Latest News

The smart move: Embracing AI in Lottery

Published

6 years ago

September 17, 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes

With Covid-19 waking up the more traditional lottery operators in the industry to the benefits of offering tickets online, Ade Repcenko, CEO of Spinola Gaming, explains how the digitisation of lotteries can empower operators with a data-driven promotional strategy powered by cost-effective artificial intelligence (AI).

In the past few months, companies which were reluctant to embrace technology were put into a position where they needed to look into ways of reaching their customers digitally. The digital transformation which would have taken the lottery industry another 5 years has been sped up, as companies now realize the importance of being able to reach their players across virtual mediums.

Embracing technology is the difference between looking completely out of touch, or being ahead of the curve. It is vital, especially in today’s market, for lotteries to be accessible and available online using the latest technology, and taking a data and intelligence-led approach is key.

Digitisation brings with it a lot of data. Powerful, rich data that artificial intelligence (AI) can help aggregate, analyse and transform into relevant and understandable data sets that can be used to inform and give insight on players and their preferences.

Harnessing the power of AI in this way helps operators understand their players better and enhances their user experience through analysis and segmentation, creating a real-time personalised experience for each and every player.

Getting a unique and customized service is key to driving customer engagement, satisfaction and ultimate loyalty to the brand. AI-assisted targeted messaging could therefore be used for smarter ad and offer serving to current lottery players. This works by identifying valuable customers based on their ticket purchase habits, and showcasing offers that would be of particular appeal to them. Buy one get one free and other traditional lottery promotions do work, but taking on a personalised real-time digital promotion tactic has proven to work much better, generate a significant ROI, and keep more players active after large jackpots are won.

This has been shown by operators such as Camelot, who through a hyper-targeted campaign, offered every casual Mega Millions player of the Illinois Lottery a free line of Lotto when buying a line of Mega Millions. To be able to offer the promotion, Camelot needed to know a wealth of information to fuel their AI so that it understood players and responded with the right message or promotion at the right time. Thanks to using such a personalised strategy, the players who were offered a free line of Lotto in the hyper-targeted campaign were twice as likely to continue playing after the MegaMillions jackpot was won when compared to a control group, and the campaign delivered an ROI of $8.89 for every $1 invested by the Lottery.

Keeping players active long-term, even outside of huge jackpots is the target of every lottery. AI can help lottery providers achieve this by moving away from generic marketing tactics, and instead adopting a data-driven targeted approach. A prime example of this occurred after Camelot’s $400m Mega Millions Jackpot for the Illinois Lottery was won on June 9, 2020. Active online lottery players in Illinois promptly dropped 22 percent the following week, as is to be expected after a large jackpot is won, however, assisted by AI, the Lottery was able to double active players in the week following the Mega Millions Jackpot win. This specific campaign reportedly achieved an incremental sales rise of over $10 for every $1 invested for the operator.

The lottery market is anticipated to surpass $353.1 billion by 2026, and researchers say that within a few years most customer-brand interactions will be supported by AI technology in some way or other. There is a huge opportunity to use AI to find cost-effective long-term solutions which would support the ultimate growth of the lottery sector.

Latest News

Microgaming launches football games StrikerX and SoccerX aimed at acquisition

Published

59 minutes ago

July 14, 2026

Wladimir P.

microgaming-launches-football-games-strikerx-and-soccerx-aimed-at-acquisition

Crash and instant win formats target fast onboarding, mobile play and low-friction mechanics, with RTP and max win figures disclosed for SoccerX.

Microgaming has launched two football-themed games, StrikerX and SoccerX, positioning them as “gateway” titles designed to support player acquisition for operators.

The supplier said the releases are built around quick-result gameplay and low-friction entry, with mechanics intended to be easy to pick up. StrikerX is a Crash game, while SoccerX is an Instant Win title, with both designed for fast loading and mobile performance, according to the company.

SoccerX is built around a penalty shootout format where players pick a shot and attempt to beat the keeper while progressing up a prize ladder. Microgaming said the ladder can be cashed out at any point or pushed further. The company lists the game’s RTP at 96.00% and a top win potential of up to 12,500x, and says players can choose their own volatility.

StrikerX allows players to place up to two bets in a single round, using different strategies at the same time, while “dynamic game events” increase the multiplier as play progresses, according to Microgaming. Its Ultimate Shot feature triggers at 100x and introduces bonus multipliers ranging from x1 to x100, with win potential of up to 10,000x.

A Microgaming spokesperson said: “Acquisition is not just about visibility, it is about removing friction. With SoccerX and StrikerX, the aim was to create games that are quick to load, quick to understand and easy to get into, which makes them very effective at opening the door to a wider portfolio. Football gives both titles an immediate hook, but the bigger value is in having formats that can bring in new audiences and still give them a reason to stay.”

The post Microgaming launches football games StrikerX and SoccerX aimed at acquisition appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Conferences

Gaming in Germany Conference sets Nov 10, 2026 date in Berlin, names first speakers

Published

59 minutes ago

July 14, 2026

Wladimir P.

gaming-in-germany-conference-sets-nov-10,-2026-date-in-berlin,-names-first-speakers

The 2026 Gaming in Germany Conference will take place on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at the DoubleTree Hilton Ku’damm in Berlin. The organisers have also announced the first confirmed speakers for the annual regulated iGaming-focused event.

Conference topics will include the ongoing evaluation of the 2021 State Gambling Treaty (GlüStv 2021), the “current & future permissibility of new products” including prediction betting, sweepstakes and eSports betting, and the future of remaining gambling monopolies in Germany and Austria. The programme also flags market re-regulation in Austria and “strategies for countering offshore offerings and to #ReclaimTheMarket for licensed operators.”

Confirmed speakers listed by the organiser include a senior GGL representative, Dr. Damir Boehm (CEO, Tipwin), Dr. Christian Piska (Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Vienna), Dr. Joerg Hofmann (Senior Partner, Melchers Law Firm), Vasiliki Panousi (Regulatory Affairs Senior Manager, Kaizen), Josh Hodgson (COO, H2 Gambling Capital), and Mohamed Messaoudi (Director, Digital Vault Product, Trust & Sign, Docaposte), among others.

Gaming in Germany founder Willem van Oort said: “I am extremely pleased with this year’s speaker lineup. We are undeniably bringing an impressive amount of expertise to the stage – including, of course, a significant amount of business and regulatory experience. Since we will be discussing, among other things, the outcome of the evaluation of the GlüStv 2021 – something that is highly relevant to the entire sector – I am very glad about the amount of thought leadership that we have managed to bring together so far.”

The organiser said registration is open and issued a call for additional speakers, specifically seeking expertise on business topics including media and marketing, affiliation, compliance and operations.

The post Gaming in Germany Conference sets Nov 10, 2026 date in Berlin, names first speakers appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Latest News

Highlight Games’ platform clears Italy’s ADM collaudo certification

Published

10 hours ago

July 14, 2026

Wladimir P.

highlight-games’-platform-clears-italy’s-adm-collaudo-certification

Company plans to roll out SOCCERBET with LALIGA archive footage on its own platform in Italian retail after the World Cup.

Highlight Games Limited said its proprietary platform has passed Italy’s ADM collaudo process, the technical certification required for gaming platforms. The company announced the approval on 14 July 2026 from London.

Following the conclusion of the World Cup, Highlight said it will launch its Spanish SOCCERBET product featuring archive LALIGA footage on its own platform across Italian retail channels. The company added that operators will transfer to Highlight’s platform over the months that follow.

The supplier said the certification allows it to deliver its content via its own “zero-cost streaming technology” in Italy and gives it control over its product roadmap in what it called its most important market.

Steven Holmes, CEO, Highlight Games said: ‘This is a huge moment for Highlight as we bring our video-based technology stack to the Italian market and join a select few who are able to offer an officially ADM certified platform. Italy is where SOCCERBET has proven itself time and again and passing the ADM collaudo means we can now deliver that content on our own platform, with our zero-cost streaming solution, exactly as it was designed to be experienced.

‘Owning the technology end to end means we control our own roadmap, resulting in faster launches, smoother integrations for our operator partners and a richer experience for players. Our products consistently perform at the top of the market wherever they are live, and with our platform now officially certified in Italy, we have everything in place to build on that momentum.’

The post Highlight Games’ platform clears Italy’s ADM collaudo certification appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.