AUSTIN, Tx. — The Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) has elected Gary Grief as president of the organization. Grief is the executive director of the Texas Lottery.
"I want to congratulate Gary Grief on being elected president of MUSL," said J. Winston Krause, chairman of the Texas Lottery Commission. "Gary's rich industry knowledge and successful track record in leading the Texas Lottery will serve him well in this important industry leadership role."
Formed in 1987, the Multi-State Lottery Association is a non-profit, government-benefit association owned and operated by its member lotteries. Each MUSL member lottery offers one or more of the games administered by MUSL, including Powerball. All profits are retained by the individual lotteries and are used to fund projects approved by the legislatures authorizing each lottery. Since the first Powerball drawing was held in 1992, it has become the number one lottery game in the United States.
Grief was appointed executive director of the Texas Lottery Commission in March 2010. Under Grief's leadership, the Texas Lottery has experienced record sales and revenue, contributing more than $19 billion to the state's Foundation School Fund, which supports public education in Texas.
Grief has been an integral part of the success of the Texas Lottery Commission since its inception. He was appointed in 1991, by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, to the original eight-member Lottery Task Force assigned to research and launch the Texas Lottery. In 2002, Grief was appointed by the Commission to serve the first of what would be three separate terms as acting executive director. Between and after these appointments, Grief served as deputy executive director until his official appointment as executive director in 2010.
Grief is the immediate past chair of the Powerball game, past Lead Director for the Mega Millions multi-state game consortium and past president of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL). In 2012, he was honored with the PGRI Major Peter J. O'Connell Lottery Industry Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2014 he was inducted to Public Gaming Research Institute's Lottery Industry Hall of Fame.
A native Texan, Grief is a graduate of the University of Texas at the Permian Basin where he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration.
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Congratulations Gary, well deserved!
Is the Texas lottery going to get a new director??
Seems being head man for two major lottery activities would probably be too much for one individual, but, you never know.
If my memory is correct, I believe Grief and Texas Governor Abbott had a recent falling out over expanding gaming in Texas.
Believe Grief was planning to introduce sports betting, without consulting with the political class.
Abbott objected, the big plans were set aside and it's been all quiet on the gambling front for quite awhile now.
Can't get those East Texas Thumpers riled up. In Sunset review, they shut down the lottery, went to lunch, and had to reinstate it because they found out they needed that money more. They are the reason Texans spend over $3b per year in Oklahoma and Louisiana casinos.
Good question, though.... will Grief remain as head of the Texas Lottery?
Congrats to Grief!
No, when a lottery director is elected into a role like that, they take the additional responsibility in addition to their existing responsibilities with the state lottery.
He looks perfect to rigg and win the jackpot for his family members