New central gaming and retailer management systems support expanded draw game features across the Lottery’s 3,600 retail locations.

Scientific Games said a new suite of systems technology is now powering the Arizona Lottery’s statewide sales, including updates to its draw games portfolio. The rollout is based on Scientific Games’ Momentum ecosystem, incorporating a central gaming system and a retailer management system.

Arizona Lottery Executive Director Alec Thomson said the technology and game changes are intended to modernize operations and refresh the draw game lineup. “Our teams have been working hard behind the scenes with the Scientific Games teams, and we are thrilled to see this project come to life. The changes to our draw games will give our players bigger value, more ways to play and even more chances to win,” Thomson said. “Ultimately, the advanced technology ecosystem modernizes our operations and positions the Arizona Lottery for future growth.”

The Lottery’s draw game changes include an update to The Pick featuring an automatic multiplier on every play and an add-on called The Pick PLUS, the addition of a daily midday drawing for Pick 3, the launch of a new Pick 4 game with midday and evening drawings, and the addition of Powerball Double Play.

Scientific Games said it also upgraded its gem | suite software to support the expanded draw portfolio and to manage retailer licensing, communications and business intelligence across the Arizona Lottery’s network of 3,600 retailers. “As the Arizona Lottery’s systems technology partner since 2015, Scientific Games is focused on readying the Lottery for long-term sustainability through advanced systems and software, and exciting new products that engage players and drive proceeds to the good cause programs that benefit Arizonans,” said John Schulz, President, Americas & Global Instant Products.

Scientific Games has supplied products and services to the Arizona Lottery for 45 years, including Scratchers games and licensed brands, and supports the Lottery from a Phoenix location, according to the company.

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Committed to creating a vintage Vegas gaming experience, the Plaza Hotel & Casino has long been a home for Silver Strike slot machines that dispense specialty collector coins. Beginning this month, the Plaza’s Silver Strike machines will dispense new $20 silver-clad coins to winners betting $1.50.

As casino floors evolved over the years, Silver Strike slot machines became less prevalent as more high-tech machines were added. Now considered a historic game with a limited number of machines still in existence, Silver Strike has a growing and dedicated fan base, many of whom are loyal Plaza customers.

Due to their popularity, the Plaza refurbished two Silver Strike slot machines in 2020 and added two more in the years since. The machines resemble those of a bygone era, and now three of the machines will award winning players one of three newly designed $20 silver-clad collector coins. The fourth machine will continue to award the previous $10 Jonny Rockets and BINGO coins until it runs out and will then be filled with the new $20 coins.

The new coins feature one of three different motifs: a pack of Plaza playing cards encircled with the Plaza’s current tagline “The Place To Be Downtown;” a vintage Vegas scene with the Plaza logo and 1971 to celebrate the year the property opened; and the North Tower of the Plaza with a miner and the tagline “Where Vegas Began.”

Players can decide whether to keep the Plaza collector coin to win the complete set or cash it in, each with a value of $20.

“Offering a retro gaming experience and highly sought-after collector coins, Silver Strike has been immensely popular at the Plaza since we brought it back in 2020,” said Jonathan Jossel, CEO of the Plaza Hotel & Casino. “The new silver coins beautifully pay homage to the Plaza and its history, and no doubt will keep players excited to win so they can collect the set.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Visit https://tinyurl.com/2tvkkep3 to download high resolution photos of a Silver Strike machine and the new coins.

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The Esports World Cup 2026 officially kicked off in Paris, France, with a grand Opening Ceremony at La Seine Musicale, welcoming the world’s best players, leading esports Clubs, publishers, partners, creators and fans to the first international edition of the world’s largest esports and gaming event.

Combining music, cinematic storytelling, competition and Parisian culture, the ceremony marked the beginning of seven weeks of competition that will bring together more than 2,000 players, 200 clubs, and representatives from over 100 countries competing across 25 tournaments in 24 games for a record-breaking $75 million prize pool.

From the first moments of the show, the ceremony celebrated the journey that brings players to the Esports World Cup 2026 while introducing Paris as the host city for a new chapter in the competition’s history. Live performances from Aya Nakamura, Theodora, DJ Snake and Mosimann were woven throughout a production that combined orchestral music, dance, augmented reality, large-scale stage design and cinematic visuals to connect esports with the culture of its host city.

One of the defining moments of the evening saw the Esports World Cup Club Championship trophy revealed before representatives from the world’s leading esports Clubs took to the stage, signalling the start of the race to become the world’s best.

The evening opened with an esports-focused pre-show hosted by Doigby before transitioning into the Opening Ceremony, which was designed for both the live audience at La Seine Musicale and millions watching around the world. DJ Snake closed the global broadcast before continuing with an extended live performance, followed by a closing set from Mosimann for the audience in Paris.

“The Opening Ceremony is our welcome to the world – that our historic event is open,” said Mike McCabe, Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer at the Esports Foundation. “As we bring EWC 2026 to Paris for the first time, we wanted to celebrate the city through artists who have helped shape music and culture in France today. Aya Nakamura, DJ Snake, and Theodora each represent something different, but together they reflect the creativity and influence that make Paris such a special place to host this event.”

Known for building a sizable global following through her distinctive combination of R&B, Afrobeats, zouk, and contemporary French pop, Aya Nakamura showcased to the crowd a stunning performance that embodied the wide-reaching spirit of the Esports World Cup.

As France’s top export artist and a dominant force on the global music scene, multi-platinum superstar Aya Nakamura boasts over 9 billion streams and countless charts. She delivered a stunning performance of her global hit “Copines” that perfectly embodied the wide-reaching spirit of the Esports World Cup.

Emerging from the Paris underground electronic scene to working with the biggest names in music such as Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, and Pitbull, DJ Snake has evolved to become one of the pioneers of modern global record production.

France’s rising star Theodora, or ‘Miss Kitoko’ now, has emerged as one of the country’s breakout artists of a new generation. With millions of streams on her music, she blends rap, pop, and club music with the sensibilities of an always-online generation, harnessing a digital-native and fearless ambition that shines through her performances.

DJ, record producer, and live artist Mosimann is one of the hottest names in electronic music right now, and the Swiss-born French national delivered a thrilling closing set for the live crowd in Paris. His viral Dream Track series has seen over 280 million views worldwide and has evolved into a string of official releases and his own Dream Tour. With a debut residency in Ibiza this summer, along with sets at Tomorrowland later this month in Belgium, Mosimann brought an electrifying finish to the Opening Ceremony.

Throughout the ceremony, audiences also heard the EWC 2026 Orchestral Anthem, created in collaboration with 2WEI Music and Hollywood Scoring. Written as the musical identity of this year’s tournament, the anthem accompanies the journey of players and fans throughout the competition, from qualification to championship, and features throughout the Opening Ceremony and tournament broadcast.

With the opening ceremony now complete, the world’s attention now turns to the competition at the heart of the EWC. Fixtures featuring the world’s best players in the biggest competitive titles will unfold daily across multiple arenas throughout the French capital. Clubs compete for the ultimate prize in all of esports: the Esports World Cup Club Championship.

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