Public Gaming International Gaming July/August 2021

18 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JULY/AUGUST 2021 I n 2021, mention digital advancements in the lottery industry and many people will assume you’re talking about iLottery and the sales of lottery products through apps and web sites. And why not? After the pandemic, the logical assumption was that a progressively growing list of lotteries would be looking to launch ilottery programs But give a quick look at the list of lotteries and their digital offerings and you’ll see more Arizonas – which is legislatively prohibited from selling online – than New Hampshires – which offers all products online. And even lotteries where iLottery is legislatively allowed are not rushing to add platforms. But are these directors without iLottery crying in their beers? Not! Gregg Edgar, Executive Director of the Arizona Lottery, who moderated industry experts on a panel titled “Digital Engagement for ALL Lottery Operators.” Gregg was joined by panelists: Sina Aiello, Vice President, Loyalty, Pollard Banknote Kelley-Jaye Cleland, Chief Product & Program Officer, New Hampshire Lottery Jay Finks, Executive Director, Oklahoma Lottery Ryan Mindell, Lottery Operations Director, Texas Lottery Amy Warner, Director, Digital Engagement, Scientific Games. “It’s important for us to talk about what is available for ALL lotteries because not all of us have iLottery, not all of us have the ‘joys’ of being a fully digital gaming entity,” Gregg said. “In Arizona we just got locked out of digital gaming for the next 20 years through new tribal gaming compacts, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a wealth of things we can do in the online space. Whether it’s iLottery, a player’s club, a loyalty program or just social media platforms, the digital experience is an increasing part of our lottery ecosystem. How we use these tools to optimize our relationship with our players is at the heart of the conversation with this panel.” With those opening words, Gregg asked the panel about “engagement” and how their organizations define the word. Kelley-Jaye, who heads up New Hampshire’s successful iLottery program, said, “Engagement to me is about creating a relationship through knowing and understanding what the other party wants, likes, needs, and enjoys. Engagement is not The following article is based on a Roundtable Discussion conducted at PGRI Digital Lottery eConference on June 16. DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT FOR ALL LOTTERY OPERATORS D I S C U S S I O N R O U N D T A B L E