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July/August 2014 • Public Gaming International
What does all this mean for lotteries? If you do not have a
robust mobile strategy, you risk missing out on opportunities
both to retain the customers you now have and to grow and
diversify your player base. Quite simply, mobile makes lottery
more convenient, especially for new and lapsed players. Even
if your lottery has no plans to sell games online, you can
immediately engage mobile consumers with a convenience
app, second chance promotions, play for fun games, and/or
traditional lottery games with mobile components.
MAKE THE MOST OF MOBILE WITH A
LOTTERY CONVENIENCE APP
New data (as of March 2014) from app analytics provider Flurry
found that users spend a whopping 2 hours and 42 minutes per
day on mobile devices, and that
all but 23 minutes of that time is
spent on mobile app (as opposed
to web) usage. This suggests that
consumers are opting for the
ease of use, security, and focus
that apps provide over larger,
diffused websites. Developing
a mobile app and promoting it
among your players can be vital
to furthering your business.
A convenience app gives your
customers an abundance of
lottery information – including
where to find their nearest Lottery retailer – right at their
fingertips. Valuable mobile app features include:
›
Jackpot amounts and alerts
›
Winning numbers
›
Lottery retailer locator
›
Digital playslip
›
Games to Go
›
Mobile ticket checker
›
How to play guides
›
Responsible Gaming information
ADD INTERACTIVITY TO
SECOND CHANCE DRAWINGS
Mobile devices and apps provide an excellent channel
for second chance drawings. For the New York Lottery’s
Bejeweled promotion, players simply use the Lottery’s mobile
app to scan the QR code on the back of their Bejeweled
ticket (a QR reader is embedded in the app) to be taken to a
responsive second chance site. The New York promotion also
Among U.S. Adults
0
25
50
75
100
Own a Smartphone
and/or Tablet
Might Consider
Purchasing Lottery
Online
12
63
31
72
35
82
33
Past-Week Lottery Players
Past-Month Lottery Players
Lapsed Players
Non-Players
Among Mobile Device Owners
25
50
75
100
Play Games on
Mobile Device
Play Games Multiple
Times per Day on
Mobile Device
31
60
39
71
34
87
60
62% OF SMARTPHONE USERS – AND 83% OF PAST-MONTH
LOTTERY PLAYERS – FIND THE IDEA OF A LOTTERY APP
“VERY APPEALING” OR “SOMEWHAT APPEALING”
