Public Gaming Magazine Sept/Oct 2021

43 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 “7-11-21 is a well-known combina- tion of numbers considered ‘lucky’ among lottery and gaming players. Our trademarked 7-11-21 themed games always out-perform and we knew the unique calendar date was coming up and wanted to do create something fun for players. Our national research showed strong support for a live social media event, so we explored different concepts and were able to put together an exciting promotion,” said Mark. Scientific Games began presenting to lotteries in April 2020, the early stages of the pandemic in the U.S.. So what was a bit of a novelty in early 2020 – watching live events on your computer – soon became the predominant way people met with co-workers and consumed other live events. The $2 7-11-21 LIVE! instant game went on sale in early 2021 in Georgia, Maine, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and West Virginia. “When we started planning, I remember looking for examples in our industry of not only livestreaming but livestreaming giveaways,” said Amanda. “I wanted to show these to our customers to get them more comfortable with the concept. I could only find a few, and not one that involved players from multiple states.” “Fast forward six months later and I stopped counting the number of livestream giveaways that lotteries were offering,” she said. “Something that initially faced a little pushback became quickly accepted. And not just for livestream giveaways, during the pandemic we started seeing lotteries turn to social media livestreaming for drawings and other things players had typically watched in person on a screen at a retail location.” The Facebook Live “broadcast” took place over a July weekend in a Georgia studio and involved a day-and-a-half of rehearsals culminating with the main event on July 11. Coordinating streams were broadcasted through each of the seven participating lottery jurisdiction’s Facebook pages, allowing each to set parameters based on their jurisdiction’s specific guidelines as to who could watch and participate. The livestream centered around a prize drawing in which viewers could win cash prizes by just watching and commenting. A live poll during the event determined which envelope Crow would choose, and eligible winners won the amount listed in that envelope. “When we were developing the concept, the poll was an important piece,” said Amanda. “Each lottery broadcasted their own live stream with their own settings, rules and winners. But with the poll, we were able to bring players from every state together and really engage them on another level.” While Scientific Games and the participating lotteries were buoyed by the success of the Facebook Live event, lotteries are judged by game sales and revenue. On that measure, the 7-11-21 LIVE! ticket was a rousing success. While it is still on sale (at press time) in some of the seven markets, the game performed 20% higher and as much as 80% higher than other $2 games. “For most lotteries, the $5, $10 and $20 price points are doing well, but sales of $1 and $2 games are flat or declining,” said Mark. “So we offered a solution by focusing on a lower price point for 7-11-21 LIVE! . Our research showed us that players saw this game at a $2 or $5 price point. The performance of the game shows that $2 was the right price point strategy.” Participating lotteries offered positive reviews of the 7-11-21 LIVE! ticket and Facebook Live social media event. “The Georgia Lottery’s 7-11-21 LIVE! scratcher sold out within six weeks, and the live event was a huge success,” said Katherine Cundiff, VP Product Development for the Georgia Lottery. “We experienced new records of participation during the promotion.” “Our 7-11-21 LIVE! scratch-off game has already been very popular with players,” said Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko. “The Facebook Live event gave our players additional chances to win prizes. Offering fun and new ways players can enjoy our Lottery games allows us the ability to generate funds for vital programs that seniors rely on every day.” As to the future of similar games and events, Scientific Games is reviewing the data from 7-11-21 LIVE! and developing plans for its next program, most likely in 2022. n All ® notices signify marks registered in the United States. © 2021 Scientific Games Corporation. All Rights Reserved. A Facebook screen shot of 7-11-21 LIVE! Host John Crow during the event’s Facebook Live event