Public Gaming International May/June 2020

28 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MAY/JUNE 2020 Gregg Mineo, Director, Maine Lottery; Chair of MUSL Powerball Group ese are big questions that I would imagine many businesses in many industries are grappling with now. Some of the “cottage industries” that have either developed or grown during the pandemic are delivery services and personal shopping services. Will they continue to play a part in the consumer shopping experience? I can see more people using these services to buy everything from groceries to prescriptions to even lottery tickets. Of course, in the lottery business, those states that legalized iLottery have a leg up; players can enjoy the comfort of their home and buy tickets on-line; the pandemic and resulting “stay-at-home” culture may continue into the near and long term, and this in itself may spur on more states to consider on-line play. When a crisis occurs and a business struggles to adjust, retrench or perform a reset, it’s always important to look to the “blocking and tackling” components that got us where we are. at includes being nimble in our approach to the customer and consumer demands, having a quality portfolio of games that responds quickly, an innovation platform, responsibility messaging and of course stellar customer service. is is what we should be thinking about and working on. First of all we were successful in Maine at designating the 1100+ lottery retailers as “essential.” ese comprise grocery stores, supermarkets, convenience stores and others, who sell lottery tickets in addition to staples that most everyone needs. Selling lottery products helps them to stay in business and survive this downturn. We have seen a signi cant downturn in lottery sales, especially draw during the last 6-7 weeks, but interestingly enough, last week we saw a slight upturn. I think people are getting restless, and are starting to venture out, hopefully being safe and keeping a safe distance from others while stopping at their favorite lottery retailer. Regardless, we have a long road ahead of us, and getting back to some sort of normalcy will take ingenuity and perseverance. What opportunities will emerge in the post-coronavirus world? at’s the big unknown, isn’t it. Even after the “all clear” is announced, how will the consumer react? How quickly will someone want to get on an airplane? Go to a concert? Travel to see family? Get a haircut? Go to a movie? I think you’re right on your second point that we are “highly social animals,” but how will that be tempered with our hesitance to “touch the people” again? I think people at rst will automatically think “local.” And, yes, casinos may bene t, but I am con dent our players will gravitate to what they are comfortable with, and that includes lottery stores. As Lottery managers and regulators we need to be ready for this new world. How might we reinforce and build upon the symbiotic relationship that Lottery has always had with its retail partners? Great question. is is the “blocking and tackling” I mentioned previously. Excellent customer service. We will ramp up our presence in lottery stores in a safe way, and be on call for all of their needs. Really nothing new, but more heightened. Legislators and regulators will have a lot on their plate over the coming months. Even so, what can we do to push harder than ever to get approval to make Lottery products available online, i.e. iLottery? And to push for authorization to invest in new games categories, and new technologies like in-lane sales and cashless transactions? Legislators and administrations have one thing in common; they have gotten used and continue to want revenue streams to fund programs. e Lottery does just that, and this post-COVID time will be a good time to renew those discussions on new game categories, new retail channels and new routes to market. What are some of the new challenges and obstacles that we will need to adjust to? e obvious one is simply less discretionary spending available. Most people will be regrouping post-COVID (if there is one that feels “normal” to us), and will be trying to make ends meet. I look at this as an opportunity to be more responsible with our players; o er products that meet their needs, maybe less costly, easier access, BUT not intrusive and not heavy handed in any way. e lottery regulator needs to be the business manager of course, but also the partner with the players. I would like to add Paul that in this industry we are lucky to have such strong and diligent support from our trade associations, vendor partners, game system operators and fellow lottery colleagues. I am heartened to think that we will get through this together, and come out of it in good shape, and that we have the smartest people to rely upon. ■ VISION OF THE POST-CORONAVIRUS WORLD Rebecca Hargrove continued from page 18 What will the “new normal” look like? at will vary widely. Italy, Spain, New York and some other U.S. states have been so severely impacted that the road to recovery will be arduous. eir “new normal” may be quite di erent than the pre-COVID environment. Social distancing, increased online purchas- ing and other lifestyle changes may be a bigger part of their new normal than in ju- risdictions where the crisis was not as severe. If the cautious re-opening being pursued in my state of Tennessee goes according to plan, it is my hope we will return to the shopping and lifestyle behaviors of pre-pandemic days. Outside of that hope, I know all of us at the Tennessee Lottery are focused on what we can do: making the necessary adjustments and innovations so we continue to ful ll our mission and raise money to support higher education for Tennessee students. ■