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38 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 Innovations & Partnerships, says that lotter- ies and their commercial partners are work- ing together to provide support to both sides, to consumers who want easier access to play the lottery and to retailers who want to maximize in-store shopping, and letting the results chart the future course. “The industry has now seen the success of this approach, where there is iLottery and retail remains profitable,” said Paul. “The best-case scenario for a lottery is to make it easy for their players to play on multiple channels. And even where the lottery isn’t regulated to offer digital play, we want to make it easy for players to use all channels available, whether through a clerk at retail or a Lottery Vending Machine (LVMs) or playing on their smartphone in the store where that is an option. Paul Riley, V.P. Retail Innovations and Partnerships, IGT “The biggest advantage the industry had going into last year was the expanding knowledge base about players. Operators now have more data and insights into play- ers’ likes, dislikes, and motivations,” he said. “Players clubs and second chance drawings have provided lotteries with further data on player preferences. Most lotteries have apps, and that allows them to get information to players quickly and efficiently. This move- ment toward the convergence of digital and retail – what IGT calls Connected Play – is a focus that many lotteries were already adopting but accelerated quickly throughout 2020 as the pandemic unlocked the resolve to meet the needs of customers, players, and retailers alike, in this difficult time.” One thing that hasn’t changed is the players’ desire for convenience. Paul said that the pandemic has prompted IGT and its lottery customers to strategize on how best to get product into player hands while keeping everyone involved safe. “The past year hasn’t changed players’ desire for lottery prod- ucts, as they appreciate the entertainment value of our games as well as the winnings,” said Paul. “But the pandemic has certainly pushed hygiene and convenience to the top of the list of issues of where we devote resources. The demand for convenience and consumer options has driven the rise in multiple channels. iLottery, LVMs, in-lane, smartphone, as well as further adoption of convenience (and COVID-fighting) features such as cashless payment and digital play slips. “We don’t need a crystal ball to see that the change in how lottery products are purchased at retail will continue to evolve beyond the formative trends established over the past year. What takes place in the next year and beyond will be determined by many factors, not the least of which is regulatory modern- ization. Some states will have to change state legislation to allow players more access to lottery (i.e., iLottery approval, more flexible cashless options, or increased self service). It also requires investment, collaboration, and the willingness to change and adapt. For instance, some states have begun to offer lot- tery in-lane, which provides another channel to drive incremental sales and engage with consumers in a more convenient manner. Let’s make it as easy as possible to get lottery products into players’ hands.” INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE PAYS OFF DOMESTICALLY While the retail transformation we wit- nessed in 2020 might have caught some observers by surprise, the lottery industry has been moving in this direction for years. At INTRALOT, their work in the United States is informed by many years of activity with its European customers. Concepts that many in the U.S. were just hearing about for the first time had actually been in place for many years in Europe and other inter- national markets. So INTRALOT has had a head start on both knowledge of the trends and implementation of the technology. “We weren’t caught by surprise by what took place in 2020 because service-driven cus- tomer experiences, like buy online, pickup in store and curbside pickup, have been happening for years,” said INTRALOT VP of Marketing KimWilliams. “The pandemic has shown us that we must be ready to trans- form in order to stay connected to consum- ers and continue to keep their business. Kimberly Williams, V.P. Marketing, INTRALOT, Inc. “For better or worse, lottery customers now expect service like they receive in other con- sumer-facing sectors. Amazon and Walmart continue to win the race to dominate the retail landscape because they are nimble enough to respond to ever-changing shopper needs and behaviors. For Walmart, people will continue to visit their retailer locations because people will still want to see, touch and feel the products. And this parallels the lottery industry. We must find ways to empower brick and mortar retailers because the in-store experience is not going away anytime soon.” OLD METHODS INFORM NEW INITIATIVES When your title is Vice President of Retail Growth, retail modernization hits close to the heart. Rick Droste spends his days at Pollard Banknote working on initiatives to help lotteries provide retailers with products for players, while also keeping an eye on the future. A mix of old school and new wave. Rick Droste, V.P. Retail Growth, Pollard Banknote “Pollard provides ‘entire store’ offerings to retailers – we print tickets, provide acrylic ticket dispensers, manufacture in-store POS,” said Rick. “At the same time, we offer iLottery platforms through our NeoPol- lard joint venture. Modernizing the at-retail player experience is critical and something