39 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JULY/AUGUST 2025 Can you elaborate further on the scope and complexity? To give just a few examples: Our scope included host systems, retailer applications, self-service, hardware, play slips, digital media, mobile apps, iLottery and more. Our business analysts created the detailed software specifications documenting the system and game changes. Software developers designed and developed code in support of the changes, followed by stringent testing to ensure readiness for implementation. Our Integration engineers supported installations across the U.S. And members of our Project Management teams ensured meticulous attention to project planning. Can you break down the timeline of how the work unfolded prior to the launch on April 5th? Victoria Catt: The delivery program officially kicked off in November 2023, when we issued our letter of commitment to customers. At that stage, we defined strict milestones, keeping a tight focus on what was needed to support customers’ success. Our goal was to lay the groundwork through collaboration, trust-building, and clear communication. May of 2024 was a critical moment when the final game rules were approved by the Mega Millions group. We created a foundational team of our most experienced people, who considered the various system versions and customer rules, and built the plans for each customer project kick off. This baseline team developed the initial game specification and how we would manage every detail of the delivery. For example: How will we handle multi-draw? What does the new ticket look like with a multiplier now included? How does the reporting need to change? And other questions that were critical to outline for consistency across 26 states. These experts have a combined tenure with the company that adds up to centuries of experience. They have worked on most – if not all – of the lottery systems and fully understand not just the software but the industry as a whole. We also needed to update systems for the new game in the iLottery channel for four of the jurisdictions. This work encompassed five iLottery wagering apps, six convenience apps, and coordination with more than a dozen third parties. Establishing the baseline team optimized the use of our experts across the 26 delivery teams and, going into the customer acceptance testing phase, we had a defined commitment to high-quality software deliveries that exceeded the lotteries’ and players’ expectations. Execution mode began in September 2024, with each delivery team fully staffed and moving forward with precision under the formal structure we’d established. Customer engagement and change management were priorities. We had representatives participating in key customer committees such as Technology and In-Lane to offer guidance and support, and to share questions and answers across the delivery teams. Change control was also paramount, with every code or requirement change sent through the baseline team to be vetted, designed, and distributed. March 2025 marked the customer acceptance testing phase (or CAT), when the software was installed for customers’ final checks and verifications in a controlled, production-like environment. It was our ultimate dress rehearsal for the launch, during which cross-functional teams held daily triage meetings, tracked any defects, changes, or questions, and ensured they were acted upon quickly. How did you prepare for the go-live phase? Victoria Catt: The go-live planning began in parallel with the CAT to ensure that war rooms and support plans were established to accomplish a final check of certifications and other obligations. We designed the war rooms to facilitate rapid decision-making, problem-solving and communication, and reduce risk for this challenging implementation. Over several days during the week before go-live, we completed terminal updates for all 26 customers, downloading the software to more than 400,000 devices across the U.S. We tracked each jurisdiction closely, adjusting the download rates for
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