EUROPEAN STATE LOTTERIES AND TOTO ASSOCIATION

Workshops
Kristiansen, Norsk Tipping, presented the
history of player cards in Norway and today
they have more than 2.1 million cards for
an adult population of only 3.6 million. The
new chip card gives a top secure identification,
allows cash free payment and connects
the punter with his or hers preferred banc
account. For Norsk Tipping, the database on
customer registered transactions, of course,
offer great value for CRM purposes.
In 2006, the Italian gaming markets were
re-regulated by the centre-left Prodi government
and Massimo Temperelli, Sisal, gave a
comprehensive overview of the markets after
the implementation of the new regulations.
The particularities of odds compiling on tennis
was explained by Croatian Danijel Svigir
and Marko Stokuca, Hrvatska Lutrija. Steen
Madsen, Danske Spil and Ronald van Beek,
De Lotto, outlined odds compiling on cycling
and a Nordic panel with Johan Elevant, Svenska
Spel, Jens Nielsen, Danske Spil and Niko
Marttinen, Veikkaus, gave an update on the
current live betting situation. Danske Spil
sell 56% of their live betting through retailers,
Svenska Spel only 12% whilst Veikkaus
do not at all offer it through retailers. A new
game concept build on LAE’s Quinigol was
presented by Juan Lopéz Martinez of the
Spanish LAE. Punters must predict the correct
score of 5 matches but could choose to
predict only one or two matches. LAE was
presently developing the game for the Spanish
market but they saw a potential multi-jurisdictional
formula which might appeal to
other lotteries.
“There is a future for Lotteries sports betting”,
said EL Legal Adviser Phillip Vlaemminck,
but competition and the ongoing legal challenges
make it difficult to predict how it will
look. The CEO of the Swedish Spelinstitutet,
Thomas Nilsson, shared his 20 years of experiences
working with research and treatment
of problem gambling. He strongly advised the
Lotteries to continue using new technology
not only to create new games but also to provide
tools for players to prevent them from
sliding into the problematic zone of spending
too much time and money on gaming.
Self-service and focus or follow
The final business session had four presentations
by the EL Premium and Semi-premium
partners. Panos Pournaras of the Intralot
partner Betting Company, Greece, saw
great potential in the retailer environment.
He suggested that self-service terminals and
monitoring screens with a multitude of panels
could enhance the sports betting punters’
experience. Wincor Nixdorf’s Markus Sauter
showed the multipurpose terminals they
used at the Manchester City arena and also
emphasized the benefits of self-service terminals.
From Scientific Games International,
Stefan Allmer, suggested that Lotteries
should not necessarily offer the same huge
variety in their sports betting offers as private
bookmakers but be more selective. The
CEO of GTECH’s Finsoft subsidiary, Predrag
Popovic, outlined how Lotteries could match
the private bookmakers. They could, among
others, outsource services like monitoring
and risk management, enhance their existing
strengths and “glocalise” i.e. offer the whole
range of products through all channels but
given a local flavour.
Three evenings – six Euro 2008 matches
– and live betting
The evenings were, of course, loaded with
the Euro 2008 football championships. During
the first evening, Svenska Spel’s Lennart
Nilsson and his colleagues organized a
live betting competition. Divided into eight
groups, the participants competed on who
could make the most of 1,000 monopoly
money betting at Svenska Spel’s live betting
equipment. Some had listened carefully to
the professional punter Dahlenmark’s advice
as the winning group more than doubled
their 1,000 fictive money. The second
evening, the hosting Lotteries Swisslos and
Loterie Romande hosted a great barbecue at
a beautifully located hotel up in the mountains
with a fantastic view over Lake Geneva
and the snow covered Alps. The last evening
featured public viewing on a gigantic screen
and a little mourning from the Lottery odds
compilers complaining about the evenings
costly football results.
Thanks to the EL General Secretary, Bernadette
Lobjois, and her colleagues for the
excellent organisation of the event. Also,
a warm thanks to the members of the EL
sports betting working group and its chair,
Jens Nielsen, Danske Spil, for having put
together a stimulating and very business
relevant programme. Finally, thanks to the
two hosting lotteries Swisslos and Loterie
Romande and to all the participants for
having created a rewarding and memorable
learning experience.
EL Moderator
Jean Moreau Jørgensen
29
P AN RAMA