A Big Ticket™ – But make it pop!
Pollard Banknote’s Big Ticket Pop-Ups™ are the latest, supersized addition to our print innovation portfolio, offering a novel take on the traditional instant ticket. With a unique foldable format, tickets transform into self-standing creations that bring to life a variety of shapes and themes.
British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) was the first to bring the innovation to market with Treasure Tree, part of its holiday 2021 portfolio. The game – which easily transforms into a holiday decoration – flew off the shelves, selling out within six weeks and receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from both players and retailers. By diversifying its instant ticket portfolio with a novel, innovative ticket format, BCLC maximized its entertainment value with a fresh new take on a holiday game.
A new take on a classic playstyle
Loterie Nationale (Belgium)’s Jeu 21 is a blackjack-style game that has been offered since 1993. While the game’s art has been consistently refreshed over the years, the Lottery decided the time was right for a complete makeover. The Lottery challenged Pollard Banknote to reimagine the ticket to offer a play experience that more closely resembled an actual blackjack game.
Pollard Banknote’s Flip Scratch™ print innovation, which combines the best features of scratch tickets and pull-tabs, provided an ideal solution. Players first pull a tab to reveal their cards on the underside of the tab. Then, they remove the scratch-off underneath the tab to reveal the dealer’s cards. With three hands to play, and a bonus card that offers an additional chance to form a winning hand, Flip Scratch™ has succeeded in creating a more authentic and entertaining play experience for Loterie Nationale players.
Changing it up at the $50 price point
The Texas Lottery was one of the first lotteries to introduce an instant ticket at the $50 price point fifteen years ago. Since then, the Lottery has expanded its $50 game selection, offering multiple games at any given time to appeal to different player segments.
One of its most recent $50 games, Casino Millions, was the Texas Lottery’s first $50 game to feature Scratch FXtra™, Pollard Banknote’s brilliant registered holograph innovation which creates a visually stunning game that is simply unmatched at retail. Casino Millions became the highest-selling $50 scratch ticket game in Lottery history based on sales through the first 10 weeks. The game also demonstrated that strategic enhancements can be a great way to maintain interest and drive sales at an established price point by heightening the game’s perceived value.
The Minnesota Lottery recently launched its fifth game at the $50 price point with the Pollard Banknote-printed Ca$h. The price point is a strong seller for the Lottery, but because it’s a niche player category, the shelf life of each $50 game can be longer than the average game, averaging up to two years. To ensure the game remains fresh throughout its extended time in market, the Lottery leverages colour scenes and colour pulsing features. Ca$h includes two colour scenes and its predecessor, 500X, featured four colour pulses, a clever application of simple print options to strategically extend appeal at retail.
Easing into digital play
Incorporating a digital play feature into an instant ticket is a great way to keep games fresh by offering players more play opportunities and more chances to win. Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC) has been offering its players instant tickets with a digital play component for several years. Its latest, Cash Blast, boasts a slots theme across the printed ticket and Pollard Banknote-developed xtraplayGAMES™ digital game.
The game begins and ends at retail: after purchasing the ticket at a lottery retailer, players remove the scratch-off to play the game and reveal a QR code. Scanning the QR code with a mobile device opens a browser window for convenient instant play without any sign-ups or downloads. With an unlockable bonus round and prize multiplier features, players are treated to a delightful digital play experience, returning to retail for prize redemption. WCLC typically sees over 45% of these tickets played online, a strong indication that players are enjoying the experience.
Whether it’s by imparting more value with a digital play component, enhancing a ticket with a dazzling print innovation, or revitalizing a longstanding game with a new format, subtle changes succeed in energizing instant ticket portfolios and boosting sales. We’re confident that these fresh ways to engage with lottery will be as welcomed by players as the changing of seasons from winter to spring.
