cycle team is expiring at the end of next year, it’s not the kind of file to be left in suspense until the middle of next year.
Cycling is going through difficult times. Do the doping affairs influence your decisions, as is the case with other sponsors?
Fortunately, in Belgium, everyone is innocent until proven guilty! I also know that the policy pursued by the team managers is one of maximum prevention and discipline. One cannot obviously control each rider all the time, but the spirit that reigns within the team is of a kind to give me the greatest confidence! Apart from cycling, I adore painting and I am a great lover of music. In Brussels, I frequently go to a concert at La Monnaie, but I like rock as well! I don’t live far from Werchter and I haven’t missed any of the last 25 events. Even if the classical version is undoubtedly more suitable for my age!
As a conclusion, which ambitions are you nurturing for the National Lottery?
In any event, that of ensuring that the National Lottery becomes an even more powerful company with a permanently attractive offer through its thousands of sales outlets. But also through new distribution channels, in order to fulfil at this level also its channelling vocation and thus to offer the player the pleasure of responsible gambling, while generating the means for continuing to support important initiatives. In short, my ambition is to continue to work relentlessly!