Page 48 - Public Gaming International September/October 2017

INTERVIEWS Daniel

PUBLIC GAMING CAGE

Founder & President, Linq3

Integration of Retail and Mobile:
The purchase transaction is at the brick and mortar store and
the customer experience is on the consumer’s mobile device.

Paul Jason: then the lottery play is displayed on your like Lottery. It could effectively carve out
What were the catalysts that caused you to mobile device. Plays are tracked virtually a high-profile position for Lottery within
pursue and implement this collaboration with and winnings are electronically paid. the existing infrastructure of the Retailers’
Blackhawk? Finally, the third concept focused on Loyalty apps. This Blackhawk collabora-
their market segmentation. The best retail- tion is an extension of our strategy to make
Daniel Cage:
ers invest in a digital relationship with their Lottery more accessible to the consumer, in
We began exploring ways to enable a fast and customers, and lottery should be no different. terms of POS and new payment and delivery
easy solution for Lottery to be purchased They are very interested in creating prod- options.
at the check-out lane of multi-state retail- ucts and experiences that appeal to a wide Blackhawk has been a great partner both
ers by seeking input from leadership at both range of their customers. Adding lottery at in the business process and the technology
grocery and big box retail. The input we checkout, in addition to customer service solution. We have a shared vision for how
received included three key concepts. First, and vending, does exactly that. the product can be optimized today but also
that embarking on an IT effort to enable a for how the industry and this product will
lottery solution was likely a non starter for What are the technological synergies between
large retailers. Their POS systems are linked the Blackhawk solution and the Linq3 PATP
to accounting, inventory management and solution?
other operational functions so change to
their systems is difficult and timelines are Daniel Cage:
protracted. This is further complicated The Blackhawk Solution uses the same
because some of the largest retailers have technological platform as is used by Play-
grown through acquisition and are running at-the-Pump (PATP). The way the Linq3
multiple POS systems. system generates numbers and communi- evolve together in the future. Blackhawk
We initiated discussions with Blackhawk cates with the Lottery infrastructure both invests a great deal of time and resources
in part because their existing gift card at the state level and with the gaming system into their relationships with their Retailers
program had required them to solve these is very similar to the way the Blackhawk and we are proud to bring this partnership
issues. The Blackhawk partnership created process works. The customer experience is to our Lottery clients.
a pre-integrated IT solution so there is no different because you’re at a check-out lane
IT work on the retailer side. The second rather than at the pump, but the technologi- How does the process work exactly?
concept retailers brought to our attention cal backbone that operates the systems are
was the importance of speed at check out. the same. So that’s the technological and Daniel Cage:
They did not want the consumer to make operational synergy. The purchase transaction is incredibly easy.
decisions or ‘play’ the lottery at check-out. Perhaps the more compelling synergy is It’s essentially three steps.
They are very focused on efficiency and a on the customer-facing side. Applying a
great customer experience. The Lottery digital strategy to integrate multistate retail- 1. Lottery cards are displayed on
card is a simple purchase with no decision ers opens up the potential to include loyalty racks or POS stands at the check-out
making at the time of check out. The player programs to deliver meaningful benefits to lane or other high traffic areas of grocery
experience is great. The customer selects and the consumers. And it’s great and other large retail stores. The customer
purchases the lottery card like any gift card, for commercial operators and marketers selects the lottery game-card they would

48 // PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL // SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2017