The opportunities for modern day lottery products are being investigated and taken aboard by many across the industry, with growth across a number of markets worldwide.

One such organisation occupying a portion of this space is Helio Gaming, who are coming out of a busy first quarter and eyeing an equally as bustling rest of the year.

Recent deals saw Asian opportunities embraced before Risq recruited the firm to drive its jackpot offering. Richard Mifsud, Helio’s CEO, spoke to SBC News about a variety of issues, starting with a quick update on how the vertical has changed in recent times:

“For many years, lottery was seen as the ugly duckling of the gambling world, particularly when it came to innovation,” he said. “Despite being a huge industry, and probably the most common form of wagering on the planet, it was beginning to wither on the vine.

“It was concentrated in the hands of very few, often state-run, operators, and primarily retail-focused, with an ageing demographic. Whilst other sectors embraced online, and mobile in particular, it wasn’t really making that transition. In truth, this was mostly because the majority of lotteries were sitting in a very comfortable and protected position as state monopolies.

“The advent of betting on lotteries has really shaken that up. There is a new-found desire to reach out to a newer, younger demographic with an improved product that chimes with modern consumer habits, and is far more relevant to today’s casual gambler.”

We are hopeful that this product will have a similar effect to what live dealer had to casino”

With this wave of demand currently enjoyed, Mifsud moved on to address how Helio evolves its product to suit the changing landscape. He added: “Players want far more regularity and accessibility when it comes to lottery, just like they get through other gaming verticals such as sportsbook and casino.

“The days of waiting for a weekly draw are well and truly over. We have a number of different lottery draws available in the Hero family of games, and our betting on international lotteries is very popular.

“We will shortly add a new dimension by broadcasting live lottery draws from our studios here in Malta that bring a unique interactive and visual excitement to the process. It is probably too early to compare the two as equals, but we are hopeful that this product will have a similar effect to what live dealer had to casino.”

“The beauty of modern lottery products is that any operator can take advantage. State lotteries have been bolstering their offering with casino, but with a more nuanced and varied selection of lottery products they can engage their existing audience far more, as well as attracting new customers.

It is also a hugely attractive product to cross-sell to existing customers”

“But casino and sportsbooks can also set up their own lottery tab to attract new customers who might not ordinarily seek out their site. It is also a hugely attractive product to cross-sell to existing customers in between sports bets or casino sessions.”

Concluding, Mifsud gave a brief insight into where Helio sees, and is looking to embrace, further growth: “The simple answer is everywhere,” he said. “But I’d say that for us in particular, we’re looking at Asia and Africa. We were out in Manila last month attending various conferences and there was a lot of interest.

“We’ve also been very active in a number of different African companies. We already have clients live across the continent, but there are a number of other operators in countries who could really benefit from modern lottery products.”

To read the full interview with Richard Mifsud, click here.