When players say what they want, lotteries should listen.
For New Jersey, that moment came when a Collect’ N Win survey ranked a five-star Hard Rock® resort trip as players’ top dream prize, especially among adults aged 25–45. Acting on that data, the Lottery and Alchemy3 rolled out the $10 Rockin’ Riches Fast Play Progressive game with a Hard Rock-themed second-chance promotion.
“The Rockin’ Riches Collect’ N Win promotion gave players a new way to engage with the New Jersey Lottery by linking the $10 Rockin’ Riches Fast Play Progressive game to a second-chance prize drawing. Winners could choose from five all-inclusive Hard Rock resort destinations, with flights, transfers, and spending money included, helping drive excitement around Fast Play Progressive,” says Adam Perlow, Chief Operating Officer, Northstar New Jersey.
Brand Power Players Trust
Hard Rock’s popularity is unsurprising, given its 83% unaided brand awareness. It operates in more than 70 countries and nearly 250 communities. Its reach also goes beyond geography—it taps into cultural memory. Almost everyone has a connection to it, whether it’s a shirt from college, a concert, or a wall of guitars.
That kind of built-in nostalgia resonates with Millennial and Gen X players, who now drive second-chance participation. And because the brand is grounded in music, travel, and lifestyle, younger players are still discovering it today.
That gives lotteries a head start: no need to introduce the brand. Just deliver the dream.
Give Them a Choice
Alchemy3 built the Hard Rock promotion to deliver flexibility for lotteries and their players. For instance, the New Jersey Lottery used the promotion to support its Fast Play Progressive category, but it can be activated across all lottery channels, products, and platforms.
“The omnichannel opportunity is what makes this promotion exciting for lotteries,” says Karen Harris, Account Director, Alchemy3. “You’re not tied to one product or platform. You can meet players where they already are.”
The ticket artwork is equally customizable. New Jersey leaned into seasonal timing with an equal mix of music, cash, and resort-style icons that tap into players’ post-winter daydreams of palm trees, sunshine, and escape. The art for the second-chance promotion focuses on the beach. However, Hard Rock’s iconic visuals offer plenty of creative directions for lotteries, including bold guitars and neon accents, upscale resort imagery, or music-first minimalism.
Just as lotteries aren’t tied to one platform or product, players aren’t tied to one destination. Each winner can choose where they want to stay all-inclusive at one of five Hard Rock resorts in Mexico or the Caribbean: Cancún, Punta Cana, Vallarta, Riviera Maya, or Los Cabos. The prize includes airfare, ground transportation, spending money, and passport services. And with a two-year redemption window, winners are free to choose the timing that best fits their dream getaway.
Inside the resorts, players live the brand they’ve worn for decades—spinning vinyl, jamming on Fender guitars, or catching rooftop concerts. It’s an experience that feels fresh to younger players and nostalgic to Millennials and Gen Xers while giving lotteries the flexibility to scale it.
Lotteries can keep the trip simple or amplify it with branded concerts, music tie-ins, or retail activations. The flexibility is built in: lotteries choose the channels, design, and prize that fit their goals, and players choose the destination that fits theirs.
The Dream Prize
Players already know what their dream prize is; lotteries just need to give them the opportunity to win it. That’s precisely what New Jersey did.
“Starting in 2017, our partnership with Alchemy3 has led to success across multiple product lines. Collect’ N Win programs have consistently driven player engagement with over 134 million tickets entered since launch, averaging more than 17 million tickets entered each year,” says Sam Fromkin, Deputy General Manager, Northstar New Jersey.
He concludes: “Rockin’ Riches is the latest example of how collaboration and innovation continue to strengthen our relationship with Alchemy3. Rockin’ Riches performed 7% better than average $10 Fast Play Progressive game sales over the first four weeks. Throughout the life of the second-chance promotion, 15% of entrants were new participants in second-chance programs, solidifying that the brand and prizes helped reach a new audience.”