Players of the Pennsylvania lottery may notice changes as soon as next year as the lottery has struck a new deal with vendors ahead of its anticipated 50th anniversary celebration on March 7, 2022.
The majority of the modernization will be to the lottery's software and systems. There are other changes players will notice that include new vending equipment and in-store digital signage. The plan also includes an update to the Pennsylvania Lottery app. When the lottery marks its anniversary next year, lottery officials promise 'exciting new things' for players but have not officially announced what those plans contain at this time.
The two vendors selected supply the lottery with its instant tickets, otherwise known as scratch-offs. Pollard Banknote Limited was picked as a secondary supplier. Scientific Games Corporation was selected as the primary as well as the vendor selected to provide lottery gaming system services. On October 27th, Scientific Games Corporation announced it had entered an agreement to sell its lottery business to Brookfield Business Partners L.P.
"Our partnership gives the Lottery access to our exclusive portfolio of unique and innovative products that can be leveraged to infuse further excitement and broaden the appeal of scratch-off games for new and existing players alike. We are confident that this will result in continued success by driving sales and maximizing profits that ultimately provide support to a very worthy beneficiary," said Doug Pollard, co-chief executive officer of Pollard Banknote.
Ewa Swope, a spokesperson for the PA Lottery, told FOX43 sales have stayed steady as the majority of PA Lottery retailers include essential businesses which stayed open throughout the pandemic.
"As the Pennsylvania Lottery approaches its 50th anniversary, we couldn't be more excited to start working with these business partners to reinvent the Lottery and position it for future growth," said PA Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko.
The agreement has a one-year implementation period.