Jason Lisiecki, VP of North America at IWG, highlights the importance of a diversified product offering for lotteries launching a digital program, and how instant win game mechanics are evolving to keep players engaged
We’re witnessing a growing number of North American lotteries enter the online market for the first time and the success of these new ventures is attracting others to follow suit. It’s an exciting time for sure, with the marketplace expected to grow even further in the coming months.
For those looking to the online environment, knowing the right strategy behind launching an ilottery program is critical in order to hit the ground running.
One of the key considerations ahead of the launch date is to adopt a mix of content that grabs the attention of new players, as well as those familiar with your existing retail offering.
When it comes to getting the right blend of digital content, there are many lessons to be learned from the North American lotteries who have already made the move online. Instant win games have played a major part in the success story of both Michigan and Pennsylvania’s ilottery programs and should become an essential part of the product offering.
Lotteries are fortunate in that all major ilottery system providers offer digital instant win games as part of their product. However, a mix of games from third party developers should certainly be considered, as it allows lotteries to offer users the best possible all-round experience on their first visit.
Once the games offering has been identified, the next critical stage is to deliver a regular flow of new games to keep players engaged. Retail lotteries have understood the need for steady releases of new physical scratch off games for some time, but the online market demands even more.
For those who have launched an iLottery program, we’re now typically seeing new game releases every two weeks. New content is an essential tool in attracting new players, while also keeping those existing customers interested in your offering.
Next generation of instant win play
As lotteries further establish their online offering with a strong customer base of daily active players, the natural step will see new categories in their portfolio begin to emerge.
From quick play games to recreations of popular retail scratch off games, as well as on-demand draws, extended play and instant virtual sports these categories will develop in time and provide lotteries with the confidence to be savvier in their games road-map planning. This will lead ultimately lead to increased player satisfaction and increased revenues for good causes.
It makes complete sense for lotteries to implement a “familiar first” strategy when first launching and without question should be adopted. Such an approach gives players a sense of comfort and familiarity with brands and game mechanics.
However, to keep the attention span of customers for the long term and the grow revenues, it is important to move beyond this strategy and evolve the gaming experience with fun and exciting new concepts.
For instance, IWG’s latest creation Jungle Tumble clearly demonstrates how instant win mechanics have changed in order to create a more entertaining and engaging product. The gameplay is a step up from the traditional instant win format, but maintains the predetermined formula commonly associated with this vertical.
The game has taken the category to a new level and has proven to a top-selling instant win title for both Michigan and Pennsylvania lotteries breaking sales records in both states.
This evolution of games development is paramount in helping lotteries maintain the success of an ilottery program launch and to keep players entertained. Third party suppliers such as IWG are taking the instant win play experience to the next level through constant innovation.
