Many decisions a lottery makes about their game portfolio is a bit of a bet. Whether it’s adding a new draw game, a higher priced scratcher, or a licensed brand tie-in: each choice carries real costs in printing, licensing fees, and shelf space long before you sell a single ticket. Lotteries typically make these calls using sales history, competitor comparisons, and gut instinct built over years in the business. What if you could take all that information, and ask questions to your players, as you plan next year’s game portfolio?
We get unreasonably nerdy about data at Spurrier Group. It’s not a brag, it’s just how we work! We want the numbers to tell us something we can act on and optimize toward, not just something we can report on after the campaign is over. When it came to portfolio strategy, we asked ourselves a simple question:
What if you could sit down with your players like the casual scratcher, the draw game loyalist, the licensed-brand incremental sale, and ask them what they’d really like to see from their lottery?
That is exactly what Brava (spurriergroup.com/lottery) is built to do. Brava combines our decades of research and media expertise with cognitive modeling technology to build accurate AI simulations of a lottery’s real player base. These synthetic personas are trained on genuine gaming research and real player data, and they respond the way live players do. That means portfolio questions that used to take months of primary research, or never got asked at all, can now be answered in an afternoon. Here is what that sounds like.
Renée: Draw Game Loyalist
Renée has played the same draw games for over a decade, and she is particular about what she likes, and just as importantly, what she doesn’t. She is exactly the kind of player a portfolio team worries about upsetting when the lineup changes.
Q: “We’re considering adding a new instant game in the $10 to $20 price range. Would that appeal to you?”
A: “I’ll be honest, that price range makes me pause. I budget what I spend on lottery carefully, especially tightening my budget over the last year, and a $20 ticket feels like a bigger commitment than my usual game habit. What would really get my attention is if that price point came with something that feels different. Maybe a second-chance drawing, or a multiplier tied to my favorite draw game? Give me a reason the higher price connects to what I already play, and I’d consider trying it. Without that, I’ll just stick to what I know.”
Why this matters: Renée tells us that cost counts, and any new game needs to connect to an existing draw habit to keep her going back for more. For a portfolio team, that would look like launching a bridge product that pulls an existing loyal segment upward, protecting revenue from current players, while testing appetite for a higher price tier.
Thomas: Occasional, Trend-Chasing Player
Thomas buys tickets a few times a year, and it’s usually tied to something happening in pop culture or a big local event. He represents the incremental, hard-to-predict sales that a licensing decision is meant to capture.
Q: “If we licensed a well-known entertainment brand for a new scratcher line, would that really get you to buy a ticket?”
A: “For me, it’s the difference between walking past the lottery display and stopping to buy. I’m not seeking out lottery tickets most of the year, so I need a reason to notice you. A brand I already like on the ticket gives me that reason, especially if it’s tied to something happening right now, like a movie release or a show everyone’s talking about. If the license feels like an afterthought, just a logo slapped on the same old game, I’m not interested.”
Why this matters: Thomas confirms that licensed product decisions are all about timing and execution, not just brand recognition. You’ll get his interest when you launch the game at the right time, with the right look, and with the right portfolio. That doesn’t cost a cent to figure out but will pay off for your players and new product sales in the long run.
Extend the reach of your product portfolio research when you talk to your players about your game ideas in real time using AI. Brava does not replace the sales data, competitor research, or the deep knowledge your team has built over years; it adds your player’s perspective to that planning process. The result is a portfolio built on what your players will reach for now, and what they will find interesting next.