Public Gaming November/December 2020

50 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 W ith the Summer and Winter Games on the ho- rizon, Team USA scratch tickets are now available for U.S. Lotteries. And they could not have come a mo- ment too soon. As our country gets ready to move on from the Pandemic, and a new administration is prepar- ing to take over in Washington, Team USA is getting ready to create new memories for us starting with the delayed Summer Games in Tokyo in July 2021 and the Winter Games in Beijing in February 2022. And who cannot remember some of the incredible achievements and fond memories of Team USA athletes and teams at past Olympic Games: • e Miracle on Ice. e 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team composed of all amateurs stuns the Soviet Union in Lake Placid and goes on to beat Finland and capture Gold • e Dream Team. e 1992 US Olympic “Dream” Team that not only won the Gold in Basketball at 1992 Games in Barcelona but is called the greatest team ever assembled in any sport • Mary Lou Retton. She becomes the rst Women Gymnast outside Eastern Europe with win the all-around title • Michael Phelps. e most decorated Olympian of all time. 28 medals earned at four di erent Olympic Games, con- cluding at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio when he won ve gold medals. One thing is certain – more great memories will be created in Tokyo and Beijing and there is little doubt we have never needed the Olympics more than ever to bring us together like they do every four years. For the rst time ever, all US Lotteries and their players can be part of the action at the Tokyo Summer Games in 2021 and the Bei- jing Winter Games in 2022 as our athletes share with us their most important qualities; Inspiration, Optimism Patriotism and their Unifying spirit. Team USA, through a subsidiary of the United States Olympic Committee, United States Olympic and Paralympic Proper- ties (USOPP) is o ering US Lotteries the opportunity to employ Team USA marks, logos and even possibly Olympic athletes from each lottery’s state in an integrated marketing plan for Team USA games. “We are excited to bring the emotion and excitement of Team USA to lotteries and their players across the country,” said U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Properties Senior Vice President of Consumer Products Peter Zeytoonjian. “ e upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games will be a special moment for our country as the world's best athletes come together to compete on the global stage. We are excited to share this moment with lottery players across the U.S. as they cheer on Team USA." e Team USA promotion o ers a robust second chance program to maximize participation, emotion and sell thru. All lotteries can o er select winners a fabu- lous four-day three-night Olympic themed trip to Los Angeles high- lighted by an Olympic Gala at one of the key venues of the upcoming 2028 Summer Games in LA. ere are also four di erent Team USA prize packs available for second chance drawings. Your players can win an assortment of Team USA branded merchandise so they can display their love of their country and its athletes. Consulting with and leading the USOPP’s e orts is lottery industry veteran Steve Saferin, who founded MDI Entertainment and virtually created the modern third-party licensing side of the lottery indus- try. Also involved are former MDI executive and now industry consul- tant Jim Acton and NFL vet Gene Goldberg. “I well know and look forward to the special feeling I get during the Olympics”, said Saferin. “I am grati- ed to work with the USOPP and US Lotteries during these extraordi- nary times. We have lived with the restrictions brought on by the Pandemic for close to an entire year and good news has been hard to come by. “Given the rapid development of vaccines and the change in administrations in DC, I believe that, like never before Team USA is going to swing into action at the perfect time to provide optimism and patriotism, to unify us and more than anything inspire us. I have never felt greater anticipation for an upcoming Olympics”. Lotteries can now harness this anticipa- tion and excitement and o er a Team USA ticket to their players. Combined with an exciting and robust second chance program, I am certain that players will be intrigued and stimulated to show their support for Team USA and our Country’s Olympic Athletes.” Lotteries interested in learning more about the Team USA opportunities can contact Steve Saferin at steve.saferin@esgn.media or Jim Acton at actonjim11@gmail.com . n TEAM USA IS READY TO BRING ITS INSPIRING, UNIFYING, PATRIOTIC AND OPTIMISTIC CHARACTERISTICS TO U.S. LOTTERIES