INTRALOT has identified new purchasing trends and quickly absorbed the latest technology so that its retail terminals empower its customers to deliver optimal playing experiences.
All of its self-service terminals and vending machines have embedded cashless payment systems that enable debit/credit card and e-wallet transactions. Their components are configurable either locally on each terminal or remotely through our advanced device management system.
The credit and debit card payment module also includes NFC technology for contactless e-wallet payment through smartphone devices, thereby promoting the “tap and go” player journey. Depending on each market’s habits and trends, the cashless component can be a standard or optional terminal configuration feature.
“Whether inside or outside dedicated lottery stores, self-service machines allow consumers to play and interact directly with the terminals without retailer interference,” explained INTRALOT Product Manager Alicia Tani. “As such, the need for fast and easy transactions becomes imminent, particularly when aiming to capture the sought-after younger demographic and impulse-player segment. And as the vending industry is seeking for opportunities to trigger higher spending per consumer, while maintaining margins through improved price-setting flexibility, combining the cashless payment feature with self-service functionality to create a ‘tap and go’ journey for the player, is proving to be an efficacious solution.”
“Recent market data from Europe and the U.S. so far reveal an uptrend in electronic payment via debit or credit cards, mobile phones or digital wallets, but also indicate that high value transactions are popular among credit/debit cards, as opposed to bills and coins used for smaller value transactions,” added Tani.
Lottery Success Stories
Two INTRALOT lottery clients implemented touchscreen-enabled vending machines in calendar 2017.
Montana Lottery initiated a rollout plan to replace the traditional WINSTATION button vending machines with the new DREAMTOUCH touchscreen-enabled vending machines, across a grocery POS network. In order to evaluate the performance of the DREAMTOUCH terminals, as compared to their predecessors, a series of data was gathered and analyzed with reference to sales of instants and online games per retailer, game type, terminal type, promotions on the terminals’ displays, and jackpot level per game. “The findings clearly indicated DREAMTOUCH acceptance, revealing that within the first months of operation they surpassed other propositions in terms of retail sales contribution,” said Tani. “Another rollout plan has very recently been completed in Idaho, with the first post- DREAMTOUCH installation signs looking positive.”
Instant-Type Games
Instant win games were introduced to meet the players’ need for immediate fun with a variety of game selection options in terms of themes, play styles, price points, prizes, winning frequency, etc.
“With our extensive experience around fast-play games we have managed to expand this category by introducing progressive instant win games that are beautifully offered on our vending machines as well,” said Tani.
INTRALOT’s DREAMTOUCH family of vending terminals, features 32 and 42-inch touchscreen display versions, and has been developed to support all types of instant win games, as well as innovative game concepts combined with draw-based games and physical scratches.
“However, apart from swiftness, touchscreen machines give operators more flexibility when updating or changing instant win game types, as they enable them to centrally control game lifecycles, including potential enhancements,” said Tani. “What’s more, unlike traditional scratch games, hybrid instants offer retailers peace of mind against theft, since the pre-printed cards have no monetary value and bear no significant costs apart from that of consumables. As a result, instant-type games for touchscreen machines have proven increasingly popular in recent years.”
The retail transformation is well underway. The digitalization of offerings and touchpoints has spawned new consumer habits, both in terms of customer journeys and purchasing processes. It is a change already appealing to existing and new audiences, with the younger demographic in particular, increasingly seeking for simpler, speedier and more efficient ways of interacting.
“At the same time, the need for personalized content and messaging has become an imperative in the quest to define player experiences and satisfaction. INTRALOT’s self-service terminals and vending machines engage consumers by competently delivering features that help trigger participation, repetition and thus, retailer revenue increases,” ended Tani.