Public Gaming International • September/October 2014
16
Monopoly has so many moving parts,
making it even more critical that the run-up
to launch be planned and executed well.
P. Otto:
Frankly, that has been done. This
project has been years in development. It
is extremely well thought-out. The steer-
ing committee, of which I’ve been a mem-
ber, has worked very hard on many of the
little details that make a big difference when
you’re launching a game of this magnitude.
Of course, we realize we do not have a crys-
tal ball that predicts every outcome, and
have even planned for that.
The exciting and invigorating thing about
Monopoly is that this is actually by far the
biggest launch the U.S. lottery industry has
ever had and it is being done from scratch:
brand new game, brand new everything.
Powerball (originally “Lotto*America”)
launched with just seven jurisdictions and
Mega Millions (originally the “Big Game”)
was launched with six states. The scale of
Monopoly is huge, and the entire project
epic. The number and variety of component
parts are exhilarating. Of course, there is the
TV Game Show which has never been done
on a scale like this, and that is incredibly ex-
citing. I think the selection of Billy Gardell
as the host is brilliant—he has a hit TV
show and is a very skilled entertainer. And
the game itself has more ways to play and
win than anything we have ever done. There
is a whole group of promotional elements
surrounding the game, along with a well-
orchestrated application of internet, social
media, and Mobile initiatives to engage the
consumer and augment the whole Monopoly
Millionaires’ Club player experience.
You are on the committee that is working
on the Mobile apps and social media strate-
gies, aren’t you?
P. Otto:
Yes, and it is truly a pleasure to
work with everyone to bring these concepts
to fruition. Think about the fact that there
are forty five jurisdictions and no two are
completely alike. So as we create all these
value-added components to the game, to the
promotional agenda, to the whole sphere
of player experience which includes a big
menu of Mobile, online, and social media
tools, we need to do it in ways that allow
each individual state to participate in the
way that fits within their regulatory con-
straints, their gaming culture, their whole
state-specific agenda. Of course it’s a chal-
lenge - but it is interesting, it’s fun, and it’s
getting done. It’s an exciting opportunity to
build a brand from the ground floor and try
to build into it all of the game-playing attri-
butes that today’s consumers expect.
Some of the great things you are doing
for Monopoly could have been applied to
Powerball or Mega Millions. But it must be
hard to tinker with an existing multi-billion
dollar franchise.
P. Otto:
From the outset, we knew we
wanted to integrate into Monopoly the entire
range of exciting game attributes, promo-
tional and consumer engagement strategies,
Mobile and web-based initiatives, etc. We
thought about all the things that the modern
consumer might want in a lottery playing ex-
perience. We knew from the start that not all
states would be able, or perhaps even want, to
do everything that was available to them. So
from the outset and to whatever extent possi-
ble, we designed the program to enable states
to participate in those aspects of the promo-
tional agenda that work for them, and not in
those that don’t work for them. We are able to
do that because we are building the game and
the entire apparatus that supports the game
from scratch. For instance, the internet re-
strictions in some states are very limiting and
that needs to be respected. There are some
states that have restrictions on the application
of Mobile even as a purely promotional me-
dium. Some states may have restrictions that
prohibit Second-Chance Draws. While all
of the participating states have agreed to the
basic operation of the game, they have some
flexibility in how they’ll use the internet and
mobile components.
Powerball and Mega Millions are es-
tablished brands, with established market
positions and legacy consumer expecta-
tions as to how they’re played, how they’re
promoted, and how they’re distributed. We
need to respect that legacy because consum-
ers are supporting those two brands to the
tune of $8 billion a year. And from a practi-
cal standpoint, it can be an arduous process
to change those games, but both groups are
working to be more agile and to respond
more quickly to consumers. And that is as it
should be. What we’re finding with Monop-
oly is that it’s much easier to overlay social
media, web-based promotions, TV game
shows, and other innovations to a game from
scratch than to experiment with the two big-
gest brands in the industry. So that’s what
we did. We created a cafeteria of options for
states to be as innovative as they want to be
with Monopoly Millionaires’ Club.
But aren’t you trying to develop a more
national approach to brand management and
advertising? That as opposed to Powerball
and Mega Millions where each state has con-
trol over the messaging and even the brand.
P. Otto:
States still retain autonomy with
Monopoly. That’s as it should be. But Mo-
nopoly has built into the cost structure of the
game a budget for advertising that will be
created and made available for states to use.
The advertising and promotional campaigns
are being done by the Creative Agency Da-
vid and Goliath. They produced the famous
“California Dreaming” commercial that won
so many of the Batchy awards for best TV
commercial last year. They have developed
a multi-faceted campaign which includes
TV commercials, but also a wide variety of
new media and innovative promotional cam-
paigns. And, yes, we do hope that as many
states as possible will work together towards
the goal of building a national brand, with
some measure of consistency that will be
the foundation for much deeper consumer
engagement, and increased sales. This is a
new game that will connect with consum-
ers in ways that no other game is doing. It
promises to bring in new consumer groups,
to appeal to a set of buyer motives and play
styles that are different from Powerball and
Mega Millions. Applying all the tools and
resources at our disposal to build a brand
that connects with a national consciousness,
a brand that reflects these ambitious objec-
tives, means working together and thinking
about the broader, national implications of
everything we do. Maximizing sales and
net funds to the beneficiaries of our in-state
beneficiaries is the goal. But thinking big,
building a national brand is the means to ac-
complishing it.
Media buys will continue to be done on
only at the state level?
P. Otto:
The TV Game Show is national,
and it’s the first national lottery TV game
show ever. We expect the impact of this on
Monopoly, and on consumer awareness of
lottery in general, to be transformative. It is
a collaborative effort, funded by the game
itself, and so is, in effect, a “national buy.”
The Monopoly TV Game Show will include
players from every Monopoly state lottery.
Other advertising and promotion relating
to Monopoly will be executed and funded
at the state lottery level—but states will be
able to use the national spot, so there will be
consistency. At this point there has not been
