Who Runs the Missouri Lottery

The Missouri Lottery is governed by a five‑member Missouri Lottery Commission, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate, with day‑to‑day operations run by Executive Director Lester Elder molottery.com+1.

Governing Body

The Missouri Lottery Commission is the statutory oversight body for the lottery.

• Composition: Five members, appointed by the governor and approved by the Senate, with no more than three from the same political party molottery.com+1.

• Current members include Lance Mayfield (Chairman, D), Robert “Bob” Gattermeir (Vice Chair, R), Nicholas S. Gerth (R), John Hemeyer (D), and Trisha J. Turner (R) molottery.com+1.

• Terms: One to three years; members must be Missouri residents for at least five years before appointment Boards and Commissions.

• Role: Sets rules, approves budgets, and appoints the executive director molottery.com+1.

Executive Leadership

• Executive Director: Lester Elder has led daily operations since November 2022 molottery.com.

• Responsibilities: Hires employees, issues licenses, negotiates contracts, and implements commission policies molottery.com.

• Support agencies: The Missouri Attorney General provides legal services; the state auditor and independent auditors review operations molottery.com.

Structure and Operations

The Missouri Lottery is headquartered in Jefferson City, with regional offices in Kansas City, St. Louis, and Springfield molottery.com. It is organized into divisions such as Sales, Operations, Marketing, Executive Director’s Office, and IT molottery.com.

In summary: The Missouri Lottery is “run” by the Missouri Lottery Commission for policy and oversight, and by Executive Director Lester Elder for everyday management, under the authority of Missouri Statute 313.215 molottery.com+1.