34 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 Regarding the Covid-Pandemic, a German historian observed: continued from page 13 Powerball Celebrates Powerful Start to 2022, continued from page 20 After the first week, sales in Draw Cycle 44 were 37% higher compared to Draw Cycle 38. After 13 weeks, sales were up 205% in Draw Cycle 44 compared to Draw Cycle 38. The additional sales in Draw Cycle 44 pushed the jackpot across the $600 million mark at 13 weeks, whereas in Draw Cycle 38, it took 17 weeks – roughly a month longer. “MUSL and its lottery partners have worked diligently to successfully introduce the Monday draw and Double Play add-on feature,” noted J. Bret Toyne, MUSL Executive Director. “However, we cannot be satisfied with today’s accomplishments. If anything, this highlights the strategic planning necessary to consistently produce year-over-year revenue growth.” In addition to its first jackpot won in 2022, Powerball also celebrated a third consecutive year on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest by holding a $1 million drawing for the Powerball First Millionaire of the Year®. The drawing was the culmination of a national Powerball promotion and broadcast live on ABC. Shortly after midnight, Ryan Seacrest and country singer Jessie James Decker revealed the big winner as Brian Mineweaser, a father of four from Pennsylvania. “This partnership with MRC Live & Alternative has given Powerball the opportunity to connect real people and their stories with our brand.” said Gregg Edgar, MUSL Marketing and Promotions Committee Chair and Arizona Lottery Executive Director. “Year after year, we’re meeting new players from across the country and showcasing their winning moments, which is part of the greater Powerball story.” This year, Powerball was able to connect with an even larger audience. According to Nielsen, the 50th edition of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve was the number one entertainment telecast with viewership up roughly 10 percent between 12:00 – 12:30 am, which included the Powerball First Millionaire of the Year drawing. Looking at viewers of any age, more than 24.2 million tuned in during the broadcast’s 12:00 – 12:15 am quarter hour, followed by 16.5 million during the 12:15 – 12:30 am quarter hour. Twenty-nine lotteries participated in the most recent installment of the Powerball First Millionaire of the Year promotion, with many choosing to coincide their in-state promotions with the launch of Monday draws and Double Play last August. Participating lotteries held drawings and contests in their respective jurisdictions to determine a national pool of semi-finalists. From that pool, five finalists were randomly selected to advance to the $1 million drawing. MUSL and MRC Live & Alternative are already planning the fourth year, which will include the winner experience returning to New York City. For the past two years, the finalists and their families have been featured from their hometowns due to the pandemic. Organizers anticipate even more lotteries will participate in the 2022-2023 promotion and hope to potentially feature more players from more lotteries during the live broadcast. “We want all participating lotteries to feel that they have a stake in the event,” said Edgar. “We hope to create more big show moments and winner memories, building enthusiasm at the state level for the 2023 Powerball First Millionaire of the Year and increase the impact that the brand is having nationally.” Q Last but not least: You are not just leading the Deutsche Klassenlotterie Berlin, you are also heading the European Lotteries Association as President. How is EL evolving the products and services to continue to add value for its members? H. Höltkemeier: In general, EL follows the same goals and works for the same values as before. To the outside EL is fighting for the value-based, subsidiarity model of organizing lotteries and to the inside supporting lotteries through knowledge exchange and certification. As one example, subsidiarity will gain new relevance. While former initiatives were based on the regulatory framework, the new threat for lotteries will be digital platforms, which offer a kind of single-market also in gaming and gambling without proper cross-border regulation. Right now, there are several political initiatives to limit the power of those platforms and to link them to national laws. EL is involved in this. And as everywhere, the tools EL uses and the “members-behaviour” changes: a remarkable change is visible in our seminar/ webinar-program. Whereas webinars and hybrid formats seemed to be just a ”Plan B” option for those seminars that couldn´t take place due to COVID-caused travelrestrictions, they are now and will continue to be an integral part of our offer going forward. We have learned that such formats are reaching far more members and lead to much higher participation and deeper ongoing interaction and networking than the traditional in-person meetings were able to do. On the other side, real-world developments that involve vigorous discussion and debate over complex issues are much better addressed by in-person meetings. We still need the trust that comes with personal interaction to build rapport and a common understanding. Therefore, there will be far more differentiation in our way ahead with a broader range of digital offers to inform our members or to discuss results and ongoing personal meetings to strengthen the network and to forge solutions for complex challenges. And we are counting on at least one event to be organized in person. Our EL Congresses and our Industry Days will remain as the place to meet for lottery professionals and executives to get an overview about what is going on, to be a place to meet colleagues and to make and to meet friends. I am therefore looking forward to our next Industry Days in June 2022 in Wiesbaden/ Germany and to our next Congress planned for June 2023 in Sibenik/Croatia. Save the date and join us as part of the family. Paul Janson: Thank you Hansjörg for this inside view and your invitation: Susan and I are looking forward to seeing you in Wiesbaden! Q
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTg4MTM=