Licensed games have long played an essential role in driving excitement, attracting new players, and strengthening engagement across the lottery industry. Among recent successes, JAWS has emerged as a powerful example of how a well-executed licensed game can deliver meaningful results that extend beyond sales performance.
Its launches across multiple jurisdictions have shown how brand equity, strategic execution, and a focus on player experience can come together to create lasting impact.
In this article, we speak with lottery partners to explore what makes JAWS a standout success and what its performance reveals about the evolving role of licensed games in today’s lottery landscape. By looking beyond traditional sales metrics to highlight engagement, standout activations, and multi-channel integration across retail and social, JAWS demonstrates how cohesive brand strategy can elevate the player experience across every touchpoint while building brand equity for the lottery at the same time.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Engagement and Impact
Licensed games have always been key to attracting new players and reigniting excitement among existing audiences. But true success goes beyond sales figures.
Q: HOW DO YOU MEASURE ENGAGEMENT AND SUCCESS BEYOND SALES?
The Minnesota Lottery dove right in with its summer JAWS program, launched in June 2024. Designed as a multi-scene scratch game that ran throughout the summer, the launch captured the excitement of the JAWS brand with its bold visuals, seasonal timing, and upbeat tone. Supported by a vibrant marketing campaign that extended across retail and digital channels, the rollout embodied the adventurous spirit of summer and immediately resonated with players across the state.
Minnesota Lottery: “For us, our second chance program is one of the most valuable tools for tracking engagement and gauging true player excitement. It allows us to look beyond sales data and focus on participation, interaction, and player acquisition. Throughout the JAWS campaign, all non-winning tickets were eligible for second chance drawings to win a grand cash prize of $10,000 along with a range of JAWS-branded merchandise.
That component not only kept players engaged after purchase but also brought new players into our system. Within the first two months of game sales, the JAWS second chance promotion brought in close to 4,000 new second chance registrants, a clear sign of the brand’s ability to attract and excite new audiences. Second chance programs have become a consistent part of our licensed game strategy, but JAWS truly stood out in its ability to drive new registrations and sustain engagement,” said Shyla Howell, Marketing Manager from Minnesota Lottery.
REINFORCING EFFECTIVENESS: Successful Program Launches
JAWS has made waves across multiple lottery jurisdictions, proving that a strong game concept paired with thoughtful execution can deliver standout results. Here, lotteries share the factors and milestones that made their launches particularly effective.
Q: WHAT FACTORS MADE YOUR JAWS INSTANT TICKET PROGRAM LAUNCH STAND OUT IN YOUR MARKET?
Minnesota Lottery: “Creativity and timing were everything. Our summer JAWS program launched at the perfect moment, right as Minnesotans were embracing the summer season; and we made sure to capture that energy in every part of the campaign,” continues Shyla Howell, Marketing Manager from Minnesota Lottery.
To make a splash, the Minnesota Lottery, in partnership with its advertising agency as well as with Pollard Banknote, developed an extensive integrated marketing campaign designed to create serious buzz around the new instant ticket program launch. The initiative spanned out-of-home activations, TV and radio broadcast spots, digital advertising, and social media promotions, along with trivia contests, influencer partnerships, and themed point-of-sale displays.
The TV and radio spots became an instant standout, leveraging the iconic JAWS theme music, licensed for use in the campaign. This recognizable score triggered a strong sense of nostalgia and excitement, helping the game cut through clutter and reach new audiences. Social media extended the momentum with fun trivia and interactive content, while retail and environmental displays gave the game a bold, visual presence statewide.
The creative execution blended the bold brand energy of JAWS with the Minnesota Lottery’s unique identity, using lakeside imagery and the playful tagline “Wanna win $100,000, chum?” At the heart of the campaign, a fast-paced 30-second TV spot perfectly captured the spirit of summer and had players “running to play” the new JAWS scratch game. Supported by strong in-market engagement and retail tie-ins, the result was a fully immersive, multi-channel player experience that extended the excitement far beyond the ticket itself, standing out as one of the season’s most engaging and memorable licensed game launches for the state.
To bring the TV spot’s on-screen excitement to life, the campaign expanded into a grassroots social media activation that made waves at a local beach. A “shark fin find” experience surprised beachgoers as a Minnesota Lottery pontoon boat controlled an autonomous shark fin through the shallow waters. Local influencers and players joined in on the fun, sharing their encounters online, while nearby patio guests got the chance to “pluck a shark” for free prizes and JAWS scratch tickets. It was a dynamic, shareable moment that seamlessly connected the brand’s summer energy from screens to the shoreline, kicking off a season full of JAWS-fueled fun.
Another lottery that serves as living proof of the standout results that come from combining a strong brand with a fully integrated marketing and promotional campaign was the Massachusetts Lottery, which launched its own JAWS instant ticket program in late March 2024, diving in with a campaign equally bold and immersive. From day one, the rollout was backed by advertising, promotional support, and experiential activations designed to capture attention and bring players closer to the brand experience. In addition, a series of dedicated promotional events ran in tandem to further spotlight the new JAWS instant ticket in market and build excitement across player and retail touchpoints.
Massachusetts Lottery: “Extensive promotional support was key to the success of JAWS in our market, which has consistently held its position as one of our strongest performers in the $10 category,” said Mark William Bracken, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Lottery. “Much of that success began with a coordinated advertising campaign, strong retail presence, and engaging activations that kept the brand top of mind for players. Our launch events played a big part as well, kicking off with an Amity Island-themed celebration at Lottery Headquarters featuring media attendance, JAWS-themed activities, and street teams distributing promotional tickets. Additional events at our regional offices gave players more chances to win cash prizes and exclusive co-branded merchandise. The excitement and visibility from those events really brought JAWS to life.”
And those launch events offered just a small glimpse of the campaign’s major experiential activation, giving players the chance to win big through five second chance drawings with exciting prizes:
- 6 winners received an all-expenses-paid trip to the $1,000,000 Martha’s Vineyard JAWS Event,
- 170 winners took home $500 in cash
- 5 winners scored $100 in cash prizes.
BUILDING THE EXPERIENCE: Multi-Channel Engagement
A successful licensed game program isn’t just about the name; it’s about delivering a cohesive and engaging experience that connects with players across every platform. In this section, we explore how the JAWS brand was leveraged to engage audiences through retail, digital, social, and experiential channels, transforming a well-known franchise into a fully integrated, multi-channel experience. By combining familiar storytelling with diverse touchpoints, JAWS demonstrates how powerful brand partnerships can extend far beyond the ticket itself, creating immersive experiences that strengthen connections and drive engagement across every channel.
Q: JAWS is such an iconic and recognizable brand. How did you leverage that brand equity to create a cohesive multi-channel player experience? Which channels such as retail, digital, social, or second chance proved most effective in engaging players, and how did each help bring the JAWS story to life for consumers?
Texas Lottery: “For us, it was all about creating an experience that felt as bold and entertaining as the JAWS brand itself,” said Dale Bowersock, Scratch Ticket Coordinator for the Texas Lottery. “We wanted to connect with players in a way that was immersive, memorable, and authentically Texan.”
To bring that vision to life, the Texas Lottery developed a broad, integrated campaign that spanned multiple channels and partnerships to support its June 2025 launch of JAWS. Working with Atlas Experiences and Alamo Drafthouse cinemas, the Lottery brought JAWS to the big screen through sponsorship of special film screenings, while also extending the excitement outdoors with its gripping “JAWS on the Water” events at Volente Beach Resort.
“JAWS on the Water” was a true highlight of the summer, offering fans an unforgettable movie experience under the stars. Guests watched the classic film projected on a giant inflatable screen while floating on Texas Lottery-branded inner tubes. This series of events took place across June and July, with tickets awarded through radio contests and social media giveaways that encouraged active participation and community buzz. The atmosphere captured the thrill of the film and created a unique, shareable experience that resonated deeply with players.
The partnership with Alamo Drafthouse continued through the Great Bite Series, a month-long summer event that featured five fan-favorite animal-themed films screened across 18 locations statewide. These touchpoints were supported by paid social campaigns, digital advertising, and newsletter features that helped maintain visibility and engagement across platforms, generating millions of guest impressions.
Across the broader instant ticket program campaign, custom point-of-sale displays and themed merchandise giveaways helped tie the full program together. These elements connected the in-person movie and event experiences with the retail moment of purchase, ensuring the JAWS excitement carried through every player interaction, from the theater to the ticket counter.
To extend the excitement, the Lottery introduced a second chance promotion where 40 winners will travel to Austin to take part in the $1,000,000 JAWS Challenge, scheduled for January 2027 at the Alamo Drafthouse. This promotion, amplified through radio and digital channels, gave players another reason to stay connected and engage beyond the initial ticket purchase.
“Each channel played a unique role,” continued Bowersock. “Retail and point-of-sale gave us strong visibility, social and radio helped us connect emotionally, and our event partnerships allowed players to live the brand in a whole new way. It wasn’t just about playing a ticket, it was about being part of something unforgettable.”
CONCLUSION: The Lasting Power of Licensed Games
What does the success of JAWS tell us about the evolution of licensed games in the lottery industry? It shows that strong brands remain timeless while the ways they engage players continue to evolve.
Across the examples from Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Texas, JAWS demonstrated how thoughtful execution and multi-channel experiences can elevate a licensed game beyond the ticket itself. From second chance promotions to immersive events and integrated retail and digital campaigns, each activation created meaningful engagement and memorable player moments.
In a crowded retail environment, these programs highlight the importance of standing out and connecting with players on multiple levels. Licensed games like JAWS remain essential tools because they evolve with trends, reach new audiences, and deliver experiences that players remember long after the game is over