The New Zealand lottery, Lotto NZ, has announced the appointment of global lottery firm Scientific Games as partner to upgrade the systems that support its MyLotto and Lotto NZ instore technology.
The project, which Lotto NZ is calling the EDGE Programme (Experience Driven Gaming Engine), will see the New Zealand national lottery replace its interactive system supporting MyLotto and its core gaming system, which includes the platforms and retail point-of-sale technology supporting its network of around 1,200 retail stores across New Zealand.
In a statement, Lotto NZ said it has seen a big shift towards digital over the past three years, with online play now making up around 46% of total sales.
“This is the right time to invest in a fit-for-purpose system that will set us up for the future, support omnichannel growth, and provide New Zealanders the world’s best and safest customer experience,” said CEO Chris Lyman.
Scientific Games’ next generation technology will support Lotto NZ’s focus on socially responsible growth and help move the business towards a more integrated and personalised player experience across its digital channels, the company explained.
Using a modular solution, the technology aims to ensure a robust back end that can meet the predicted increase in digital demand over the next decade and allow for new features and enhancements to be seamlessly added as technology, game designs and game controls evolve.
Lyman said the technology supporting Lotto NZ’s current gaming system has been in place for around 20 years and no longer supports the company’s vision in an increasingly competitive and digital market.
“We are excited about the future of digital, but we also have our roots in a strong technology-based retail network that we will continue to support, initially with an upgrade of our retail terminals and down the track with a programme of instore modernisation and omnichannel opportunities,” Lyman said.
“We see Scientific Games’ demonstrated innovation and leadership in developing quality, socially responsible gaming technology as a great match for us. We’re confident of a collaborative and successful partnership in the years to come and are excited about getting this programme of work started.”
