47 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 mobile convenience app. Enthusiastic players immediately began downloading it upon launch. Great new feedback alert: In the first month after the app became available (February 14 to March 13, 2023), there were 5.6 thousand smartphone downloads for the app —2.9 thousand on iOS, and 2.7 thousand for Android. Player feedback has been uniformly positive; Wisconsinites gave the app a stellar rating of 4.9 out of 5 on the App Store! Configured per state requirements, convenience apps allow players to do some or all of the following: View current winning numbers Check current jackpots Search past winning numbers and payouts Get scratch-off game details and remaining prizes Review “How to Play” information for all games “Pick Numbers” to create and save favorite numbers Utilize “Hot and Cold Numbers” to see most/least frequently drawn number trends Locate the nearest authorized lottery retailers Customize notifications Shake their phone to select random numbers to play Use “Ticket Checker” feature to scan ticket barcode or manually enter it to determine if they’re a winner Scan a digital playslip at a retailer to (anonymously) purchase draw game and eInstant tickets, and even save it if desired to use every time they play Access Responsible Gaming information These features and more — with an additional layer of valuable components — are also offered via the mobile wagering app where legislation allows. IGT has launched wagering apps for lotteries in Georgia, Kentucky, and Rhode Island. “We are proud of the smooth delivery and the encouraging reactions from players,” said Srini Nedunuri, IGT SVP, Global iLottery. Players have the full range of lottery services at their fingertips and on the go, with mobile wagering apps including the type of one-click purchase options that today’s consumers demand. As previously noted, backed with the necessary API and services, a versatile range of lottery offerings can include opportunities to play Lotto, draw-based games, numbers wagering, Keno, eInstants, and even Group Play (a digital version of the office “lottery pool” that reduces administration challenges). Wagering app users can also sign up for recurring subscriptions such as for drawbased continuous play or configured draws. Other wagering app elements include: • Second Chance: Draw-based game/ scratch ticket second chance entry, ticket and points-based drawing, bonus options • Loyalty: Chance to earn points for wagers; points can be used for entry into second chance or to purchase games • eWallet: Can be used at retail, for transactional or wallet purchases, “top ups,” claim winnings into wallet (low/medium wins) and digital playslips With wagering apps, when players purchase draw games and play eInstants, for lotteries utilizing IGT’s Connected Play and iLottery solution, wagers are securely recorded against the player’s profile. Prizes can be paid directly to the player’s iLottery account/ eWallet. Plus, the lottery will receive valuable player information. All About the App-titude IGT customers can benefit from the company’s experience with app best practices including: Responsible Gaming session, purchase and deposit limits; time out and selfexclusion Geolocation App Store/Google Store compliances, approvals, and engaging presence Compliance with guideline changes Player permissions and privacy Native framework Analyze This IGT’s back-end platform enables lotteries to learn about player behavior by storing transactions and providing a 360-degree player view. IGT can help lotteries bring information together via predictive analysis and actionable data. Lotteries can access meaningful data about players and how they use their apps. IGT can also provide customers with analytic dashboards and track KPIs and conversions. It’s Best to Test To ensure ideal mobile app outcomes, user journeys should be backed with analytics, to optimize prior to launch. Apps that IGT creates for lotteries are fully user-tested. Users are also asked about their habits and purchasing behaviors through questions with rating scales. User-testing provides IGT with key findings that allow it to provide recommendations for their lottery customers, content creators, and designers, to make their apps fresh, friendly, intuitive, and relevant. For instance, IGT recently conducted a study with players about the content most interesting to them on a mobile app home page to identify the most relevant information possible to feature there. “We continue to user-test our product on an ongoing basis and iterate for future updates to benefit customers,” said Emilia Ciardi, IGT Marketing Manager. Freedom Forward Foresight Factory believes convenience will continue to be valuable for the freedom it creates. IGT can provide the expertise needed to make convenience part of the lottery mobile app experience too. IGT iLottery experts furnish the content, creative, portfolio, delivery, operations, and player support to, as Foresight Factory calls it, “smooth bumps on the customer (and supplier) journey.” Mobile phones – large and small, iOS and Android, are essential convenience tools. “IGT’s work with lotteries to bring mobile apps to life reinforces our commitment to deliver convenient, player-facing digital solutions, driving player engagement," said Nedunuri. IGT is excited for players to use their official lottery mobile convenience and wagering apps, and to work with lotteries to responsibly help generate revenue for lotteries, retailers, winners, and good causes. n
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