New Mexico has moved a step closer to running a new game that will be linked to the final outcome of different sports. This was done after the state’s Lottery Authority voted unanimously to move ahead with the plan.
The new game will adopt a parlay-like wager which requires players to correctly predict the outcomes of at least three sporting events in order to win.
While details of the game are still being worked out, Lottery CEO David Barden said the game will have a modern touch as the lottery aims to attract the millennial generation. This is the first time a state government is cashing in on a Supreme Court ruling which reversed a ban on sports betting outside of Nevada. Santa Ana Pueblo is the first tribe in the state to include sports betting in its offerings.
The new game will be made available at all Lottery retail outlets in New Mexico. This new sports game will generate $30 million in revenues annually and $9 million from these funds will go to the college assistance program funded by the lottery.
Intralot, which operates some of the Lottery’s numbers games like Roadrunner Cash and Powerball is being given the responsibility of running the new sports game. The firm is vastly experienced and also manages other sports games outside of the US. Intralot CEO Antonios Kerastaris stated that New Mexico was the first state to make such a move and it appears that Delaware is also working on something similar but will only make it available at selected locations.
NEW LOTTERY-SPORTS GAME
The new game is expected to not only bring in more revenue but will also attract more players due to its engaging format. The game will allow players to choose from a list of possible outcomes for certain sporting events. Possible outcomes could be as many as 25 and make things very interesting for the players. The menus from which players pick possible outcomes are designed by Intralot staff.
The total payout will constitute 58 percent of the total amount of wagers placed by players and winnings will not go beyond that. Kerastaris said the level of payout is guaranteed by limiting the number of possible outcomes as well as requiring players to choose all correct outcomes. However, the new sports game will likely face legal challenges with some lawmakers strongly opposing any gambling expansion.
https://www.legalgamblingandthelaw.com/news/new-mexico-lottery-gives-the-ok-to-new-sports-game/