Public Gaming Magazine July/August 2020

41 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JULY/AUGUST 2020 Games, Microgaming, Relax Gaming, iForium, Pariplay, SBTech and GAN. Lottery players in Pennsylvania have seen non-Derby versions of the Inspired horse race game for a few months. “Derby Cash Horse Racing” was avail- able in bars and taverns until the state was placed under a stay-at-home order and will be available again once these locations are operating. But the early results were promising. “We provided virtual car racing and football for the Pennsylvania Lottery for a few months but when we switched to horse racing, their sales went up dramat- ically,” Pierce said. “Betting on horses is something that resonates with a broad cross section of lottery players. ey understand it and it is a natural sport on which to place a bet. And Pennsylvania now has six horse tracks so most Pennsyl- vanians have been exposed to the sport to some level for the past few years.” With the ongoing discussions about sports betting in many jurisdictions, Inspired lls the space between actual live sports betting and lottery games. e company’s Virtual Sports use life-like graphics to mimic the experience of real sports betting. Each event lasts around 90 seconds and games are de- signed to be easy to play. Boasting a large array of sports available 24/7, Inspired’s management team is a virtu- al “who’s who” of lottery industry veterans. Brooks Pierce was with Scienti c Games for nearly 20 years. Inspired’s Chairman and CEO Lorne Weil held those same positions at Scienti c Games and Autotote for more than two decades and has a long history with the horse race industry. e Group Chief Technology O cer is Steve Beason, a veteran of Sci Games and GTECH, which is now a part of IGT. To say Inspired Entertainment knows and understands the lottery industry would be quite the understatement. “We’ve utilized our cumulative knowledge and experience in the industry to put to- gether a compelling package of content for lotteries,” said Weil. “Whether a jurisdiction can o er games of chance, sports betting or both, we have games that work for all levels of players. As was proven in Pennsylvania, given engaging gaming opportunities, play- ers will watch, bet and bet again.” Stephanie Weyant, Deputy Executive Direc- tor of Marketing and Products for the Penn- sylvania Lottery, said what started as an idea for a new game for their players has grown into a channel that should spur additional revenue for years to come. “While we have been considering games to complement our Keno products, our expectations were always tempered. But the acceptance of Derby Cash pre-pandemic makes us hopeful that once bars and taverns are again fully open, the game will continue to gain momentum. Players are certainly attracted to its realistic look. Now we want them to continue to bet like it’s a real game as well,” she said. Pierce said that Inspired believes there are three avenues for lotteries: 1. Use Virtual Sports to get lottery into businesses in which they are not cur- rently operating, such as bars and taverns 2. Increase business among current retailers by at- tracting sports bettors who might not typically purchase lottery products 3. For lotteries with sports betting, use Virtual Sports to supplement current o erings and o er a version of sports betting when live sports are not taking place Over the past few years, Inspired has quickly expanded its portfolio of content, technology, hardware and services for regulated gaming, betting, lottery, and leisure operators across retail and mobile channels around the world. e company operates in approximately 35 jurisdictions worldwide, supplying gaming systems with associated terminals and content for more than 50,000 gaming machines located in betting shops, pubs, gaming halls and other locations. Virtual sports products are available through more than 44,000 retail channels. “We are excited about the opportunities Inspired’s virtual games can provide to lot- tery jurisdictions,” Pierce said. “Our games t well within lottery portfolios and feature payouts that lotteries will nd attractive. We know that lotteries will be looked to for additional revenue by states and engaging games by players. Inspired’s Virtual Sports satisfy both needs. Realistic horse race action in a featured attraction of Inspired’s Derby Cash Horse Racing. This image is from the Virtual KY Derby. For the record, horse racing legend Secretariat reproduced his legendary Kentucky Derby win in 1972 at Inspired’s virtual Kentucky Derby, as 47 years later he bested Citation, winner of the Derby in 1948. Here is how the horses finished in the virtual Kentucky Derby: 1-Secretariat 2-Citation 3-Seattle Slew 4-Affirmed 5-American Pharoah 6-Whirlaway 7-Count Fleet 8-Justify 9-Assault 10-War Admiral 11-Omaha 12-Gallant Fox 13-Sir Barton