30 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026 From board games and weekly game shows to video game consoles to first generation games on cell phones, games have been part of the backdrop for the next generation of players. Millennials are influencing how the most traditional gaming sector, the lottery, connects with its players. By looking closely at player demographics and motivations across various gaming verticals and comparing them to lottery audiences, Aristocrat Interactive uncovered insights that lotteries can leverage to remain relevant and stay competitive as the player expectations and the market evolves. Expanded Offering to Reach the Next Generation To understand how to win in the evolving competitive landscape, we must understand the market. Across the past two decades, gaming has progressed from being primarily brick-and-mortar to offering nearly every game-of-chance vertical online. Retail still drives the highest participation among U.S. adults, but the expansion of gaming has fueled 32% growth in U.S. regulated gaming gross revenue. Online gaming gross revenue, though still only about a fifth of total revenue, has risen by 700%. Who is driving this growth? Across lottery, casino, and sports betting, online participation is most common among adults 18-44, especially Millennials, and has a slightly higher male representation than traditional brickand-mortar lottery and casino players. But participation across channels isn’t mutually exclusive. These players often move between channels depending on their motivations play-styles, shopping habits, and life-styles. For lottery, retail remains the choice for its traditional routine and trust. However, evidence shows that barriers like lack of time, travel limitations, or not having cash, create more opportunities for digital play. This is where online channels step in to meet those player needs. FROM DABBERS TO DOWNLOADS: AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE EVOLVING PLAYER Tina Wolf, VP of Business Development, Aristocrat Interactive ICYMI: At the PGRI Fall Conference in Nashville, Tina shared new insights into the evolving gaming player—highlighting how this is reshaping today’s lottery players.
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