Public Gaming Magazine Sept/Oct 2021

45 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 The Players Project took famous experiments from behavioral science and repeated them with a live online audience of IGT lottery customers. W hat do popcorn and coffee have to do with lottery play? More than you might think. In fact, both of these common staples have starred in important behavioral science experiments that shed light on how consumers think about and make everyday choices, such as purchasing a lottery ticket. The experiments were just one of the many fascinating subjects covered in a live, online event that IGT hosted in June for global lottery customers. In this inaugural session of The Players Project, IGT invited independent experts to share insights into human behavior, offering a fresh lens through which to view and understand players as people. Joining industry expert and moderator Charles Cohen was renowned behavioral scientist Owain Service, CEO of the Cognition Company, who has worked with the UK government and businesses of all kinds to help them understand human behavior. Trend- spotting expert Noelle Weaver, Managing Partner, Foresight Factory North America, shared findings from the firm’s newest global research on lottery play. “Vox Pop” player interviews conducted for the event illuminated aspects of the discussion, such as the consistency and level of routine that goes into consumers’ lottery buying behavior. “We’ve all come to appreciate that there are many factors that drive player motivation,” observed Fabio Cairoli, IGT CEO Global Lottery, discussing the genesis of The Players Project. “Primarily, I think it’s about possibili- ties – the excitement of a game’s potential. But in the end, how do you judge that? As I think we can agree, lottery games are enjoying a worldwide resurgence, making this a great time to focus even more attention on players. Of course, it’s very important to dive into the performance data, and we all devote great attention to analytical research on how, where, and when players engage with lottery. We also wanted to ask, Why?” AMONG THE QUESTIONS EXPLORED IN THE PLAYERS PROJECT: • Why would a person choose one lottery game over another – or choose lottery at all? • Why would someone increase or decrease their play, or change their pattern? • Why would or could they return to previous behaviors? • How do people perceive prizes and good causes?