Category Archives: Lottery

Intralot taps into Microsoft Azure to enhance its digital ops

Lottery and gaming technology company Intralot has seen its ups and downs over the past couple of years and wants to iron out some of the rough spots. In order to do this, it believes a new partnership with Microsoft will provide the difference. The company announced a couple of days ago that it is going to begin to use Microsoft Azure to help it implement new business innovation strategies through better digital technology. 

With the help of the Azure cloud-based platform, Intralot looks to change the paradigm of how it currently conducts business. It is introducing new product lines, Lotos X and Intralot Orion, that will employ Azure’s power to increase their operational efficiency and help them receive quicker adaption in the gaming world. Lotos X is a product line designed for retail and Internet-based lotteries, while Orion targets the sports gambling segment by offering a cloud-based solution that can result in a shorter ramp-up period and immediate scalability. 

In teaming up with Microsoft, Intralot expects major changes to be introduced in order to help the company be able to respond quicker to the constantly evolving gaming space. Dr. Chris Dimitriadis, the CEO of Intralot Group, asserts, “We are delighted to partner with Microsoft as we accelerate the execution of our strategy in transforming the industries that we serve through digital technology. Lotos X and INTRALOT Orion are designed for building ecosystems around them, for rapidly achieving a diversified portfolio of gaming offerings, and for scaling to meet the new demand created by players and operators. Our products in Microsoft Azure open the way for an unlimited set of opportunities for gaming operators.”

The jump to cloud-based operations is not uncommon in the business world, and especially not in the iGaming segment. Where multiple regions and destinations are served by a single entity, using the cloud gives a huge advantage to ensure the operations run smoothly and consistently. Azure’s inherent scalability means easier adoption and fewer configuration requirements, allowing companies to transition with limited breaks in continuity. 

Lottoland goes 2-for-2 in legal lottery disputes in Australia

Lottoland has been in a lot’o trouble the past couple of years. The Gibraltar-based international betting platform has been the target of two separate lawsuits in Australia this year related to how it markets its products, and even faced scrutiny by the country’s Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) for allegations that it was gaming the system. However, it has been able to successfully defend itself each time, with the latest win coming by way of a decision to toss a complaint over AUD$238 million ($173.57 million) in alleged unpaid winnings. The court decided that the plaintiff should have done a better job reading the fine print. 

Lottoland’s major claim to fame is the use of international lottery numbers to develop a random lottery draw. It uses options such as the Powerball in the U.S. for its activity, but doesn’t allow players to make purchases of tickets for those specific lotteries – it’s all done after the fact. However, one individual missed that point and purchased a ticket for what she thought was the actual Powerball, not the THU Jackpot contest offered by Lottoland. When she was rejected of her claim of having won the massive prize of AUD$126 million ($91.91 million), she turned around and sued the operator, forcing the issue to go to court while arguing that the operator was deceiving the public. 

Australia’s Northern Territory Racing Commission (NTRC) then received a separate complaint by another individual, who essentially presented the same argument. He felt he had been cheated out of the $173.57 million prize due to shady marketing tactics by Lottoland and that he had been under the impression that he was purchasing an actual Powerball ticket, not the “U.S. Power” lottery ticket he actual purchased. 

The commission intently listened to both sides of the latest case before it drew its conclusion. Lottoland showed how it hadn’t used the word “Powerball” in any of its activity since 2016, well before the individuals had participated. When the hearing turned to the subject of using deceptive marketing tactics, Lottoland defended itself by pointing out that, in both instances, the Powerball lottery results had already been announced before the two complainants had bought their tickets. 

First-time lottery player wins $100K after dreaming about it the night before

Many lottery players have found that it pays to follow your gut or listen to the “voice” in your head, especially when it comes to you in the form of a dream. The premonition of one of North Carolina’s most recent lottery winners is as straightforward as they come, and it led to a $100,000 win.Winner Stories, Scratch Games, North Carolina, Mystical

Macau gaming regulator denies rumor of possible online lottery

There will never be a shortage of people who, for any number of reasons, spread false news and the ease with which stories can be propagated thanks to the Internet has only attracted even more. In many cases, the initial author of the piece didn’t both to do his or her homework, and it only takes a little push from there for the erroneous information to hit all the channels in just a matter of minutes. Lately, there has been talk about an online lottery coming to Macau, the Macau Mark Six lottery, but the news appears to have bypassed any attempt, if there were any, to verify its validity. According to Macau’s gambling regulator, the Macau Mark Six is simply balderdash. 

The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ, for its Portuguese acronym) was forced to issue a clarification last Friday after rumors started circulating last week that it was considering launching the Mark Six online lottery as a means to recuperate some of the millions of dollars lost because of COVID-19’s impact on the gambling industry. It reiterated the fact that Macau is not a fan of online gambling, at least for now, because of perceived risks and the lack of any solid regulations to govern the segment. Macau and the DICJ are currently working on a number of issues, and introducing regulations for new gambling activity is not a priority.

The DICJ explained in a statement on its website, “Any online casinos that operate on behalf of Macau, or any websites that claim to be exploiting the ‘Macau Mark Six’ game, are false and illegal. The Macau SAR Government has never authorized the exploitation of online games by any casino or concessionaire in Macau, and the Judiciary Police is investigating the matter.”

Hong Kong has a Mark Six lottery, provided and managed by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. It probably wouldn’t be a terrible idea for Macau to consider the option sometime in the near future, as Hong Kong’s version saw turnover of $658 million for the fiscal year that ended on June 30. The figure would have been higher if it hadn’t been for the coronavirus, and the turnover was down 39% compared to a year earlier. Still, it is apparently a solid win with consumers.