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Washington Adopts IGT-Driven Cashless Lottery Technology
By Shane Addinall Jul 29, 2021 TechnologyWashington Lottery makes strides towards becoming 100% cashless as it expands its agreement with lottery vending machine and systems provider International Game Technology (IGT).While the phrase “cash is king” is still as true today as it has ever been we are going through an unparalleled redefining of what 'cash' is. To our parents and grandparents, it was the literal coins and printed notes that they kept in their wallets, or even under the mattress. However, today we know that the power of cash is its buying power, not its material presence.
With the concerns of cross-contamination due to the contagious nature of the COVID-19 virus and the ease of shopping online from our computers and mobile devices, the world has begun a natural shift away from cold hard cash toward digital transacting.
The final piece of the puzzle was introduced by the explosion in the value of Bitcoin and the subsequent glut of interest this generated for cryptocurrencies and stable coins.
The Rise of Cashless Gambling
Online casino fans have been living in the future since the early days of the industry in the mid to late nineties. We deposit, claim bonuses, play our favourite casino games, and withdraw our winnings in a fully virtual environment, never setting foot in a land-based venue for any part of the experience.
One of the providers well-versed in this side of the business International Game Technology (IGT) is putting that knowledge to good use in the local lottery sector. The New York-listed company has extended its lottery partnership with Washington, allowing it to “deploy next-generation cashless lottery technology” for the state-run enterprise.
Marcus Glasper, Washington's Lottery Director, said:
"Washington's Lottery has relied on IGT's trusted partnership and forward-thinking expertise for more than 25 years. Within that time, IGT has helped us navigate the ever-evolving lottery landscape and provide us with innovative solutions to consistently engage new players. The addition of cashless functionality on self-service machines is another chapter in our development, and allows players to have a flexible, convenient and secure way to purchase their favourite lottery games."
This could mean a significant bump in lottery ticket sales from health conscience players who have avoided cash transactions up until this point, which is a win for Washington and for the local retail outlets housing these vending machines.
A Massive Undertaking
The scope of the agreement is immense given the fact that Washington's Lottery is worth close to a billion dollars annually and will require the retrofitting of more than 2000 lottery self-service vending machines across the state.
Jay Gendron, IGT Chief Operating Officer, Lottery, said:
"IGT has a deep understanding of the growth-driving products and solutions Washington's Lottery needs to help reach its business goals. Since our current contract began in 2016, we have worked closely with the Lottery to increase its annual lottery sales by 37 per cent, culminating in $950 million in total sales for the most recent fiscal year. We'll continue to support the Lottery in maximizing its funds toward good causes, including the Washington Opportunity Pathways Account which funds educational programs around the state, while delivering entertaining and responsible experiences for its players."
According to the official press briefing the project will see each of the IGT GameTouch 28, GameTouch 24 and GameTouch 20 self-service vending machines enabled to facilitate cashless transactions via debit cards.
As a standalone project this would be impressive, it becomes even more so when you consider that this agreement makes Washington the seventh state to implement IGT’s cashless lottery solution in only a few short years. This new deal will mean that approximately 75% of the total US lottery ticket sales are processed by IGT central systems.
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