www.PublicGaming.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 The New Mexico Lottery won the NASPL Best New Instant Game for the third year in a row. How do they do it? Walking the Talk: Investing in Sustainability Romana Girandon, EL President and Chief Executive Officer of Loterija Slovenije David Barden President & CEO, The New Mexico Lottery Also Featuring …
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4 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 Publisher & Chief Executive Officer Paul Jason pjason@publicgaming.com President Susan Jason sjason@publicgaming.com Brand and Design Dan Eggers Design 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 November/December 2024 Volume 53, Issue 6 ©2023 all rights reserved. Public Gaming Research Institute cISSN: 1042-1912 10 HOW DO THEY DO IT? NEW MEXICO LOTTERY WINS THE NASPL BEST NEW INSTANT GAME AWARD FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW David Barden Chief Executive Officer, New Mexico Lottery 12 WALKING THE TALK: INVESTING IN SUSTAINABILITY Romana Girandon President of European Lotteries Association (EL), and Chief Executive Officer of Loterija Slovenije CONTENTS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 FEATURED INTERVIEWS 16 THE ILLINOIS LOTTERY CELEBRATES IT’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY 18 SEVEN NEW EINSTANT GAMES TO ENGAGE YOUR PLAYERS Scientific Games 20 THE EUROPEAN LOTTERIES: AHEAD OF THE GAME WITH GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTION PROGRAMME FEATURED ARTICLES GAME OF THRONES Are you ready to rule the realm? Match three or more iconic symbols for epic wins. Unleash the power in the MOTHER OF DRAGONS bonus game—choose an egg and reveal your fate. Plus, watch your winnings soar with the Golden Crown, multiplying your rewards up to 10x. Claim the Iron Throne today! MONOPOLY Property Payout It’s the No. 1 brand in lottery! Connect properties, land dice symbols to move around the board and chase a progressive jackpot. Multiply your wins up to 10x with COMMUNITY CHEST and unlock bonus games with GO, ELECTRIC COMPANY, WATER WORKS or FREE PARKING. CHANCE spaces move you forward or back for more winning opportunities! Winter Whirl Win Hit the slopes and spin to win! Match the reels, score Ski Bum Bucks for instant Wild Double Crossword Embark on a wild rainforest adventure with your favorite crossword game! Play two exciting games in one, navigating through lush green canopies and hidden treasures. With extended gameplay and bonus letters that unlock instant wins, every play brings you closer to the ultimate jungle prize! Fortune Teller Step into the mystical world of the Fortune Teller! Simple and fun, this game will let fate decide your prize. Let the Fortune Teller’s magic reveal what destiny holds for you! Hot Chilli Cash Twist Turn up the heat! Connect four symbols in any direction to ignite your wins. Fill the Bonus Meter for a ery spin to triple your prizes by matching colors! Miss a match? No worries, second-chance play brings the heat right back! Ho-Ho-Who Dunnit Santa Claus came early with this connect-style game! Land on Santa’s List for an instant win. Find three unwrapped gifts to unlock the exciting ‘Who Dunnit’ Bonus Game and uncover a host of festive fun! Looking to pack some punch in your iLottery portfolio? Explore seven new high-performance eInstant games from SG Studios, each with entertaining themes, instant wins, multipliers and bonus play—all from the power of your players’ mobile devices. Seven New eInstant Games to Engage Your Players Scan here to demo these eInstants and other winning games from SG Studios
6 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 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. FEATURED ARTICLES CONTINUED 8 FROM THE PUBLISHER Paul Jason 14 GAMING AND LOTTERY PREDICTIONS FOR 2025, (WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM NEIL YOUNG LYRICS AND SONGS) Simon Jaworski, Founder & CEO, Lotto Research 48 PULSE OF THE INDUSTRY: Synopsis of recent gaming industry news DEPARTMENTS 22 ANIMAL INSTINCT: MAKING NEXT-LEVEL EINSTANTS A ROARING SUCCESS IGT 24 PHOTO COLLAGE OF THE PGRI HALL OF FAME CEREMONY AT THE WORLD LOTTERY SUMMIT PARIS 26 TURNING LVM’S INTO MVP’S, PART 3: INTRODUCING NEW ANALYTICS TOOLS TO SUPPORT VENDING OPTIMIZATION ─ PLUS, THE CASE FOR CASHLESS IGT LOTTO LOTTO LOTTO LOTTO LOTTO LOTTO LOTTO SCRATCH AND WIN 4 6 1 4 4 3 3 3 4 2 6 6 1 3 3 2 2 2 ROLL ROLL ROLL ROLL ROLL ROLL ROLL ROLL ROLL ROLL ROLL ROLL 4 5 1 5 3 5 , , THE POSSIBILITIES ARE INFINITY 30 HALO: BOOSTING RETAIL VISIBILITY TO ILLUMINATE LOTTERY SALES Pollard Banknote 32 FULL STEAM AHEAD: IGT EXPANDS ITS FLAGSHIP AFTER SCHOOL ADVANTAGE PROGRAM 34 PHOTO COLLAGE OF THE NASPL (NORTH AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE AND PROVINCIAL LOTTERIES) ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN KANSAS CITY 39 HOW THEY DID IT: NEW MEXICO LOTTERY WINS NASPL BEST NEW INSTANT TICKET GAME AWARD FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW SCRATCHER “Serving up Fun since 1996” Guy Fieri Flavortown Fortune! Food has a place in everyone’s life. After all, everybody’s got to eat. New Mexico is no stranger to food favorites. For years the New Mexico Lottery has featured chiles on Lottery games, a beloved staple here in New Mexico. We even have an official state question about the chile: “Red or Green?” Meanwhile, cooking shows, baking shows, eating shows, and diner themes abound in the video-content stratosphere. One such popular foodie, Guy Fieri, has visited New Mexico numerous times to feature favorite places and beloved meals. This licensed property was so yummy we thought our players would think it was irresistible! Best New Instant Game 18 42
Scienti cGames.com © 2024 Scienti c Games. All rights reserved. Science Inside THIS IS THE No other lottery technology partner has more worldwide conversion experience or success. Since 2016, lotteries have trusted us to complete ~40 systems implementations and conversions, including 10 from legacy suppliers with two more underway. Our expertise and collaborative approach ensure a seamless transition for lotteries, retailers and players. It’s why Scienti c Games is the industry’s trusted choice for lottery systems. Systems Implementations and Conversions Since 2016
8 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 From the Publisher Congratulations to Andreas Kötter, CEO of WestLotto, Germany for his recent election to President of the World Lottery Association! The World Lottery Summit Paris (October 21 to 25) was the most excellent adventure it was cracked up to be: the biggest WLS ever, held in the most splendid City of Lights, featuring worldclass speakers from within and outside of the lottery industry, hosting the fabulous trade-show of technology partners, with countless side-bar meetings of global lottery leaders. And kudos to La Française des Jeux (FDJ) for hosting this event. We all knew the French would set the highest standards for all social functions and business venues, and they sure did deliver. Visit world-lotteries.org for complete info on the bi-annual WLS (to be held in Sydney Australia in 2026), as well as the other seminars and services offered by the World Lottery Association. We’ve allocated a lot of pages in this issue to the unique story of how the New Mexico Lottery won the NASPL Best New Instant Game of the Year Award for the third year in a row. This tremendous accomplishment was driven not by advertising agencies, but by the NM Lottery’s own small in-house team of resourceful, creating, and talented lottery pros. Check it out as it would seem to reveal a treasure trove of untapped value right under our own roof. Feature interview NM Lottery Director David Barden also provides the glimpse into how it all came together. The EL (European Lotteries Association) continues to carve out a more expansive mission for lotteries. Service to society can mean more than generating funds for good causes by providing recreational games in a responsible manner. Corporate and governmental enterprises occupy centerstage for their capacity to effect positive change on a wide range of goals to secure a healthy and prosperous future for everyone. Our world needs visionary leadership now more than ever. EL is challenging all of us to think bigger and apply our resources, ingenuity, and action to sustain the world for the many generations that follow us. Feature interview EL President Romana Girandon clarifies how this grand vision of service to society complements our mandate to serve our jurisdictional stakeholders and players. Let’s embrace this more ambitious vision for the benefit not just of society but to meet the needs of the next generation of industry leaders for meaning and purpose in their quest to make a real difference. Congratulations to the Illinois Lottery for its 50th anniversary! What a happy coincidence it is that Harold Mays serves not only as the director of the Illinois Lottery but also the president of NASPL. This promises to be a very busy year for Director Mays and a productive year for the IL Lottery and NASPL members. Thank you to our most valued editorial partners! Scientific Games, IGT, and Pollard Banknote generously share their research, data, and vision for how the industry is evolving and what Team Lottery can do to position itself for success going forward. Technology partners and industry leaders INTRALOT, Aristocrat Interactive, GLI, Abacus Lottery Everywhere, MDJS Morrocco, Carmanah Signs, Inspired Entertainment, Pro-Lite, Fennica Gaming, IWG are so valued for the technology, business-process solutions, and operational leadership that make this industry the fabulous success that it is. Thank you to all of you for sharing your vision with our readers! Simon Jaworski is our regular contributor who we like to think of as our own in-house lottery research guru. Thank you for sharing your insights and data with us, Simon! Next up: For the past twenty years, tens of thousands of gaming industry professionals have convened in London for the ICE Gaming Show. The WLA and EL lottery associations collaborate to hold its Marketing Seminar during that same week. It feels like the event that brings us all together to kick off the new year. And this year the venue for these events has been changed to Barcelona. The WLA/ EL Marketing Seminar will be held Jan. 22-24. Visit european-lotteries.org for more info. See you in Barcelona! Mark your calendars for PGRI SmartTech Conference in Fort Lauderdale March 4-6. I promise this will be our biggest and best event ever. See PublicGaming.org for more information, links to register and reserve hotel room, and ongoing updates. Feel free to reach out directly to me with questions or anything. And, as always, thank you for your friendship and support! Paul Jason, Publisher Public Gaming International Magazine
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10 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 All continued on page 38 HOW DO THEY DO IT? New Mexico Lottery wins the NASPL Best New Instant Game Award for the third year in a row! David Barden Chief Executive Officer, New Mexico Lottery Paul Jason: Part of the genius of NM Lottery’s Guy Fieri Instant Ticket campaign is the low cost. Tell us a little about your advertising budget and the process you went through to figure out how to create a big-bang, awardwinning, 360-degree production within such a small budget. David Barden: When I started working at the New Mexico Lottery, I challenged the marketing team to overhaul our media buys so that we bought media for an entire year, versus spot campaigns. Together our Marketing team and Advertising agency negotiated media partnerships that literally doubled the value of our ad dollars with low and no charge spots. And we were no longer tied to specific flight windows tied to specific products. The annual media buys allow for flexibility for launch schedule changes, jackpot runups, and exciting promotions that pop up. We also benefit from what I consider a “boutique-like” in-house design department which I modeled after similar experiences I had in other lotteries. I encourage creativity and provide the tools they need to produce all the creative we distribute. We have a sound studio, large format printer, large work area, and computers that can process massive media files. All our creative (radio, TV, point-ofsale, digital ads) are written, designed, and produced by in-house Lottery Marketing staff. Because the work is created in house, we are nimble. We have speed on our side. And because we are a small organization, we can quickly obtain stakeholder review and get other divisions involved. Tell us about the specific things you did to create the feeling of a big-budget product and campaign? D. Barden: Wendy Ahlm, Director of Advertising and Marketing, would say we start with “Lamborghini dreams.” She and Karla Wilkinson, our Gaming Products Director, collaborate to come up with a massive list of anything they can think of that would promote the game, excite players, and be fun. This begins with a marriage of the product and a series of ‘what if’s’ that spin from brainstorming, internet searches, and life experiences. They start the conversation, get everyone excited about the topic, and encourage other ideas and threads from the rest of their teams. Carolyn Cabell, NMLA COO, and I then rein the ideas into the “SUV dreams” level. We narrow the list to what we can reasonably achieve with our small team and a limited budget. Even then, the group takes on an amazing number of initiatives. PGRI INTERVIEWS Turn to Page 38 for the full menu of initiatives implemented by the New Mexico Lottery to produce the awardwinning Guy Fieri Instant Ticket campaign. That is familiar territory for the New Mexico Lottery as 2024 is the third year in a row that they have won the prestigious NASPL Best New Instant Ticket Award. What makes this threepeat so amazing is that, with a total population of just over two million, the state of New Mexico is not a big lottery with a big budget. The opposite, really. Costs are minimized as almost all of the ideation, creative, design, production, and implementation is done inhouse. How do they do it? Read our interview with David Barden and turn to pages 38 thru 43 to find out!
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12 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 WALKING THE TALK: INVESTING IN SUSTAINABILITY Romana Girandon, EL President and CEO of Loterija Slovenije Paul Jason: There is a lot of talk about social responsibility and being good corporate citizens. As EL’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Programme demonstrates, you’re not just talking about it. Is it hard to get genuine buy-in and action when it comes to fulfilling our environmental and social responsibilities? Ramona Girandon: I believe, for most members of The European Lotteries (EL), deciding for a real ‘buy-in’ and action on environmental and societal responsibility hasn’t been very difficult. We are in a specific industry that was historically developed in Europe to serve the public good. That’s the reason why most of us were founded decades or even centuries ago. Social responsibility isn’t a PR stunt or a marketing tool for us; it’s our actual purpose. We exist to generate funds for the most vulnerable parts of our societies, which only makes sense if we fulfill it in a way that minimizes harm as much as possible. This commitment is also why EL members are voluntarily joining our Environmental Initiative and contribute to its continuous improvement. Alongside the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Programme you mentioned, we also offer an initiative encouraging lotteries to use only responsibly harvested (FSC or similarly certified) paper. Although our Responsible Gaming Standards are mandatory, our environmental initiatives are voluntary. Yet, 50 percent of EL members have already joined, which I believe speaks about our commitment to the sustainable lottery model for itself. I think everyone can appreciate the long-term ROI for a widespread commitment to sustainability and CSR. Is there a short-term ROI for committing resources right now? R. Girandon: For lotteries, the most compelling motivation lies in championing the broader societal benefits of our model. We must seize new opportunities to prove that we deliver far greater value to society – across all game verticals – than any other model. The environment is yet another chance for us to demonstrate this impact. Moreover, younger generations, whom we especially want to engage as players, increasingly expect brands to actively care about the society they operate in – not just provide products. This is particularly true for activities like ours, which lack direct practical value and aren’t essential to daily life. While faster, higher-risk games are on the rise, there’s also a growing group motivated by the positive impact of their play. In Slovenia, our efforts to shape and communicate the purpose behind our games are paying off - recent research shows that a significant segment of players is now driven by a strong, altruistic motivation. This is crucial, as it shows that our work is not only socially responsible but also essential for building meaningful connections with players and solidifying our existence and market position. More and more businesses are incorporating sustainable practices into their operations. If you could envision the ideal future for the lottery sector in terms of environmental sustainability, what would it look like? R. Girandon: It wouldn’t be far from what I believe is already happening. The first step is that everyone must be transparent. At EL, we advocate for objective KPIs that can be verified and compared across different operators of games of chance. This will help eliminate green- or other kinds of washing and make it harder for those unwilling to truly invest in sustainable practices to hide behind vague promises. This also applies to misleading responsible gaming practices. Unfortunately, many businesses still try to create confusion by saying one thing and doing another, which makes it difficult for regulators and stakeholders to assess their true impact on public health, equality, the environment, and more. Once transparency with clear KPIs is in place, it will be easier for our stakeholders - such as customers, regulators, states and courts - to distinguish between those who genuinely contribute to society and those who exploit people and the environment they operate in. From there, it will only be a matter of time before players and regulators demand that you either operate sustainably and benefit the society, or not operate at all. The EL Environmental Initiative is just part of a larger sustainability project for the Association. What do you see as the next sustainability challenge for EL members to tackle? R. Girandon: The biggest challenge I see is how to effectively become a trusted benchmark for European institutions, helping politicians and regulators recognize the value of the lottery model and the impact of games of chance. This is primarily a challenge of measuring, demonstrating, comparing and communicating our efforts while raising stakeholder awareness both PGRI INTERVIEWS continued on page 20
14 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 ‘Comes A Time’ after the election you may feel ‘Helpless’, but I am going to inform you why ‘Ordinary People’ like us need to think about the ‘Restless Consumer’, ‘For What It’s Worth’, in the next twelve months. ‘Tell Me Why’ I should care about ‘Walkin' On The Road (To The Future)’, even with an ‘Old Man’ in charge potentially leading America to a ‘Fork In the Road’. Let’s see what Lotto Research’s 2025 crystal ball says… “Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World” Since COVID, the % of Americans who have gambled at least once in a year has increased from two-thirds to more than three quarters in late 2023. This has been primarily driven by increases in sports betting (which has almost doubled over the same period), with other categories also on the rise, including casino play and online play. Gambling as a preferred recreational activity is also up significantly, while the importance of gambling to those playing has also risen significantly over the last two years.. Lotto Research fully expects these gambling trends to continue to increase into the next calendar year, as U.S. laws are further relaxed and competition in the Lottery and Gaming space increases. “Are you my friend? Or are you my enemy?” The legalization of sports betting and ways to gamble on a state-by-state basis has also increased the market scope in 2024, with 38 states now having some form of legalized sports betting. The two prized states of Texas and California have had several attempts to legalize, but 2025 provides another time-period to attempt to pass legislation (and probably tens of millions of dollars in bribes, sorry I mean “lobbying”). Personally, until May 2023, I had held out on adding a sports betting app’ to my precious iPhone. (Sidebar. Did you know that us humans touch their phones 2,617 times a day…and that number was from a 2016 study. Frightening. You just put your phone down didn’t you!). I now own four sports betting apps, purely for research purposes. Don’t tell my wife. Lotto Research predicts at least two of the top ten sports betting companies will be bought out in 2025, leading to more market consolidation. Consolidation enables online destinations to entice players with bonus offers to try new game categories and further divide the amount they spend on any one game like lottery, “A dreamer of pictures” Social media is central to the “attention economy”. A player's attention is a valuable resource, and U.S. lotteries need to capture it and sustain it with compelling online experiences to combat that the competition. Expanded Player’s Clubs, greater second chance experiences and prizes and being an integral part of player’s daily routines and lives, whether they decide to play or not. I started playing Connections in the NY Times earlier this year, and I haven’t missed a single day since. Lotto Research believes the “attention economy” is an evil necessity that lotteries will embrace at record levels in 2025. We predict a Lottery Instagram followers boom! FL Lottery hits 150k followers, CA Lottery 120k, and my tri-state gang of PA, NJ and NY all hit 50k each…not quite the levels of Ronaldo (642m) and Messi (504m), but it’s progress, and it’s poised to explode. “Attention shoppers, buy with a conscience and save” Thirty states currently allow sports betting online, while 14 states have some form of iLottery and 18 states allow Jackpocket (owned by DraftKings) to collect your lottery monies. If anyone thinks that’s the only Lotterytype product that the sports betting operators will produce, maybe you didn’t see they missed their revenue target in Q3 2024. We can expect DraftKings, and online gambling behemoths of all stripes, to increase their focus on attracting new customers from the massive $100 billion+ lottery player-base. Lotto Research predicts greater competition arriving from uncharted territory in 2025, and likely with directly A Lottery Heart Of Gold: Gaming and Lottery predictions for 2025 (with a little help from Neil Young lyrics and songs) Simon Jaworski, Founder & CEO, Lotto Research continued on page 44
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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.
17 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 Performance measured in the rst 30 days live. Scienti cGames.com Science Inside THIS IS THE We’re applying 50 years of science to iLottery with 250+ premiere eInstant games from SG Studios. In 2023, our games brought in nearly 23% more unique players and 21% higher total wagers than competitive games. Now, with the SG Content Hub Partner Program, we’re adding even more innovative, high-performing eInstant games from other lottery-focused content studios worldwide to drive pro ts for good cause programs. eInstant Game Titles and Growing © 2024 Scienti c Games. All rights reserved.
GAME OF THRONES Are you ready to rule the realm? Match three or more iconic symbols for epic wins. Unleash the power in the MOTHER OF DRAGONS bonus game—choose an egg and reveal your fate. Plus, watch your winnings soar with the Golden Crown, multiplying your rewards up to 10x. Claim the Iron Throne today! MONOPOLY Property Payout It’s the No. 1 brand in lottery! Connect properties, land dice symbols to move around the board and chase a progressive jackpot. Multiply your wins up to 10x with COMMUNITY CHEST and unlock bonus games with GO, ELECTRIC COMPANY, WATER WORKS or FREE PARKING. CHANCE spaces move you forward or back for more winning opportunities! Winter Whirl Win Hit the slopes and spin to win! Match the reels, score Ski Bum Bucks for instant prizes and uncover wins with mystery symbols. Boost your fortune with the Mogul Money Bonus—more spins, thrills and winter fun! Looking to pack some punch in your iLottery portfolio? Explore seven new high-performance eInstant games from SG Studios, each with entertaining themes, instant wins, multipliers and bonus play—all from the power of your players’ mobile devices. Seven New eInstant Games to Engage Your Players
Wild Double Crossword Embark on a wild rainforest adventure with your favorite crossword game! Play two exciting games in one, navigating through lush green canopies and hidden treasures. With extended gameplay and bonus letters that unlock instant wins, every play brings you closer to the ultimate jungle prize! Fortune Teller Step into the mystical world of the Fortune Teller! Simple and fun, this game will let fate decide your prize. Let the Fortune Teller’s magic reveal what destiny holds for you! Hot Chilli Cash Twist Turn up the heat! Connect four symbols in any direction to ignite your wins. Fill the Bonus Meter for a ery spin to triple your prizes by matching colors! Miss a match? No worries, second-chance play brings the heat right back! Ho-Ho-Who Dunnit Santa Claus came early with this connect-style game! Land on Santa’s List for an instant win. Find three unwrapped gifts to unlock the exciting ‘Who Dunnit’ Bonus Game and uncover a host of festive fun! Scan here to demo these eInstants and other winning games from SG Studios eTAP™ is a trademark of Scienti c Games. © 2024 Scienti c Games, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
20 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 The European Lotteries: Ahead of the Game with Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Programme The European Lotteries (EL) reaffirms its position as a sectoral leader in sustainability with a new commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across its members' operations. Announced on Sept 26, 2024 during the EL/WLA Sustainability and Responsible Gaming Seminar in Dublin, this initiative reflects EL’s continued dedication to driving environmental responsibility within the lottery sector. Building on the success of earlier projects, the next focus will be on actively decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, setting measurable targets and adopting sustainable practices by EL’s members to combat climate change. By encouraging its members to lower their carbon footprint, EL is setting a clear example to the sector that environmental change is both achievable and essential. This also further contributes to national lotteries’ positive social impact on society. In parallel, EL unveiled updated Sustainability Guidelines, which are now again fully aligned with global sustainability standards. They provide a comprehensive roadmap for EL members to further integrate sustainability into all aspects of their operations, from responsible supply chains to player protection and community engagement. "The new commitment demonstrates our proactive approach to addressing climate change, while the updated guidelines ensure that EL members remain at the forefront of environmental and social responsibility," says Romana Girandon, EL President. EL’s leadership in sustainability is further evidenced by its continuous efforts to influence policy debates, raise awareness and drive innovation for far reaching positive social impact. n internationally and locally. We need to prevent those who either don’t understand or don’t care about the long-term importance of sustainability in games of chance from clouding the issue and continuing harmful practices for short-term profit. If our companies are to have a sustainable future, we must act accordingly. While it is possible to generate significant shortterm profits at the expense of society, such practices ultimately threaten to undermine not only lotteries but the entire games of chance industry in Europe. EL’s extensive educational programme promotes best practices and knowledge sharing. How is it evolving with the times and helping members integrate sustainability more deeply into their operations? R. Girandon: In addition to the well-known EL seminars - many organized in partnership with WLA and our valued level 1, 2, and 3 partners – we’ve developed a comprehensive set of initiatives and deliverables to help EL members embed sustainability into their operations. With the EL Manifesto, we identified eight critical regulatory topics to safeguard the lottery model. EL is using it to engage with the European Institutions and encouraging members to do the same with national regulators and governments. We are continuing to support independent academic studies on the social value of lotteries, sports betting and other games of chance across several European countries. Our newly upgraded EL Sustainability Guidelines are now publicly available, providing members and any other interested parties with straightforward guidance on key sustainability topics. To strengthen the protection of minors, we’ve issued a call to the new European Commission. Additionally, the fifth class of the EL WILL - Women’s Initiative in Lottery Leadership has launched, featuring 12 new mentorship duos, including mentors and mentees from our partners. And, in collaboration with members with a strong lottery heritage, we are working to raise awareness and pursue UNESCO World Heritage recognition for the lottery model. As the year is coming to a close, we are looking ahead to 2025. Are you excited to go to Barcelona for the big EL/WLA Marketing Seminar in January? R. Girandon: It will be interesting to see how the transition from London to Barcelona unfolds. Changes like this offer an opportunity to refresh the old Marketing seminar, both in format and content. I’m looking forward to seeing how it turns out. At the same time, I cannot overlook the fact that Barcelona is also a beautiful city in Spain that is currently facing some of the worst floods in recorded history. I’m following the news with great sadness and concern, with my thoughts being with the people of Valencia during this difficult time. Across Europe, we’ve been witnessing extreme weather events almost every month - recently in Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany, Croatia, Poland, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, and now Spain. Millions have been affected, with lives lost and property damage in the billions. It’s clear that the climate is changing and we all have a role to play in addressing it. Susan and I are looking forward to the EL Congress next year in Bern. It’s a little early, but is there anything you can tell us about it preliminarily? R. Girandon: First, after missing you in Paris, I look forward to seeing you and Susan in Barcelona and Bern. Congratulations to you both on your well-deserved induction into the Lottery Industry Hall of Fame. At the EL Congress in Bern, Switzerland, next September, we’ll share some of the most interesting outcomes of our initiatives, including those I’ve just mentioned. While some of our efforts are still evolving and results may vary, we are fully committed to demonstrating that the societal value of the lottery model - across all game verticals – stands as the best there is. n EL initiatives drive innovation for far-reaching positive social impact Walking the Talk: Investing in Sustainability — continued from page 12
21 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 And mark your calendars for the bi-annual EL Congress… Registration opens early 2025! Breaking Boundaries: Innovative Approaches to Traditional Marketing Challenges New location, new beginnings! Join us in Barcelona for the EL/WLA Marketing Seminar (22-24 January 2025) The 2025 EL/WLA Marketing Seminar will not only delve deeper into critical marketing topics, but it will also celebrate its exciting move to Spain! Coinciding with ICE Barcelona at the end of January, and continuing just after, this is a unique opportunity for fresh beginnings and the chance to explore a vibrant new location! Why attend? Here is what to expect: 1. Turn dilemmas into opportunities: Explore how to effectively balance competing priorities such as sales growth while maintaining responsible gaming; Learn how to leverage new media and technologies to turn classic marketing challenges into opportunities for innovation and growth. 2. Dive into key marketing challenges: From choosing between outsourced creative assets versus in-house production to deciding on broad appeal versus niche targeting, gain insights on how to make informed and strategic decisions in the short and long term. 3. Stay ahead of the game: Discover the latest lottery trends, understand how to balance tradition with innovation, and ensure your strategies resonate with both new and existing players, remain credible while capturing attention. 4. Network, exchange and learn: Engage with fellow lottery peers and professionals who are navigating the complexities of marketing challenges. Share experiences and build connections. Registration is now open. Visit European-Lotteries.org or go directly to https://www. european-lotteries.org/registration-form-elwla-marketing-seminar-2025
22 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 Animal Instinct Making Next-Level eInstants a Roaring Success From the pig that provides the model for the ubiquitous piggy bank, to the dramatic elephant in an exotic jungle setting, animal characters and motifs are always popular favorites. Lotteries have recently experienced roaring success with the games Lucky Coins and Elephant King Jackpots, two creative new eInstants from IGT featuring animals, which offer opportunities for increasing player engagement, responsibly. The first 30 days of sales for IGT’s Lucky Coins and Elephant King Jackpots surpassed the first 30 days of sales for any other eInstant title launched this year, and by a significant margin — roughly 106%. Animal Tamers I t takes a talented village to create successful animal-themed games like these, including a producer; production artist; game artist; animator; game designer; prize structure mathematician; prototype engineer; client engineer; Game Logic Engine (GLE) engineer; audio designer; and QA engineer — all collaborating to develop the best experience for players. The game producer has an eye on the project from start to completion. As part of the development process, designated team members develop a theme, mechanic, and roadmap, and pitch it to the IGT content and studio directors. With approval from creative leadership, the team works on the concept, flow, artwork, development and play testing of the game, and quality assurance. Becka McFarland, Content Product Manager, IGT, notes that the team working on Lucky Coins and Elephant King Jackpots included personnel with diverse career experience which proves helpful when considering novel ways to look at iLottery mechanics and innovative ways to play.
23 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 Lucky Coins Lucky Coins achieved a sales milestone of $1 million in a single day for one U.S. lottery. It’s no wonder, when players enjoy diving into the dazzling world of Lucky Coins, where players match three or more adjacent symbols to win. The Lucky Coins game mechanic includes a “symbol capture feature” – the piggy bank that comes alive with coins. This fun main character, brought to life by IGT’s artists, is tied into the core tumbler mechanic. When a player sees the adorable piggy bank symbol, they can begin collecting coin prizes. Lively game features also revolve around the pig. Bonus Star symbols are revealed to players for free turns with increasing prizes. Lucky Coins was the first non-bespoke game from IGT that launched with the brand-new enhanced player interface. This interface creates a next-level entertainment experience and provides critical game speed optimization through RGS platform upgrades. Elephant King Jackpots Elephant King Jackpots, featuring a dramatic group of jungle animals, achieved the best-ever eInstant launch for the first lottery to launch it in the U.S. The total for the first 30 days of sales was 145% higher than any other 2024 eInstant game launch, with 38% more average daily players than any other eInstant game in the same period. As a popular IGT brand, Elephant King Jackpots offered a terrific opportunity for adaptation in the iLottery world. As an eInstant, the upscale design, bright graphics, full screen animations, exciting presentation, realistic jungle sound effects, and premium package with tumbler mechanic all help underscore it as a premium game – not to mention its high jackpot starting value. When players hear the thunderous stomps of the elephant, excitement is sure to follow. Players watch for the prize disk symbol to provide instant wins, free turns, and even jackpots. When the free turns bonus is triggered, high symbol pays can be doubled and wins, extra turns, and jackpots may increase. Plus, Elephant King Jackpots is a shared progressive with IGT eInstants Diamond Blast Jackpots and Wolf Ridge Jackpots, all feeding into the same jackpot pool. Top Performers iLottery is a tremendous growth opportunity across the global lottery industry, and it’s exciting to see how IGT’s new games are resonating with customers and players alike. The performance of Lucky Coins and Elephant King Jackpots shows how lotteries can benefit from games developed with a focus on player preferences. Lotteries can check out Lucky Coins and Elephant King Jackpots on the IGT iLottery Showcase where both are highlighted as “Top Performers.” The IGT eInstant Games Studio designed and applied advanced mechanics with engaging game play, new game features, and rewarding bonus games for Lucky Coins and Elephant King Jackpots. Talk to your IGT Account Manager to learn how you can add innovative top performers like Elephant King Jackpots and Lucky Coins to your iLottery offerings.
24 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 PGRI LOTTERY INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY 1. Rebecca Paul 2. Jannie Haek, Sam Wakasugi, Harold Mays 3. Rebecca Paul and Nikos Nikolakopoulos 4. Hall of Famers 5. Renato Ascoli 6. Romana Girandon and Jannie Haek 8. Lynne Roiter 9. Rebecca Paul and Sam Wakasugi 10. Rose Hudson and Steve Beason 11. Standing Room Only 1 4 9 5 2 3 8 7 10 11 6
25 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 AT THE WORLD LOTTERY SUMMIT PARIS, OCTOBER 2024 12. Sam Wakasugi 13. Rebecca Paul and Paul Erickson 14. Renato Ascoli and Rebecca Paul 15. Sam and Lisa Wakasugi 16. Gretchen Corbin 17. Rebecca with 2024 class of Hall of Fame inductees 18. Jay Gendron 19. Nikos Nikolakopoulos 20. Rebecca Paul and Jannie Haek 21. Paul Erickson 22. Renato, Paul, Jannie, Sam, Nikos 23. Romana Girandon 13 16 17 20 22 23 14 15 12 18 19 21 Courtesy of photographer domagalskiphotography.com
26 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 Lottery vending machine (LVM) optimization is a powerful strategy lotteries can use right now to increase player convenience and ensure the most appealing products are available, ultimately driving engagement and play. Parts 1 and 2 in this series explored a gamut of tools and approaches to help lotteries make the most of their LVM networks. As revealed in the following pages, there’s even more happening now in the realm of analytics. “By leveraging IGT’s Lottery Data Cloud, our internal, cloud-based, advanced analytics platform, and augmenting that with the skill of our data scientists and analysts, we have developed some new-to-the-industry tools and services specifically to support LVM optimization,” says Paul Riley, IGT Vice President Retail Innovation and Partnerships. “We’re excited to share a look at what’s available and what’s on the horizon for use by lotteries and retailers.“ Price Point Index: “National Report Card” IGT’s Price Point Index (PPI) can be thought of as a report card on how LVMs are stocked by price point. It aims to provide a national price-point average that lotteries and retailers can use for benchmarking. The Index originated when one U.S. lottery that is a leader in LVM penetration reached out to IGT seeking further ways to optimize its execution. In response, IGT analysts looked for a new key performance indicator (KPI), effectively “another way to measure how vending machines are managed — beyond sales and out-of-stocks — to help lotteries determine if they’re stocking the right price points,” explains Tim Kriger, IGT Manager, Data Analysis. Within a jurisdiction, analysts produce a “snapshot” of the price points stocked in each bin on IGT self-service equipment at a given moment in time — based on data sourced directly from the site — to calculate the average price point per bin (empty bins are excluded). This calculation differs from spaceto-sales, which typically looks at what percentage of sales are coming from the corresponding percentage of facings. “It’s another way to look at the picture, and it can complement space-to-sales analysis,” says Kriger. “The Index can also be useful when a lottery doesn’t have all LOTTO LOTTO LOTTO LOTTO LOTTO LOTTO LOTTO $ , Turning LVMs Into MVPs Part 3 Introducing new analytics tools to support vending optimization – plus, the case for cashless. In Case You Missed It Part 1 in this series explores how data and analysis from IGT’s national Retail Market Insights™ (RMI) database can be applied to drive LVM optimization, and how the company’s new Lottery Data Cloud brings more dimension to data for use by lotteries and retailers. (PGRI May/June 2024) Part 2 dives into optimizing the instant product and portfolio mix with space-tosales analysis, approaches to keeping LVMs full and available, and Walmart’s end-to-end efforts to reduce out-of-stocks. (PGRI July/Aug 2024)
27 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 the data needed for typical space-to-sales analysis.” A composite Index based on IGT LVM lotteries will provide a national price-point average, updated periodically, which jurisdictions can then benchmark against. Based on an individual lottery’s needs, users can analyze the Index in various ways, including by retailer style, retail chain, or even by a particular area of a state. IGT analysts are now incorporating further chain-specific data and peer-state comparisons in preparation to share the Index with the industry. “Because each jurisdiction has its own unique planogram, with some price point differences, the tool can filter to include only the relevant price points for the jurisdiction being analyzed,” explains Kriger. In addition, the PPI can be calculated for different bin capacity LVMs to “normalize” the index and provide more actionable data. “Lotteries routinely look at KPIs such as sales, penetration, out of stocks, and new game activations,” notes Riley. “The Price Point Index has the potential to be another very useful KPI by identifying variations within top chains or trade styles, which can be used to address underperformance and refocus on optimized planograms.” For example, in two jurisdictions with similar price point offerings and similar LVMs, the jurisdiction with the higher PPI will be outperforming its peer — which can trigger analysis as to why. Market Basket Analysis: “What Games Are Purchased Together at an LVM?” IGT’s Market Basket Analysis tool uses session purchase data from individual LVMs to enable another entirely new type of data query on LVM performance: What games are purchased together at a machine? This session data, processed through IGT’s Lottery Data Cloud, enables a wide array of data queries on its own — and when fed into IGT’s newly developed Market Basket Analysis dashboard (see figure), it allows users such as lottery instant product managers and sales reps to easily see what games are purchased with other games within the same session at a given LVM — as well as sales by price point, by quantity, by retailer, and more. The dashboard allows users to look at individual games and determine which is most popular; to look at all the different games that are bought with a particular price point; or to look at the data by theme or by specific family of games, leading to all-new insights on player behavior and preferences. To offer a hypothetical example: A month’s Market Basket data might reveal that $5 games are most often bought with other $5 games across the LVMs in a jurisdiction; and that when one especially popular $5 game was purchased, 54% of the time the player bought another $5 game. The dashboard also reveals those other game titles. The user can query what other price points are bought with a particular game and price point, and more. There is an option to filter results by specific terminal types as well. By understanding these types of purchase patterns, a jurisdiction can identify crosspromotional opportunities: For instance, if In this example of IGT’s new Price Point Index, States A and B are performing above the $12.50 average found among five peer states.
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