Public Gaming Magazine July/August 2020

22 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JULY/AUGUST 2020 Amy Bergette, Vice President, Digital Con- tent Studio at Scienti c Games which oper- ates the PA Lottery iLottery program, said, " e past few months have seen a big uptick in online/mobile playership, but it has actu- ally been an incredibly busy two years for all of us. iLottery brings game entertainment directly to a player's computer or mobile de- vice, so the ability to o er digital play has al- lowed the Lottery to maintain a level of sales continuity during the global COVID-19 crisis and provide vital funding for programs bene tting older Pennsylvanians.” Bergette explained, “Our iLottery platform is built to handle an enormous volume of activity so we are equipped for the level of engagement we have seen in Pennsylvania. It also provides the exibility to integrate powerful tools to enable important a liate programs that incentivize retailers to partici- pate in the iLottery program by signing up new players. Combined with highly e ective marketing campaigns that leverage today’s best practices for player retention and en- gagement, this ensures continued growth for the program.” NPi’s CUSTOMERS SEE HIGH ACTIVITY LEVEL Powering the most pro table iLottery programs in the industry in terms of per capita return to state, NeoPollard Interactive (“NeoPollard” or “NPi”) has certainly seen an array of new players of all ages and back- grounds join the ranks of play-from-home customers. While the Michigan Lottery was the rst lottery to partner with NeoPollard to o er full iLottery to it players, the company has since expanded its customer base to include lotteries in Virginia, New Hampshire and North Carolina. Working with a diverse range of lotteries has provided the company with a holistic view of what is happening in the industry. " ere is a pent-up demand for iLottery that has been building among U.S. lotteries for a number of years,” said Scott Bowen, SVP of Government A airs and Business Develop- ment for NeoPollard and former Commis- sioner of the Michigan Lottery. “Considering the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic pressures facing lotteries as a result, the need for iLottery has never been greater. Not only does iLottery give players more options, U.S. lotteries with iLottery have experienced no negative impact on retailers. In fact, the growth of iLottery in Michigan has occurred alongside a 45.5% increase in retail sales since iLottery launched in 2014." As North America’s rst $1 billion iLottery operator, the Michigan Lottery has achieved results that show that sustainable growth and performance is available through the iLottery channel. States like New Hampshire, which launched its iLottery program in September 2018, are proving that this model for success can be replicated. ough New Hampshire is a state with a population of only 1.3 million, its per capita iLottery sales in its rst year of operations exceeded the standard set by the Michigan Lottery by 75%. During these past shutdown months, these lotteries have shown the potential of iLot- tery. Comparing April 2020 to March 2020 performance, both Michigan and New Hampshire Lotteries saw improvement across all major program KPIs. e Michigan Lottery experienced a 40% increase in bets, or growth of $51.7 million. Net Gaming Revenue was similarly improved with an impressive 46% uptick over March. e New Hampshire Lottery’s April 2020 results posted 49% higher in terms of bets. is translated to a $580,000 increase in net gaming revenue – the single highest grossing month-over-month change since the New Hampshire Lottery launched in September 2018. Player acquisition has seen highs that have only been outpaced by billion- dollar jackpots, with 105% and 45% increases in rst-time depositors in Michigan and New Hampshire, respectively. Across NPi’s customer network, overall per- formance at the close of May drew signi cant increases as compared to February, before the impact of shutdown orders. ere has been a signi cant in ux of new players – growth, on average, of 227% since February. Similarly, bets grew by over 95% and Net Gaming Revenue saw tremendous improvement, with an average of 120% higher returns. “ e recent and signi cant impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic to the way lotteries traditionally operate and market their products has emphasized the need to accelerate digital transformation and diversify how lotteries engage players,” said Doug Pollard, Co-CEO, NeoPol- lard Interactive. “As the industry begins to focus on economic recovery and rebuilding successful retail partnerships, state lotteries and governments will be well- served to advance discussions on iLottery Scientific Games offers a variety of games to PA Lottery iLottery players NPi’s iLottery programs for the MI and NH Lotteries offer mobile capabilities which expand its accessibility to players