Public Gaming Magazine Sept/Oct 2021

18 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA Lotteries Use the Reach and Immediacy of Facebook, Twitter, Other Platforms to Engage with Players M ost of us were happy to see the calendar change from 2020 to 2021. In a year marked by lockdowns, zoom meetings and cancelled celebrations, we were ready to turn the page. At the Minnesota Lottery, they didn’t just celebrate the end of a challenging year. The lottery provided its players with an outlet for their built-up frustrations and have a little fun as well. The lottery hosted a Facebook Live event featuring a 2020 pinata and when players typed “I’MN” in the com- ment sections, a lottery representative took a swing at the confetti-filled 2020 pinata. Players who participated in the event were randomly selected to win a lottery sweatshirt and $100 in scratch tickets. The lottery industry has always been a leader in offer- ing engaging promotions which attract players, promote games and offer attractive prizing. But with COVID-19 changing the way many aspects of our lives have unfolded over the past 18 months, lotteries have had to re-think and re-imagine how they engage with their customers. Even one of the most important and attention-gathering aspects of lottery operations – the awarding of prize money – was altered and made more complicated. Lottery marketing teams, boasting some of the most cre- ative event and promotions professionals in the business world, pivoted quickly, assessing the resources available to them and pivoting accordingly. As marketing budgets vary greatly in the lottery industry (ranging from almost non-existent to enviable, with most lotteries having limited marketing budgets), marketers got creative, particularly when public gatherings weren’t being held. Enter social media, with a strong emphasis on Facebook and its Facebook Live functionality through which a livestream can bring the lottery community together virtually. The lottery world could gather safely, quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively. MN Lottery players were encouraged to “take a swing” at the Year 2020 pinata. Jim Acton, Lottery Industry Consultant