58 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022 37%. Perhaps more alarming is only 10% of this age range bought a ticket. (See Fig 4.) Mega Million’s (one of the most renowned and trusted brands in gaming, if you read the corresponding Leger piece in PGRI’s July ‘22 issue) jackpot awareness was excellent in the older age groups, with almost three quarters of 50-64 year-olds being informed, leading to 37% (more than half of those aware) actually purchasing a ticket for the drawing. I am sure our colleagues from Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Kentucky, amongst others, would happily point to their eInstant products that appear to have bucked this trend, by successfully capturing the younger Lottery player, with games that check all the necessary boxes. However, the final statistic from Leger’s U.S. Omni may be the most interesting. We asked Americans would they play a lottery jackpot game over $1bn. 19% of 18-29 year-olds said they were very or somewhat likely to buy, with another 19% on the fence, very similar numbers to the 50+ age range, the heartland of the Lottery demographic landscape. The demand is there. (See Fig 5.) Right now though, that fence appears bigger than ever, with younger gamers having all their wants and needs answered at their fingertips, while most parts of the ‘land of free’ hold captive a creative lottery solution that is built for the future generation of Lottery players. Unfortunately Friends, for the rest of us and Dr Drake Ramoray, that future is already here. All of the data and tables from this research are available for free from Leger’s Lottery & Gaming team. Feel free to get in touch with Simon at sjaworski@ leger360.com Trust me I’m a researcher (and a Guiding Light). n Under 30? Underwhelmed! continued from page 52 Early Adopters Show Path to Digital Succes, continued from page 28 convenience the platform offers and lotteries are able to increase their marketing spend.” Peter said that Jackpocket is constantly competing with other entertainment apps and this idea of paying for convenience is almost exactly their business model. “People are willing to pay a little more for convenience and better quality,” he said. “But their experience must be flawless. We continuously analyze our data across multiple states to make sure we’re providing exactly what the players want. The most important offering is our technology, which must be flawless or our customers won’t come back. This is particularly critical because 70% of our users are under the age of 40 and this tech-savvy demographic, which was raised on technology, won’t give you a second chance if your technology doesn’t perform to expectations. “We believe that Jackpocket’s technology has also helped the lotteries where we operate build relationships with retailers,” he said. “In states where we’ve built relationships with certain retailers, there is typically no digital sales offered and promoting the option of purchase through Jackpocket has provided lotteries and retailers with additional marketing and player growth opportunities. What we’ve learned is exactly what has been touched on in this panel. Players want digital experiences, there is no one-size-fits-all option, and we must continue to create programs that attract and engage new and current players.” In the panelist round-up, Shannon pointed to the importance of building a foundation now to make iLottery successful. “If you’re only in the retail space, use loyalty, use second chance games to build a digital foundation,” she said. “Collect data and start to understand your players now.” Rob wrapped up the panel by relaying some of the high points of Virginia’s incredibly successful iLottery introduction and ongoing growth. “We got involved in the digital world many years before launching iLottery, offering online subscriptions, building our player database, hiring and developing talent, and implementing the technology infrastructure necessary to support an online business,” he said. “So when iLottery was finally approved, we were prepared. You must have the right partners, right technology solutions, and an internal team with digital experience and mindset. And, of course, you must offer games that players will want to play and support on an ongoing basis. n
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