Championing DEI at Light & Wonder

As a global leader in gaming experiences, we do more than create new worlds of play for our players. We’re on a mission to shape a new world of inclusion and possibility across the communities we serve — a world that breaks down barriers and creates opportunities that transcend the boundaries of our industry.

At Light & Wonder, we understand that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is not just a series of buzzwords. It’s the catalyst for innovation, success and rich experiences that resonate with people worldwide. More than a strategic advantage, our DEI work is a moral imperative.

The principles of DEI are embedded into each of Light & Wonder’s five core values — values that celebrate global perspectives and aim to foster a highly inclusive culture. By empowering each Creator to contribute their unique talents and insights, our team collaborates as one, driven by our shared commitment to revolutionize the game.

We’ve identified priorities that advance DEI not only within our organization but across the global communities where we are proud to work and live. We know that diverse teams yield great results and are determined to honor and celebrate the rich perspectives each of our Creators brings. We will continue to develop the right policies, educational opportunities and programs to create a culture of belonging.

As the world recognizes and confronts systemic racism, our leadership team is committed to speaking out against injustice and championing anti-racist policies. We are reflecting on what we at Light & Wonder can do to ensure that we foster a diverse and inclusive workplace for all our Creators and are taking concrete actions to ensure everyone feels respected, included and empowered.

While DEI encompasses a wide range of interpretations depending on life experiences, industry context and regional specifics, we uphold our DEI practices through a set of standards and policies that encompass the following:

Diversity

We commit to celebrating and promoting diversity in all its forms, including race and ethnicity, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, language, culture, national origin, religious commitments, age, ability status and political perspective.

Equity

We commit to actively challenging and responding to bias, harassment and discrimination. We hold a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, ability status, religion, height, weight, veteran status or familial obligations.

Inclusion

We commit to creating an inclusive workplace where differences are embraced, different perspectives are valued and every individual feels a sense of belonging.

We know that by fostering a diverse community and building a vibrant culture of inclusivity, we can enhance our collective capabilities and achieve greater success together.

Our Dei Focus

To maintain a clear focus on our objectives, we’ve organized our DEI commitments into five key pillars that directly align with our overall strategic roadmap.

• Listen & Learn: We will recognize the lived experiences that define our Creators, promoting meaningful dialogue and encouraging their valuable feedback.

• Educate & Develop: We will take ownership of promoting inclusive behaviors and equitable practices and holding one another accountable. We will provide a platform for training, learning and development opportunities to support our Creators’ continued growth and well-being.

Recent highlights from our ERGs

• Equity & Belonging: We will drive a culture of belonging for our Creators by implementing programs and systems that support diversity, equity and inclusion. We will also continuously evaluate and address any systems that may pose a risk of inequity.

• Engagement & Inclusion: We will embed and support inclusive communities throughout our organization’s operations and culture. We will actively support engagement with our Creators, customers and communities.

• Measure Success: We will celebrate achievements, measure success and continually evaluate our progress to achieve our goals and DEI commitments in alignment with our core values. We will conduct honest evaluations of our progress and adjust our roadmap as necessary.

RELATE: MULTIGENERATIONAL CREATORS & ALLIES

In November 2022, RELATE members launched a two-part learning and discussion series, focusing on the topic of multiple generations in the workplace. The series explored the commonalities within each generation with guidance on how to best harness the unique strengths of Creators of all ages and experiences.

Empowering Our Teams Worldwide

In our South Africa business unit, we actively promote equality and champion diversity through our commitment to the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) rating and initiatives in the market. We prioritize empowering Black individuals who have been historically under-resourced. Currently, we have achieved a level 4 scorecard rating, which is noteworthy considering the regional context as a subsidiary of a global entity. Here are a few highlights from our efforts across different elements of our B-BBEE scorecard.

• Ownership: We financially assist Trust Beneficiaries who own 25.02% of the local entity. Our focus is on supporting 50% Black female-owned and 50% Black-owned companies. Through internships and Trust dividends, we provide increased support to achieve our agreements’ objectives.

• Management control: As part of our employment equity policy, we prioritize providing opportunities for previously underresourced individuals and actively encourage them to apply for job opportunities.

• Skills development: Annually, we invest approximately $90,000 in training for internal and external Black and African American populations, offering internships, learnerships and bursaries aligned with our business needs.

• Enterprise and supplier development: We deliberately source goods and services from Black-owned companies and ensure all suppliers conducting business with Light & Wonder Africa meet B-BBEE compliance. Within our value chain, we help Black-owned service providers enhance their sustainability and grow their businesses to create more employment opportunities.

• Socioeconomic development: To further improve learning conditions in areas with low economic mobility, we have adopted a local children’s center, providing them with financial support and unused equipment. We’ve also participated in classroom renovation projects; contributed to the development of extracurricular activities, including sports; and provided essential school resources, such as uniforms, shoes and stationery.

Becoming A More Diverse Employer Of Choice

As part of our DEI priorities, we are focused on attracting and retaining diverse top talent. We strive to foster a workplace that celebrates diverse perspectives of each of our Creators and invests in their continued development.

Our 5-year roadmap prioritizes the following:

• Educating Creators on our new Light & Wonder core values and creating an inclusive workplace for all

• Supporting the career growth, development and advancement for all Creators and increasing opportunities for underrepresented groups

• Ensuring we have fair and equitable policies for all team members globally

• Attracting highly diverse, underrepresented talent from colleges and universities

• Recruiting with inclusive hiring practices, such as adopting diverse candidate slate processes and crafting inclusive job descriptions

• Creating spaces where everyone belongs and feels empowered to contribute

• Adhering to policies that prohibit discrimination and promote equal opportunities for both our internal Creators and external contract suppliers

• Providing Creator wellness initiatives and programs to support the overall well-being of our workforce

Our Code Of Business Conduct

To help us achieve these goals, we have instituted a Code of Business Conduct to ensure ethical working practices are implemented across our company. Policies are in place to prevent workplace discrimination and support equal employment opportunities for our internal Creators and external contract suppliers.

Measuring Our Progress

While we still have much work to do to drive DEI across our organization globally, over the last few years, we’ve made tremendous strides.

Through regular workforce assessments, we gain valuable insights into our hiring and promotion practices as well as the demographic composition of our workforce on a quarterly basis. The following data serves as a foundation for refining and aligning our DEI roadmap.

• Ethnic group & gender

• Geography

• Internal promotions by gender & race

• External hires by gender & race

• Global Headcount Movement

Specifically in the last year, we have made significant strides in promoting individuals of underrepresented ethnic groups and hiring or promoting more women at the manager level and above.

While we have made notable progress, we recognize there are still important opportunities to further drive diversity in hiring and promoting Black, Latinx and Hispanic Creators at the manager level and above. To address this, we are focused on building diverse talent pipelines to attract and retain Creators of all backgrounds across the organization. By doing so, we aim to create a more inclusive and representative workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve.

Since we began our DEI work in 2019, we’ve conducted an internal data analysis to gather essential information that helps us assess gender and race representation across our workforce.

Our Leaders In Dei

When Light & Wonder created our DEI strategic plan in 2019, we established a dedicated DEI Council and DEI Task Force to govern and support our initiatives.

Meet the DEI Council

The DEI Council serves as the crucial link between our Board of Directors and our DEI initiatives. With governance oversight, this group ensures we consistently invest in and evolve our DEI initiatives quarter over quarter. By upholding accountability measures, the DEI Council ensures our ongoing commitment to our efforts, helps maintains our momentum and advocates for inclusive practices throughout our organization.

In support of our core values, the Board of Directors takes responsibility for reviewing Light & Wonder’s DEI policies, practices and overall compliance as an equal opportunity employer.

Meet the DEI Task Force

The DEI Task Force is the impetus behind our DEI initiatives, ensuring their successful implementation throughout our company.

It consists of four main workstreams: Retention & Belonging, Recruiting & Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development and Equitable Policies. Each workstream is supported by a dedicated group of DEI ambassadors and advocates who play a vital role in shaping our DEI efforts. These individuals are carefully chosen and nominated by our leadership to represent the diverse perspectives across our global teams. With their unique insights and experiences, they collectively contribute to refining our strategies and help us achieve our goals.

In 2021, the DEI Task Force took an important step by creating the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Leadership Guide. This guide serves as a compass, holding us accountable to a set of standards that reflect our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. It provides practical insights and strategies to become inclusive leaders, develop a culture of continuous learning and improve our hiring practices to prioritize diversity and equity.

As one of the DEI Council’s earliest initiatives, the development of this guide underscores its invaluable role in driving our organization forward, ensuring we keep these priorities at the forefront of our strategic decisions to foster an environment where everyone can thrive.

Recent highlights from our ERGs

EMPOWHER: WOMEN CREATORS & ALLIES

In January 2022, our EMPOWHER ERG hosted a thought-provoking panel discussion around the topic of sponsors and mentors in the workplace. Dedicated to uplifting one another personally and professionally, the event provided valuable insights into the transformative power of these relationships. By facilitating open conversations and sharing personal experiences, EMPOWHER created a platform for Creators to exchange strategies and foster meaningful community.

EMPOWHER also hosted a table-talk discussion with its new executive sponsor and partnered with Dress for Success Southern Nevada in a volunteer drive. The executive sponsor shared career advancement insights in an event dedicated to providing a network of support and development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.