Next era lottery game experience is exciting players, connecting retail and digital

The lottery industry’s leading game innovation company and Europe’s largest lottery have combined creative forces to bring to the market a next generation game experience that takes players from retail to digital and back again. And the twist? The journey is theirs to decide.

Scientific Games and La Française des Jeux’s innovative iDecide game enhancement debuted at the World Lottery Summit in Vancouver last fall, and requests for demos are keeping the two companies busy on both sides of the Atlantic.

“It’s creating a buzz. Everyone who’s played the demo version of iDecide gets really excited. Lottery product managers have been wowed during demonstrations of the unique play characteristics of this exciting new game concept,” says Harpreet Garcha, senior business development in Europe for Scientific Games.

The revolutionary new lottery game enhancement gives instant scratch card players the option to expand their winnings by continuing their play experience with an online digital game extension. The concept is a first for the global lottery industry.

Here’s how it works: Each instant scratch card game featuring iDecide has a QR code and a callout promoting the opportunity to continue playing. If a player wins on the physical card purchased at retail, they can decide to cash their winnings or invest all or a portion of their winnings in a digital game extension by scanning the QR code.

To increase winnings, the player must successfully advance through the digital part of the game. Advancement is determined by the decisions the player makes during the interactive experience.

The added excitement is the element of risk.

“iDecide provides players with a retail lottery experience and, if they so choose a digital lottery experience that allows them to risk their scratch game winnings and keep playing. And it’s all within the parameters that most lotteries operate within,” explains Garcha.

The game extension concept can be applied to any instant scratch card. The amount players can win in each game is determined by the lottery. FDJ has launched one €3 and three €5 games featuring the iDecide enhancement across its network of 30,000 retailers in France.

“This is one of the most unique concepts to ever be delivered to the lottery market. We presented recently to the heads of different departments at a major European lottery. They all played the €5 physical scratch and one of them won €50,” shares Garcha. “She decided to continue playing online with the digital game. Excitement built, and she ultimately chose to cash out with €100. This demo, which replicated a genuine player winning experience, delivered an enhanced level of player engagement and excitement.”

Scientific Games’ data analysts have been impressed with the success of the FDJ games - particularly the percentage of players who decide to continue playing with their winnings.

FDJ reports that approximately 60 per cent of players are opting to continue playing their physical game winnings in the online digital game extension. Testing with consumer groups was also conducted by Scientific Games.

“iDecide was strategically developed to connect physical and digital lottery play. There has never been anything like it. This is truly a next era game experience, and our players are truly enjoying the new concept,” said Xavier Etienne, executive vice president of technology and international for FDJ.

iDecide games are secure and maintain the integrity and pre-defined prize structure of the physical game. Digital player registration is not required. All purchases are made at retail and prize winnings from both the physical and digital parts of the game are redeemed at lottery retailers.

If the player wishes to end play with the physical game, any winnings may be redeemed instantly at retail. If the player decides to move to the digital game, the winnings will be automatically updated with the outcome of the digital extension when the player presents the physical scratch game to the retailer.

Scientific Games vice president of sales Jeremy Kyzer, who is working with iDecide in the US, adds: “iDecide provides lotteries an opportunity to offer their players a unique omnichannel play experience while keeping all purchases and cashing within retail.

"It’s a great way to further enhance the excitement of an instant game win by adding the option to continue their experience in a digital game extension for chances at higher prizes.”

iDecide is a trademark of Scientific Games, LLC.  © 2023 Scientific Games, LLC. All Rights Reserved.