Anne M. Noble, president and CEO of the Connecticut Lottery Corp. for the last nine years, resigned Tuesday, saying, "I've really done what I set out to do when I was hired by this board in 2008."
"I'm fond of saying this is not your mother's lottery," Noble said after a late afternoon lottery board meeting during which her departure agreement was approved.
Noble, who earns $206,000, will remain as CEO until Sept. 22. After that she will stay on as a "senior adviser" to the lottery board until Jan. 31, at the same rate of pay. At that point she will be fully vested for state retirement benefits.
In February, Noble will serve six months as an independent consultant to the board at a rate of $25,000 a month. Noble will also a receive a previously scheduled $21,220 incentive bonus in October.
Noble's supporters on the board described her as a strong leader who has both transformed the agency and exceeded goals for the lottery's gambling games, including the recently launched keno.
Frank Farricker, chairman of the lottery board, will take over as interim CEO when Noble steps down on Sept. 22. Farricker, who lives in Greenwich, said he will not collect a salary but will be paid for his expenses.
"It's a demanding job and she's been on this job a very long time," Farricker said. "After we got to June 30 and again hit those numbers, I think she just realized she's done everything she could do at the lottery."
"Anne was instrumental in the successful roll out of keno this past spring, which is outperforming expectations, as well as the expansion of the popular Lucky for Life game from Connecticut to New England, and now sales nationwide," Farricker said.
"When you talk about all the things that she's done and the incredible amount of time she puts into the job, it makes a lot of sense that she's hit a wall."
Last year, the lottery and the state Department of Consumer Protection shut down the "5 Card Cash" game after noticing there were more winners than the game's parameters should have allowed, and determined that some lottery agents were manipulating machines to print more winning tickets and fewer losers.
Asked if the state's investigation into the lottery's 5 Card Cash game played a role in Noble's departure, Farricker said: "I can imagine with her job demands and investigations and things, that's a lot to put on her shoulders. I don't know if it was part of her decision-making but I really think that ultimately, at the end of the day, she's achieved as much as she can do at the lottery."
During Fscal 2016, the Connecticut Lottery contributed $337.5 million to the state's general fund. Since the lottery began in 1972, contributions to the general fund have exceeded $8.5 billion.
Meg Green, a spokeswoman for Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, said that "our office has no involvement" with Noble's resignation.
"This is a decision made independent of the governor's office by the CT Lottery board, which is an independent agency."
Will stay as a "senior adviser" to the lottery board until Jan. 31, at the same rate of pay. Not bad at all. Just keep milking it.
No kidding, it must be nice.
So you pulling down 200K for nine years or thereabouts, everything is Pollyanna, then within a year of a State investigation into the outfit you run, you suddenly step down? But all is not lost- Oh my, look there's another teet over here!
The first thing I thought when I read this story was that she did what she set out to do, and that was stay just long enough to be vested in retirement and resigns. I wasnt going to post as I figured others would see me as a complainer or had sour grapes. Seeing others pretty much see this the same way I Changed my mibd. Nice to see she is also making MORE money over the additional couple of months. No wonder our government is so bloated.
Wow what she gets paid to advise the lottery is what i want out of the lottery.. It's only right
I wish Anne M. Noble all the best with her retirement plans.
I guess that leading a small State's lottery must be as difficult as a larger State.
Right. Where was Anne's " senior advisor " when she truly needed one to escape the scrutiny of the State Investigators? Was this a position specifically created for her after she resigned? That's the question l would like to see answered.
this hack knows when to get out at the right time. have to give her credit for that. truth is a middle school student could run the lottery. can't be that hard. just analyze the returns on various games and pick and choose which ones to continue or terminate. she was way overpaid like all of these frauds who pretend to know something about lotteries. probably hid in her office most of the time if she showed up at all. should have uncovered that scheme by retailers on that game long before she did.
I know that lottery employees are restricted from buying tickets from their own state's lottery, but I wonder if after she retires if she will be able to purchase lottery tickets.
Can you imagine the scandal if she were to win after retiring?
News flash: Former CT Lottery director wins massive jackpot after retirement!
she already hit the lottery when she hacked her way into that job. remember it's not who you know it's who you ....
Who is going to replace the Chief Executive Officer?