Submission For: World Lottery Association RG Level 3 Certification Illinois State Lottery - May 1, 2013
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Submission For:
World Lottery Association
RG Level 3 Certification
Illinois State Lottery
May 1, 2013
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary 3
Level 2 Certification 5
Letters of Support 7
Responsible Gaming Organizational Chart 12
Research 15
Employee Training 22
Retailer Training 27
Game Design 31
Remote Gaming 36
Advertising and Marketing Communications 40
Player Education 45
Treatment Referral 50
Stakeholder Engagement 55
Measurement and Reporting 63
2
Executive Summary
3
May 1, 2013
To the Evaluation Committee,
It is with great pleasure that I submit the Illinois Lottery’s Application for Level 3 Certification in
Responsible Gaming to the World Lottery Association for your review. It has been an incredible year
of growth and opportunity for the Illinois lottery.
We have learned so much in the year since our Level 2 Application. We received very constructive
feedback from the WLA on our last application; from our retailers; through interaction with other lottery
organizations such as the Kentucky Lottery and Lottomatica; from our growing relationships with
problem gambling organizations; from treatment providers and from their clients, and so many others.
We have greater clarity on our role as part of a growing and diverse community engaged in the
challenge of providing fun and enjoyable games to our citizens in a responsible and ethical manner.
This process has been a great learning opportunity that will prove valuable throughout our journey to
Level 4 Certification and beyond.
We have undertaken many new Responsible Gaming initiatives and programs that I want to bring to
your attention:
Our employee training program was developed with an extraordinary amount of diverse input and
expertise. We are on the brink of implementing a program that had the benefit of two sets of focus
groups with frontline “first responders” to help us mold and refine our curriculum.
This year also brought our first-ever, fully integrated media campaign in support of 5 separate
Responsible Gaming messages. While we have integrated RG messages into our messaging before,
this year’s campaign marks a different and more defined approach to moving the message into the
market. We are anxious to evaluate this program and use its’ lessons to improve for next year.
Perhaps no new program holds more potential than the establishment of the Illinois Alliance on
Problem Gambling. Again, this is a new level of collaboration for our state. Lottery, casino, horse-
racing, and other gaming interests have joined with problem gambling and treatment experts to forge a
real partnership for a better, more coordinated responsible gaming efforts in Illinois.
In total, the Illinois Lottery has committed over $250,000 to Responsible Gaming this year. That’s a
major financial commitment for us but of greater importance is the amount of effort and cooperation
required to execute this year’s program. I sincerely hope our effort is apparent to the committee in this
application. As we did last year, we look forward to your feedback, and thank you for the opportunity to
share our program with you.
Sincerely,
Michael Jones
Superintendent, Illinois Lottery
4
Level 2 Certification
5
6
Letters of Support
7
8
March 21, 2013
To Whom it May Concern:
I’m writing this letter to describe our relationship with the Illinois Lottery over the
last two years. We have partnered with them on numerous occasions, and all of
them have addressed the issue of problem gambling or promoted cooperation
amongst interested participant in some way. Many of these events were made
possible by the support and leadership provided by the Illinois Lottery.
To list a few of these partnerships; the Illinois Lottery has been a Corporate Member
of the Illinois Council on Problem Gambling (ICPG) since 2012; they have sponsored
the Illinois Council on Problem Gambling Annual Training and Education Conference
in 2012 and 2013; they served on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Council in
2012; they are members of the ICPG Training and Education Committee; they
sponsored events for National Problem Gambling and Awareness Week in 2012 and
2013; and most recently promoted the formation of the Illinois Alliance on Problem
Gambling (IAPG). They not only provided leadership in its formation, but also
provided seed money for the Alliance to get started.
The work of the Alliance for Problem Gambling is unprecedented in the history of
the ICPG’s operations in Illinois. Thanks to the Illinois Lottery’s leadership the ICPG
has been able to bring all the interested parties to the table. This Alliance is one of
the more promising activities in our state to address the issue of problem gambling.
The Mission statement is:
“The Illinois Alliance is comprised of representatives of the gaming
industry, service providers, gambling regulators and others, who
share a common interest to educate on the potential dangers of
problem gambling, to prevent underage play, and to coordinate
resources and information to assist problem gamblers, their
families and the public.”
The Illinois Lottery has said and continues to demonstrate with their leadership and
funding, that a strong Council on Problem Gambling is needed in Illinois. They said;
“It’s good for problem gamblers and their families and overall good for the state of
Illinois.” We wouldn’t be as strong and successful Council without our partnerships
with them, and for that the Board of Directors of the Illinois Council on Problem
Gambling are pleased to write this letter.
Thank you,
Kenneth Wilson, President Bill Johnson, Administrator
Board of Directors ICPG
PO Box 19, Athens, IL 62613 – www.icpg.info - icpg1@aol.com
9
10
198 Ch de la Prucheraie, Rigaud, Quebec, CANADA, J0P 1P0
info@gamgard.com www.gamgard.com
March 14th, 2013
To Whom It May Concern:
GamRes was first approached by Illinois Lottery during September 2012, with
regard to potentially implementing GAM-GaRD, the responsible gambling tool
that highlights characteristics of games, that can negatively impact the behavior
of vulnerable players. Whilst considering GAM-GaRD, representatives of Illinois
Lottery engaged with GamRes to identify how the tool could be effectively
applied to their specific responsible gambling strategy. This process included a
webinar session whereby GAM-GaRD was demonstrated using current Illinois
Lottery games as examples.
Following the decision to utilize GAM-GaRD, several further teleconferences took
place between GamRes and Illinois Lottery, as well as numerous email question
and answer sessions to clarify exactly how GAM-GaRD should be utilized.
During the initiation stages of GAM-GaRD, Illinois Lottery worked closely with
GamRes to ensure that the tool was accurately applied and that the results were
correctly interpreted. This included sending GamRes detailed game parameters,
together with GAM-GaRD test results, in order to confirm that the process had
been correctly understood and implemented.
Understanding how and why some games may be riskier than others is a cutting
edge strategy for minimizing gambling related problems. We are thrilled that the
Illinois Lottery has become the first gaming company in the US to use GAM-
GaRD, and in doing so will be applying the latest evidence based research
findings to effectively and responsibly evaluate their games.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Richard Wood (GamRes CEO and Director of GAM-GaRD)
11Responsible Gaming
Organizational Chart
1213 13
14
Program Element #1
Research
15Seth Eisenberg, MD is Board Certified in General Psychiatry, Addiction
Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry with 30 years of
clinical experience, and now founder of an Internet recovery
management program and behavioral healthcare consultant. He is
experience providing medical leadership in State funded addiction
treatment system, private psychiatric hospitals, not for profit
community behavioral health agencies and in university medical
setting. He has spent many years as an experienced trainer including
fellowship-training director at Northwestern Medical School. He further
has expertise in the treatment of co-occurring disorders, mental health
Dr. Seth Eisenberg
diagnosis, integration of behavioral health and primary health care,
motivational interviewing, brief interventions, recovery oriented care
and problem gambling.
16Research
List the policy that supports your research program:
Illinois is one of the oldest and most established gaming environments; however, it has
been more than a decade since Illinois completed a prevalence study. While most lotteries
employ this type of research as a “baseline” for understanding for problem gaming
attitudes and behaviors within their jurisdiction, the Illinois Lottery is starting from a
significantly less-informed position.
To address this, we embarked on an aggressive two-part strategy to identify attitudes and
behaviors related to the Illinois Lottery among several audiences of interest. In addition,
the lottery will continue to rely on data from existing research vehicles to inform several of
the program areas in this plan. The new research includes:
• A quantitative survey of attitudes and behavior among young adults, lottery
consumers, and retailers.
• A qualitative exploration of responsible gaming from several perspectives including:
• community college students,
• problem gambling service providers,
• problem gambling program administrators,
• players who have self-excluded from lottery,
• individuals in treatment for problem gambling.
These ambitious projects are not intended to take the place of a prevalence study, but to
provide multiple perspectives from which the Illinois Lottery can develop programs and
communications to meet the needs of these diverse audiences.
In addition to the new research, ongoing consumer tracking is done to measure consumer
attitudes, including perceptions of lottery ethics and responsibility.
Titles of the persons responsible for implementing this program:
Research Management:
Mark Waskelo, Marketing Research Manager, Northstar Lottery Group
Dr. Seth Eisenberg, Project Manager, Illinois Lottery Responsible Gaming Research
17Quantitative Research:
Socratic Technologies: Amy Populorum, Vice President
Qualitative Research:
• Adler School of Professional Psychology: Dr. Catherine McNeilly, Lead Researcher
• Alder School of Professional Psychology: Dr. Joseph Troiani, Professor
Objectives for this program:
Quantitative research objectives:
• Quantify citizens’ attitudes toward the lottery and responsible gaming
• Explore behaviors relating to excessive and underage play, and to the
dissemination of relevant information to the public
• Understand expectations relative to the roles that should be played by the various
entities (e.g. the Lottery, Northstar, the retailer, service providers, etc.) in providing
responsible gaming information and support
Qualitative research objectives:
• Explore attitudes toward the Lottery and its responsible gaming activities
• Explore behaviors relating to excessive and underage play, and to the
dissemination of relevant information to the public
• Explore beliefs regarding the relative roles of the Lottery, the retailer, service
providers, and other entities in the provision of responsible gaming information and
support
18On-going research objectives:
• Maintain an ongoing database of measures relative to consumer attitudes toward
the lottery; including attitudes relating to responsible gaming
• Use selected flights of tracking research to measure the impact of lottery
responsible gaming marketing efforts on public awareness of responsible gaming
issues
Target Audiences:
All citizens of Illinois (as part of the tracking, but not exclusive of deeper investigation of
sub-groups as listed below)
• Young adults, early college-age
• Lottery players
• Lottery retailers
• Problem gambling service providers
• Problem gambling program administrators
• People who have self-excluded from lottery play
• People in treatment for gambling addiction
Tactics for achieving objectives:
Under the guidance of Dr. Eisenberg (whose profile is included within this section)
Requests for Bids were issued to research providers in Illinois for this first-of-its-kind
research on behalf of the Illinois Lottery. Through an evaluation and selection process,
Socratic Technologies was selected for the quantitative survey, and the Adler School of
Professional Psychology for the qualitative survey.
Socratic Technologies has developed a methodology, survey instrument, schedule and
budget to reach a sample goal of N = 100 for each cell of interest. In addition to a
statewide survey of retailer and young adults (20 year olds), the survey reached the
sample goal for each of the 6 Sales Regions of the Illinois Lottery. The schedule for the
implementation and reporting is provided below.
19Research (continued)
The Adler School of Professional Psychology has developed the methodology,
discussion guides, schedule and budget to field focus groups for each of the 5 audience
targets in each of the 6 Sales Regions of the Illinois Lottery. Some regions may not
have treatment providers, program administrators, or people who are self-excluded. All
regions will be sampled for young adults and retailers. The schedule for the
implementation and reporting is provided below.
Mark Waskelo, Northstar’s Marketing Research Manager oversees the fielding of
ongoing (weekly sample) tracking throughout the state of Illinois. Throughout the year,
measurement of consumer attitudes are monitored and reported to senior management.
At times when heighten marketing activities are occurring, additional questions or
sampling may aid the lottery in evaluating the effectiveness of alternative strategies and
use of resources.
20Research (continued)
The tracking survey is ongoing, with reports being made quarterly, or as specifically
requested.
Evaluation to Determine Program Success:
The quantitative study will produce baseline information about attitudes and behavior
that can be used to gauge the subsequent performance of programs developed toward
these target audiences. These measures will represent quantifiable standards where
none have previously existed for Illinois.
The quantitative study will provide statistical information that can be compared to other
lottery jurisdictions to help judge the relative needs of different audiences for services,
education and public information. Statistical validity and industry relevance will be an
important measure of this program.
The qualitative study will provide cross-validation to the quantitative study regarding
attitudes and behaviors. The quantitative study will be evaluated based on the insights
it provides and their relevance to the creation and evaluation of existing programs, and
the viability of proposed or potential programs.
The tracking research will be evaluated based on the consistent quality of the input
received. That is, are attitudes measurable within statistical reliability limits, and can
true comparisons over time be made.
The tracking research will also be analyzed to assess the capacity of various marketing
activities to produce measurable changes in consumer awareness and attitudes or to
indicate a deficiency if the activities fail to generate additional awareness.
21Program Element #2
Employee Training
22Employee Training
Employee Training Policy:
The Illinois Lottery believes that both understanding problem gambling and promoting
responsible gaming are essential for anyone who works in the lottery industry. While
some employees such as Lottery Sales Representatives, Tel-Sell Representatives, and
Northstar’s Business Development Associates work on the “front lines”. All employees
are part of the corporate culture of the Illinois Lottery. That culture influences every
decision the lottery makes, from products, to promotion, to security and accounting.
When each employee recognizes the importance of managing the Lottery in a way that
promotes responsibility, the Lottery itself is more responsible. In essence, the
employees are the Lottery.
We have spent the last several months intensively developing our own Responsible
Gaming training program. We drew upon materials previously developed by Bensinger,
DuPont and Associates (operators of 1-800-GAMBLER), as well as the vast experience
of GTECH Corporation and Lottomatica (a Level 4 Certified Lottery Operator). This
combination of experience has helped us create two training modules that all new and
existing Northstar and Illinois Lottery employees will be required to complete. Details
for training new hires and existing employees are provided below. In addition, 5
vignettes were created to raise awareness about Responsible Gaming to be sent to
each employee during National Problem Gambling Awareness Month in March 2013.
Titles of the persons responsible for implementing this program:
Victor Golden, Deputy Superintendent, Illinois Lottery
Christine McNerney, Human Resources Manager, Northstar Lottery Group
Melissa McKenna, Instructional Designer, GTECH Corporation
Training Program Objectives:
To educate all Illinois Lottery and Northstar employees about problem gambling; how to
identify it, and what resources are available to those who seek help.
To educate all Illinois Lottery and Northstar employees about responsible gaming; how
the lottery maximizes growth in an ethical and responsible manner, the lottery’s social
responsibility initiatives, how the lottery prevents underage play, and how the internet
test pilot will be developed in a socially responsible manner.
23Training Program Audiences::
All Illinois Lottery employees
All Northstar Lottery Group employees
Training Program Tactics to Achieve Objectives:
As part of National Problem Gambling Awareness Month, the Illinois Lottery
created 5 short vignettes to educate and heighten awareness for 110 employees
about Responsible Gaming. Individually, the vignettes focused on: eliminating
excessive Lottery play; preventing underage play; running successful lottery pools;
the lottery’s contribution to the common good; and the importance of signing the
back of instant tickets. The employee campaign ran from Monday March 4th
through Friday March 8th.
With regard to the employee training, the training modules have been tested with 2
sets of focus groups recruited from the National Response Center team in
Providence, Rhode Island. These front-line call center operatives receive calls from
consumers and retailers with problem gambling issues, and provided an excellent
source of input to the initial outline of the training. This was accomplished in the first
set of focus groups.
Once a test version of the training was developed, additional focus groups were
conducted to test the viability of the content and format of the training modules. By
using respondents who are heavily exposed to problem gambling issues, the lottery
was able to ensure a high level of relevance and content validity for the training.
Training screenshots and outlines are included in the Appendix to this document.
July 1, 2013 will begin a new fiscal year for the Illinois Lottery, and at that point, all
existing employees and new hires will be provided guidelines for completion of online
training via the newly created interactive training modules.
24Existing employees will be required to complete the online training within a prescribed
period as part of their ongoing, objectives-based performance evaluation program.
Employees who do not have access to the on-line capability will have the option of
receiving their training via PowerPoint.
An employee video was also produced during 2012 to emphasize the importance of
responsible gaming in the way the lottery is managed. This video is shown to all new
Northstar employees, and will be incorporated into ongoing Responsible Gaming
employee training going forward.
Additional training will be provided to sales team members at statewide sales
conferences as topics are raised that require specific response; such as the introduction
of new online or alternative gaming venues, etc.
Timelines:
The focus group testing with the National Response Center staff was completed in
October, 2012 for the input sessions, and in February, 2013 for the preliminary
evaluation of the training modules.
25Employee Training (continued)
The training modules will be available online to the Illinois Lottery and Northstar Lottery
Group employees by summer, 2013
The employee video is currently being shown to new Northstar new hires, and will
continue to be shown to all employees as part of ongoing Responsible Gaming training.
Training sessions with sales team members on ad hoc issues are ongoing. Regional
sales conferences are held semi-annually.
Evaluation for Employee Training Program Success:
New hires will be required to complete the training in a designated time after coming on
board. The employee will be required to sign into the training module, and take an
assessment after completing it.
Existing employees will be required to complete the training as part of their annual
performance evaluation. The required log in and assessment will confirm that all
existing employees complete the training within the allowed timeframe.
Employees will be given the opportunity to provide feedback regarding the effectiveness
and relevance of the training.
Problem gambling and responsible gaming are dynamic issues, with new challenges
arising with the changing landscape of gaming in Illinois. It is not the intent of the Illinois
Lottery that these training tools be static – rather that they be responsive to every new
gaming issue that our employees might face.
26Program Element #3
Retailer Training
27Retailer Training
Retailer Training Program Policy:
One of the most critical functions of the Lottery is to recruit, train and compensate an effective
retailer network. Retailers are the fingertips of the Lottery, touching consumers, our products,
the very dollars that support our beneficiaries and fund the lottery itself.
There are difficulties in providing Responsible Gaming training to retailers yet, it is one of the
most important aspects of lottery operations.
Retail staff (in fact, all Lottery staff) are uncomfortable with the idea of attempting to diagnose
problem gambling behavior, and equally uncomfortable with the idea of confronting their
customers with this type of judgment.
While a great deal of the training provided to retailers is geared toward helping them sell more
Lottery products, we must also ingrain responsible selling behavior into this group for the sake
of long-term social and economic benefits. Additionally, we must help them understand how to
respond when someone asks for help. Retailers generally recognize that having a problem
gambler in their store is undesirable– but the line between a core player and a problem
gambler can be a fine one for a store clerk to draw. Retail staffers need to be very secure as
to what to say and, only when asked.
The current Illinois Lottery retailer program includes Responsible Gaming elements that have
been added to “Raise Them Right”, the existing new retailer training curriculum. However,
through multiple interactions with Illinois Lottery retailers, more extensive Responsible Gaming
training is being explored. Retailers are also provided with up-to-date information on
Responsible Gaming topics through their monthly retailer newsletter.
Additionally, as a pilot program, the Illinois Lottery selected 500 of its top retailers throughout
the state and provided them with point-of-sale “palm cards” that discreetly provide important
information to assist players who seek help. (See attachments for example).
Finally, retailers are the focus of two independent research efforts designed to improve the
effectiveness of future retail training and support. The first element, already completed, was
an in-depth discussion on Responsible Gaming topics with selected retailers. The second,
described above in Action Item #1 – Research, is inclusive of retailers as a target for
information gathering via the quantitative research survey.
28Retailer Training (continued)
Team-Members and Titles of Those Responsible for Implementing Retailer
Training Program:
Sue Strouse, Vice President of Retail Business Development and Corporate
Accounts, Northstar Lottery Group
Julie Martin, Senior Director, Sales and Business Development, Northstar Lottery
Group
Kasia Cahill, Director, Retail Business Development, Northstar Lottery Group
Illinois Lottery Sales Representatives
Northstar Lottery Group Retail Specialists
Retailer Training Program Objectives:
To provide Responsible Gaming training to new retailers and existing retailers.
To ensure all retailers have a clear understanding of their role when interacting with
problem gamblers and the resources available to players if they seek assistance.
To provide all retailers with reminders about problem gambling and responsible gaming
topics throughout the year.
To increase the understanding of retail attitudes and perceptions about problem
gambling in Illinois.
Retailer Training Audience Targets:
All retailers and their employees who sell Illinois Lottery products
All Illinois Lottery and Northstar Lottery Group sales and sales support team members.
29Retailer Training (continued)
Tactics to Achieve Retailer Training Objectives:
Newly recruited lottery retailers are given extensive training as part of their licensing
process. Responsible Gaming is part of this curriculum and focuses on the following
topics:
• Excessive play prevention
• Underage play prevention
• Proper pool play procedures
• “Sign your ticket” training
• Information about proceeds going to the common good
An extensive research program is underway to provide guidance for the development of
a formal retailer training curriculum on Responsible Gaming. This research program
includes 2 independent elements:
• In January 2013, retailer focus groups were held to discuss topics in Responsible
Gaming and problem gambling. Input from these groups will inform future training,
and has already been used in the creation of quantitative research targeted to this
group.
• In the field at this writing is an extensive quantitative survey which includes retailers
among its target audiences. This survey will provide more numeric support to key
questions and issues coming from retailers regarding Responsible Gaming and
problem gambling.
The Illinois Lottery’s retailer newsletter is a critical communication vehicle between the
lottery and its retailers. The lottery uses this tool to communicate Responsible Gaming
messages(such as those pictured here in the attachments), and to reinforce responsible
management and sales practices throughout the retail network.
The Illinois Lottery also provides for its retailers a palm card that provides referral
information. As stated above, the lottery in no way endorses or encourages its retailers
to attempt to diagnose problem gambling. However, when assistance is sought, the
palm card provides a ready and discreet resource to help retail staff provide the most
useful resource information.
30Program Element #4
Game Design
31Game Design
Game Design Policies:
“Birthday Surprise: $150,000 a Year for 20 Years on the Winner’s Birthday” launched in
October 2012, is Illinois Lottery instant game number 858. This means that the lottery
has brought nearly 900 instant games to market in its existence. In addition, the Lottery
offers a full selection of drawing games (or draw games) including 3 jackpot games –
“Powerball”, “Mega Millions” and “Lotto”; a cash lotto style game – “Lucky Day Lotto”,
and 3 daily draw games – “My3”, “Pick 3” and “Pick 4”. While the names and brand
positioning of these games may vary from lottery to lottery, the essential games
themselves are nearly universal throughout the lottery industry.
Today, the Illinois Lottery does pre-launch research on game designs prior to
introducing new concepts into the market. Beyond what is provided by the vendors, this
testing has added further validation for those concepts game concepts that may stray
from the traditional offerings, or include a feature or offer that is new to Illinois
consumers.
The Illinois Lottery will continue to use these methods to ensure its games are
developed in a responsible manner. However, beginning in the fall of 2012, the Illinois
lottery added a layer of consumer protection that is unmatched among U.S. lotteries.
The Lottery signed an agreement with GAM-GaRD ( referred to as GG throughout this
section), the highly respected game evaluation company to evaluate each of its instant
and draw games. A full description of GAM-GaRD is provided below.
The Illinois Lottery also performs monthly analysis of 1-800-GAMBLER reports to
determine if any particular lottery game is generating problem gambling calls to the
hotline.
Titles of persons Game Design Responsibility:
Francesco Parola, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Northstar Lottery Group
Karen Harris, Director of Instant Category Business Development, Northstar Lottery
Group
32Game Design (continued)
Responsible Game Design Objectives:
To provide games to the citizens of Illinois which meet the highest standards of
Responsible Gaming.
To continue to demand the highest level of pre-emptive evaluation and consideration for
new games created or supplied by vendors.
To continue to use outside sources of validation for potential problems or issues related
to existing games.
Tactics for Achieving Game Design Objectives:
GAM-GaRD
The Illinois Lottery, through its private manager Northstar, has become the first United
States lottery to utilize GAM-GaRD. GAM-GaRD, which stands for “Gaming
Assessment Measure - Guidance about Responsible Design”, was developed in the
United Kingdom at the request of Camelot, the operating company for the UK Lottery, in
cooperation with a group of 20 expert responsible gaming researchers and clinicians
from the United States, Canada, Australia and Germany. The idea was to create a tool
that Camelot, and eventually other lotteries, could use to evaluate the potential problem
gambling risk of lottery games before they come to market.
This proprietary tool evaluates games based on input provided by the lottery. It
considers the structural and situational characteristics of the game that influence how
the game is perceived and played by consumers. Structural factors include winning
frequency, size of prizes, payout, and others. Situational characteristics include access
to the product, advertising, and social facilitation. These two types of factors work
together to determine the potential risk of a given game.
Using a combination of these characteristics, GG produces an overall score for each
game tested. The scoring system is built along the model of a traffic light, in that “green
light” scores represent games with low risk to vulnerable players, a “yellow light”
indicates moderate risk, and a “red light” indicates high risk.
33Even if a game receives a red light rating, it can be modified to improve its score, and
lower its risk. Because the report received by Northstar clearly shows which
characteristics are causing the red light rating, it can adjust those characteristics to
reduce the risk. For some types of games it can also restrict hours of play, limit the
number of tickets available to each retailer, or otherwise inhibit access to the game.
Illinois has submitted over 40 games to GAM-GaRD for evaluation without receiving
any yellow or red ratings. It will continue to submit all new games to GAM-GaRD to
provide the most comprehensive test of responsible game development available to the
industry today.
The Illinois Lottery also conducts monthly analysis of the 1-800-GAMBLER hotline calls
to determine whether any particular game is responsible for an increase in call volume
or concerns.
Additionally, the lottery maintains strong lines of communication with the treatment
provider network in Illinois. We regularly query this group regarding the frequency of
particular games, price points, or features being mentioned by clients as particularly
problematic. This information is considered in game development and promotion
strategy.
34Timelines:
Games are submitted to GAM-GaRD on a monthly basis
Analysis of potential games by vendors occurs prior to presentation to the lottery, on
typically a semi-annual basis
1-800-GAMBLER reports are analyzed monthly
Evaluation:
Games reviewed by GAM-GaRD are provided with a specific report for each game. An
example is attached to this application.
Analysis of the 1-800-GAMBLER information is independent of the GAM-GaRD report,
as is interaction with treatment providers. As such, cross-validation provides a “triple
check” to assure the Lottery that a game “green lighted” by GAM-GaRD, and that does
not receive calls to 1-800-GAMBLER, or complaints to our treatment provider network
is not presenting problems for our players.
35Program Element #5
Remote Gaming
36Remote Gaming
List the policy that supports your Remote Gaming program:
The Illinois Lottery has emphasized that one of the greatest measures of Responsible
Gaming is that a large percentage of the population plays in small amounts, versus a
small percentage of the population who play in large amounts. The launch of the
internet sales pilot program in March of 2012 focused on this objective.
It is our intent to provide an opportunity for more players to access our products
through this alternative purchase option.
As a pioneer in internet sales within the United States, the Illinois Lottery has
implemented numerous Responsible Gaming safeguards, which will be described
below. They include system design, age verification, play limits and geo-filtering which
all ensure a responsible product offering.
In addition, the Illinois Lottery closely monitors the effect of the internet option on
playership, and helpline impact.
Titles of the persons responsible for implementing this program:
Jay Rivara, Vice President of Technology, Northstar Lottery Group
Anika Howard, Senior Director, Interactive Marketing, GTECH Corporation
Dyani Marvel, Senior Manager, Interactive Marketing, Northstar Lottery Group
Objectives for this program:
To provide a responsible internet lottery option for new and existing players.
To provide the public with a high level of confidence that only Illinoisans of legal age,
residing in the state are able to purchase Illinois Lottery products offered via the
internet.
37Remote Gaming (continued)
To ensure that internet play does not have a negative impact on the overall player profile for
the lottery, or create an impact on our service provider network.
Audiences for this program:
All Illinoisans 18+ who have not self-excluded from Lottery play.
Tactics (how will the objectives be achieved):
The Illinois Lottery internet sales platform is designed to be safe and secure from potential
misuse. System integrity is the first line of defense against unauthorized or inappropriate
play.
The registration process requires a “Know Your Customer” ID review, a process which
includes age verification.
The Lottery uses internet protocol (IP) address geo-location data to instantly verify that
purchase transactions occur within the state of Illinois. This process leverages third-party
technology for external validation.
Clearly established play limits are enforced by the lottery to prevent excessive play. Play
limits apply to daily, weekly and monthly periods.
The lottery reminds players through screen prompts that they may choose to self-exclude
from lottery play.
The lottery website also provides a 1-800-GAMBLER footer that reminds players that help is
always available should a problem arise.
The lottery monitors helpline calls and treatment referral network feedback to ensure that
internet play is not raising call volume or incidence of specific issues with this option among
players.
The lottery monitors the voluntary self-exclusion program for changes that may be attributed
to specific product or program launches.
38Remote Gaming (continued)
Timelines:
The pilot program was launched in March of 2012, so it is more than a year old. The
safeguards described above have been in place since the program launch.
Monitoring of helpline calls, treatment referral network and voluntary self-exclusion
program are ongoing.
Evaluation (how will the success of this program be determined):
The most important measurement of this program is whether it allows a greater
number of Illinoisans to play the lottery, without triggering greater expenditure by
those already engaged. This is measured by the tracking study which is continuously
in the field. Weekly summaries show whether new players are entering the lottery via
the internet, and it show spending levels to verify their level of play (see attachments
for this section).
Monitoring the helpline allows the lottery to see if internet play creates an impact on
call volume, or if any new issues are created by the availability of internet play. After
more than one year of the program, this has not occurred.
Continuous interaction with the service provider community also provides direct
feedback regarding the types of lottery issues that are emerging among their clients.
If internet play was to becomes an issue, the service providers would quickly bring it
to the attention of the lottery. Again, after more than one year, this has not emerged.
Monitoring of the voluntary self-exclusion program provides an additional source of
information regarding lottery games and programs that may be causing problems for
our players.
39Program Element #6
Advertising and Marketing
40Advertising and Marketing
List the policy that supports the advertising and marketing communications
program:
There are 2 elements to this program:
• The advertising of Responsible Gaming messages
• The responsible advertising of all Lottery messages
The philosophy of advertising and marketing communications at the Illinois Lottery and
Northstar is built around the idea of 360 degrees of communication. Taking this
approach, a message or messages are prioritized for a time window, and that message
is featured in a variety of media platforms to provide a full exposure to the market. This
is also sometimes called “integrated marketing and communications”.
Previous to 2013, there was no opportunity to take advantage of this philosophy for the
Responsible Gaming program. However, that has changed in this year’s marketing
calendar.
In addition to introducing a Responsible Gaming brand to the market this year, “Set your
limits (18+). Always.”, the Illinois Lottery has created a calendar to provide 360 degrees
of support to the critical messages of knowing your limits/excessive play, underage play,
signing your ticket, and underage lottery ticket gift giving at the holidays.
The 360 degree program will feature multiple media and retail elements which will be
coordinated to a specific focus for each quarter of the year leading up to the holidays.
At the holidays, the focus will shift with the national emphasis on giving gifts of lottery
tickets only to adults.
With regard to responsible advertising, the Illinois Lottery strictly adheres to industry
standards and guidelines for appropriate advertising and marketing.
41Advertising and Marketing (continued)
It is also important to note that some objectives and tactics for this Action Item and the
next, Player Education, are connected through the 360 philosophy. As such, clear
distinctions between advertising and marketing communications and player education
may not always be easy to identify.
Titles of the persons responsible for implementing this program:
Francesco Parola, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Northstar Lottery Group
Karin Bernkopf, Advertising Director, Northstar Lottery Group
Objectives for this program:
To introduce and establish awareness of a Responsible Gaming brand.
To generate awareness for four critical Responsible Gaming messages; know your
limits/excessive play, underage play, sign your ticket, and underage lottery ticket gift
giving at the holidays.
To ensure that all lottery advertising and marketing communications meet or exceed
industry standards for appropriate advertising.
Audiences this program targets:
People who may be experiencing problems related to gambling, and who have not been
given the information or motivation to seek help.
All Illinoisans 18+ who see or hear lottery advertising messages.
42Advertising and Marketing (continued)
Tactics (how will the objectives be achieved):
Creation of a media calendar (flow chart) that clearly allocates messages to particular
windows within the year. This is the essential planning tool that provides a blueprint for
the 360 degree approach. The current year calendar is attached.
Creation of media materials, including posters, print ads, point of sale, radio scripts, live
reads, and ticket messages which communicate the messages for the Responsible
Gaming program. Examples of these materials and scripts are attached.
Integration with the sales team to ensure that the 360 degree communication tactics
extend beyond paid media to the in-store environment. Artwork for the posters
designed for each message are attached.
Updating of the website to include appropriate content to sync with other media and in-
store elements.
Updating of the Code of Conduct to insure that all media advertising for all lottery
messages maintain the highest and most current standards for responsibility. The
updated Code of Conduct is attached.
43Advertising and Marketing (continued)
Timelines:
The media calendar depicts the timeline of the various campaign elements. It is in
place currently for the 2013 calendar year.
Production has been completed for the point-of-sale elements of the program, and they
will be posted according to their allotted schedule within the calendar.
The website is updated, and will be continuously updated to highlight the featured
message in accordance with the calendar.
The Code of Conduct will be reviewed and updated as needed.
Evaluation (how will the success of this program be determined):
The tracking survey will be the main method of evaluation for the media and 360
degree marketing effort. Specific questions will be developed and included in the
tracking to measure the awareness of specific messages as they are rotated through
the calendar. Tracking is summarized on a quarterly basis, but may be over-sampled
during key flights to make sure adequate number of interviews are conducted by
region, or other sub-group of interest.
Website traffic will be monitored to determine the views for the various messages.
Other analytics will be used to evaluate the impact of the website messages.
Retailer feedback will be particularly helpful in assessing the “sign your ticket”, and
“underage lottery ticket gift giving” messages. Through retailer forums, and feedback
through the sales network, messages, in-store media elements (such as the posters)
and timing will be fine-tuned for the year two plan.
44Program Element #7
Player Education
45Player Education
List the policy that supports the player education program:
Player education and player protection includes an increasingly long list of messages,
and media through which these messages are communicated. This becomes
especially important as the lottery moves toward its primary goal of bringing in new
players, rather than getting more dollars from existing players.
New players are especially vulnerable to not understanding the essential self-protection
issues such as signing their ticket, how to participate in a ticket-buying “pool”, or how to
learn when all the top prizes are won and claimed from a particular instant game.
For existing players, it is also important to help them understand how new game
features and revisions will affect their favorite games, how to protect themselves from
fraud and phishing scams, and of course, remaining winners lists.
Players increasingly depend on the lottery web site for information, and will also always
need to find help at retail stores. So, the Illinois Lottery has spent resources to provide
updated website support, and continuing availability of information at bricks and mortar
distribution points.
As described in Action Item #6, our recently completed advertising campaign includes
elements that could be classified as player education. So, we see this as a cross-over
item that connects closely with #6.
Titles of persons responsible for implementing this program:
Top level management:
Francesco Parola, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Northstar Lottery Group
Karin Bernkopf, Advertising Director, Northstar Lottery Group
Elizabeth Leonard, Director of Public Relations, Northstar Lottery Group
46Player Education (continued)
Day to day management:
Lottery Sales Representatives
Retail Specialists
Julie Martin, Senior Director, Sales and Business Development, Northstar Lottery Group
Objectives for this program:
To create awareness among Illinois Lottery players regarding self-protection and
responsible play information related to all Illinois Lottery games, promotions, events and
activities.
Provide information in all preferred media, and the retail environment such that it is
readily available to all players at all times.
To ensure that an adequate weight is assigned to these types of messages when public
information and responsible gaming advertising and marketing are implemented.
Audience this program targets:
Illinois Lottery players and prospective players
The general public in as much as there is interest in the fairness of the lottery
regardless of whether an Illinoisan purchases a ticket or not.
Tactics (how will the objectives be achieved):
During the past 12 months, the Illinois Lottery website has been essentially re-launched,
with numerous new features and updates to existing features. Areas of improvement or
addition have included the “Protect Yourself”, “Game Expiration Dates”, “Responsible
Gaming” pages, and reinforcement of the “Sign Your Ticket” and “Pool Play” messages.
47The lottery has produced and posted an educational video on the new “My3” product to help
players understand the difference in the benefits and play features versus the existing “Pick 3”
product. It was posted on YouTube and the lottery website.
The Lottery also produced and posted an educational video of the “Extra Shot” game feature
added to the Illinois Lotto game.
As described above, the Illinois Lottery is in the process of launching its first paid media effort
in support of Responsible Gaming. Two of the core messages in this campaign are “Sign Your
Ticket” and “Pool Play”. These are player education messages, and are included at equal
weight with other RG messages in the campaign. Graphics from this campaign are provided.
The Illinois Lottery participated in a holiday marketing campaign sponsored by the National
Council on Problem Gambling and McGill University. The campaign encouraged people to
give lottery tickets responsibly, and never give them to minors.
Several player education messages are included in retail point of sale that are produced and
distributed throughout the year. Among these messages are:
• Game expiration dates
• Winning tickets sold, prizes claimed and remaining
• Sign your ticket
• Pool Play
• Protect yourself from fraud and phishing
48Timelines:
The re-launched website is active at this writing, and is updated on an ongoing basis
The videos are posted on YouTube and the lottery website currently
The media campaign schedule is year-round, with time windows designed for each
message. This schedule is attached to the application.
Point of Sales is posted continuously throughout the year
Evaluation (how the success of this program will be determined):
Internet traffic is monitored monthly, with regular reporting on site visits and time spent
on the pages described here.
YouTube visits are also monitored and reported to senior management.
Tracking survey results will be ongoing throughout the year, to provide information
about the awareness and any change in attitude resulting from each of the media
campaign messages. This data will act as a baseline for future media efforts, and help
the lottery understand whether the level of funding for the program is adequate to
produce a significant awareness or attitude measure.
Retailer feedback will be helpful in assessing the various messages. Through retailer
forums, and feedback through the sales network, messages, in-store media elements
and timing will be fine-tuned for the year two plan.
49Program Element #8
Treatment Referral
50Treatment Referral
List the policy that supports the treatment referral program:
Treatment referral is consistently the most challenging of the Action Items for the Illinois
Lottery and for the lottery industry overall. In Illinois, we are fortunate that a strong
treatment community of 15 providers is in place throughout the state. We are also
fortunate to have a partner in Bensinger, DuPont & Associates which is experienced
and professional in its management of the 1-800-GAMBLER hotline service. Finally, we
are fortunate to have a network of retailers and employees who are committed to
making sure that all Illinoisans who think they might have a problem with excessive play
can access that help.
The challenge is connecting these resources with the people who need them.
As with other over-use or addiction issues, many people are uncomfortable with the
idea that they might have a problem. They may deny that the problem exists. Or, if
they have reached the conclusion that they need help, are unsure how to ask for it.
Certainly, we cannot put our employees or retailers into the position of diagnosticians.
They are not meant to play this role even if they were qualified to do so.
The Illinois Lottery uses many tools to connect Illinoisans with the resources they need.
This can only happen through the creation and nurturing of multiple avenues of
communication, commitment of resources, and evaluation and re-alignment of how that
support looks to keep it current with the need in the market.
Titles of the persons responsible for implementing this program:
Management Level:
• Bill Johnson, Illinois Council of Problem Gambling
• Kellie Gage, Program Manager, Problem Gambling Treatment Program, Illinois
Department of Alcohol and Substance Abuse
Day to day implementation:
Marie Apke, Vice President, Bensinger DuPont & Associates
51Treatment Referral (continued)
Objectives for this program:
Connect Illinoisans who may have a problem with excessive gaming with the resources
to help them.
Maximize the effort of the treatment provider network and the Illinois Lottery through a
close working relationship.
Maximize the impact of the resources expended by the lottery toward treatment referral.
Audiences this program targets:
Lottery players in Illinois.
Family and friends of lottery players who may wish to help their family member or friend
access information about problem gambling.
Tactics (how will this objective be achieved):
The Illinois Lottery provides funding for the 1-800-GAMBLER player hotline. This is the
central referral number promoted across all media to provide assistance to people who
may have an excessive gambling problem.
As mentioned above, the Illinois Lottery has recently re-launched its website in
response to growing use of online resources for a variety of information gathering. The
1-800-GAMBLER information has been added as a footer to each page within the site.
The Voluntary Self Exclusion Program (VSEP) section of the website has been updated
to allow players to opt out of online play and to have prize payments above $600
withheld at their own request. The VSEP information is also added as a footer to each
page within the site.
The “Responsible Play” section of the website has been refreshed to provide better
access to consumer protection information.
52Treatment Referral (continued)
The Illinois Lottery is in the process of producing a “Palm Card” to provide retailers with
quick access to treatment referral information. As described above, retailers are not
being asked to diagnose problem play. They are simply being given a tool to connect
people who ask for this information (whether they are a player, or someone who knows
someone with a possible problem) with the information they need.
All Illinois Lottery printed point of sale materials contain the 1-800-GAMBLER
information.
All Illinois Lottery instant game tickets contain the 1-800-GAMBLER information.
Timelines:
1-800-GAMBLER is ongoing throughout the year.
Website upgrades are complete, although much information is updated on an ongoing
basis throughout the year.
53Treatment Referral (continued)
The “Palm Card” program will be implemented April, 2013.
Point-of-sale and instant tickets are produced and distributed on an ongoing basis
throughout the year.
Evaluation (how will the success of the program be determined):
Calls to 1-800-GAMBLER are monitored and reported monthly. These calls are tracked,
and callers are asked the source of their information.
Website traffic is monitored and reported regularly.
Programs like the “Palm Card” retail effort, signage and other in-store elements are
monitored and evaluated through constant interaction with our retailers and sales team,
including Retail Advisory Committees, retail forums and sales meetings.
54Program Element #9
Stakeholder Engagement
55Stakeholder Engagement
List the policy that supports the stakeholder engagement program:
The working definition of stakeholder has grown for the Illinois Lottery over the past
year (since our Level 2 Application). There are three reasons this has occurred. First,
we have had an additional year to learn about what other lotteries are doing to be
effective with a variety of different stakeholders. Second, we have developed our
relationships with people and organizations in Illinois and beyond that are relevant to
our mission, and improved our ability to work together with them. And finally, we have
taken steps toward advancing ideas and programs that were very much in their
formative stages last year.
Based on this broader experience with stakeholder engagement, our identified
stakeholders for this program include:
• Lottery players
• The families and friends of problem gamblers
• The general public
• Retailers
• Our employees, both Illinois Lottery and Northstar
• Problem gambling service providers
• Local, state and national problem gambling organizations
• Research organizations
• Fellow NASPL members
• Members of the organizations that govern the lottery industry
• Vendors
Throughout this Application, we have endeavored to communicate that our first priority
is to protect our players, problem gamblers and their families and friends, and the
general public. But all these stakeholders play a significant role in our ability to do our
job effectively.
56Stakeholder Engagement (continued)
Describe the individual programs that make up the stakeholder engagement
program. This may be described in terms of how these activities related to the
other program elements:
The Illinois Lottery stakeholder engagement program is organized under one structure,
and so will be presented as a unified program.
Titles of the persons responsible for implementing this program:
Bill Johnson, Administrator, Illinois Council on Problem Gambling
Kellie Gage, Program Manager, Problem Gambling Treatment Program, Illinois
Department of Alcohol and Substance Abuse
Objectives for this program:
To create awareness of Responsible Gaming programs and opportunities with all Illinois
Lottery stakeholders.
To create participation in Responsible Gaming activities among these groups.
To develop best practices in Responsible Gaming stakeholder engagement.
Describe how stakeholder input has informed the development of your overall
Responsible Gaming program or its specific elements:
As a new organization, comprised of Illinois Lottery and Northstar Lottery Group staff,
our team has relied, and continues to rely very heavily on stakeholder input in the
formation of our programs. These stakeholders, and some of the input they have
provided, are listed below:
Players and the general public provide direct input through our tracking research, their
interaction with the website, their direct feedback to retailers and lottery team members
regarding a number of Responsible Gaming issues from game design to advertising
and marketing and player education.
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