Interactive

US – The Pennsylvania Lottery hits $1bn after just two years

By Phil - 19 May 2020

The Pennsylvania Lottery has enjoyed the most commercially successful iLottery online/mobile launch in North America to date as total sales for the popular digital lottery games hit the $1bn mark shortly before the program’s two-year anniversary.

Significantly surpassing any previous North American iLottery launch in history, the program launched and managed by Scientific Games is also on track to top $1bn in sales annually.

“Our goal in offering our players the option for online/mobile play in May 2018 was simply to meet players where they are, which is online, and it has been exceptionally well-received,” said Drew Svitko, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Lottery. “During this unprecedented time, we are reminding Lottery players that they have the option to take advantage of playing PA Lottery online games at pailottery.com. This is the only place where PA Lottery players can buy their Powerball and Mega Millions® tickets without having to leave their homes. This is also another way people can support older Pennsylvanians during this challenging time.”

Svitko went on to say that the PA iLottery program has helped protect vital funding for state programs benefiting older Pennsylvanians.

The Pennsylvania iLottery program is powered by Scientific Games’ OGS, the industry leading content aggregation platform, and OpenPlatform™, a player account management suite that includes responsible gaming tools, and an innovative affiliate program that benefits the Lottery’s retailers. As part of the affiliate program, the Lottery currently has a partnership with about 500 of its 9,800 retailers to encourage players to sign up for online/mobile play. During the first full fiscal year of iLottery, Pennsylvania’s traditional lottery sales—or sales at brick-and-mortar retailers—grew 7.2 per cent over the prior fiscal year and Scratch-Off sales grew 5.9 per cent.

The Pennsylvania Lottery, which already had the highest performing combined retail and digital instant lottery program in North America, continues to break records with an 80 per cent jump in iLottery revenues (current weeks vs. pre-COVID weeks) and a 200 per cent uptick in first time players. The state’s iLottery sales recently hit a record $4.2m in online/mobile sales in a single day and are currently averaging over $3m per day.

“What’s encouraging to states looking to launch online/mobile lottery sales is that when the COVID crisis happened, Pennsylvania had a partnership and program in place to protect vital funding—including effective management of the combined retail and digital game portfolio, an iLottery platform and services to attract and retain players, integrated to support retailers while continuing the strategic management of traditional lottery products sold in stores,” said Pat McHugh, Group Chief Executive, Lottery for Scientific Games.

Currently, 13 of 46 U.S. lotteries allow lottery games to be purchased online, but only seven of those, including Pennsylvania, offer eInstant games. The Pennsylvania Lottery currently offers players 70 different eInstant games.

“Many states will look to Pennsylvania’s program to modernize lottery products online and at retail,” said Mr. McHugh. “Pennsylvania has effectively managed high-performing retail and digital instant games creating benefits for players, retailers and the Commonwealth’s programs supporting older Pennsylvanians.”

In addition to retail and digital game portfolio management, Scientific Games provides the Pennsylvania Lottery with consumer research, player acquisition and retention programs, and an omni-channel iLottery platform, as well as a team of marketing experts who use powerful CRM tools and bonusing programs that engage and retain lottery players. The Company is also the Lottery’s longtime systems technology and retail instant game provider.