16 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 ILLINOIS LOTTERY CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY This year, the Illinois Lottery celebrated its 50th anniversary with a months-long promotion from May to October. An integrated campaign across product, marketing, retail, digital, PR and public affairs turned the Lottery’s 50th anniversary into a huge opportunity to celebrate with players, retailers, good cause beneficiaries, and stakeholders who have contributed to the Lottery’s success over the years. Activity included a dedicated family of Instant Tickets themed ‘Celebration’ in recognition of the Lottery’s golden anniversary. Players had even more chances to win with a second-chance draw on all Celebration tickets, a series of sweepstakes and promotions, and a prize truck tour of 50 retail outlets across the State. The culmination of these celebrations for players was marked by a PR activation, which saw a giant disco ball installed in the middle of downtown Chicago! The Lottery created a larger-than-life activation that ‘threw it back to 1974’ with a disco theme to celebrate with players. This included a draw ball machine, Instant Ticket prizes, retro-themed Lottery merchandise, and a DJ. Illinois Lottery Director, Harold Mays commented, “The Lottery has been a part of the Land of Lincoln and its culture for 50 years, spanning six decades, and heading into its fourth generation of Illinoisians. Whether or not residents play the lottery, chances are they have been positively impacted, directly or indirectly, through the money raised for education and special causes - making all of Illinois winners!” At the start of October, the Illinois Lottery hosted a 50th Anniversary Reception with retail partners, specialty cause recipients, partners and vendors, State government representations, Illinois General Assembly members and many more partners and guests, including World Lottery Association President and former director of Illinois Lottery Rebecca Paul. It was a fun-filled reception to reflect on the Lottery’s past, celebrate recent performance, and was the Lottery’s way of saying Thank You to some of the people who helped make the Lottery what it is today. Here’s to the next 50! n Pictured: NASPL President and Director of the Illinois Lottery Harold Mays and WLA President Rebecca Paul (who was Illinois Lottery Director from 1985-1987) The Illinois Department of the Lottery and Allwyn teams with the giant disco ball.
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