57 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022 The original The Big Spin® and Plinko® games were so successful (the most successful launches in lottery history) that OLG has included the games in its permanent rotation, now joined by the $10 The Bigger Spin® ticket. “We were astounded by the results,” said Adam Caughill, OLG’s Director of Lottery Innovation. “The tickets featured engaging gameplay and the spin or Plinko® drop being part of the game was a new twist. That really added to the excitement of the games and is certainly one source of their longevity. In fact, we have created a new category of tickets – Scratch/Watch/Win. “It’s absolutely magical to see lottery players win large prizes live,” Adam said. “It’s not something we get to do in the lottery industry. The reactions are priceless. We broadcast the activities on Facebook Live and then send the clips out to all our social media channels so the ancillary marketing is off the charts. The machines have absolutely added another dimension to our games and have resulted in incredible sales numbers. I imagine that The Big Spin® and Plinko® will be two of our most popular games for many years to come.” The Big Spin® is not the first non-traditional lotto game for Smartplay. “We worked with the Irish Lottery over 25 years ago,” said Tom Markert, Smartplay president. “But OLG and the SC Lottery have taken it to the next level with their scratch cards and engaging prize events. “These non-traditional games require the same accuracy and security as any other lottery system,” said Tom, “and that’s why we’ve been fortunate to be a part of this category of lottery games.” Non-traditional prize mechanics are growing in popularity both online and off as a way to cut through the clutter and offer something more engaging and unique. Smartplay is busy meeting this need, creating new game mechanics that meet a lottery’s strict requirements. “We’re being challenged by companies both online and off to develop new and unique concepts that can be applied in lottery and gaming environments,” said Darrell Smith, Smartplay’s Vice President of Sales. “It’s an exciting time in our space and there are many opportunities for new games which generate traffic and revenue for lotteries. Smartplay, a privately-owned company located in central New Jersey, supplies lottery drawing equipment and digital draw technology to more than 500 customers in 123 countries. What began in 1993 with the “simple” construction of ball draw machines has grown into a global company developing the most modern traditional draw equipment as well as their widely used Origin® Digital Draw System, which is deployed in 31 jurisdictions in North America as well as to MUSL. To date, more than 5,000 Smartplay lottery systems are in use worldwide. n Barclay Y. celebrates his win in OLG's Plinko game Smartplay Project Manager Frank Foulks stands between two The Big Spin machines made for Française des Jeux, France's national lottery
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