CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Lottery is introducing a new, digital platform to give customers the ability to make purchases on their mobile devices.
The platform, which is also put on by third-party vendor partner NeoPollard Interactive (NPi), is called iPlay, and it will allow Lottery players to purchase draw game tickets and play e-Instants at the click of a button.
In addition to iPlay, the West Virginia Lottery is introducing a new loyalty program called PlayOn. PlayOn and a more user-friendly website is being implemented to allow for users to manage their accounts, stay up to date with news, and check numbers. The website address remains wvlottery.com.
West Virginia Lottery Assistant Director Randy Burnside says the new options will benefit customers in multiple ways.
“It’s going to be so fantastic to be able to, from the palm of your hand, make the purchases you want to make and at the same time, when you go to the store, you’re going to be bonused for it,” Burnside said. “You’re going to have opportunities to win more money and different types of prizes through PlayOn.”
Burnside says they listened to customer feedback that said more mobile accessibility was needed.
“One of the big things we’ve heard a lot about from our players is, ‘hey, I want to be able to buy my Power Ball tickets and my Mega Millions tickets from my phone,” Burnside said. “Up until now, you’ve not been able to do that through the Lottery, and now you’ll have that opportunity.”
Burnside also says the additions were much needed, as the current societal climate shows more and more purchasing platforms are going digital.
“We’re living in a cashless society, and I think when you look at the data, you can see the people’s purchasing habits are changing,” Burnside said. “Folks don’t carry as much cash in their wallets anymore as they used to.”
While Burnside points out that a more “cashless” society is the current era, he alluded to the fact that traditional retailers selling lottery tickets and games will not be left in the dust.
With the introduction of iPlay platform, retailers can still expect customers, as traditional items bought in store will have web codes that can oftentimes be used for additional cash prizes and second chance drawings, and users who have a preference of making purchases in person can continue doing so and also enjoy additional benefits with the new digital programs.
Burnside says there is still a large role for lottery retailers.
“The data shows that when you launch a rewards program along with your iLottery, that has driven sales increases at your traditional brick-and-morter stores as well,” Burnside said. “I think we have buy-in from everyone in an omni-channel approach.”
There will be synchronization between iPlay and PlayOn, which means anyone that registers for an iPlay account will be enrolled in PlayOn.
The iPlay and PlayOn programs officially launched Thursday morning.
https://wvmetronews.com/2024/10/31/west-virginia-lottery-introduces-new-digital-platform-to-allow-for-more-user-accessibility/