TAKING IN-LANE TO A NEW LEVEL:
INSTANTS AND SELF-SERVICE IN NEW
ZEALAND
Late in 2013, Lotto
New Zealand initiated
an in-lane program
with the Countdown
supermarket
chain.
Two things set the New
Zealandprogramapart.
First, Countdown’s in-
lane solution includes
not only draw games
through Quick Pick –”Dip” in New Zealand – cards at various
price points but also Instant Kiwi tickets at two price points
(NZ$3 and NZ$5). Second, the chain sells tickets from self-
service lanes as well as clerk-staffed lanes.
Tickets are sold through three different in-lane configurations.
Full lane units offer all tickets at all price points; Express lane
units offer draw game Dips and NZ$5 Instant Kiwi tickets; Self-
Service lanes sell draw game Dips only.
Countdown’s in-lane sale of instant tickets
is enabled by GTECH’s Accuinstants™ ticket- by-
ticket accounting system, a breakout design that resolves many
of the issues surrounding the management and sale of instant
lottery games. In the past, selling instant tickets in a multilane
environment was problematic, due to the special handling
and “out-of-system” accounting they required. Accuinstants
solves those concerns: Each instant ticket is activated, sold,
and accounted for individually at the time of sale, just like a
chain’s other products and draw game tickets.
In-lane sales of Kiwi Instants currently account for
approximately 6–7% of over-the-counter instant ticket sales,
which is expected togrow
to 10% in the coming
months. Awareness is
the biggest challenge for
instant ticket sales: since,
unlike for draw games,
there are no game cards,
shoppers may not be
fully aware that instant
games are now available.
(Instant tickets are stored
in a dispenser located
between two clerks, and tickets are scanned on sale for
activation.) Plans are underway to introduce higher price point
tickets to further drive instant in-lane growth.
Self-checkout supports sale of only draw games; Instant
Kiwi products are not offered for responsible gaming
considerations. Despite this, Self-Service lanes account for
20% of Countdown’s in-lane sales. Local surveys show that
players like buying lottery products at Self-Service lanes,
mainly because of the privacy offered with self-checkout.
The Lotto New Zealand implementation has been as great
success. The New Zealand Lotteries Commission reports
that the Countdown implementation “met all success
criteria including sales and positive customer experience.”
Countdown reports an 8% increase in lottery sales in stores
with the new system, compared to those with separate lottery
counters only, with no material issues identified and no
customer complaints received, and says, “Feedback was very
positive from customers in relation to not having to queue
twice.”
MAXIMUM SALES, MINIMUM RISK
With the right in-lane solution, based on lessons learned
and today’s advanced technology, Lotteries can have a fast,
convenient presence where players shop – in a cost-efficient
manner without high-risk modifications.
“AT ONE STORE, IN-LANE SALES REACHED 30% OF
TOTAL SALES SIMPLY BY IN-LANE CLERKS REGULARLY
REMINDING CUSTOMERS OF THE LOTTERY OFFERING.”
Michael Terp, Key Account Manager,
Danske Spil, Denmark
High visibility contributes to the success of Lotto
New Zealand’s in-lane program
Sample self-service checkout screen at Countdown,
New Zealand
36
Public Gaming International • July/August 2014
