Public Gaming International May/June 2020

69 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MAY/JUNE 2020 69 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MAY/JUNE 2020 Some Lotteries may consider adding VLTs or slots to their product mix, however most bars and age-restricted venues prefer to retain the ambience of a social venue and not look like a mini-casino with VLT's or other xed-base cabinet games. Gaming in small venues like veterans’ clubs and commercial bars is a social activity. e modern player doesn't want the style of games where they sit at a big cabinet and just stare at a screen. ey want a game they can play with their friends, - a game that promotes social interaction, which is their main reason for coming the bar or social club in the rst place. Pilot Games provides an alternative approach, putting new games onto a tablet that enables the multi-tasking socially vibrant atmosphere that the players crave. Easily transported to anywhere within the licensed venue, tablet-based games facilitate social activity. Since the game determination and accounting are cloud-server based, the games are secure and easily managed (no “routes”, minimal service requirements, web reporting). Additionally, the cost of maintaining tablets for your customers to play is a fraction of the cost of traditional VLT or slot machine- style cabinets. Paperless cash transactions are secure and hassle-free. Pilot’s wireless tablet system also allows players mobility, so that in a world of social distancing, players can sit at a table or location of their choosing with their tablet-based game client. is is contrasted to xed base cabinets which are both immersive and anti-social. But what about revenue production - how does the Pilot system compare to a traditional VLT or xed base program? In addition to lower xed costs, Pilot's net revenue performance is generally equivalent to xed base unit net receipts. e ability of slot machines to hold players’ attention is waning. Pilot attracts younger players, the players who are leaving the traditional slot machine world. Any casino will tell you that the average age of their players increases every year! Pilot is also seeing equal play by both men and women. Pilot has con rmed what Lotteries have always known - that players want to engage in low stakes games. ey want highly entertaining games with a variety of game choices without breaking their bank account. Players demand variety in game titles and products - just like they have with all other forms of entertainment. With Pilot's system, there are dozens of game choices available on a tablet device. New games are added every month. e modern consumer expects something new and di erent on a frequent basis. Software updates are pushed by Pilot out to licensed premises during non-business hours. When the operator arrives in the morning, there is a message indicating that new games are available. What also sets Pilot apart is their approach to providing a wide menu of game options. e modern consumer expects something new and di erent on a frequent basis. For example, in Minnesota, Pilot's proprietary tournament bingo games run twice weekly. ese state-wide and linked events are fast- paced bar bingo tournaments, where bingo card results are translated to a point score, are supported by a live, hosted webcast (Pilot TV) and a competitive bingo league (PGL) where points are tracked and season winners are crowned. MegaSota Game Nite was launched in 2018 on Tuesday nights - historically the lowest revenue gambling day of the week – featuring scheduled bingo games and tournaments. Players loved the real-time competition with other players all over the state! As a result, sales performance on Tuesdays now rivals weekend levels. Now, tournament bingo games are o ered twice weekly along with daily Lunch Hour and Happy Hour Game sessions. ese complement the always-available electronic pull-tabs and high-speed Flash Bingo games. Pilot also recently launched its Pilot Connect app. is app is available on Apple and Android devices. Players can log into their PGL account, play promotional games, preview new “free-to- play Pilot Games, watch Pilot TV and connect with other Pilot players via video, text and voice. After registration, the app’s age veri cation technology and geo-fencing capabilities ensure compliance with state regulations and statutes on promotional games. e seed for this concept grew out of the experience with of the 2019 Pilot Championship Series. ousands of Minnesota players participated in Regional Quali ers to win a chance to be in the Pilot Championship Series Finals held at the HyperX e-Sports Arena at the MGM Luxor Resort in Las Vegas. e fabulous entertainment was combined with an amazing learning experience for Pilot and the 12 Finalists, many of whom had never heard of an e-Sports Arena let alone competed at that type of facility. People from all over the world tuned in to Facebook and Twitch to watch. People still view the video of the Finals today. Pilot has recently expanded their product line-up to include promotional games played on player’s personal smart-phones. e time for site controlled, tablet-based gaming has arrived in the charitable gambling and lottery markets. Pilot has a proven model in Minnesota. Mobile gaming and electronic pull-tab games for charities were approved by the Minnesota legislature in 2012 as a vehicle for funding the new US Bank stadium for the Vikings. In 2012 and 2103, nobody thought tablet- based electronic pull tabs would work - and it didn't. en in 2014 Pilot Games started operations. Revenues began to grow. Now the folks in Minnesota’s state capitol of Saint Paul are debating about how to spend the excess funds! Pilot’s tablet-based gaming is break- through innovation. Pilot has become an international award winning company with a reliable, secure and pro table product. Together with state regulators, charities, local small businesses, and most of all, Lotteries, our mission is to help to generate funds for good causes and bene ciaries. Pilot Games represents a fresh innovation that brings new consumer groups into the world of Lottery, complements your current portfolio of products and distribution channel mix, and is actionable today. Visit us at PilotGames.com. “If there is a “Next Big Thing” in Lottery and Charitable gaming it is adding the social component to the product mix. This is the value proposition of Pilot Games.” “Pilot Games' electronic pull tabs and wide area progressive linked bingo games have grown to over $1 billion in annual sales, increasing by over 50% in 2019.”