32 / 76
32
// PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL // May/June 2016
gaming houses and four casinos in addition to a large network of
sports betting shops. The lottery represents less than 14% of the
overall gambling spend and yet in March 2015 a ban on lottery
advertising and the abolition of the Instant games category was
imposed, leaving MNL with one weekly Lotto draw. The im-
mediate impact of the advertising ban was a drop in lotto sales of
19% and a 37.5% reduction in the fund for good causes.
Lottotech’s response was one of resilience and creativity. Given
the overwhelming responsibility to its 12,000 shareholders, the
team responded immediately by “right-sizing” the operations and
developing alternative means of communicating relevant infor-
mation to its players.
The objective of the communication strategy is to keep Lot-
totech in the news on a weekly basis, ensuring that the jackpot
was a part of any story. A great emphasis was made on publicizing
CSR initiatives. Point of sale material is allowed, so Instant game
posters were replaced with 6th Anniversary messages thanking
players, and the responsible gambling campaign was revved up.
A major effort was introduced to create and grow the player data
base. An SMS service was introduced pushing the jackpot size,
emailers and winning numbers to subscribers. The Loterie Na-
tionale website had a makeover. In less than a year Lottotech ac-
quired 100,000 Facebook fans (adults). Depending on the post,
Lottotech is seen by 300,000 users weekly. Native communica-
tions was introduced on the most popular websites and the draw
was introduced on YouTube.
A Quick Response (QR) code is now on all tickets. This
month, a Lotto “app” MauLoto is being launched that will in-
clude a QR code scanner so that players can check their ticket
using a mobile device, locate the closest retailer, join a VIP club
and pick their lucky numbers. This development paves the way
for mobile transactions in the near future.
It has been a year since the “bans.” Lottotech is profitable, in
fact due to the restructuring, profits in the first quarter of 2016
are over 50% higher than the first quarter last year, albeit signifi-
cantly less than 2014.
The team discovered that Horace was right when he wrote “Ad-
versity has the effect of eliciting talents, which in prosperous cir-
cumstances would have lain dormant.”
Throughout this past year the Lottotech team was repeatedly
reminded that the strategic collaboration between Government
and regulated lotteries around the world did not happen over-
night. But, it did finally happen over the years through hard
work, continuous communication and education.
Eventually governments do come to the realization that it is
human nature to play and the activity is going to happen whether
it is regulated or not regulated, so safe regulated fun becomes
the best option. Of course, the commercial aspect of keeping
the money “at home” for good causes is a contributing factor as
well. A turning point that reinforced the need for collaboration
between government and gaming operators is the understanding
that corporate social responsibility (CSR) is more than a trendy
initiative. It has to be genuine, collaborative and effective. It has
to be part of the DNA of all gaming operators and stakeholders
in the industry.
The Mauritius National Lottery is only 7 years old. That is
how old most lotteries in Canada were when the weekly online
Lotto 6/49 was introduced. MNL is already ahead of the game!
While there remain a lot of challenges ahead for MNL, the
model of Government/Operator collaboration that exists in the
majority of mature gaming jurisdictions around the world is a
beacon of inspiration and proof of what is possible through resil-
ience and, most of all, patience. Lottotech has both.
■