27 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MARCH/APRIL 2026 The Digital Extension of Retail Against this backdrop, lotteries should not view retail as a declining channel. Instead, the goal is to extend it into a digital space, for the convenience of players. This is why Aristocrat Interactive’s work with lotteries increasingly starts by charting the whole customer journey. Sabbag walks us through the journey. At the core is a player account system that seamlessly manages registration and KYC, deposits and withdrawals, risk checks, and permissions, so that players can get to their entertainment more conveniently and more responsibly. The Aristocrat Interactive platform also integrates cards, bank links, and digital wallets so that players can access games safely and easily. Through this same platform, retail and digital are meaningfully connected, allowing players to move between channels while reinforcing the lottery’s physical presence in communities. Sabbag points to remote ticket cashing as a pivotal proof point. “If a player won a meaningful amount on a paper ticket, they had to drive, sometimes for hours, to a claim center,” he explains. “Now, for eligible tiers, players can complete the entire claim in-app. We verify identity, handle tax forms, and release funds quickly and securely. That single capability improves player satisfaction and reduces operational friction.” It also underscores a broader truth: when you respect a player’s time, trust grows. Sabbag describes three product priorities that state and provincial lotteries consistently request—and that Aristocrat Interactive’s roadmap is designed to deliver: 1. Frictionless account & payments. Players expect to register, verify, and fund an account in minutes. They also would like the option to withdraw funds securely without long delays. “We’ve poured years into automating claims securely and responsibly,” Sabbag says. “The aim is simple: keep it safe, make it fast.” 2. True omnichannel features. These include giving players the ability to add to their online balance at retail, cash out online wins in-store, register with retailer assistance, scan tickets to enter promotions, play crossover titles in both paper and digital formats, and cash tickets remotely. Together, these capabilities connect retail and digital into one unified experience. 3. Continuous innovation, not one-anddone. “For us, a contract signing is the starting line,” Sabbag said. “Aristocrat Interactive does not treat an agreement with a lottery as simply a list of deliverables. Instead, it is a collaboration that requires continuous innovation.” In fact, Aristocrat Interactive works closely with lotteries to release meaningful upgrades on a predictable and safe cadence. The Play-style Evolution: From Digital Scratch to Deeply Gamified eInstants If changes in lifestyle explain why players move across digital and retail channels, evolving play styles explain what keeps them engaged once they arrive online, and what encourages them to return to retail. According to Marmorstein, the evolution of eInstant games over the past decade reflects a simple but critical shift: players now expect eInstant lottery games to be entertaining digital experiences, not just digitized versions of paper tickets. When eInstants first appeared in North America around 12 years ago, early titles closely mirrored retail scratch cards with flat visuals, basic reveal mechanics, and limited bonus interaction. These designs emphasized familiarity at a time when digital lottery was still new, and trust was paramount. As players became more accustomed to engaging with mobile games, streaming platforms, and other interactive digital entertainment, expectations changed. Marmorstein identifies three key inflection points in this evolution. 1. Introduction of Multiticket (2015). By resolving multiple low-cost tickets within a single play, developers improved pacing, reduced repetitive interaction, and accelerated access to bonus moments. Player response was immediate and positive, with multiticket formats quickly outperforming single-ticket designs. 2. Rise of Cascade and Cluster-based Match-3 (2019). These games incorporated richer math models, cascading symbols, multipliers, and layered bonus features, creating far greater variety across play sessions. Importantly, players could experience multiple rounds without seeing the same outcomes repeatedly. This format quickly surpassed earlier designs due to its engaging mix of gameplay elements. 3. Progressive Jackpots (2021). The most recent evolution builds that success through jackpot-augmented cascade games, which integrate progressive or pooled jackpots directly into familiar mechanics. This enhancement extends engagement for players. As Marmorstein emphasizes, the takeaway is to apply proven digital design principles such as pace, polish, clarity, and variety within lottery’s distinct, regulated framework. “Players respond to experiences that feel dynamic, polished, and rewarding,” he explains, “but they still want the structure, transparency, and trust that comes with lottery.” The most successful eInstants balance that equation: they borrow proven design principles from the wider digital entertainment ecosystem (like pacing, visual feedback, and variety) without importing gambling mechanics that are inconsistent with lottery’s public-interest mandates. In this way, play-style innovation becomes a pillar of modernization alongside product infrastructure and marketing strategy, supporting sustainable growth without compromising the values that define the lottery category. Conclusion Lottery isn’t choosing between physical counters and pixels on a screen. It’s choosing how to connect them responsibly, so the experience makes sense and is safe to players who live hybrid lives. The lotteries that succtoeed will be those that build continuous learning loops across products, games, and marketing. These loops must be grounded in data, executed with creative excellence, and governed by responsible gaming principles. From remote cashing to eInstants to digital marketing innovations, the future lies in an omnichannel strategy that respects the tradition of retail while embracing the realities of how some people prefer to play now. n Sources: Online Lottery Engagement, Aristocrat Interactive – September 2025 (n=1,000) iLottery Market Study, Aristocrat Interactive – January 2026 (n=1,008)
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