The Sports Betting Panel focused on what issues have accompanied the introduction of sports betting and how each lottery dealt with them.
“We are both operator and regulator,” said Bennett. “We have worked with Spectrum Gaming and GLI to set up a framework. UNLV has created classrooms for our staff. The big takeaway for us is to have a capable contractor. In DC the contract is set up so INTRALOT assumes much of the risk of sports.”
“Sports wagering is inherently digital,” stressed Pack. “The transformation for Oregon was more about adjusting to the digital commerce world, where you must be totally customer focused. Our sports players skew male and nine years younger than the traditional games so there is a lot of opportunity for cross selling.”
“We had to develop all of our knowledge in-house,” explained Aubin. “We had a surprising number of people who seem to know a lot about the game. We learned so much from the digital customers. We are using that knowledge to market to our traditional players.”
PANELISTS
– Ridgely Bennett, Chief Counsel, DC OLG
– Barry Pack, Director, Oregon Lottery
– Gerry Aubin, Director, Rhode Island Lottery
– Moderator: Byron La Fleur, Associate Publisher, La Fleur’s Magazine