Gambling in the USA

IGT Expands Partnership with Virginia Lottery via Six-Year Primary Scratcher Ticket Printing and Services Contract

Published

6 years ago

April 23, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes

International Game Technology announced that its subsidiary, IGT Global Solutions Corporation, signed a six-year contract with the Virginia Lottery to provide Scratcher tickets, strategic planning and services, following a competitive procurement. Under the agreement, IGT will become the primary vendor for instant ticket games for the first time in Virginia and will print, on average, 90 percent of the Lottery’s Scratcher tickets annually. The contract will run through June 30, 2026 and includes the option to extend for up to four additional years.

“Together with IGT’s industry expertise and innovative thinking, we will bring fresh game concepts to the Virginia Lottery’s Scratchers portfolio that will help us achieve our business goals,” said Kevin Hall, Virginia Lottery Executive Director. “We look forward to collaborating on games and initiatives that ultimately support our mission of generating revenue for Virginia’s K-12 public schools.”

“Since 2009, IGT’s printing business, unique same-store sales capabilities and provision of top-indexing games such as Crossword Tripler, Super Triple 7s, and IGT’s exclusive Super Ticket have contributed to the Virginia Lottery’s sales growth,” said Jay Gendron, IGT Chief Operating Officer, Lottery. “As the Lottery’s primary instant ticket vendor, we will print most of its Scratchers, allowing IGT to showcase more proprietary content, deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for players, and demonstrate our dedication to world-class customer service and quality.”

Under the terms of the contract, IGT will deliver a comprehensive range of instant ticket services to benefit the Virginia Lottery including portfolio planning, marketing insights, analytics, graphics support, and the production and printing of instant tickets. These services will foster the long-term success for the Lottery and deliver innovative content for players.

In addition to printing instant tickets and its related services, IGT has provided gaming equipment to the Virginia Lottery since 2000 and has been warehousing and distributing instant tickets for the Lottery since 2004. In 2007, the partnership expanded to include the Lottery’s primary gaming system.

About IGT:

IGT (NYSE:IGT) is the global leader in gaming. We deliver entertaining and responsible gaming experiences for players across all channels and regulated segments, from Gaming Machines and Lotteries to Sports Betting and Digital. Leveraging a wealth of compelling content, substantial investment in innovation, player insights, operational expertise, and leading-edge technology, our solutions deliver unrivaled gaming experiences that engage players and drive growth. We have a well-established local presence and relationships with governments and regulators in more than 100 countries around the world, and create value by adhering to the highest standards of service, integrity, and responsibility. IGT has approximately 12,000 employees. For more information, please visit www.igt.com.

SOURCE International Game Technology PLC

Activision Blizzard

BLAST Appoints Industry Veteran Steve Rossi as Senior Vice President of Brand Partnerships

Published

38 minutes ago

January 8, 2026

Wladimir P.

BLAST, a global leader in competitive entertainment, has officially announced the appointment of Steve Rossi as Senior Vice President of Brand Partnerships. Rossi joins the team at a pivotal moment, following a record-breaking 2025 that saw the company expand its footprint into New York City, Malta, and Mumbai.

With over 20 years of experience in strategic partnerships across sports, media, and gaming, Rossi is set to lead BLAST’s next phase of commercial evolution.

A Proven Leader in Global Commercial Strategy

Rossi’s career is defined by his ability to bridge the gap between iconic intellectual properties and Fortune 100 brands. His previous roles include senior leadership positions at:

Activision Blizzard: Where he was instrumental in the commercialization and global expansion of Activision Blizzard Esports.
National Football League (NFL): Driving integrated sponsorships across the NFL Network and digital platforms.
Univision Communications: Designing and activating media partnerships across live and linear platforms.
PlayVS: Focusing on the intersection of youth esports and brand engagement.

Based in the newly established New York office, Rossi will oversee BLAST’s global Sponsorship Sales and Partner Management & Activation.

Building on a Record-Breaking 2025

The appointment comes as BLAST continues to scale at an unprecedented rate. In 2025, the company delivered:

15 Arena Events staged across eight different countries.
Broadcasts in 30+ Languages reaching fans in over 100 territories.
Expanded Portfolio: Continued investment in top-tier titles including Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Rainbow Six, PUBG, Rocket League, Fortnite, and Brawl Stars.

“BLAST has built a truly premium proposition at the intersection of entertainment, gaming, sport and culture,” said Steve Rossi. “I’m excited to work with the team to build long-term, high-impact partnerships that deliver real value for brands, publishers and fans alike.”

A Strategic Vision for 2026

Leo Matlock, Chief Business Officer at BLAST, emphasized that Rossi’s leadership will be instrumental as the company evolves its partnership offerings. “Steve brings deep experience across esports, sport, media and entertainment. His ability to scale global commercial partnerships makes him the perfect fit for BLAST at this incredibly exciting time.”

As BLAST enters 2026, the focus remains on delivering fan-first experiences and commercially impactful collaborations that maintain BLAST’s position as a pioneer in the competitive gaming space.

Learn More

To stay updated on BLAST’s upcoming arena events and commercial ventures, visit the official BLAST website.

The post BLAST Appoints Industry Veteran Steve Rossi as Senior Vice President of Brand Partnerships appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Activision Blizzard

BLAST Appoints Steve Rossi as Senior Vice President of Brand Partnerships

Published

39 minutes ago

January 8, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

Rossi joins BLAST following senior commercial leadership roles at Activision Blizzard, the National Football League (NFL) and Univision Communications
He will drive BLAST’s next phase of commercial growth following a record-breaking 2025, which included global expansion and new offices in New York City, Malta and Mumbai

BLAST, one of the world’s leading esports and competitive entertainment companies, has appointed Steve Rossi as Senior Vice President of Brand Partnerships, strengthening its commercial leadership team as the business continues to scale globally.

Rossi brings more than 20 years of experience building high-impact strategic partnerships across complex IP rights, sponsorship, and media portfolios. A commercially driven executive and recognised relationship builder, he has led strategic revenue growth initiatives for some of the world’s most iconic brands and IP holders across sport, gaming and entertainment.

In his new role, Rossi will lead BLAST’s global commercial brand partnerships strategy, overseeing Sponsorship Sales and Partner Management & Activation globally. He will be responsible for driving revenue growth and long-term value creation through strategic brand partnerships, as BLAST continues to expand its premium live events, broadcast content and competitive entertainment formats worldwide.

Throughout his career, Rossi has held senior leadership roles at Activision Blizzard, the National Football League (NFL), and Univision Communications, where he helped design, sell, and activate integrated sponsorship and media partnerships across digital, linear, and live platforms. Most recently, he served in a senior partnerships role at PlayVS, operating at the intersection of competitive gaming, youth esports, and brand engagement.

Most notably, at Activision Blizzard, Rossi played a key role in the global expansion of Activision Blizzard Esports, supporting commercialization efforts by working closely with global brand partners, agencies, and regional sales teams across North America, EMEA, and APAC. Earlier in his career, he helped drive integrated sponsorships for the NFL across NFL Network and digital platforms, collaborating with Fortune 100 marketers and leading media agencies.

Based in New York, Rossi will lead BLAST’s global brand partnerships group, supporting the company’s continued growth across key international markets and working closely with publishers, partners, and internal teams to deliver commercially impactful, fan-first experiences and partnerships.

Steve Rossi, Senior Vice President, Brand Partnerships at BLAST, said: “BLAST has built a truly premium proposition at the intersection of entertainment, gaming, sport and culture. The team has established real global momentum, and the opportunity to build on that foundation and lead the next phase of global partnerships strategy at a company with such creative ambition and international scale was incredibly compelling. I’m excited to work with the team to build long-term, high-impact partnerships that deliver real value for brands, publishers and fans alike.”

Leo Matlock, Chief Business Officer at BLAST, added: “Steve brings deep experience across esports, sport, media and entertainment, combined with a proven ability to scale global commercial partnerships. As BLAST continues to grow its international footprint and evolve its partnership offering, Steve’s leadership will be instrumental in driving sustainable revenue growth and long-term value creation. The last 12 months have seen us expand globally while delivering record output in the process, Steve is joining BLAST at an incredibly exciting time.”

The appointment follows a record-breaking year for BLAST in 2025, with increased broadcast hours and more world-class arena events. The company staged 15 arena events across eight countries, broadcast to millions of fans across more than 100 territories and 30 languages, while expanding its global footprint with new offices and studios in key gaming and media hubs including Mumbai, New York City and Malta. Alongside continued investment in core esports titles such as Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Rainbow Six, PUBG, Rocket League, Fortnite and Brawl Stars.

The post BLAST Appoints Steve Rossi as Senior Vice President of Brand Partnerships appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

eInstants

Kansas Lottery Partners with IWG to Expand iLottery with Retail-Inspired eInstants

Published

11 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Wladimir P.

kansas-lottery-partners-with-iwg-to-expand-ilottery-with-retail-inspired-einstants

Kansas Lottery has officially selected Instant Win Gaming (IWG) as its primary partner for eInstant game content, marking a major expansion of the state’s digital lottery program. The agreement, announced on January 8, 2026, will see IWG supply its full portfolio of digital “scratch” games to Kansas players, building on the lottery’s successful iLottery launch in February 2025.

Strategic Milestone for Kansas iLottery

Kansas becomes the 33rd NASPL/WLA member lottery and the 9th in the U.S. to adopt IWG’s digital content. The partnership focuses on “digital transformation”—taking the mechanics players love from physical retail scratchers and reimagining them for the mobile screen.

Retail Synergy: IWG will develop games specifically inspired by Kansas’ top-performing retail tickets, ensuring familiarity for long-time players.
Constant Refresh: Using IWG’s InstantRGS (Remote Game Server), the Kansas Lottery will maintain a consistent roadmap of new titles to keep the digital lobby fresh.
Rapid Onboarding: IWG’s server is already integrated with the Pollard Catalyst platform, which powers the Kansas iLottery system, allowing for a seamless technical rollout.

The “Catalyst” for Growth

The Kansas Lottery’s iLottery program originally went live on February 13, 2025, achieving the record for the fastest full-featured implementation in U.S. history (just 10 months from scoping). By tapping IWG, the Lottery is shifting from its “Loyalty-First” phase into a high-growth “Content-First” phase.

“Their experience transforming retail scratch styles into successful digital formats made this partnership an easy decision,” said Stephen Durrell, Executive Director of the Kansas Lottery. “We’re excited for Kansas players to experience the depth and quality of IWG’s portfolio.”

Market Impact and Roadmap

Feature	Details
Partner	Instant Win Gaming (IWG)
Integration	Pollard Catalyst Cloud-Native Platform
Target Audience	235,000+ “PlayOn” Loyalty Members
Game Strategy	Retail-to-Digital “Scratcher” Mechanics
U.S. Context	9th U.S. State to deploy IWG eInstants

Jason Lisiecki, Executive Vice President at IWG, noted that the Kansas strategy aligns perfectly with IWG’s leadership in the North American space, focusing on scaling engagement through high-performing, proven mechanics.

The post Kansas Lottery Partners with IWG to Expand iLottery with Retail-Inspired eInstants appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.