Second-chance promotions are still one of the most exciting ways for lotteries to spur engagement and connect directly with players. Take the recent Gems $7 Million Challenge, the first live event to be produced under IGT’s new Winner’s Choice™ second-chance program.
In May 2021, players in Texas bought their first tickets from the Gems 7s family of scratch ticket games, and over a year later 50 lucky players found themselves in Austin with the chance to win up to $7 million at the special second-chance promotional event featuring IGT’s signature White Glove Player Service. From the first congratulatory outreach after being drawn as a winner, each Gems $7 Million Challenge participant had a dedicated point of contact up to and throughout their time in Austin, which included a warm welcoming reception, accommodations for themselves and a guest at the luxurious W Hotel Austin, spending money and a travel allowance, all managed and fulfilled by IGT.
The Gems $7 Million Challenge included four nail-biting rounds of gameplay hosted by popular entertainer and host, Bryan Chan. After two elimination rounds in which all players were awarded cash or the chance to advance, each of the remaining players spun a giant prize wheel to reach the final round. By the end of the event, the Finalist’s winnings totaled $140,000, and, in all, almost $900,000 in cash prizes were awarded!
The Texas Lottery saw sales of $316.8 million and more than 40 million second-chance entries through the program, which included 20,000 second-chance cash prizes and 35 VIP prizes in addition to those awarded at the live event. The Texas Lottery is now planning a 2023 program, launching in January, based on its success engaging and rewarding enthusiastic Texas players with the Winner’s Choice program.
