The 2019 Lottery Week (July 15-20, 2019) evolved from an idea implemented with great success by the Massachusetts Lottery last year. Declaring July 17, 2018, as National Lottery Day, Massachusetts Lottery offered consumers and retailers a special day of lottery promotions and celebrated the provision of billions of dollars in local aid since the Massachusetts State Lottery was created in 1972.
“Last summer, we were invited by NASPL to present a recap of our first National Lottery Day experience to the Public Relations group at the Professional Development Seminar,” explained Christian Teja, Assistant Executive Director, Communications, Massachusetts Lottery. “Our primary message was that at a minimal cost with a small planning window, our Lottery Day promotions were very successful. A thoughtful discussion followed, setting the table for a national effort led by NASPL. Massachusetts joined other lotteries assembled by NASPL in participating in the development of the plan for this year’s Lottery Week.”
To recognize all of the contributions by lotteries to the communities they serve, NASPL created the inaugural National Lottery Week. “We launched Lottery Week to showcase the good lotteries do in their communities,” said NASPL Executive Director David Gale. “In the U.S. alone, their creative and entertaining products produced more than $23.4 billion in revenues to good causes during fiscal 2018, plus some $4.8 billion in revenues to retailers—from single-store mom-and-pops to massive corporate chains—for selling traditional lottery products. In addition, the industry suppliers that partner with lotteries also contribute to their communities by creating jobs and making substantial financial investments.”
Teja thinks the 2019 event will get a lot of free publicity. “With a full week of promotions and social media content in Massachusetts, we are doing our best to generate the attention and enthusiasm that you see for days dedicated to popular activities, foods, beverages, and other interests,” he explained. “Several media outlets have already picked up on it.”
Teja noted that the Massachusetts Lottery was pleased by how well the concept was received by other lotteries. “It was clear that there was an appetite for a unified effort. It just needed a spark to ignite a discussion that would bring it to fruition,” said Teja.
Lotteries raise revenue for a variety of good causes, including education, college scholarships, senior citizen programs, tourism, tax relief, local aid for cities and towns, economic development, police and firemen pensions, veterans, parks and recreation, natural resources, sports stadiums and the general fund.