Public Gaming Magazine July/August 2020

20 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JULY/AUGUST 2020 J ust prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, IGT implemented plans to upgrade the Georgia Lottery’s digital platform and increase the marketing support the company provides to the lottery. e results of that work played out March-May, as digital sales accelerated signi cantly. In the early weeks of May, sales are at +155% in tra- ditional draw-based games, +115% in digital Keno and +330% in e-Instant compared to the same time period in 2019. “It’s exciting to see our team’s e orts making a di erence in Georgia. From the new games that have been developed for the market to the engaging promotions and loyalty campaigns our expert marketing team has rolled out, it’s rewarding that it has resulted in a positive out- come for our customer,” said Enrico Drago, SVP, IGT PlayDigital. Similarly, the Kentucky Lottery had improved its focus on iLottery and had started launching new IGT e-instant games that o er increased value to players through higher prize payouts. Sales have improved signi cantly, from +37% in total year-to-date digital sales in mid-March to +57% by the end of May 2020 (comprised of +60% in digital draw-based game sales and +260% in e-Instants). In early May, the Kentucky Lottery launched a new mobile wagering app built by IGT that delivers a completely redesigned customer ex- perience. IGT has delivered 10 mobile lottery apps in the U.S. and most recently installed its latest advancements in player functionality for the Missouri Lottery. Alongside wagering features, players can use the app to create play slips for retail purchases, store their favorites numbers and identify themselves as player’s club members. e app is fully compliant with new Apple requirements regarding user experience and native content for HTML5 games. Players have welcomed the new app, and it is number one among US iLottery mo- bile applications based on app store reviews. Marty Gibbs, interim President and CEO of the Kentucky Lottery, said, “We are delighted to have launched our new mobile app. We expect the expanded functionality and ap- pearance to help us continue to bring value, convenience and the best entertainment to our players.” In late April, the Rhode Island Lottery launched a new mobile experience that enables players to register and play Keno along with a catalog of exciting e-instant games. Players can register for free, create a digital wallet and have winnings under $600 auto- matically transferred into their accounts. is enables the lottery to reach a broader range of players and o er a convenient way to play. As SVP of IGT PlayDigital, Enrico Drago leads the team responsible for creating and delivering the PlayLottery suite. “Our team set another record in delivering this functional- ity in just ve months,” he said. “ is is the leading lottery app solution in the market and the rst to comply with Apple Guideline 4.7. We worked closely with the RI Lottery team to develop and launch an iLottery solu- tion that provides a modern playing experi- ence for RI Lottery players. It gives players the choice and convenience to now play Keno and e-instant games from their mobile devices, consistent with how they engage with other forms of entertainment and media as well as purchase goods and services today.” Built on the PlayCommand platform that also supports sports betting in the state, the IGT PlayDigital solution integrates the retail and digital lottery experiences together with a host of tools from purchase to play, and it can all be done in a few touches on the mobile app. Drago added, “Rhode Island players now have the added convenience of playing the lottery from their homes and personal de- vices. In collaboration with the Lottery, our expert marketing team has created promo- tions and loyalty campaigns to attract and retain players that will ensure a successful player engagement strategy to drive revenues for the RI Lottery.” All three Lotteries are powered by the IGT PlayCommand platform and sophisticated player account management system, which enables lotteries to control all administrative functions such as payments, player account- ing, marketing campaign management, CRM and responsible gaming controls for players. e team of digital marketing experts help the lotteries improve results by using the powerful reporting tools available to analyze data that is turned into actionable insights that drive the day to day digital busi- ness strategy. “ ere is nothing more satisfying for the IGT PlayDigital team than to help our customers achieve greater results for good causes through the addition of new prod- ucts and services,” explained Enrico Drago. “Bringing modernized playing experiences and solutions to market during this time has further ampli ed the importance of a digital channel as a growth strategy for lotteries. We are committed to partnering with more and more of our customers to introduce and re- sponsibly grow the digital business over time in order to drive new revenue growth.” IGT’s iLottery mobile offerings for the GA Lottery, KY Lottery and RI Lottery iLottery