Scratch Ticket Strategy: Instant Gratification or Long-Term Success?

Since the beginning of our partnership 30 years ago, the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) and IGT have been working hand-in-hand to drive results for sustainable future growth and introduce new games to meet player demand.

Jointly developed strategies for scratch games based on data and sales trends have led to numerous successful product launches, and Loteria is a prime example. Launched seven years ago as a custom-designed, non-licensed version of the traditional LoterÍa game, the game has since expanded into a full program of line extensions at five different price points. In fiscal year 2021, it accounted for 23% of the state’s total scratch ticket sales generating over $1.5 billion in sales.

In 2015, IGT proposed a new “unlicensed” Loteria ticket design for Texas creating an opportunity to cost-effectively expand the brand to more price points.  “The goal wasn’t to look for instant gratification, but to establish a long-term plan on how Loteria could become a remarkably source of sustained growth for the TLC,” said Walter Gaddy, Regional Sales Director, IGT. 

Meeting Player Demand Sustainably

After the launch of a $3 game met with sales success, IGT offered a new design at the $5 price point with a different color treatment, a larger top prize, and more chances to win. Each year after, IGT’s Lakeland instant ticket design team collaborated closely with the TLC to create and introduce a new price point.  Each new price point included different elements and play features to ensure it had a higher play value than the previous, as well as fresh colors and graphics to maintain a visual difference and increase player appeal.  

The most recent $50 price point -- launched in October 2020 -- has contributed over $400 million in sales in its first year in market.

IGT is the exclusive printer for the Loteria games in Texas and continues to offer an agile printing operation to scale up and optimize print runs for this incredible family of games. Currently IGT prints 49 million $10 Loteria tickets per print run, a significant increase from previous versions of the game, to meet the high demand Texas players have for this scratch ticket.

IGT continues to deliver innovative and successful instant tickets for our lottery partners across the globe.  Success stories like these are a true testament to the collaborative nature of our industry, and an example of the talented, driven teams at our lottery partners and IGT – always looking to improve, and always planning for what’s next.  We will continue to provide an insider perspective on our partnerships right here on our blog.

Wondering what’s next for Loteria? Check back soon or follow us on LinkedIn to catch the latest news.