Brightstar Lottery has appointed Marco Tasso as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Global Lottery. The promotion takes effect on July 1, 2026, as Renato Ascoli steps down as CEO of Global Lottery at the end of June.
Tasso currently serves as COO of International and Italy Operations. In his new role, he will report directly to Brightstar CEO Vince Sadusky and oversee the company’s global lottery operations.
Tasso gets bigger operating role
Tasso will take responsibility for technology, product development, marketing, sales, product management, supply chain, customer support and field services. That gives him control of the main operating areas behind Brightstar’s lottery business.
The appointment expands a role he already holds inside the company. Tasso has been leading international and Italian lottery operations, giving him experience across retail, digital and operating systems.
Brightstar is moving through a leadership change while focusing on lottery as its main business. The company has described itself as a standalone, pure-play lottery group after its wider restructuring.
Long career spans Europe and US
Tasso brings more than 20 years of lottery and gaming experience to the role. He has held senior positions at Brightstar and predecessor company IGT across supply chain, services, marketing, strategy and product development.
He also served as CEO of Northstar Lottery Group, which managed the private lottery management contract for the Illinois Lottery. He later managed similar agreements in Indiana and New Jersey. Before that, Tasso held leadership roles at Lottomatica. His work there covered instant lotteries and commercial services, giving him experience in both consumer-facing lottery operations and supplier-side management.
Ascoli leaves global lottery post
Ascoli will step down after about 20 years with the company. He held several senior leadership roles across global markets and helped lead Brightstar’s lottery operations through product, technology and commercial changes.
The company did not give a reason for his departure. His exit creates a new operating structure under Sadusky, with Tasso taking the main role for day-to-day global lottery operations. The transition also comes as Brightstar works to build momentum across retail and digital lottery products. Its operations include technology systems, instant ticket services, iLottery tools and support for lottery customers in multiple markets.
Brightstar serves lottery customers worldwide
Brightstar Lottery works with nearly 90 lottery customers and has around 6,000 employees. The company provides lottery systems, retail equipment, digital products, instant tickets and services to government and regulated lottery operators.
That global customer base makes operating consistency important. Tasso’s new role puts him in charge of keeping product delivery, technology support and customer service aligned across Brightstar’s main lottery markets.
