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Operators rally for US national and state lotteries to go digital

From Oregan to Maryland, state lottery operators are rallying their respective officials to allow online ticket sales as a new normal of decreased retail footfall descends on towns and cities across the US. After helping many national lotteries around the world go digital over the past few months, Ade Repcenko, CEO of Spinola Gaming, believes that an upgrade to online sales is indeed the only way forward for the US lottery sector.
Lottery operators across the US are calling for their state officials to digitise the sale of tickets in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Over the last few months, only a handful of states were able to legally offer digital lottery ticket sales during their respective lockdowns: Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, North Dakota and Virginia. Many of these states revealed that they experienced a surge in online ticket sales, with New Hampshire registering a 38 percent jump in first-time online players during this period. All other states require players to purchase a lottery ticket in person from a retail outlet, and all saw sales and revenues tumble drastically during the pandemic.
Despite a determination to go digital now being shared by a majority of key lottery figures in the US, state operators still require regulatory changes to take place before they can make the shift. Unless these regulatory changes happen fast, the US market will lag behind the rest of the world, as LATAM, Africa, Asia and Australia all already possess the legal ability to sell online. The online commercialisation of US government and state lotteries is long overdue, and Covid-19 has given those in favour of digitization real tangible data to support their long-standing arguments. State lottery operators’ interest in going digital is now stronger than ever, as the pandemic clearly highlighted the severe limitations of the retail lottery business model.
Barry Pack, director of the Oregon State Lottery, stated that retailers in Oregon lost 70 percent of their customers due to the lockdown. “The recovery from this pandemic is going to force a digital transformation in our industry a whole lot more quickly than we might normally have seen it come,” he said. “When the legislature reconvenes next week, they’re facing a billion-dollar shortfall. Their opinions about mobile gaming will change. I think there will be less resistance.”
Gordon Medenica, director of the Maryland Lottery shares Pack’s views: “We’ve been pushing a digital transformation and online selling ever since I’ve been in this industry, over the past 10 to 15 years,” he said. “In Maryland, they passed a law three years ago banning sales on the internet. I think we’ll see a dramatic change and I’m looking forward to it.”
And in a Lottery Commission meeting, Massachusetts Lottery Executive Director Michael Sweeney said their lottery faced “a significant threat of becoming somewhat obsolete”.
The extreme drop in lottery sales due to the pandemic and shelter-in-place orders was also a key pain point for most participants of the SBC Digital Summit’s lottery discussion titled, “State of Play – US Lotteries During the Coronavirus.” Many state lottery veterans shared the opinion that the pandemic should be a wake-up call for lottery officials and state legislatures, with one participant stating that the pandemic exposed state lottery’s inadequate retail business model and that it might not be sufficient for the new normal. Speaking recently Ade Repecnko, CEO of Spinola Gaming, agreed with that assessment. His company has helped many national lotteries around the world go digital over the past few months, giving them a steady stream of income to sustain their operations during the pandemic.
“Retail operators need to take a look at the post-Covid19 world and its impact on player needs and expectations, and think about what it means for the future of lotteries.” said Ade Repcenko, CEO of Spinola Gaming. “Digital is the way forward and is set to play a huge part in our industry over the coming years. Solutions like the ones offered by Spinola Gaming provide land-based operators with a holistic solution that helps operators make the move to digital, while still maintaining their traditional retail operations through one seamless interface. The software allows operators to monitor all lottery ticket sales and track all online and offline purchases in real-time, complete with a myriad of marketing functions and analytics available at the touch of a button. The system is available across all markets, currencies and languages and is fully customisable.”
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Plaza Hotel & Casino to celebrate Fourth of July with a holiday edition of its free Welcome to the Weekend Friday Fireworks

The Plaza Hotel & Casino will celebrate the Fourth of July with a bigger and brighter version of its weekly Welcome to the Weekend Friday Firework Show. As in past years, it will be the only Fourth of July fireworks show in downtown Las Vegas, and it is free to view.
Staged from the top of the Plaza’s South Tower on Friday, July 4, at 9:15 p.m., the public can watch the fireworks for free from in front of the Plaza on Main Street, which will be closed to vehicular traffic for viewing the fireworks from Carson Avenue to Ogden Avenue. Guests can also watch the fireworks from a free viewing party on the Plaza’s rooftop pool deck. Doors open for the rooftop viewing party at 7 p.m.
Also on July 4, the Plaza will host a Buffalo wing eating contest at Carousel Bar at 6 p.m. Inspired by the popular Buffalo wing eating competitions in Philadelphia, qualifying “Wing Offs” and the championship “Wing Bowl”, the July 4 contest will be a qualifying event for the Plaza’s main Wing Bowl event on Feb. 7, 2026. The Plaza will award $1,000 to the person who eats the most Buffalo wings in 10 minutes on July 4. The first and second place eaters will qualify for the Plaza’s Wing Bowl in February.
Carousel Bar and the rooftop pool will also feature special summertime cocktails. The rooftop fireworks viewing party will feature three specialty cocktails: a margarita with Casamigos Blanco Tequila and Cointreau Orange Liqueur, the “Cruiser & Captain” with Sun Cruiser Iced Tea, vodka, and a shot of Captain Morgan Sweet Chili Lime Rum, and the “You Call It” featuring Captain Morgan Sweet Chili Lime Rum.
The Plaza’s fireworks will be dependent on weather conditions and are subject to change or cancellation.
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EDGE Boost Launches Social Accountability Program, Adding Peer-based Accountability to its Roster of Responsible Gaming Tools

EDGE Markets, the company behind EDGE Boost, one of the first debit cards designed specifically for responsible gaming, announced the launch of its newest responsible gaming feature: a co-pilot system for social accountability. Through the EDGE Boost platform, users can nominate trusted friends or family to receive weekly reports of their transactions and participate in real-time limit adjustments, creating a shared commitment to more responsible play.
Social accountability leans on a core behavioral insight that accountability works best when it comes from someone you know, not a faceless platform or app. Early adoption of the co-pilot system has already exceeded expectations with 7% of EDGE Boost users enabling the feature, far surpassing the industry standard of 1-2% adoption for similar, operator-based responsible gaming tools.
“The reason why the co-pilot feature has been so successful is peer involvement. Social accountability is why having a gym buddy works. By involving a buddy in your betting lifestyle, one is set up even better for responsible play. We have always said that EDGE Boost’s mission is to provide a safer and more responsible environment for users to engage with gaming and we know social accountability is doing just that,” said Seni Thomas, Founder and CEO of EDGE Boost.
Co-pilots will receive weekly snapshots of a user’s EDGE Boost transactions. If a user attempts to raise their deposit or spending limits, a co-pilot must enter a verification code before the change can take effect.
The new feature aligns with the American Gambling Association’s (AGA) evolving Responsible Gaming Code of Conduct. Social accountability also helps foster responsible gaming by avoiding punitive approaches and reducing negative stigma.
The co-pilot feature is now live and available to all EDGE Boost users.
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Matt Holt Joins nVenue as Advisor and Board Observer

nVenue, the industry-leading B2B enterprise platform providing predictive data analytics for leagues, media, and gaming, announced the appointment of Matt Holt to the Company’s board. Holt brings over 15 years of experience in the sports and gaming industries and has been an instrumental figure in the development of U.S. sports betting.
“We are thrilled to welcome Matt to the nVenue team. His deep operational experience and extensive network of relationships in the sports and gaming industry will be invaluable as we continue to grow our business,” said Quinton Singleton, President & COO of nVenue.
Holt is founder and served as Chief Executive Officer for U.S. Integrity, where he led development of sports integrity for professional and collegiate sporting leagues across the US.
“I am excited to join nVenue at such a pivotal time in the company’s growth. nVenue is the industry-leading provider of live and micro market products, and their innovative technology is revolutionizing the way leagues and the global gaming industry pivot into the high growth sector of real-time engagement in sports. I look forward to working with the team to expand in the U.S. and international markets,” said Holt.
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