Scientific Games Corporation has congratulated its instant games partner the Ohio Lottery on reaching $2bn in scratch-off retail sales six weeks before the end of its 2020-21 fiscal year, marking a new record for the lottery after surpassing its previous peak of $1.87bn set last year.
In July 2019, the Buckeye State lottery partnered with Scientific Games to grow its $1.68bn scratch-off category and its proceeds to Ohio’s Lottery Profits Education Fund. In 2020, the lottery ranked 16th in the world for total instant game sales (La Fleur’s 2021 Almanac) and, currently, scratch-off games represent 53% of its revenues.
Ohio Lottery Commission Director Pat McDonald commented: “This record $2bn in Scratch-off sales is a testament to the scratch-off products we offer and the team’s ability to give players the entertaining games they want. In turn, we’re supporting our mission to generate more funds for the Lottery Profits Education Fund, and I’m proud of that.”
The Ohio Lottery joins more than 20 lotteries participating in the Scientific Games Enhanced Partnership (SGEP) program, which expanded the company’s services in the state to include analytics and insights, game development, portfolio management, inside sales, advanced logistics for warehousing and distribution, and retail optimisation.
John Schulz, Senior VP Instant Products for Scientific Games, added: “We congratulate the Ohio Lottery on its efforts to meet the goals set two years ago, and we applaud Commissioner McDonald on his vision that there was room to responsibly grow Scratch-off game sales to benefit Ohio students.
“Scratch-offs are vital to the Ohio Lottery’s future growth and we are delighted with the difference our recently expanded partnership is already making.”
Scientific Games’ support in the partnership includes providing services from its 65,000-square-foot facility near the lottery’s Cleveland headquarters. In addition to advanced predictive ordering and logistics technologies, the company’s Tel-Sell (inside sales) team serves the lottery’s 7,800 instant game retailers by keeping the state’s favourite games in stock.
Alongside scratch-off games, Scientific Games supplies the Ohio Lottery with licensed properties and its SCiQ retail modernisation technology.
