Photo courtesy of MLC
The president of the Mississippi Lottery Corporation has announced his retirement.
MLC President Tom Shaheen announced his decision Wednesday, and it will become effective on June 30th. Selected by the MLC Board of Directors, Shaheen was the first employee hired following the lottery’s inception. With over 30 years of experience in the lottery business, Shaheen reflected on the instant success of the program in the Magnolia State.
“This is a tough decision for me,” Shaheen said. “After spending more than 32 years in the lottery industry, it is time for me to take a step back and spend time with family. I will forever value the experience of being a part of the MLC family and living in Mississippi. Thank you to all of our hard-working employees, loyal retailers, diligent vendor partners, several state lotteries that provided unlimited support during start-up, and our dedicated board of directors. I believe this has been one of the most successful start-ups in the history of U.S. lotteries, if not the most.”
With Shaheen at the helm, the lottery sold its first instant ticket on November 25, 2019, and began offering Powerball® and Megamillions® on January 30, 2020. Since its launch, the lottery has transferred over $155 million to the state, benefiting Mississippi’s roads, bridges and educational needs.
The Board of Directors will conduct a search for a new President with the goal of making a selection prior to Shaheen’s retirement.
After hitting 70.7 million for FY2020 (7 months), the MLC reached a major milestone last week. With the latest transfer, proceeds have exceeded $80 million for the first time. With the first $80 million going to infrastructure improvements, any remaining proceeds for the remainder of the fiscal year are now placed into the education enhancement fund.
