As some countries start to ease back on nationwide lockdowns and restrictions, many are being hit with an increase in cases, with some areas renewing stay at home orders. In this time of instability, Spinola Gaming CEO Ade Repcenko takes a look at the realities that Covid-19 made businesses face over the past few months, what the ‘new normal’ looks like for the lottery sector, and lessons learned that can help businesses prepare for what might be a second wave in the coming months.

What was the state of the lottery sector before the lockdown? How has it changed over the last few months?

Ade Repcenko, CEO of Spinola Gaming: The lottery sector traditionally operates through an extensive retail network, but had been taking a slow creep towards digital solutions over the past few years. Some lottery companies were exploring options to become more digitally focused in order to reach new global audiences and give their players the opportunity to purchase tickets on demand, wherever they may be. But this digital transformation was not being adopted as rapidly as other sectors, with some huge names in lottery shooting down any notion that lotteries should move online, and others such as some states in the U.S. not able to go online due to legal frameworks.

Covid-19 removed all player access to lottery’s established retail networks and forced companies to find digital solutions fast in order to find new ways of reaching their players, or risk not reaching them at all. Many were those who managed to make the switch, with others being forced to temporarily close and cease operations until restrictions were lifted.