Pennsylvania’s state lottery endured a hell of a year and came out on top. The lottery generated a record $1.3bn profit to benefit older Pennsylvanians from sales of $5.3bn, which includes almost $900m from its fast-growing iLottery program. And it had to fight to retain that program.

Pennsylvania’s casino industry challenged the lottery in court, arguing that its online instant games breached the Lottery Act by simulating casino-style slot machines. That was rejected by the Commonwealth Court in June, clearing an important path to future growth, not just for Pennsylvania but also other lotteries in the United States.

Combining retail and online play is where the Pennsylvania Lottery excels. It is streets ahead of other North American lotteries and its progress shows no sign of stopping anytime soon.