New Hampshire cancels interactive lottery plans
New Hampshire Lottery Commission abandons plans to launch online versions of its games on the grounds it would represent a "poor return on investment."
The New Hampshire Lottery Commission (NHLC) has abandoned plans to launch online versions of its games, on the grounds it would represent a “poor return on investment.”
Intralot, which last year acquired California-based software supplier CyberArts to better position itself to supply US state lotteries with egaming offerings as regulation allows, is currently online vendor on behalf of NHLC.
Lottery executive director Charles McIntyre told Associated Press that the commission had cancelled plans to launch PlayNowNH because the games would not be a sufficient revenue driver.
The proposed PlayNowNH site would have allowed state residents to stake US$100 in physical outlets on games including super slots, speed bingo and New Hampshire poker, then go online and play interactive forms of those games to find out if they had a winning ticket.
“It was my belief that the game would have produced modest revenue. In light of our other challenges at this time, it is clear that the resources needed to introduce and sustain a product like PlayNowNH would be a poor return on investment,” said McIntyre.
The abandonment of plans follows an earlier postponement of the games launch on 1 July, following protests from lawmakers on the basis their approval had not been sought.
The NHLC was promoting the interactive forms of the game as a way to attract a younger demographic to the state’s lottery products, by offering them a way to interact via computers and smart phones.
The US state’s lottery organisation said it will now refocus its efforts on increasing revenue from the state’s current games, particularly instant scratch tickets.
Scientific Games, which recently forged the SciPlay JV with Playtech, holds the instant ticket contract.
New York and Illinois are among the US states looking at adding cash-based wagering products such as poker and casino as soon as regulation allows.
Barney Frank’s federal bill to regulate egaming includes an amendment clarifying that state lotteries offering games via the internet on an intrastate basis would not be in violation of the 1961 Wire Act, and also that lotteries and their suppliers would not require a federal licence to do so.