19 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JULY/AUGUST 2022 New Research In a new wave of Foresight Factory research, 25% of U.S. consumers strongly agreed it is still important to treat themselves to small indulgences even when their discretionary income is lower than usual. This figure rose to 32% for weekly lottery players in the U.S., up from 30% in a pre-pandemic research wave. Among EU consumers, 24% strongly agreed, and this figure rose to 26% among weekly lottery players, up from 21% in a pre-pandemic research wave. In fact, the research found that careworn consumers say their need to indulge in light relief as a break from their daily routines becomes even more pronounced when cutbacks must be made elsewhere in their lives, such as delaying major expenditures. During previous downturns, Foresight Factory has found that consumers looked to what they term as “entertainment” and “fantasy” for the means of giving themselves these breaks. This aligned with the current wave of research, which found the sentiment to be true for 66% of U.S. consumers. The figure rises to 71% among weekly U.S. lottery players. The sentiment was also found to be true for 54% of European consumers, rising to 58% among weekly lottery players. In Their Own Words The live discussion featured video highlights from recent player interviews undertaken by IGT to further understand how current circumstances are affecting people’s choices and decision-making when it comes to lottery. In these Vox Pop (“voice of the people”) interviews—research conducted in May 2022—lottery players in seven European markets and the U.S. were asked about topics including: • How their world has changed since the onset of COVID in 2020 • How they feel today about entertainment such as casino games, sports betting, playing lottery, and playing other games like bingo • Why they engage in these types of entertainment • Whether there has been an impact on their purchasing and spending decisions for lottery and other forms of gaming • What advice they have for lotteries around game and entertainment value to earn more of their attention and participation Recruited based on their play behaviors (participants had to have played lottery online and played at least one other game such as casino or bingo within the past year), respondents answered in their own words, frequently referring to playing lottery as fun, entertaining, and mood boosting. For example: “Playing the lottery is a kind of tradition for me. It’s fun, it’s something that brings joy. I have a break from the here and now and I start thinking about what I could do if I won.” - Player in U.K. “I love playing the lottery. It's something that I can do for a lot of fun to take my mind off the everyday routine.” - Player in U.S. “It’s a kind of tradition, and it’s entertainment. I do it for fun to have a quick break from daily tasks. I play to win money of course, but I don’t spend much on it. It’s just fun, something that could bring you some extra money.” - Player in Czech Republic “I think my motivation is always to have fun. A small break from reality, time to dream of big and small wins, and what to do with the money when I finally win. I think my motivation has always been the same, and it hasn't changed since the pandemic.” - Player in France “My motivation is to try my luck and relax, to take a break and have some fun.” - Player in U.S. Many noted that they were still leaving room in their budget for lottery, due to the fun and enjoyment they got from this form of play. Several also made mention of the appeal of eInstants and online play: “Online quick instant games are less time consuming, and you can play them anytime really. It's something that could boost your mood.” - Player in Italy “I'm not changing the amount of money that I spend on buying tickets for the lottery or anything. It’s still the same for now, anyway. I'm not sure about the future, but for the present, it hasn't changed just yet.” -Player in U.K. “Prices for almost everything went up and I think I spent more money than before the pandemic. I still keep playing the lottery, but I have noticed that I choose more affordable instant games more often now.” -Player in Czech Republic
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTg4MTM=