14 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 The term of the moment in the lottery world is “omnichannel.” For many people, this means using all the content tools available to attract and retain new players. For Gretchen Corbin, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Georgia Lottery, an omni-channel approach is critical, but it includes so much more than just games. “Is it enough to attract and retain players by just offering new games?” Gretchen asked. “Perhaps not. Having great games is the cornerstone to Lottery’s success, but we need to use all the tools available to us to engage the consumer. The omni-channel model is a critical component. That means optimizing the reach and effectiveness of all consumer touchpoints as well as your online and retail approaches. How do we cut through the noise of our competitors and reach our players? What about younger people who are so critical to lottery’s future and who might not fit into our traditional sales models and distribution and media channels? We need to make sure we provide the tools for lottery employees and retailers to create the content, in-store presence, and delivery channels that will ensure our success in the short and long-term.” Helping Gretchen tackle this important topic was a panel of industry veterans: Jessica Fritz, Senior Manager, Digital Growth Marketing, Scientific Games Ryan Mindell, Deputy Executive Director, Texas Lottery Brian Rockey, Executive Director, Nebraska Lottery Jennifer Westbury, Executive Vice President, Sales & Customer Development, Pollard Banknote Andrea Williams, Vice President, Marketing, INTRALOT Scientific Games’ Jessica Fritz emphasized that player acquisition and retention should begin with a strong digital plan. “Even without iLottery, lotteries need to put resources behind building a digital profile for their players,” she said. “The most successful iLottery programs began with a strong online presence years before lotteries were able to sell online. Digital programs can start with players simply scanning their mobile to check if tickets are winners, loyalty programs or second chance activity. As you begin to move your players online or attract new players through online initiatives, even if they can’t purchase games online yet, you are now building that connection with the player who will play your games and remain more engaged than non-digital players. Access to data about your players will inform the way you make decisions and the way you communicate directly with them which, in the end, will create a stronger relationship with your player base.” Intralot’s Andrea Williams said lotteries should focus on how their technology can attract and retain players. “We can look at player acquisition from a market perspective but it is critical that lotteries have modern technology in place so players can easily purchase products or communicate with other players,” she said. “Our systems must be nimble and easy to implement and quickly respond to players’ changing needs. A strong marketing plan is really important but it must be married to the technology side of the business for a collaborative approach to solving player needs.” Looking at how other businesses interface with customers can provide good lessons for lottery, said Pollard’s Jennifer Westbury. “I think the lottery industry should be thinking of our customers the way the banking industry thinks about its customers,” she said. “With a bank, if you withdraw money from an ATM, your account immediately reflects that transaction. Or if you go into a bank and deposit money with a teller, when you get home and log into your online account, you see that deposit. Lottery should be thinking about how we get to that model. We need one portal where players can see all their activity. Obviously as you look at it jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction, there are some limitations. But the future of the player relationship is in knowing who those players are, what they are playing now and what they want to play in the future.” Speaking as a lottery director, Nebraska’s Brian Rockey said the road to technological advancement is different for each lottery, but all lotteries are working to modernize their systems. “Some lotteries, particularly smaller lotteries like ours, P A N E L D I S C U S S I O N Following is an executive summary of a one-hour panel discussion held at the PGRI Lottery Expo Conference in Nashville New Player Acquisition and Player Retention in an Increasingly Competitive Games-Of-Chance Marketplace
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