Tom Delacenserie taking over Kentucky Lottery

Tom Delacenserie, the outgoing secretary of the Florida Lottery, is getting a pay raise to become the new president and CEO of the Kentucky Lottery.

Delacenserie, who submitted his resignation to Gov. Rick Scott last week, will be paid $204,000 a year. His current Florida state salary as agency head is $141,000.

Delacenserie was confirmed by the Kentucky Lottery’s board of directors on Tuesday, according to a press release. His first day is June 5.

“I’m very much looking forward to joining one of the premier lotteries in the country,” Delacenserie said in a statement. “My dedication will be to continuing the Kentucky Lottery’s emphasis on increasing both sales and proceeds to the Commonwealth. I’m committed to providing exciting products and winning experiences to our retailers and lottery players.”

Delacenserie was lottery secretary since November 2015, when he replaced former Secretary Cynthia O’Connell, and has overseen the growth and escalating sales of Lottery products. The Lottery’s profits go into the state’s Educational Enhancement Trust Fund, which among other things pays for Florida Bright Futures Scholarships.

But House Speaker Richard Corcoran sued the agency in February, saying it went on an illegal spending spree last year when it inked a $700 million deal with IGT (International Game Technology) for new equipment. The next month, a Tallahassee judge sided with Corcoran and invalidated the contract.

Judge Karen Gievers faulted the agency for, among other things, not first seeking the Legislature’s permission to enter into a deal that committed the state to as much as two decades’ worth of funding. The case is now under appeal.

Delacenserie began with the Lottery in 2000 as the Fort Myers district manager, later promoted in 2005 to the Lottery’s Director of Sales.

In 2013, he became the Lottery’s Deputy Secretary of Sales and Marketing, then served as interim secretary after O’Connell’s departure. She quit after four years as secretary amid questions about her work habits, travel schedule and spending.

Delacenserie replaces Arch Gleason, the longtime head of the Kentucky Lottery, who died last year just weeks after announcing plans to retire after 23 years at the agency.