Public Gaming International March/April 2021

45 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MARCH/APRIL 2021 iLottery Looks Baack continued n Know that e-Instants are di erent than scratch tickets from a payout and launch timing perspective. A higher payout and more content are key! And remember that creating omnichannel games and promotions should be part of all vertical planning. n For us, our iLottery requires monthly releases, which means being in a perpetual test cycle. Likely your current sta cannot support that. And testing means it needs to be done on mobile and desktop as well as di erent browsers. n You can try to only use existing sta , but you may break them. Consider hiring people in each business unit to support iLottery. One thing that New Hampshire quickly found out is that creating an iLottery program is like remodeling your house. When your x up one room, you then need to update another room, then another, etc. “You are essentially doing everything you do for traditional lottery through the web/internet,” Kelley-Jaye said. “ is means you need to evaluate everything, which can be cathartic, but it is a lot. From claims processes, forms, terms & condi- tions, FAQs, marketing, customer service, product/system enhancements, to game planning and launches, you are building a secondary system.” “ is is why roadmaps are important. Be realistic with what you can do at launch and then have a thoughtful plan to continuously roll out new enhancements and games. SHANNON DeHAVEN MICHIGAN I n the iLottery world, the Michigan Lottery can certainly be considered OG, social media slang for someone who has been around for a while. But don’t call them “old school” because everything the lottery does is rmly rooted in the present with an eye towards the future. Shannon DeHaven is one of the remaining pioneers who now oversees the operations as Deputy Director of Digital Opera- tions. Remembering back to 2014 and the program’s launch, she knew she was a part of something special. “When I joined the Michigan Lottery in 2010, the michigan- lottery.com website had just launched and the lottery had procured a .com URL with the speci c intent of eventually selling online,” said Shannon. “I knew in that moment that I was surrounded by visionar- ies and I was looking at an opportunity to be part of something amazing.” SHANNON DeHAVEN MICHIGAN LOTTERY Fast forward to today, and the iLottery program in the Wolverine State is not slowing down. In fact, the Michigan Lottery was named Lottery Operator of the Year at the 2020 eGaming Review North America Awards. is award goes to the operator that demonstrates success in the lottery sector, with particular regard for growth and commercial success, innovation and di erentiation, quality of product, brand and marketing. Among the judges’ comments: “Very impressive performance. Clearly many well-thought and well-executed innovations across payments, product and marketing … Impressive growth and some great innovations around DBGs. Taking an innovative approach to the lottery experi- ence with a focus on online … A fantastic entry and covers everything you might expect.” Honors like that re ect the work and planning the Michigan Lottery has invested in its program. e platform built more than six years ago still stands strong. “Right from the start, we focused heavily on building a great digital experience and customer database,” said Shannon. “Our early e orts included developing mobile apps, increasing tra c to the website and learning how to communicate with players in a manner that kept them coming back. Some have called this “the space between,” but we like to think we were building a foundation.” When the iLottery program launched in 2014, the lottery created a new digital division. e idea was to bring a di erent view to the iLottery business, separating it from the retail side of the organiza- tion. However, every business unit at the lottery was involved and contributed to the evolution of the iLottery program. “When we looked at digital lotteries in the U.S. market, it was still a new space,” said Shannon. “ ere were no experts. As one of the rst to launch iLottery, we wanted to foster a culture that would attract the best talent, talent that was o.k. with risk, that was eager to learn and learn fast. We wanted a data-driven, goal-orientated environment, that was also fun.” e small group soon grew to ten people, and that group has swelled to a team of 20 digital employees. And success has followed. e Michigan Lottery was North America’ rst $1 billion iLottery operator and nished FY2020 with more than $1.9 billion in topline iLottery sales. e iLottery success has only helped the retail operations, with land-based retail increasing 150% since 2013, which is faster than the national U.S. average including non-iLottery states. As you might imagine, Shannon is a most sought-after voice for lotteries researching iLottery. “If you’re still in the phase of consideration, I would suggest placing your focus on the player’s digital experience, with a mobile- rst mindset and building your customer database so you have a starting point,” she said. “If it’s coming soon, just brace yourself and build a support system. Don’t be afraid to reach out to those of us who have been there. We have a small but strong iLottery community.” One nal thought from Shannon on the impact of iLottery on a lottery’s sta : “If you’re looking for a bonding activity for your lottery, launch an iLottery program!”