36 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 At the PGRI Lottery Expo held in Nashville in September, NeoGames’ Rob Wesley, VP North American Customer Development and Chris Shaban, EVP Global Business & Customer Development, delivered an important message on the fundamental elements needed to ensure a comprehensive iLottery solution. They also shared their key insights on what makes an iLottery program successful. The growth of iLottery is moving rapidly, with big expansion taking place across the U.S. To give just one example of this, within three years of launching a full iLottery offering, Virginia is now seeing more than half of topline sales and more than 25% of net gaming revenue (NGR) coming from iLottery. In addition to Virginia, there are numerous success stories across North America. As a result, many states are considering how best to embrace iLottery, capitalizing on the proven increased engagement both in retail and online, and recognizing the positive impact to their communities. Given that the mission is to raise money for good causes, lotteries are realizing that iLottery is becoming a key to achieving that. The iLottery program in Michigan for example, has been particularly successful, with more than $1 billion given back to the State Education Fund since it was launched nine years ago. It goes without saying that each state is different. There are differences in regulatory frameworks and often large differences in internal structures and culture. Couple those considerations with many other nuances, and there is not one set solution for every single lottery. It also comes as no surprise that establishing and operating a digital lottery offering greatly differs from its retail counterpart. The technology is different, the skillsets and expertise needed are different, the mindset is different. Despite these stark differences, both channels share the same goal - to support lotteries in their efforts to maximize returns to good causes. Getting the fundamentals right An iLottery solution relies on many core elements. One of the most important aspects is a high-performing technology suite, which covers the overall system to ensure the operations run smoothly. The iLottery solutions also require integrated marketing technology that includes a single-player view database and a CRM system that provides real-time, automated capabilities to maximize player acquisition and retention. Having the right technology is imperative, but just as important is employing digitally-minded people committed to ensuring the technology performs to the highest of standards. These individuals should have the skillset to understand the nuances of an online platform but also how these differ from a retail lottery offering. Online brings speed, agility, and the need for instantaneous decision making. Therefore, it’s critical for the culture of the organization to embrace how fast-paced an iLottery operation needs to be to maximize results. There are unquestionably many considerations before launching an iLottery wagering solution, but ultimately placing the player at the heart of every decision is a must. As we have seen from the dozen states that now accept online lottery wagers, it takes a lot of time, money, and effort to acquire a player, and it only takes one bad experience to lose them. We have learned that every touch point for the player must create a positive experience. This includes registration, “know your customer” (KYC) checks, banking, claiming prizes, and making withdrawals. Each of these interactions needs to be as frictionless as possible. Real-time marketing Leveraging technology and real-time capabilities are a must when it comes to player marketing. Sophisticated systems allow us to fully maximize automated segmentation and customer journeys, as well as provide relevant and personalized messaging based on where that player is in their journey. For lotteries that do not have an iLottery platform, conducting periodic segmentation research is the typical process in defining player groups with a goal of Unleashing Your True iLottery Potential
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