Updated October 14, 2026 with the agency selection.
California State Lottery RFP #R002925 sought a lead marketing and advertising agency for a five-year contract, with two possible one-year extensions. The Lottery posted a Notice of Intent to Award on May 30, 2026, subject to Lottery Commission approval. Trade press reported on July 7, 2026 that Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners (BSSP) was selected as lead agency, with Canvas Worldwide on media, replacing incumbent David&Goliath.
What is California Lottery RFP R002925?
California Lottery RFP #R002925 is the California State Lottery's solicitation for a lead marketing and advertising agency. The RFP is dated July 28, 2025 and closed September 24, 2025. The winner handles strategic planning, creative development and implementation of consumer marketing aimed at raising awareness, improving brand perception and raising sales that fund California public schools.
The RFP also accepted proposals from partnerships and joint ventures, such as a creative agency paired with a media agency. The winning agency must keep an office in California throughout the contract. The lottery describes itself in the RFP as the second largest lottery in the US, with a stated goal of becoming the largest. For size context, see the largest US state lotteries by ticket sales.
Who won the California Lottery agency contract?
BSSP, an independent agency based in Sausalito, was selected as lead agency, with Canvas Worldwide as media agency, according to LBB. The five-year assignment was reported at about $550 million, and the review began with 20 competing agencies and agency partnerships, including several holding company networks. The Lottery's own vendor page confirms the Notice of Intent to Award dated May 30, 2026 but does not carry the winner's name in the text, and this page has not confirmed the Commission's final approval.
Who was the incumbent agency?
David&Goliath was the lottery's lead agency, with Horizon Media as subcontractor for media planning and buying. D&G won the contract in a 2018 solicitation with an initial expenditure authority of $295 million, according to California Lottery Commission documents.
The commission later extended the contract. Its November 2024 issue memo recommended an emergency extension through May 18, 2026, and an $83 million increase in expenditure authority, because a new procurement of this size generally takes 12 to 18 months to complete.
The lead agency sits beside several specialist agencies. The RFP names Monks for Hispanic in-language marketing, Intertrend for Asian in-language marketing and Quantasy for African American marketing. California also ran a separate procurement, RFP #50180, for a Promotions and Retail Marketing Agency, which covers retail activation and in-store programs.
What does the California award signal for other lotteries?
The result shows the largest state lottery chose an independent creative agency paired with a separate media agency over holding company networks. Other lotteries will read it as a template for their own procurements. The operator-level view is in the 2026 state lottery AOR guide.
AI visibility measurement was not a stated scoring criterion in the RFP excerpts reviewed for this page, so the award does not show whether lotteries now weigh it. For the AI visibility data bidders could cite, see The 2026 AI Lottery Visibility Index.
RFP #R002925 is the California State Lottery's request for proposals for its Lead Marketing and Advertising Agency, dated July 28, 2025, with proposals due September 24, 2025.
Who is the California State Lottery's new marketing agency?
BSSP was reported as selected lead agency, with Canvas Worldwide on media, replacing David&Goliath and Horizon Media. The Lottery's Notice of Intent to Award is dated May 30, 2026 and was subject to Commission approval.
How long is the new contract?
Five years, with the possibility of two one-year extensions, according to the solicitation listing.
Does the winning agency need an office in California?
Yes. The RFP requires the agency to maintain an office in California throughout the contract. Part of the lottery coverage within gambling public relations. Also see Lottery Is $113B. AI Can't See It.
Written by
EPR Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team is the staff byline for news, analysis and features on communications, reputation, AI visibility and digital discovery. Everything-PR has published since 2009. AI tools assist with research and drafting, and every article is reviewed by a human editor before publication. Coverage follows the Editorial Policy, and substantive corrections are noted on the article under the Corrections Policy.
