Pioneer Lottery Executive Director Passes Away at 91

TRENTON (August 1, 2024) – Gloria A. Decker of Phillipsburg, New Jersey | 1932 - 2024 |

The New Jersey Lottery sends our deepest sympathies and condolences to the family of former Executive Director Gloria A. Decker who served from 1977 to 1982. She was a trailblazer for lottery development, champion for civic engagement, and “glass ceiling breaker” who closed her chapter in New Jersey history on July 23, 2024, after a life of intense public service and family devotion.

In 1974, just three years after the Lottery started selling tickets, Decker began her Lottery career as the Executive Director’s Deputy for Research and Development. In 1977, she was nominated by Governor Brendon T. Byrne to become the fourth Executive Director of the New Jersey Lottery and was unanimously confirmed by the Senate, instantly making her a pioneer in the lottery world.

Under Decker's leadership, the New Jersey Lottery nearly tripled its growth as a result of her innovative decisions. Among the advances Decker championed was the televising of drawings five days a week of the popular Pick-It numbers game, allowing players the opportunity to purchase a ticket and watch the drawing in the same day. Decker then introduced the weekly draw game Pick-4, which was also televised. This game allowed players to select their own numbers for the first time and utilize a subscription service for up to 30 weeks. This widely popular game became an instant success and remains the Lottery’s fourth largest producing draw game. Decker also introduced the weekly numbers game Pick-6 to the market in the United States. This game remains a critical component of lottery’s stable of games to this day. Through these and other efforts, she transformed the industry, paving the path for where it stands today.

The legacy of Gloria Decker is remembered fondly by former Lottery staff who noted she was hard-working, friendly, and collaborative with colleagues. Those who worked with her remember her as a good person who truly had the best interest of the Lottery always front of mind.