Public Gaming International Magazine January/February 2023

1. Ice Ink The subtle, frosty shimmer of Ice Ink is the perfect way to add pop to games for a premium player experience. The intriguing, crystalized color is an upgrade to fluorescent inks that can also refresh core games. While Ice Ink Pink is the favorite among 13 lotteries that launched a total of 17 Lady Luck-themed games, other colors have been a hit with families of games and games featuring scenes or pulses. The South Carolina Education Lottery launched the first official Ice Ink game, a three scene product that used three different Ice Ink colors. After 18 weeks, the My Million Dollar series sold at 101% with reorder and an index of 156. Since 2019, the Washington Lottery has used Ice Ink in Green, Orange, Pink and Gold to enhance their SLINGO and LOTERIA games. These games collectively have performed 9% better than other games in their price point categories. 2. Dimension Unique to the industry, the reflective shine of Dimension takes games to the next level with a subtle, dimensional luxury. Developed by Scientific Games UK teams in 2018 and launched internationally, this versatile game enhancement is coming to the U.S. in early 2023. A transparent holographic overlay allows the graphics below to shine through, creating a reflective effect For product managers, the start of the new year is one of potential. It’s traditionally the time to evaluate both fiscal year and calendar year performance and make any necessary adjustments based on how sales are tracking, and plan for success. It’s also the ideal time to explore instant scratch innovations and new game concepts to help further enhance the portfolio and keep players engaged year-round. Exciting inks, finishes, play styles and one-of-a-kind game enhancements sizzle at retail and entertain existing players and attract new customers. Building an instant game portfolio that resonates with players and generates profit takes know-how, and above all it takes a balance of art and science. “Players are looking for fun. They want that thrill of excitement. And that’s why Scientific Games tests every new innovation extensively with player research before presenting them to a lottery customer,” says Danielle Hodges, Director of Global Product Innovation & Development, who just won the company’s 2022 Innovator of the Year Award. Every price point, playstyle and product enhancement in an instant game portfolio is strategically planned by lottery product managers. At Scientific Games, data comes into play to make sure there’s just the right balance of products to deliver sales performance. “Data is key to how we make recommendations that grow our customer’s business and deliver unparalleled player experiences. We aren’t focused on simply reporting, we’re focused on generating value through insights, our advanced business analytics tools and data science,” explains Hodges. “While Scientific Games is known for game innovation, we have multiple teams and technologies across our business that support our innovative culture but make sure all new product development is as data-driven as possible.” That strategy has paid off, with the company currently partnering as the sole or primary provider to nine of the top 10-performing instant game lotteries in the world. 12 Strategic Product Enhancements “With millions of products competing for attention at retail and online, standing out becomes more challenging every year,” says Hodges. “For this reason, Strategic Product Enhancements have never been more important. As players adopt higher price points, a premium product is expected.” Since 2018, 51% of games in the $10 and higher price point categories produced by Scientific Games for U.S. lotteries had at least one Strategic Product Enhancement. These games generated more than 60% of retail sales across those price point categories. Delivering value in the entertainment experience brings players back to engage further and creates loyalty to the lottery’s brand. Here are 12 different ways to do it, only from Scientific Games.

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