Public Gaming Magazine July/August 2020

27 27 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JULY/AUGUST 2020 IGT was a pioneer in launching in-lane lottery sales inter- nationally and is a prominent player in the in-lane space, with about 50,000 lanes worldwide and a significant number of new lanes to be added later this year. The company is working closely with lottery customers and technology partners to deploy in-lane solutions that make lottery more convenient for U.S. players. An IGT customer, the Texas Lottery Commission, is cur- rently selling lottery in-lane QuickTickets™ at approxi- mately 1,500 Dollar General stores in the state, one of the most recent examples in the U.S. of lottery penetrating an important trade style within one of the fastest growing retail segments in the country. The TLC is also working with one of its most important retailers, HEB—a super- market chain based in San Antonio, with more than 400 stores throughout Texas and Mexico, and $28 billion in annual sales—to allow the in-lane sale of Ticket-On- Receipt draw game tickets, along with the redemption of draw and instant games in-lane. This provides a more seamless player experience and with the added benefit of incorporating key lottery data into HEB’s existing POS and back office solutions. SHIFT TO CASHLESS TRANSACTIONS IGT has also been working with its customers to address the shift in consumer behavior from using cash to going cashless at retail. This behavior change is accelerat- ing now due to the pandemic. IGT offers cashless on all its vending terminals and has rolled out over 3,300 units across three Lotteries: Michigan, Virginia and North Carolina. In addition, the Georgia Lottery is currently testing cashless at select locations with plans to expand to the entire vending network later in the year. The Missouri Lottery plans to roll out starting in July and the Kentucky Lottery will follow in November. IGT is actively working with its other customers to develop similar imple- mentation plans across their vending terminals. Results have shown that cashless comprises about 10-15% of sales, of which IGT estimates 4-5% to be incremental. It is expected that the percentage of cashless sales will rise with the accelerating change in consumer behavior. Jay Gendron, Chief Operating Officer, Lottery, said “IGT is constantly exploring retail, consumer and technology trends and investing in opportuni- ties. These will now be more important than ever to not only obtain more player engagement, but to help enable our lottery customers with solutions to support a cashless and contactless retail environment for the future.” PROTECTING LOTTERY RETAILERS As states continue to tweak their stay-at-home orders, lottery retailers will see an increase in customers. This is good news for states that are revenue-starved, given the economic hit every state has taken since March. But it is incumbent upon lotteries to protect their critical retail partners as well as customers. “When we look at the big picture, generating state revenue is our mission, first and foremost. But we can’t forget about retailer commissions, which boost the viability of thousands of local businesses across the country,” said Maryland Lottery Director Gordon Medenica. “Collaborative partnerships with retailers are crucial to lotteries’ suc- cess and that means the safety of retail employees and customers must be a top priority. We can play our part by educating our sales representatives about sales and safety techniques which they can share with their retailers. We are all in this together, and lotteries can lead the way in making sure the lottery retailer network operates safely.” An IGT customer, the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC), is cur- rently selling lottery in-lane QuickTickets™ at approximately 1,500 Dollar General stores in the state. Shoppers choose QuickTickets™ from a POS display (shown at left, bottom row) or immediately at the checkout counter to be purchased and activated in-lane, as confirmed on the pictured receipt. The TLC is also working with IGT and supermarket chain HEB, offering the in-lane sale of Ticket-On-Receipt draw game tickets, along with the redemption of draw and instant games in-lane. IGT offers cashless capability on all its vending terminals, such as the GameTouch™ 28 (pic- tured), and has deployed over 3,300 cashless-enabled units with more to follow this year. The Maryland Lottery has worked with its retail network to ensure the safety of employees and customers.