MAY/JUNE 2022 www.PublicGaming.com Every Christmas your dreams play the lottery Hansjörg Höltkemeier, Lotto Berlin and EL Dr. Heinz-Georg Sundermann, Lotto Hessen, Germany Younes El Mechrafi, Lottery & Sports Betting Morocco Evgeniy Vlasenko, MSL Lottery Ukraine FEATURE INTERVIEWS CELEBRATING THE SOCIAL PHENOMENON AND MAGIC OF THE SPANISH CHRISTMAS LOTTERY
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4 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MAY/JUNE 2022 Publisher & Chief Executive Officer Paul Jason pjason@publicgaming.com President Susan Jason sjason@publicgaming.com Brand and Design Dan Eggers Design Lottery Industry Consultant Jim Acton Honored Founders Doris & Duane Burke Subscriptions United States: $145 USD Canada & Mexico: $160 USD All other countries: $225 USD For email address changes, subscription requests and requests to be placed on our e-Newsletter distribution list, e-mail Susan Jason at sjason@publicgaming.com Contact Information PGRI, Inc. 1769 Flagstone Terrace, The Villages, FL 32162 PublicGaming.com T: +425.449.3000 F: +206.374.2600 Public Gaming International Magazine Published six times a year and distributed to readers all around the world. Electronic version is e-mailed and is also available on our news website: PublicGaming.com May/June 2022 Volume 51, Issue 3 ©2022 all rights reserved. Public Gaming Research Institute cISSN: 1042-1912 10 EL Membership Reconvenes for Industry Days after a too-long hiatus! Hansjörg Höltkemeier President, European Lotteries (EL) Co-CEO of the Deutsche Klassenlotterie Berlin 12 Lotto Hessen welcomes EL Membership to Wiesbaden for Industry Days Dr. Heinz-Georg Sundermann, Managing Director, Lotto Hessen GmbH 14 Modernizing the RFP and Forging Productive Partnerships Younes El Mechrafi, Chief Executive Officer, la Marocaine des Jeux et des Sports (MDJS); General Secretary of African Lotteries Association WLA Executive Committee member and Chairman of WLA Audit Committe 26 Life in Ukraine Evgeniy Vlasenko, Vice President, MSL State Lottery Ukraine 28 Digital Integration Unlocks the Power of De-Channelization Alistair Boston-Smith, Chief Strategy Officer, Bede Gaming CONTENTS M AY / J U N E 2 0 2 2 F E A T U R E D I N T E R V I E W S 10 12 26 28 14
For Good. Playing ©Scientific Games, LLC. 2022. All rights reserved. We're endlessly innovating, always evolving and firmly committed to responsible gaming. So that the future of lottery funding shines bright.
6 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MAY/JUNE 2022 Visit Our Family Of Websites PublicGaming.com industry news & information PGRITalks.com videos of conference presentations PublicGaming.org PGRI conference information PGRIDigitalLibrary.com magazine archive of past issues PGRIDirectory.com listing of lotteries and vendors PGRIAwards.com Showcase of industry honorees recognized by the Lottery Industry Hall of Fame PGRI Lifetime Achievement Award Sharp Award for Good Causes Lottery Industry Statesman and Stateswoman Award Rebecca Paul Mentorship Award Collaboration Award Subscribe To Our Free Digital Newsletters Receive our daily newsletters at no charge, published 5 times a week to bring you the latest breaking news in the global lottery industry. Send an e-mail to: sjason@PublicGaming.com with “add to Daily Digest list” in the subject line. D E P A R T M E N T S When leaders at the North Carolina Education Lottery made the decision to move to a full instant game category management program, it more than paid off. Five years later, NCEL is the No. 6 performing lottery in the U.S. for instant game per capita sales and has achieved 10.2% CAGR over the past four years. Behind the Scenes of an Instant Game Program That's Making a Difference for Education in North Carolina In 2021, the program has surpassed all sales projections. Instant game sales have doubled, with the category representing 70% of annual retail sales. The achievements were the result of new efforts by th NCEL to create the right partnership with the right strategies that would move instant sales from a plateau to the next level. That partnership be an in 2017 with the NCEL and Scientific Games. The Lottery set an aggressive goal for instant game retail sales by 2026. A year later, Executive Director Mark Michalko arrived on the scene, b inging 20 years of gaming industry experience to the Lottery. Michalko wanted product solutions. He was interested in maximizing the use of data-driven analytics and research to responsibly grow sales and deliver entertaining experiences to North Carolina player . “We knew we needed to renew our focus on the products and leverage data to drive strategic business decisions,” says Michalko. “Our partnership with Scientific Games has proven that data has the power to deliver tangible results that grow sales and profits.” Mark Michalko, NCEL 24 20 8 From the Publisher Paul Jason 20 POWERBALL: 30 Years in 30 Snapshots MUSL NEWS (Multi-State Lottery Association) 24 Consolidating the Societal Role of Lotteries in Europe Ph lippe Vlaemminck & Beata Guzik, Vlaemminck Law 46 Pulse of the Industry: Synopsis of Recent Gaming Industry News 18 Christmas Lottery Draw: a story of magic and human values María Núñez, Journalist, Press & Communications Secretary, SELAE (Spanish Lottery) 32 Lottery of the Future: Guiding the Success of Our Industry IGT 36 Celebrating a Five-Year Partnership Scientific Games 40 Add-On Attractions: Ideas to Engage Draw-Games Players & Retailers IGT 32 36 18 40 F E A T U R E D A R T I C L E S XTRA untdown of the days left to launch March from f March
8 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MAY/JUNE 2022 From the Publisher We sure do have a lot to feel good about these days! For one thing, we are very excited to see our European colleagues for the first time in 2-1/2 years. The EL (European Lotteries Association) Industry Days is a very special invitationonly conference event, held every other year in June but having skipped the last one in 2020. A lot has happened since then. What’s more important is that we are bracing for even more to happen over the next two and three years. Thank you to Hansjörg Höltkemeier and Dr. Heinz-Georg Sundermann for our feature interviews which move the dialogue forward, getting us started on the path of reinvention for a new golden era of Lottery, and welcoming us to Wiesbaden for Industry Days. Brand Experience Gap, a business meme du jour a couple years ago, refers to the gap between the brand strategy or message and the actual customer experience. The focus then was on closing that gap. Now that legacy customer perceptions and expectations have been so profoundly disrupted, I’m thinking this is a good time to focus on redefining the brand, on revisiting the premises and principles that have informed our brand strategies to date; taking advantage of this period of extreme disruption (or in Jack Welch parlance “not let a good crisis go to waste”) to reimagine and revamp the brand. The consumer market-place is being radically reshaped as we speak, so we may as well embrace the uncertainty of the times to reshape our brand. Which brings me to another thing we have to feel good about. To my mind, the Spanish El Gordo Christmas Lottery is perhaps the most inspiring brand story in our industry. It really is more than a “brand”, it is a social phenomenon, with a life of its own that is owned as much by the people of Spain as it is by anyone. As many have said, it is hard to watch the TV commercials without tearing up. No “Brand Experience Gap” with El Gordo. I have wanted to do a feature on the Spanish Christmas Lottery for years and so appreciate María Núñez for bringing it alive for the global audience, first as a presentation for the WLA/EL Marketing (virtual) Seminar, and now as a special article in this issue. Another special brand, I would think the most valuable brand in the gamesof-chance industry, is Powerball®. Congratulations to the MUSL organization and the lottery directors who have built this mega-brand over thirty year journey. It is a pleasure to share your history in 30 wonderful photos that capture some of the highlights of Powerball’s life story. Bridging the gap between Africa and Europe, Morocco and la Marocaine des Jeux et des Sports (MDJS Lottery) have always been keen on adopting the most forward-leaning best-practices. As CEO of MDJS, Younes El Mechrafi has set about the goal of forging the most collaborative, productive relationship with his business technology partners. That begins with designing an RFP that drives alignment of purpose and actions, and incorporates the flexibility to innovate and integrate new technologies going forward. Hopefully you were able to view the video of my interview with Evgeniy Vlasenko who heads the MSL Ukraine Lottery (posted to PublicGaming.com and our video website PGRItalks.com). The miracle of strength, faith, and fortitude of the people of Ukraine inspires awe and admiration in everyone around the world. It is such a privilege to share this special report from Evgeniy as he and his country men and women fight for their freedom. Our hearts are with them and we stand in solidarity with their mission to defeat the forces of tyranny. Philippe Vlaemminck and Beata Guzik provide the much-needed update on the changing regulatory climate in Europe. Again, there is much to be hopeful about as the authority to determine gambling and lottery regulatory frameworks is shifting back to EU member states. Misguided attempts to impose panEuropean regulatory guidelines continue to cause confusion and impede the enforceability of laws and regulations to prevent illegal gaming. But there is hope that we are moving in the right direction towards a more rational system of laws and enforcement mechanisms. Integrating digital technology across all channels, media, and land-based systems and retailers is the top-of-mind mission today for lotteries and is the topic of our discussion with Alistair Boston-Smith. And a special thanks to editorial contributors Scientific Games and IGT. I appreciate our partnership, the leadership you provide this industry, and the brain-trust you share with our readership. We usually have our next conference to announce by now. We have been exploring different options and dates for Lottery Expo and will have probably announced everything by the time you read this. Please keep updated at our news website PublicGaming.com. Of course, we hope you have already marked your calendars for the World Lottery Summit Vancouver, October 16-20. The bi-annual WLS is always an amazing experience. But the last one was four years ago (in Buenos Aires) and so this will be quite the wonderful reunion! We hope to see you all there! Paul Jason, Publisher Public Gaming International Magazine
10 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MAY/JUNE 2022 Continued on page 50 PGRI INTERVIEWS Paul Jason: The theme of Industry Days, “WeConnect” captures the spirit of our times, and the excitement we all feel about getting together again in person. Many of us have not seen each other since the EL Marketing Seminar of February 2020. Hansjörg Höltkemeier: You are right. Meeting in person is much more valuable than the face-to-face video meetings that we have all become accustomed to. In a one-to-one video-meeting with wellknown partners who we may talk with on daily business, you might be able to focus on the speaker at the other side of the line, or on the video monitor – but as soon as there is more than one on the other side, maybe even discussing in different languages and getting into more complicated issues, it is easy to get lost, or maybe lose some of the important emotional content. And after more than two years of digital exchange, there are lots of topics and different views that need to be shared! I am therefore very happy and thankful that we are coming together to meet again in Wiesbaden. I expect that for all of us, this whole experience will be a kind of adventure. Every lottery executive has driven his or her business mostly from a national perspective. The degree of disruption caused by the pandemic varied by country, as did the governmental response to the crisis. So the actions that lotteries have taken to adapt to these extraordinary circumstances have varied greatly as well. Advertisement bans were applied in some countries, partial market-openings in some others, new leadership in some companies, even new operators in some places. Some of these issues are hard to discuss via phone or video in the same trusting manner as we can do in-person. I am sure that the fantastic program of this Industry Days will be just a “first-serve” to inspire the members and participants to engage in further discussions that will help us all to re-load for a future that will not cease to be changing in exciting and perhaps equally dramatic ways. More than ever, I expect “side-discussions” on the floors, in meeting rooms and – last but not least – during our well prepared and attractive evening-programm. Altogether, you see I have the most positive anticipation looking forward to this event. Welcome to everyone! How has the need to develop remote learning and meeting modes changed the EL? H. Höltkemeier: As I mentioned, there are and will be successful digital formats to serve us better in many ways, for example in remote learning. The more structured a theme is, the more it is “digital-ready”. And perhaps the reliance on digital media has made us all better at clarifying our themes, structuring the discussion, and designing the projects and action-plans. Another very positive aspect of digital is the reduction of travelling time and costs. As a result, we do see a broader acceptance of digital-learning formats and a higher participation-rate in our basic modules, so we will continue to hold seminars digitally as well as in-person in the future. EL Membership Reconvenes for Industry Days after a too-long hiatus! Hansjörg Höltkemeier President, European Lotteries (EL) Co-CEO of the Deutsche Klassenlotterie Berlin PGRI INTRODUCTION: EL Industry Days is a special biannual event that was interrupted by COVID. It has now been over two years since we have visited with each other and are excited to get together again in beautiful Wiesbaden Germany.
11 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MAY/JUNE 2022 Abacus: bridging the gap between lottery and retail w: www.lotteryeverywhere.com e: info@abacuslottery.com It started with in-lane, but is now so much more Abacus has built a state of the art transaction processing gateway to deliver lottery tickets to retail points of sale in manned lane environments. Since going live we have expanded our technology platform to include self-checkout, mobile & e-commerce. We continue to add new products and services such as draw games, instant tickets, digital games, validation and redemption of tickets. Contact us if you want to take your lottery sales to a whole new set of sales channels.
12 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MAY/JUNE 2022 Continued on page 45 PGRI INTERVIEWS Paul Jason: Thank you for hosting Industry Days! This must be an exciting time for you and Team LOTTO Hessen to be the first in-person conference destination in almost 2-1/2 years? Dr. Heinz-Georg Sundermann: Yes, we are indeed very much looking forward to hosting the first major European Lotteries conference in over two years, from June 13-15. Preparations have been in full swing for weeks now and we are convinced that we will be able to offer the participants a varied and exciting program. Wiesbaden is an excellent venue for the conference, especially at this time of year, and we will provide everyone ample opportunity to get to know our beautiful Hesse capital, including a visit to Eberbach Monastery in the Rheingau region. Over 800 years old, the Monastery is fascinating for its historical significance, and its ancient renown as a center for wine-making was recently rejuvenated with the construction of the Steinbergkeller, a state-of-the-art wine production facility rivalling any in Europe. It is all only a few kilometers away from Wiesbaden. And yes, it will be wonderful to finally have the opportunity for a personal exchange again after such a long time. We would like to extend a warm welcome to all participants! What are some good things to have come about as a result of the disruptions of the last 2-1/2 years? Dr. Sundermann: It can certainly be said that the pandemic has strengthened the distribution network per se. This may sound strange at first, because after all, the contact restrictions during the pandemic in this country mainly affected brick-and-mortar retailers. But we are in a special situation here. This is because our lottery products are not generally offered independently from other products like food, magazines, and other conveniencestore items. In the course of the increased consumer demand and appreciation for these products of daily use, the importance of the sales outlets for Lotto has also increased. Even during the critical phases of the pandemic-related lockdown, no more than four to five percent of our kiosks were ever closed at peak times. Our portfolio of products was not only available like it had always been – it was now positioned right along side of products with the label "indispensable". To achieve this, we invested a lot, talked to authorities and partners, and made everything as easy as possible for everyone to implement. This effort was ultimately rewarded with excellent sales figures – both 2020 and 2021 have become record years. There are likely to have been few other consumer goods suppliers who have made the same level of commitment as the lottery companies to help us all overcome this crisis together. I believe that our fast response to the crisis has given us recognition and respect from our partners. Further to that, I think it reinforces the stability and trust so important to the future of our relationship with our retailers and customers now that the crisis is over. Irrespective of this, however, the past few years have also shown how important Lotto Hessen Welcomes EL Membership to Wiesbaden for Industry Days Dr. Heinz-Georg Sundermann Managing Director, Lotto Hessen GmbH PGRI INTRODUCTION: EL Industry Days is a special biannual event for EL membership that was interrupted by COVID. It has now been over two years since we have visited with each other and are excited to get together again in beautiful Wiesbaden Germany.
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14 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MAY/JUNE 2022 PGRI INTERVIEWS Paul Jason: What makes this year, 2022, such an important inflection point in the development of the Gaming, Sports Betting, and Lottery markets in Africa? Younes El Mechrafi: African sports betting and lottery markets are facing many challenges, but also provides enormous opportunities amidst untapped potential. The top-of-mind issues include: how to improve regulatory frameworks in a sector in constant evolution; how to integrate safe online gambling and avoid problem gambling; and how to maximize sales, growth, and funding for societal causes in a responsible manner. Often, licenses to operate games-ofchance are no longer effective or up-todate at addressing ongoing innovation and technological developments. How new technologies are integrated into existing IT infrastructures to bring lotteries into outer zones and rural areas is also a challenge. Of course, these challenges represent opportunities for suppliers and operators who are encouraged to work together with us to forge solutions and new pathways to growth and prosperity for the African economies and people. African lotteries are in the ascending stages of their learning curve. The good news is that Africa is also in a dynamic of heightened economic growth and development. The success strategies that have contributed to modernization in other global regions have varied greatly according to the times they took place in, the legacy industrial and technological infrastructure, cultural mores and gaming culture in particular, and countless other factors. Economic growth and technological innovation have followed quite different trajectories in Europe, North America, Asia, and even the countries within those regions. And so it is now the case that Africa is developing its own unique success story. We all want to learn from the past, we want our strategic planning to be informed by the best-practices as they have been applied in other regions. But we also need to recognize that African economies are following a path that is quite different from any others in history. For instance, Africa’s lack of a built-out land-based cables Modernizing the RFP and Process of Forging Productive Partnerships Younes El Mechrafi Chief Executive Officer, la Marocaine des Jeux et des Sports (MDJS) General Secretary of African Lotteries Association WLA Executive Committee member and Chairman of WLA Audit Committee PGRI INTRODUCTION: These are interesting times on a wide variety of fronts. In spite of adversity, or perhaps because of it, the world is changing in many positive ways. The emerging markets of Africa are poised to accelerate their growth trajectory. Morocco, long viewed as the gateway to Africa for its strong ties to the rest of the world, has a lottery and sports betting market that is mature, dynamic, and growing. And now it is poised to position itself for an even more ambitious period of development. To this end, MDJS is executing an RFP process with the goal of applying best practices that support technological innovation, flexibility to adapt to new solutions as they become available in the future, and process-engineering to assure partnerships are aligned to pursue goals with a clarity of purpose and direction. We thank Younes El Mechrafi for sharing his vision for forging long-term relationships that will serve the stakeholders of MDJS and the people of Morocco.
15 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MAY/JUNE 2022 and wired communications infrastructure enables it to completely leapfrog an entire generation legacy technology. Africa is moving directly into satellite-based cellular technology to connect B2B, B2C, and C2C. This represents an incredible opportunity for the African market-places to expedite modernization, given the vision and technology partners to make it happen. The process of modernizing does pose formidable challenges in Africa as it does everywhere. For one, the cooperation of commercial technology leaders is needed to unlock Africa’s resources and consumer markets. For another, that cooperation needs to be based on a prudent combination of best-practices as established in more mature markets along with a keen recognition for the differences that apply to African market development. Africa’s economic, social, technological, and cultural evolutionary pathway has been and will continue to be quite unique, certainly different from Western Europe and North America and other developed economies where many of the current “best-practices” have been established. And even within the continent, there are countless differences to the way local markets are evolving. We do want to learn from others who are further along in the journey towards modernization. But we also want the thought process to be informed by the character and conditions of local markets and local political/ social/cultural infrastructures as well. In sum, we need to work together to build a better and more sustainable common vision. As a young organization with a mission that is by a sound statutory structure, ALA can serve us all well as the platform to drive progress through congresses, seminars, webinars, and meetings. My goal, as General Secretary of ALA, is to nurture a deeper cooperation among the leadership of the global industry to work together to accelerate the development of the African gaming and lottery markets. How is ALA currently supporting the development of the African gaming markets? Younes El Mechrafi: The basis for all progress is working together to achieve mutually desired goals. We need to cooperate and collaborate to clarify those goals and forge the alignment of purpose and process to achieve those goals. And we need everyone, all stakeholders and all of us working in this industry, to be informed and to understand the issues and acquire “This represents an incredible opportunity for the African marketplaces to expedite modernization, given the vision and technology partners to make it happen.” Digital Partner for Lotteries www.bedegaming.com Shortlisted! EGR B2B Lottery Supplier of the Year
16 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MAY/JUNE 2022 a thoughtful approach towards pursuing the success strategies that will serve society and the good causes that depend on lottery funding. More specifically, the ALA can serve that end by working with the WLA to provide an educational agenda geared towards the specific needs of our African constituents. That would include webinars and in-person conferences and seminars. Those would include at least French translation for ALA members, world class experts from outside of Africa, and the younger generation of management as well as the leadership of African operators. We need a leadership vision that is informed by the insights and wisdom of the global community of leaders and technology partners. That is how we will unlock the full potential of the African markets for the benefit of society and stakeholders in government gaming. ALA and MDJS (as the member holding the role Secretariat) are dedicated to doing whatever we can to support progress in Africa, and to build a stronger network of communication and dialogue between and among the ALA and its members, along with the international community of industry leaders. Further to that end, MDJS wants to invite everyone to work together to forge a new way forward. MDJS is working to engender a deeply collaborative relationship between the ALA, the WLA and GLMS, and other sport related organizations. How do you envision the Moroccan market evolving over the next years? Younes El Mechrafi: MDJS, just like Morocco itself, occupies a place that connects Europe and Africa, and endeavors to leverage that role to help in whatever ways we can to smooth the pathway for technological progress in Africa. First of all, there is the new business approach we have set up at MDJS. The last 10 years have seen an incredible growth of the gambling industry in Morocco, led by the sports betting market rise. Besides the organic growth of sports betting (18% per year) the Moroccan gambling market shows a lot of potential evolution factors: The evolution of online gaming: Online gaming represents only a very low share of the overall lotteries' revenue today. But the very fast digital transformation the country is facing shows that the Moroccans have a very high appetite for the digital. With the rise of new, bank less, payment methods (e-wallets, mobile payment, vouchers) the opportunities of an online gaming growth are real. The low payouts: The overall payouts in the local lotteries are still quite low compared to the worldwide benchmarks. It means that there is a big market growing potential by strategically rising those payouts and still staying in the responsible gaming standards. Addressing new targets: By developing an offer and communication more appealing to a new kind of target such as women and others social classes, with the promotion of leisure (and responsible) gaming there is a big market growing potential for the lotteries in Morocco Diversify the offer: The overall gaming offer in Morocco is quite simple compared to what is available worldwide. And the development of new games and new ways to enjoy lottery games offers a big room of growth for the market. There are plenty of things to establish in Morocco like scratch tickets, more betting options, more virtual gaming. e-sports betting etc. Second, there is the Macolin Convention. Morocco is the first African country who signed this very important international Treaty to fight match fixing and promote integrity in sport. MDJS, as observer member, cooperates with the Copenhagen group in monitoring big international sport events. Together with ALA & GLMS, MDJS will encourage other African countries to join. MDJS is strongly committed to actively participating in the different lottery fora and organizations. MDJS staff is participating in a wide range of seminars and educational programs, while I myself assume responsibilities in the Executive Committees of both the WLA and GLMS. MDJS has fulfilled the highest standards of responsible gaming and operational excellence for many years. And you hold influential positions in international associations. This would seem to represent an opportunity for leadership in the development of the ALA. Younes El Mechrafi: MDJS does aspire to leverage its historically unique role as the bridge between Africa and the international lottery community for the benefit of ALA members and the technology partners so key to our success going forward. MDJS has been in the market for 60 years. MDJS understands the nature of operational challenges and how to assess and optimize the competences and strengths of its suppliers/ providers/managers. MDJS has signed several partnership agreements with African lotteries. The objective is to create a framework for the exchange of experiences and expertise in the respective fields of activity, to work on projects of common interest and to strengthen existing relationships between the institutions, with a view to increasing the necessary funds that they collect. MDJS has accompanied some lotteries in their certification projects in the field of security and responsible gambling. Your RFP is attempting to address the concern that vendors/technology partners have long expressed about contracts that are so cost-centered and restricted that they impede innovation and inhibit investment in initiatives that are key to driving success in the future. Younes El Mechrafi: Yes, exactly. The new RFP is indeed completely different from the previous RFP’s of MDJS but also from the RFP’s launched in the past jointly with our Moroccan colleague, SGLN. The RFP has been drafted with the support of international and Moroccan experts. Also the evaluation team will be comprised “MDJS wants to work with its partners to unlock the investment and resources that enable progress and innovation.”
17 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MAY/JUNE 2022 of a combination of very experienced MDJS team members and various top experts who will collaborate to provide an objective marking. We learned a lot from previous RFPS and also from the COVID pandemic. The new RFP is fundamentally different from the previous RFPs. It includes: 1. WLA standards based on the knowledge of, and in fact drafted by, international experts in this field 2. More open to innovation. That requires a contractual platform that allows suppliers to implement new solutions during the contract. The RFP promotes a dynamic and business-driven approach that is highly responsible according to the WLA and EL RG and CSR standards 3. Experience and a successful trackrecord are highly valued. But this RFP also opens the door for young, innovative companies to be a part of the process and contribute to the success of MDJS The process enables us to listen to potential partners regarding issues that have emerged too recently to provide “best-practices” templates. For instance, the pandemic has accelerated trends and ushered in completely new factors and market-place dynamics. What are the new solutions that enable gaming operators to effectively adapt and succeed to this new world order? It is our hope that our approach to this RFP will constitute a new model that will be helpful to other members of the ALA and WLA members. So I understand that you are looking to remove the barriers to entry to select the best operator(s). How does this translate into your tender? Several criteria have been relaxed to have maximum competition and remove barriers to entry, among them: Financial capacity criteria and length of history of activity of bidders revised downwards and Join-venture: For instance, while we still want experienced operators, the number of years of experience required has been reduced from ten down to five, and experience in three jurisdictions instead of more. Additionally, we encourage operators to enter into jointventure constructions to allow the entry of new, younger suppliers bringing innovative solutions. This joint-venture (JV) approach is something we really advocate for. We accept that partners within the JV pool their references and experiences to meet the selection criteria set in the RfP. MDJS strongly believes in joint collaborations to bid for the project. It is our intention to consider such joint ventures to operate and promote MDJS games in Morocco market. We hope that this progressive approach will create confidence and trust from the players and recognition from the international market. At the same time such partnerships will take advantage of joint experience and know-how of Operators in different product areas and different markets for the benefit of Moroccan players and good causes. We hope that this approach may even serve as an example for others to learn from, and for us in turn to learn from others going forward. Automated Campaign Management Omni-Channel Lottery Tools Real Time Data & Extensive APIs Lottery • Casino Sports • Bingo Poker Personalized Experience for Retail Web & Mobile Digital Partner for Lotteries www.bedegaming.com Management 360o Player Account Continued on page 22
18 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MAY/JUNE 2022 Iwant to share with you the wonderful story of the historymaking Christmas Lottery, whose first draw was held in Cádiz in southern Spain in 1812. Over these last 210 years, the Christmas Lottery has come to represent much more than an exciting draw game. It has become a tradition that is a part of Spanish society and culture, an event that we associate with the special moments and historical events of our lives. For this reason, we say that the Christmas Lottery belongs to the Spanish society. So, let’s please try CHRISTMAS LOTTERY DRAW: A STORY OF MAGIC AND HUMAN VALUES PGRI INTRODUCTION: I would like to thank María Núñez from SELAE for turning her wonderful presentation into a wonderful article that we can share with our readers. Ms. Núñez’ presentation was part of the EL/WLA Marketing Video-Seminar on February 2 and 3 of this year. Visit websites european-lotteries.org and world-lotteries.org to see the educational seminars, informational resources, and services offered by the European Lotteries (EL) and the World Lottery Association (WLA). Visit european-lotteries.org to view Ms. Núñez’ presentation. That is highly recommended as the TV commercials provide a special insight into the true meaning of the Spanish Christmas Lottery. María’s presentation followed Ray Bates’ whirlwind exposition celebrating the last twenty years of lottery marketing, with a serious look at the underlying changes to the way brands are connecting with their audience. Probably more casual than planned as an introduction to Ms. Núñez’ presentation, Ray used some TV commercials of the Spanish Christmas Lottery to illustrate the shift from feature/ benefit advertising towards human values and emotion-based communication – and how to capture the hearts and minds of a world in search of meaning and purpose. And what could be more representative of that shift than the Spanish Christmas Lottery. After all, it’s not just a draw game – it is truly a social phenomenon. It’s an extraordinary story about an extraordinary brand. And Ms. Núñez tells it beautifully. The Spanish Christmas Lottery (officially Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad or popularly known as Lotería de Navidad) is the most special draw of the Lotería Nacional, the weekly national lottery run by Spain’s state-owned Loterías y Apuestas del Estado (SELAE). The special Christmas draw takes place every December 22 and it is the biggest and most popular draw game of the year. Lotería Nacional, with its first draw held on 4 March 1812, is the second-longest continuously running lottery in the world. Though other national lotteries have bigger individual top prizes, Spain's "El Gordo" is ranked as the world's richest lottery in total prize money. The literal meaning of El Gordo is “The Fat” or “The Fat One,” which is the Spanish shortcut for saying first prize. María Núñez, Journalist, Press & Communications Secretary, SELAE (Spanish Lottery) https://www.loteriasyapuestas.es/en View Video of TV Commercial at: https://youtu.be/8UVPu139mr0
19 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MAY/JUNE 2022 to bring back the Christmas spirit for the next fifteen minutes. Think and feel, right now, the spirit of emotional connection, of community, of sharing and love that the Christmas spirit evokes and that will help us understand the special role that the Christmas Lottery holds for the people of Spain. What makes the Christmas Lottery unique in the world is that it is all about SHARING. El Gordo is like no other lottery in the world because people play the Christmas Lottery for the very purpose of joining together in the shared experience of giving, receiving, and expressing friendship, love, and caring for one another. Insofar as you may not be viewing my video presentation, you may want to watch “Spanish Christmas lottery commercials” on YouTube to see how the commercials connect us with the spirit of giving, of sharing, of doing our part to spread happiness and love. For the last 20 years, the commercials all tell a story, creating dream-worlds that spark the imagination, that inspire us to have faith that the impossible may become possible, that cause our hearts to open and feel the joy of others. The commercials also change with the times, telling a story that lifts us up from the troubles of the world to embrace hope, optimism, and the joy of giving. The Christmas Lottery is not intended to be played on your own, or even with the goal of winning a big prize. It is meant to be enjoyed with others, to be shared with friends, loved ones, extended family, workmates – as a community who looks out for and cares for each other. Many of the tickets are simply gifted to friends and loved ones. Last year, Christmas Lottery sales hit a record, reaching more than € 3 billion for the first time ever. The top prize of € 400,000 was paid out 1,720 times. A Newsweek Magazine article (27/08/2021) explains “A true Spanish success story, the lottery’s history is deeply intertwined with society. It has evolved over the centuries, launching the National Lottery in 1812 with the signing of Spain’s constitution, and introducing the Extraordinary Christmas draw that year.” By tradition, children of San Ildefonso school sing the lottery results every year in a ceremony that has kept its traditions and unique liturgy since 1812. The essence of El Gordo Christmas Lottery is TRADITION. In Spain, we think of the Christmas season as officially starting when the ‘El Gordo’ ad is released. And, even more important, Christmas officially starts when the children of San Ildefonso sing the lottery results, as they have every year in a ceremony that preserves bicentennial elements. . The mission of the Christmas Lottery has been integrated into the culture of Spanish society. Probably, the biggest success of an institution is achieved when the society you belong to integrates your company into its culture. There are many examples of that in the Spanish public lottery company, whose profits go back to society. That mission is deeply founded on the human values that bring us together in a spirit of kindness, of giving and sharing. The Christmas Lottery draw is a joint celebration, the nation-wide anticipation of the draw reminding all of us about the things that matter most. On December 22 of every year for the last 210 years, Spanish society attention is bound to an event that celebrates the human values of equality, solidarity, and generosity. It is the lottery than brings us together. We invite all of you to celebrate and share with us! n View Video of TV Commercial at: https://youtu.be/tY3vQTrCn7I View Video of TV Commercial at: https://youtu.be/HdR7xVLFm7M View Video of TV Commercial at: https://youtu.be/btbcJW2t6pM
20 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MAY/JUNE 2022 POWERBALL® celebrated its 30th anniversary this past spring! Ticket sales began on April 19, 1992 for the game’s first drawing held on April 22, 1992. Over the past three decades, Powerball has produced some of the biggest jackpots in lottery history and generated more than $27 billion for good causes supported by U.S. lotteries. To mark the 30-year milestone, MUSL wanted to pay tribute to the lotteries and players who have joined Powerball on its journey and transformed America’s Game into the worldrenowned powerhouse it is today. MUSL Director of Draws and Production Sue Dooley loads the machines for the Powerball drawing held on her wedding day, May 8, 1993. South Carolina launched Powerball in 2002 with a “PowerBug” contest. A red VW bug filled with red and white ping pong balls toured the state. The person who guessed closest to the correct number of balls won the car. There were 17,166 ping pong balls inside, the winner missed by only six balls. Powerball Instant Millionaire was one of two Powerball-based game shows that featured lottery players in the early 2000’s. In October 2005, the West and Chaney families of Southern Oregon won what was then, the largest jackpot ever won - $340 million! Members of both families attended a press event at Oregon Lottery offices in Salem. “Don’t belittle Powerball … it’s always big!” A Minnesota Lottery campaign launched in 2002 reminded players that the jackpot is always big. A group of eight coworkers at the ConAgra Foods ham and corned beef plant in Lincoln, Nebraska won a record $365 million jackpot in the Feb. 18, 2006 Powerball drawing. Former New Hampshire Lottery Executive Director Rick Wisler stands out the retailer that sold the jackpot-winning ticket from May 15, 2002 Powerball drawing. The North Carolina Education Lottery launches a hot air balloon over the Raleigh claim center to commemorate the start of Powerball sales in the state on May 30, 2006. Kentucky’s first Powerball winner Brenda Knopp smiles for the camera after winning a $64.2 million jackpot in the April 20, 1994 drawing. A group of co-workers became the South Dakota Lottery’s first Powerball jackpot winners in February 2003. The Watertown 34 split the $101.8 million jackpot with an Indiana player, taking the $27.4 million cash option for their half of the jackpot. Louisiana joined Powerball in 1995. To mark the occasion, the Lottery sponsored the longest parade called "As Big As It Gets." The Powerball float visited 55 cities and towns and travelled over 1,500 miles making it the world's longest parade. Long-time draw show host Mike Pace on the set of the Powerball drawing in 2005. At the time, the Power Play multiplier was selected by a wheel during the broadcast. MUSLNEWS MULTI -STATE LOTTERY ASSOCIATION POWERBALL 30 YEARS IN 30 SNAPSHOTS 1. 7. 2. 8. 3. 9. 4. 10. 5. 11. 6. 12.
21 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MAY/JUNE 2022 Nothing says Wisconsin Lottery like 100 cheese factory workers winning a $208 million Powerball jackpot in August 2006. The winning ticket was sold in the city of Fond du Lac along the so-called "Miracle Mile," a stretch of South Main Street earning the name after several stores sold multimillion-dollar tickets during the 1990s. The group called themselves the 100 Miracles. The Missouri Lottery decked out a “Money Truck” for events throughout the state to showcase the new $40 million starting jackpot in 2012. Tennessee Education Lottery President and CEO Rebecca Paul retrofits a Powerball billboard ahead of the Jan. 13, 2016 Powerball drawing. As Powerball Product Group Chair, Texas Lottery Executive Director Gary Grief conducts an interview with CNN New Day on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016, the morning after the world record $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot was hit. Former Arizona Lottery Executive Director Jeff Hatch-Miller announces a ticket in Arizona wins half of the $587.5 million jackpot in the Nov. 28, 2012 drawing, splitting the grand prize with a ticket in Missouri. Texas Lottery jackpot billboards across the state max out at $999 million as the Powerball jackpot crossed the $1 billion threshold in January 2016. Former Florida Lottery Secretary Tom Delacenserie presents the trustee of The Nickel 95 Trust with a check for 1/3 share of the world record $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot.offices in Salem. “I realize this is a life-changing moment,” Lerynne West said as she claimed her prize at Iowa Lottery headquarters. West’s ticket split a $687.8 million jackpot in the Oct. 27, 2018 drawing with a ticket purchased in New York City. Blaine from Maine becomes the inaugural Powerball First Millionaire of the Year on New Year's Day 2020. The $1 million drawing was broadcast live on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest shortly after the ball dropped in Times Square. A giant Powerball display was hung above a United plane that served as the player entrance for the 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Hoosier Lottery Executive Director Sarah Taylor presents a celebratory check for a $435.3 million jackpot won in the Feb. 22, 2017 drawing. The grand prize was the 39th Powerball jackpot won in the Hoosier State. Missouri Lottery Executive Director May Scheve Reardon visits with members of the media at Gateway Newstands in St. Louis, where a $202.6 million jackpotwinning ticket was sold for the Nov. 8, 2014 Powerball drawing. Mavis Wanczyk of Massachusetts was the sole winner of a $758.7 million Powerball jackpot in August 2017. At the time, it was the largest jackpot won by a single ticket in U.S. lottery history. “A family member gave me the numbers over twenty-five years ago and I faithfully play them,” said Robert Bailey, of New York City, who purchased the other jackpotwinning ticket in the Oct. 27, 2018 drawing. Louisiana Lottery Corp President & CEO Rose Hudson marches around downtown Baton Rouge in a Powerball suit after the Lottery hits its United Way contribution goal in 2008. A long line forms at a Top Stop in Malad, Idaho ahead of the Jan. 13, 2016 drawing for the world record Powerball jackpot. Nine family members and friends from Roswell, New Mexico won $206.9 million playing Powerball in 2008. This was the fifth, and largest, Powerball jackpot prize won in New Mexico. The Powerball jackpot climbs to $1.586 billion for the Jan. 13, 2016 drawing, setting a new world record for largest jackpot. The grand prize was split by three winning tickets in California, Florida and Tennessee. 13. 16. 21. 24. 14. 22. 15. 23. 17. 20. 25. 28. 30. 18. 26. 19. 27. 29.
22 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MAY/JUNE 2022 Separation into two lots: We also split the RFP into two lots: sport betting (still our core business) and lotteries to grant more operators the opportunity to enter our market. JVs can share the references required to participate on an aggregate manner and can also share the risks of a new business that they may be asked to operate. JV's can be formatted to support lot 1 or lot 2 (i.e. sports betting or lottery), or jointly lot 1 and 2, in order to take advantage of synergies. We expect internal corporate structure of such special purpose vehicles to be fair and transparent, and shared responsibilities to be clearly articulated. No minimum investment amount: We are not setting in advance any obligations on minimum investment and/or specific budgets. We leave it to the candidates to include their reasoning in their business and technology proposal. More f lexible penalty system: The penalty for late receipt of the system is equivalent to the loss of revenue of the MDJS (1 day of gross gaming revenue), and 3 times less than the one foreseen in 2020 No requirement for the deployment of conventional equipment, and encouragement of innovative solutions, especially for lottery lot. The technology proposal can be cloudbased and make use of tablets as long as normal security standards applicable to our sector are respected. To that end, we are allowing more flexibility to set the pay-out ratio. The functionality and performance of MDJS systems and terminals meets the highest standards and we want our customers to always receive the best-ofbreed services, as well as enjoy a wide selection of channels to participate in our games. We have worked hard to integrate into this RFP Tender an understanding of and respect for the concerns of technology partners. And we have tried to remove the obstacles to ongoing innovation. We recognize that it is in our common interest to explore the wide variety of solutions to deliver the best service to our players, and to minimize system failures and maximize efficiency and effectiveness – and so we are open-minded to the variety of approaches that our bidders might propose. We invite everyone who is interested in our approach and to the building of a successful future with MDJS to join us in our effort and co-construct a mutually agreeable contract. Participating in our new RFP with an open and positive mind-set, looking not only at the hurdles of working within a governmentally imposed regulatory structure, but willing to engage in a constructive dialogue with MDJS to find appropriate solutions and create a new, post-pandemic, future for all. Finally, well performing operators can benefit from a 2-year extension. Could you elaborate on the mechanisms that allow investment in innovation and technical solutions that are unknown at the time the contract is executed. Younes El Mechrafi: Today the evolution in technology and variance in games is so rapid that lottery organisations need to adopt flexible platforms ready to accommodate new games from new studios, new game technologies, and new functionalities relating to customer penetration, POS Marketing, CRM, retailer reports, etc. We are enlisting the input from bidders on how to craft platforms that enable us to integrate new games or adopt new technologies. We want to work with bidders to identify parameters in terms of time and material, as well as to be proposed with methodology/processes to accommodate such technologies. MDJS wants to work with its partners to unlock the investment and resources that enable progress and innovation, all within the context of RG and according to the WLA standards. A few more specifics on this MDJS RFP, please … Younes El Mechrafi: The process is also very different, much more open than RFP’s in our industry have historically been. Submissions are accepted in English and French. We established an electronic-rich data room where recourse to answers to all questions and lots of other information is made available. We are also establishing with the selected operator “a gaming observatory” enabling us to implement new technologies during the contractual term. You mentioned the ongoing impact of Covid and the transition period. How do you address this matter? Younes El Mechrafi: We are aware that the disruptions of the pandemic may create complications during the transition period. We installed a “transition committee” to assist the selected operator(s) with finding the necessary local partners and facilitating the cooperation. We are prepared to work with our new partners to overcome issues that may not have even existed two years ago. We were ready to launch the RFP earlier last year but elections in the country obliged us respectfully to wait for a new government. Everyone involved in the lottery sector understands this as we have seen this happen in other jurisdictions. In the meantime we have been able to review our RFP schedule. The deadline for submission of bids is now 31 May 2022 (instead of 4 April 2022), while the commencement date of the operations is scheduled for 1st January 2024 (instead of 1st January 2023). This extension of time is in line with the MDJS' constant willingness to establish a trustworthy and sustainable partnership with the global community of operators and technology providers. We are really looking to establishing a trustworthy and sustainable partnership with the vendor community and invite them to look at our RFP with an open mind and positive attitude. Dialogue between lotteries and vendors is of crucial importance for me. n Modernizing the RFP and Process of Forging Productive Partnerships continued from page 17
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