PGIJANFEBMAGAZINE2021a

30 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 “Partnering with dick clark productions has given us the opportunity to showcase the Powerball brand, its support of lottery beneficiaries, and the thrill of winning on network television,” said May Scheve Reardon, Powerball Product Group Chair and Missouri Lottery Executive Director. “This year, we were able to share Powerball’s story with an even larger audience.” Despite Times Square celebrations being closed to the public, the 49th edition of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve outperformed last year’s show, with the first two hours growing viewership by 15% and the final primetime hour becoming the highest-rated entertainment telecast of the season in Adults 18-49, tying “The Masked Singer” Thanksgiving episode. According to Nielsen, more than 28.3 million viewers tuned in during the broadcast’s peak quarter hour from 12:00-12:15 a.m., which included the POWERBALL First Millionaire of the Year® drawing. “We are continuously looking for new ways to promote Powerball that makes the product more relevant to a younger demographic,” said Gregg Edgar, Chair of the MUSL Marketing and Promotions Committee and Arizona Lottery Executive Director. “Through this promotion, we’ve been able to capitalize the star power of Ryan Seacrest, Jessie James Decker, and the New Year’s Rockin’ Eve brand on television and social media to introduce Powerball to a whole new player base.” On a local level, the DC Lottery experienced major success promoting Mabry’s journey as a finalist and $1 million winner on social media, encouraging fans to follow, share and cheer on Mabry using the hashtag #DCforTeamCarlos on its social media platforms. The hashtag quickly gained traction with mentions by news reporters, radio stations, and professional sports teams including the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards. “Ringing in the New Year with a million-dollar-win was not only a windfall for the Mabry family, but it was also an exciting journey for the DC Lottery and our players as we spent the weeks leading up to the big drawing engaging with Carlos via traditional and social media on the prospects of becoming Powerball’s First Millionaire of the Year,” said Beth Bresnahan, Executive Director of the DC Lottery. “While Carlos was stunned when his number was drawn, I am fairly certain I heard a collective roar throughout the District cheering #DCforTeamCarlos!” This year, 19 lotteries participated in the 2021 POWERBALL First Millionaire of the Year® promotion. MUSL NEWS MULTI -STATE LOTTERY ASSOCIATION POWERBALL IN PRIMETIME “Alright, let’s pick a winner now!” With millions of viewers watching, Powerball® had an- other magic moment on network television to ring in the New Year. Shortly after the iconic Times Square Ball Drop, Ryan Seacrest and country music singer and Powerball corre- spondent Jessie James Decker announced Carlos Mabry of Washington, D.C. as the win- ner of the POWERBALL First Millionaire of the Year® drawing during the ABC broadcast of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2021. For the second year, the national Powerball promotion has awarded $1 million to a lucky lottery player on the top- rated New Year’s Eve broadcast.