“What’s the next big thing?”
Pollard Banknote gets asked this whenever we attend industry meetings and trade shows, and we expect the same question at the upcoming NASPL conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It’s fitting this year’s theme is “Brewing the Best” because we’re highlighting various showstoppers at the event—some of which are introduced below—that demonstrate our unmatched ability to anticipate marketplace needs.
Our reputation for innovation means lotteries count on us to consistently present new products and solutions. But answering the “next big thing” question in just a few words isn’t easy because there’s never only one next big thing coming down the pike. Our ability to simultaneously develop multiple products that excite the industry makes us the partner of choice in the lottery industry. By recruiting the best people to develop the best new technologies and products, Pollard Banknote’s three pillars of success—Outstanding Games, Retail Excellence, and Digital Innovation—work together to optimize success.
Omnichannel Advancements
Pollard Banknote has been brewing up digital innovations for decades, unveiling our first digital game in 2009 and launching the industry’s inaugural standalone Cashword app in 2013. Next up was our industry-leading iLottery solution via our joint venture, NeoPollard Interactive (NPi).
Today, the Pollard Digital Solutions team offers digital products and services that support and enhance overall lottery operations. Our playON™ loyalty platform responsibly engages a wide range of players, and our industry-leading Space Between™ games boost entertainment value for instant ticket players and are proven to engage the critical under-35 crowd.
Through NPi—which currently commands nearly 70% of the U.S. iLottery market—we have demonstrated that iLottery creates a more engaging player experience and helps lotteries grow revenue. We’re building on this digital momentum with the introduction of our very own proprietary Pollard iLottery Solution. This omnichannel solution leverages Pollard Banknote’s expertise and pioneering technology to deliver a truly modular and agile platform. It will capture a 360-degree view of players—data that can be used to drive engagement in a responsible manner. To complement our Pollard iLottery Solution, our Pollard Digital Games Studio has recently launched a line of eInstant games developed specifically for lottery players.
Optimizing Higher-Priced Games to Maximize Play Value
Delivering Outstanding Games at higher price points demands constant vigilance on the innovation front. For example, consider our focus on instantly-appealing instant tickets, such as the bold new designs of our Scratch FX™ lineup and interactive instant tickets like Big Ticket Pop-Up™.
EasyPack™ is another popular new entry, offering all the fun and value of an oversized game in an easily vendible format. Each EasyPack™ ticket opens like a greeting card and reveals a gaming area double that of other oversized games. Delivered in fan-folded books, EasyPack™ is fully compatible with standard dispensers and ITVMs. It’s an ideal way to add value to new ticket launches or introduce higher price points.
Retail Network Expansion
Across North America, gas stations and convenience stores generate over 70% of instant ticket sales, but lotteries hoping to acquire an expanded player base must grow and diversify their retail channels. Our easyVEND™ in-lane ITVM is a secure way to get instant tickets into the traditional and self-serve checkout lanes of multi-lane retailers. Even when scanning their own purchases, customers can now add lottery tickets to this single transaction. This approach also addresses retailers’ biggest friction points: shrinkage, administrative tasks, and balancing.
In-lane menu boards let customers know they can add instant tickets to other grocery purchases in one easy transaction. Once a customer identifies which ticket(s) they wish to purchase, the cashier simply programs the transaction on the POS screen. With payment completed, the cashier confirms the purchase on the easyVEND™ screen, and the tickets are securely dispensed. This solution seamlessly integrates with existing POS systems, with added digital technology controlling the dispenser.
Come See What We’ve Got Brewing!
As the lottery industry’s partner of choice, we’re thrilled to showcase these products at our booth during this year’s NASPL ‘23 Annual Conference to attendees thirsty for a taste of our latest releases, along with the full array of Pollard Banknote’s latest innovations. We’re confident these innovative solutions will have lotteries bubbling over with genuine excitement.