Both currently hot topics in the industry, the Powerball® third draw and Double Play® add-on have been on fire since launching in August – driving player enthusiasm and fueling lottery sales growth.
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The August 2021 Powerball changes are part of MUSL’s ongoing effort to sustain player interest over time. We estimate that the addition of the third draw and the launch of Double Play, generated a 32% increase in Powerball sales, from a combination of +20% sales at jackpot parity, +4% from the 13 jurisdictions running Double Play, and the rest attributable to the acceleration of the jackpot growth.
Since the addition of the third draw, total overall Powerball sales have increased within the first few weeks of each series. In addition, out of 10 states who saw the highest sales percentage increase, 9 of them launched Double Play.
“From experience on other International and U.S. games, we believe Double Play will continue to gain playership in the jurisdictions where it has launched, encouraging more lotteries to consider it,” said Stefano Monterosso, Senior Vice President Global Lottery Product and Same Store Sales.
What about Double Play?
Powerball not only added an additional draw but highlighted the appeal of the $1 add-on, Double Play.
Double Play enters player’s already selected Powerball numbers into a second drawing for a chance to win additional prizes of up to $10 million cash. The play mechanics and winning categories are the same for Double Play and the base Powerball game, making it easy for players to understand.
Double Play is currently offered in 13 lottery jurisdictions, including the two lotteries that IGT directly operates, Indiana and New Jersey. To learn more about Double Play, contact your IGT account manager.