PGRI Digital Library: Thought Leadership
Brightstar Lottery Articles

​Through the Eyes of the Player

Recent consumer trends point to strategies that lotteries can adopt now to fuel ongoing player engagement. 

The notion that “lottery isn’t appealing to young adults or those who are tech-savvy” may be a familiar one within our industry — yet it turns out to be a misconception. 
An analysis of recent data from IGT’s longtime research partner Foresight Factory indicates that lottery players embrace technology more than they’re typically given credit for. 
In fact, weekly lottery players outpace the general public in agreeing with statements such as “using voice commands on my smartphone,” “buying directly from a social media site,” and “interested in a 3D digital world where I could experience 
virtual activities.”  
The good news is that lotteries can access the technology, tools, and data to develop tailored marketing plans for both retail and digital that keep their product offerings top-of-mind for consumers like these. And it’s a strategy that other fast-moving consumer goods brands
are adopting.  “The finding about lottery players’ willingness to engage with technology aligns with IGT’s investment  in solutions for both retail and digital that support the experience players expect,” said Michelle Carney, IGT Vice President Global Lottery Marketing. “IGT’s practice of studying consumer trends and related aspects of the lottery-player experience has informed our product roadmaps for years and helped us anticipate where consumers are going. That investment has led directly to the options that customers can take advantage of today, such as IGT’s Connected Play and OMNIA™ solutions.
“We also understand from insights identified by Foresight Factory that consumers —and specifically, lottery players — have a heightened concern for their personal impact on the environment,” Carney added. “They want to affiliate with brands that can prove their product claims around sustainability, and these stats rise with younger age groups. This is another reason we invest in solutions that continue to digitalize the player and retailer experience.”

There are printed games. There are eInstant games. And then, there are games that deliver an omnichannel experience!

As the partner that offers multiple routes to success, IGT supplies lotteries with the opportunity to replicate and amplify the fun and ambiance of players’ favorites, in store and via digital channels. Bringing a retail brand to life online, and vice versa, gives players an intuitive, interactive, multidimensional experience. 

​Popular printed games coupled with eInstant counterparts generate added engagement and reinforce a consistent branding and game experience. “With IGT’s omnichannel titles, we can offer players brands that are familiar, so they can be confident when exploring the digital channel,” said Chris Costello, Senior Director, eInstant Content, iLottery, IGT.

Building and Reinforcing Player Lifetime Value

Business growth is built on the ability to attract new customers. The same applies to iLottery programs. New players generate about 50% of the annual incremental growth for typical U.S. iLottery programs.
Inviting new players to explore iLottery products requires Lottery to be present and visible across the digital media universe. For this purpose, Lotteries annually spend millions on player acquisition through social media and other advertising platforms.

The Demand for Metrics

The inherent challenge with player acquisition marketing is that each media platform provides its own metrics for campaign effectiveness. Marketers are challenged to consolidate data across platforms and make informed decisions about how marketing investment should be allocated.​

Google Analytics is often selected as the metrics integration point to combine traffic from multiple sources and deliver a campaign performance dashboard for the user. While this platform offers many notable features, there are limitations on the data it can process. As a result, metrics are limited to basic conversions and attributable sales. This makes it challenging to quantify the true effectiveness and profitability of a marketing investment. In this time of challenging economic conditions, where marketing budgets are becoming more constrained, marketers must prove returns on their investments more than ever. IGT Marketing Services — IGT’s in-house growth-marketing agency — is supporting lottery marketers to optimize the new player gain from their digital media investment and show true marketing effectiveness.

IGT’s NextGen technology is a breakthrough that takes security further than previously possible — by harnessing the blockchain to create unalterable instants game-creation and audit files.

Ensuring game integrity has always been core to the lottery industry. And for instant tickets, which represented about two-thirds of total retail U.S. lottery sales in 2022, security is critical not only for programming games and preventing unauthorized game reconstructions, but also for enabling authorized game reconstructions when required — for example, to validate damaged physical tickets that are presented as prize winners.

In all of these instances, lotteries can now benefit from a new, state-of-the art patented system for secure predetermined instants game generation, developed by IGT.
​
This proprietary system, known as NextGen, harnesses modern digital-security technology to improve on the legacy security processes that have been commonly used throughout the industry for the past two decades. Among its advantages, IGT’s NextGen platform maintains an unalterable forensic blockchain of an instant game to help prevent the possibility of security breaches. A blockchain is associated with each instant game’s unique database and protects not only the entire game development process but also the reconstruction process.

​Lottery sales directors gathered from around the world to discuss the future of shopping and share current challenges and success strategies at IGT’s 10th International Lottery Retail Workshop.

Lottery sales directors gathered from around the world to discuss the future of shopping and share current challenges and success strategies at IGT’s 10th International Lottery Retail Workshop.  

It’s not often that lottery sales executives have the chance to gather with their counterparts from other markets and literally “talk shop.” Recently, 17 executives from 11 lotteries took advantage of the opportunity to share insights and strategies when IGT convened its latest International Lottery Retail Workshop. After a one-year pause following 2020’s online event, this 10th-anniversary session returned to its origins at IGT’s North American Lottery headquarters in Providence, RI, from November 15-17, 2022.

Attendees included many past participants and, for the first time, representatives from IGT’s newest customer, the National Lottery of Malta. Some of IGT’s U.S. lottery customers were also included in the workshop for the first time. “The U.S. is now a different gaming landscape after he pandemic, and its unique challenges generated huge amounts of discussion from workshop participants,” observed Sharon Duncalf, IGT Vice President Global Insights, who co-hosted the two-day event with Paul Riley, IGT Vice President Retail Innovations & Partnerships.

IGT’s 2022 eInstants news headlines read, “Red Hot Progressives,” “Chart Toppers,” “Reimagined Favorite Brands” and “Play it Local.”

IGT expanded its dedicated eInstants studio with an investment in talented developers who turned up the heat to increase the library with blistering new titles, all driven by game performance data, analysis, and customer insight. Ensuring a diverse portfolio of mechanics, many ways to win, and high-impact artwork, the team created a dazzling spectrum of engaging content for players around the world.

All player segments enjoyed IGT’s progressive jackpots, thanks to varied play styles and imaginative themes. In fact, IGT’s three progressive titles comprise over 40% of its top 10 total global eInstant sales. Bank Buster Jackpot and a localized version, Georgia Jackpot Bankroll, was IGT’s number one game, smashing through the amazing $50 million sales barrier with ease.

Significant training needs exist for lottery retailers and lottery staff — and the time has never been better to explore state-of-the-art learning management systems. 

By Danielle Davis and Mariana Tzitzouris

Data Analytics and Digital-In-Retail Player Journeys took center stage for IGT at the World Lottery Summit.

OMNIA™ is the ultimate in digital/retail integration — a comprehensive and modular solution that gives lotteries the means to digitize the retail experience, whether they offer iLottery or not. 

The newest convenience and wagering enhancements to IGT’s award-winning mobile app optimize the player experience with a fresh design and improved navigation and features. 

IGT’s 15th annual Sustainability Report reveals the many ways sustainable thinking has become engrained in the company’s culture and operations.

One historic home in San Francisco’s Presidio national park has an illuminating story to tell about how a global organization can integrate a sustainable mindset. Constructed in the nineteenth century, the wood-frame building on Funston Avenue has been repurposed as the new headquarters for IGT’s PlayDigital business unit—chosen purposefully to create the sense of a home base for the widely dispersed global team. Interior spaces have been set up with dedicated areas and equipment to facilitate an ever-changing mix of virtual and inperson collaboration, making it a common centering point, even for those who live and work far from the Bay Area. “We’re spread across the globe, and we wanted a space that can make all of us feel like part of something—part of a family,” said Enrico Drago, IGT CEO Digital & Betting. “We’re translating this concept to a company house, a space that allows us to be more collaborative and creative.”

In a presentation at the recent European Lottery Industry Days in Germany, IGT’s Srini Nedunuri, Vice President Global iLottery, shared video clips of recent player interviews and recommendations on how to create a winning eInstant player experience. Some clear themes emerged from the players, who offered insights in their own words on various topics, including what attracts them to an eInstant game and how they like to win. Players said they play for fun and entertainment, are attracted to catchy game titles, colorful graphics, and love bonus games and winning surprises. Some reported that they like the chance to win bigger prizes, and others like to win more frequently as they play. Given the diverse player segments, each lottery needs a balanced portfolio that includes a variety of games. With its data-driven game design and portfolio management approach, IGT understands what games resonate with the different player segments. The company partners with lotteries to utilize game performance data and IGT’s eInstant formula for success to develop games and recommend the right game portfolios.