New equipment and gaming system marks first major upgrade to the lottery’s gaming system in two decades
The Ohio Lottery is set to begin a major upgrade to a new gaming system and state-of-the-art lottery equipment with technology partner Scientific Games.
It marks the first major upgrade to the lottery’s gaming system in two decades and aims to enhance the way retailers serve their customers.
The new gaming system will give players a more modern playing experience, including streamlined purchasing , flexible payment options, ADA responsive touch screens, and new KENO shows.
“Technology has changed immensely since the Lottery’s last gaming conversion in 2008, so we are proud to be able to upgrade the experience of playing the Ohio Lottery for our players and our retailer network,” said Ohio Lottery director Michelle Gillcrist.
Ohio Lottery retailers will receive new equipment and digital advertising displays, with the upgrade of the gaming system and deployment of all new terminals set to take several months to complete. This begins with the roll-out of new self-serve kiosks this month.
When the upgrade is complete, the Ohio Lottery will have replaced more than 12,000 retailer terminals and more than 9,000 pieces of self-serve equipment and associated ticket checkers, cashless pin pads, digital advertising displays.
The multifaceted process requires the tandem use of the old and new gaming systems, as technicians begin to bring new equipment online while retailers continue to offer lottery sales.
Most new self-serve kiosks placed in retail prior to spring 2027 will initially sell scratch-offs and accept cash only.
Customers can use all current payment options to purchase lottery games at the counter.
“We expect there will be minor disruptions as this is a complicated technology-driven process, but we have prepared carefully for the transformation with Scientific Games,” continued Gillcrist. “We are confident that once complete, our players will get the full experience of a system that is state-of-the-art and will continue to support our contribution to the education fund.”
Development of the new gaming system began in 2024, when Scientific Games was awarded the gaming system contract in a competitive bidding process.
Scientific Games will take over as the Ohio Lottery’s gaming vendor in spring 2027.