West Virginia Lottery Announces Online Lottery Coming Soon

States in the US have been on their toes to incorporate an online lottery offering into their gaming systems. Only a few states have been able to see an end to it, with a handful of others still navigating the regulatory procedures to make it a reality.

North American iLottery supplier NeoPollard Interactive, which is jointly owned by Pollard Banknote Limited and NeoGames, announced a new contract to provide the West Virginia Lottery with a “turn-key iLottery system,” after a competitive procurement process, according to a news release.

What will NeoPollard bring to West Virginia?

This contract has been awarded for 10 years, with the possibility of renewal for an additional year after the initial expiration. Under this agreement, NeoPollard Interactive will deliver a comprehensive omnichannel Player Loyalty Program (PLP) to the West Virginia Lottery, along with a fully featured mobile application.

With this partnership, the West Virginia Lottery will use the following technological systems of NeoPollard:

NeoGames’s NeoSphere player account management system
Pollard Banknote’s playON® Player Engagement Platform
And central gaming system (CGS), NeoDraw

The West Virginia lottery will be granted access to NeoGames’ Game Studio portfolio, which includes various games. Pollard Banknotes will develop a mobile app with multiple features that allow players to:

Play online lottery games
Monitor ticket status
Participate in contests
Locate nearby retail lottery vendors
Accumulate and redeem loyalty points
Receive jackpot notifications
Access various lottery-related information

This integrated mobile app will both provide customer retention and increase engagement. Colin Hadden, vice president and general manager of NeoPollard Interactive, said in a West Virginia Lottery news release:

“NPi is delighted to celebrate this exciting partnership with the West Virginia Lottery. “We look forward to supporting the success of the West Virginia Lottery with an iLottery 360° Solution that powers several of the most successful iLottery programs in North America, including those in New Hampshire, Michigan, Virginia, North Carolina, and Alberta.”

John A. Myers, director of West Virginia Lottery, added: “The West Virginia Lottery provides vital support to our state’s education system, senior services, and tourism while operating with the highest standard of integrity and security.

As an industry leader in the iLottery space, we firmly believe that NPi will be an ideal partner to help launch iLottery in our state and responsibly increase our contribution to programs that benefit the citizens of West Virginia.”

West Virginia Lottery generates sales

In April 1985, the West Virginia Legislature passed the Lottery Act. Since the sale of its first lottery ticket on Jan. 9, 1986, when 1.5 million tickets were sold, the state has steadily increased its lottery sales and remained dedicated to providing lottery games in West Virginia, the release said.

Presently, the state’s lottery generates approximately $1.1 billion annually, with about $500 million allocated to community development programs, education, and tourism.

In addition to its charitable contributions, the lottery has awarded players approximately $3 billion in winnings since its inception.

While several states are still in the process of legalizing online lotteries, a select few states currently offer them, including: