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34 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 LOTTERIES, PREPARE: INNOVATION IS MOVING AT A RAPID PACE The future is here — COVID-19 has shifted how we work, shop and consume entertainment It’s no longer a question of ‘if’ but rather a question of ‘when’, and it’s no longer a question of ‘either/or’ but a question of ‘and’. Liz Siver, General Manager of NeoPollard Interactive F erris Bueller probably had it right when he said, “Life moves pretty fast—if you don’t stop to look around once in a while, you could miss it.” The onset of corona- virus pandemic and global health crisis has caused a seismic shift in the way people go about their daily lives and routine activities. Tasks that used to oc- cur in person are now increasingly done virtu- ally, as people adhere to varying government safety orders and precautions. “At NeoPollard Interactive (“NPi”), the pan- demic has certainly accelerated the iLottery conversations we’re having with states and provinces in North America,” explained Liz Siver, General Manager of NPi, at the recent PGRI Lottery Expo: Transformed. There are a variety of iLottery programs in market today, including full iLottery with e-Instants and draw-based games (DBGs), online subscription services (or “eSubscrip- tions”), DBG-only sales, and more. Ad- ditionally, iLottery is referred to in a variety of ways within the industry, such as Online Gaming, Online Lottery, Interactive Game- play, and iGaming. Regardless of the specific products offered online, or the terminology used, iLottery is here and it is the future. “It’s no longer a question of ‘if ’ but rather a question of ‘when’, and it’s no longer a question of ‘either/or’ but a question of ‘and’ Siver says. Thinking of classic duos through the ages, like peanut butter and jelly, Bert and Ernie, and Sonny and Cher, Siver suggested another timeless combination—Retail and iLottery. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven that retail lottery sales and iLottery can coexist and has brought that reality into the spotlight. “The data clearly shows that they (retail and iLottery) continue to grow alongside each other; the evidence existed before the pan- demic and has only been reinforced during it,” she says. As partner to the industry’s most profitable iLottery programs, including Michigan, Virginia, New Hampshire, North Caro- lina, and Alberta, NPi is well-versed in the implementation of omnichannel programs that have proven to successfully cross play- ers between lottery channels. In addition to developing omnichannel programs that offer unified player experiences, another hallmark of NPi’s approach to iLottery is its commitment to providing cutting-edge, innovative, and entertaining gaming experi- ences to players across all demographics. IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE ALL KEEP A DOOR OPEN TO THE FUTURE, VERSUS BUILDING A STRATEGY THAT IS SOLELY FOCUSED ONLY ON TODAY.