Public Gaming November/December 2020

As operators continue to weather changeability, the question be- comes, “What do the trends that have strengthened during this time mean for the future, and how can we act on them to support further sustainable growth?” IGT has identified the following tactics to capture opportunities to better serve retailers and players, meet post-pandemic requirements, and build on current successes. At Retail: While trend data confirms that many consumers still prefer the in-store experience, more than 70% of shoppers also report needing further reassurance around hygiene concerns. Contactless and curbside pickup are accelerating. And, in the U.S., there is strong intent to continue these activities, as hygiene has supplanted convenience as a reason for consumers to pay by contactless means. It will re- main vital to reduce consumer anxiety around completing transactions. Self- service is a natural way to help achieve this, through vending machines, in-lane purchasing (see “Expanding In-Lane”), and online fulfilment. IGT’s cashless- enabled vending machines and other state-of-the art solutions support health and safety as well as responsible play, while offering consumers the preferred experience they are using today for other purchases. Point of Purchase Strategies: Traditional point-of-sales materials that advertise vending machines’ features can be used to inform consumers about the benefits of using the machines. Including a QR code on vending machines can encourage play- ers to scan and learn more about digital offerings. Expanding In-Lane: In-lane sales is an- other way for lotteries to expand distribu- tion while meeting consumers’ need to minimize contact points. Many consumers who are reluctant to go to the customer service desk to buy lottery tickets might be willing to purchase them if they were conveniently offered in-lane during the gro- cery transaction. IGT recently collaborated with the Texas Lottery Commission on the first implementation of the NASPL API to enable print-on-receipt paper tickets at HEB supermarkets, as well as Quick Tickets™ for Powerball and Mega Millions at Dollar General stores. Both implementations have been successful and there is active discus- sion about expanding this opportunity for instant tickets, given that most sales in Texas are derived from instants. And recent pilots at five Albertsons stores in the Dallas/ Fort Worth area showed that an IGT-pro- vided in-lane instants solution can increase store sales more than 20%. Evolving Lottery Loyalty Programs: Some lotteries have partnered with retail chains and retail associations to offer promotions via a lottery’s or store’s mobile app. These types of affinity programs have been used broadly to the benefit of both the retailer and the lottery as a method to attract con- sumers to retail and to specific product of- fers. They are also another way to generate loyalty among players, for example, by of- fering players a discount on their purchase if they are willing to download the lottery app on their mobile device. IGT recently introduced digital couponing functionality in Texas, and player response has been very positive. During the month of August, when the lottery was promoting its mobile app and offering the digital coupon, installs increased nearly 26% compared to the previous year. Year-over-year page views were up 22%. The promotion also appears to be driving repeat visits, with more return- ing users during the promotion than in the previous two months. Offering “Connected Play”: Given the cur- rent environment, enabling the omnichan- nel journey that bridges the retail and digital space – what IGT calls Connected Play – is a critical component to aligning with new consumer expectations. For players, Connected Play starts with their mobile phone and access to a lot- tery’s convenience app. IGT now provides a mobile app to 11 U.S. lotteries, with functionality ranging from locating a retailer, to checking winning numbers, to mobile couponing. Some players use paper play slips to make their number selections, so another contact- less opportunity from IGT is to offer players digital play slips that can be scanned not PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 34