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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 operatorsâ 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. âThe 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,â he said. âWhen the legislature reconvenes next week, theyâre facing a billion-dollar shortfall. Their opinions about mobile gaming will change. I think there will be less resistance.â
Gordon Medenica, director of the Maryland Lottery shares Packâs views: âWeâve been pushing a digital transformation and online selling ever since Iâve been in this industry, over the past 10 to 15 years,â he said. âIn Maryland, they passed a law three years ago banning sales on the internet. I think weâll see a dramatic change and Iâm looking forward to it.â
And in a Lottery Commission meeting, Massachusetts Lottery Executive Director Michael Sweeney said their lottery faced âa significant threat of becoming somewhat obsoleteâ.
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 Summitâs lottery discussion titled, âState of Play â US Lotteries During the Coronavirus.â 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 lotteryâs 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.
âRetail 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.â said Ade Repcenko, CEO of Spinola Gaming. âDigital 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.â
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UNLV International Gaming Institute Launches AI Research Hub

The UNLV International Gaming Institute (IGI) has launched its AI Research Hub (AiR Hub), a significant step toward advancing research and understanding on the impacts, risks, and opportunities of artificial intelligence (AI) within the gambling industry.
Co-founded by Kasra Ghaharian, IGI Director of Research, and Simo Dragicevic, an industry and research veteran who now serves as an Adjunct Fellow at the Hub, the initiative will develop an ecosystem for collaborative AI research and accelerate the adoption of trusted and responsible AI.
Key initiatives underway focus on critical areas, including the forthcoming State of AI in Gaming report. This annual deep dive will be a first of its kind for the sector, surveying current and future use cases and indexing companies on their AI maturity. Other initiatives include thought leadership and practical tools for operators and regulators to promote responsible AI oversight and governance, and developing benchmarking solutions for critical AI systems within the sector.
âUNLVâs International Gaming Institute has a long history of pioneering research in the gaming sector, and we are excited to launch AiR Hub as the next step in that journey. Our vision is to create tangible progress through collaborative, actionable research with engagement across a range of stakeholders, including regulators, academics, non-profit organizations, and industry,â Ghaharian said.
AiR Hub is supported by a prestigious group of founding industry members. Representatives from Action Gaming, Axes.ai, Evoke Plc, Gaming Analytics, Kindbridge Behavioral Health, Playtech Plc, ROGA (Responsible Online Gaming Association), and Walker Digital Table Systems will serve on AiR Hubâs industry advisory panel.
âWe are grateful for not only the financial support offered by our founding members, but also the expert knowledge they bring in regard to technology, data, and wider gambling business and player support practices. We operate in a highly complex and integrated industry that is evolving quickly, and this knowledge and experience will be essential to fully understanding the risks and capitalizing on the potential of AI within the industry,â Dragicevic said.
The founding member round will remain open to organizations for an additional six months.
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Evolution Debuts US Launch of Red Door Roulette

Evolution announced the US launch of Red Door Roulette, the ultimate online live game show mash-up that combines the award-winning Lightning Roulette and the exhilarating bonus game from the worldâs most popular live game show, Crazy Time.
Red Door Roulette was previously launched globally in 2023 and is set to hit the market first in New Jersey and Delaware, with other states soon to follow.
The fusion of these two popular live game shows elevates the gameplay to new heights with multiple diverse game rounds. In the introductory slot round, players can acquire up to 15 bonus numbers with keys with the hopes of entering the iconic Crazy Time bonus game, where the gigantic virtual wheel awaits with guaranteed multiplier rewards.
The anticipated US launch is a welcome addition to Evolutionâs game show portfolio in North America and is another step in supporting the companyâs growth strategy for live online casino gaming.
Jacob Claesson, Chief Executive Officer Evolution North America, said: âWe are incredibly excited to officially launch Red Door Roulette in the US. Our game shows are an excellent introduction for new players to live dealer gaming, and following the gameâs success internationally, we look forward to seeing how players in New Jersey and Delaware embrace this unique game. This is just the first phase of our tremendous live game roadmap for 2025, with a wide variety of new games coming soon to all regulated states.â
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Fanatics Sportsbook Partners with New York Racing Team

New York Racing Team announced a partnership with Fanatics Sportsbook to become the primary sponsor of the teamâs No. 44 Chevrolet, driven by star driver J.J. Yeley for two of the NASCAR Cup Seriesâ most prestigious races – the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway and the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway.
The Fanatics Sportsbook No. 44 Chevrolet will take to the track – first in Music City on Sunday, June 1 and next in The Valley on Sunday, November 2 – decked in the companyâs signature Lava Red and Black paint scheme and adorned with the Fanatics Sportsbook logo on the hood and sides of the car. Itâs only fitting that Fanatics Sportsbook will grace the car for the first time in Tennessee, as the state was the first to experience the sportsbook upon its launch in 2023.
In celebration of this partnership, Fanatics Sportsbook will have exclusive new customer offers for the Nashville and Phoenix races, along with expanded NASCAR betting capabilities, such as race parlays, to finish on the podium, exacta and trifecta betting. Fanatics Sportsbook will also offer unique JJ Yeley specials and live betting markets on Raceday.
According to Fanatics Sportsbook, Yeley is +800 to have a Top 10 Finish at Nashville Superspeedway and customers will also be able to place wagers on J.J. Yeleyâs Starting Grid Position, Chevrolet-specific placement, first lap results, and much more. NASCAR fans can download the Fanatics Sportsbook app on iOS and Android and begin their Fanatics betting experience.
âWe are proud to partner with John Cohen and the New York Racing Team. The partnership with New York Racing Team is an incredible branding opportunity and an inflection point for us as we continue to build the fastest growing sportsbook in America. We are going to develop exclusive content for NASCAR fans and curate an elevated experience for our customers at each race that only a brand like Fanatics can offer. Our employees and customers canât wait to cheer on the No. 44 Fanatics Sportsbook Chevrolet toward the checkered flag at Nashville Superspeedway and Phoenix Raceway,â said Selena Kalvaria, CMO of Fanatics Betting and Gaming.
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