Rhydian Fisher talks about the significance of player data for eInstant development in LaFleur's, May/Jun '14 edition.

One of the most valuable benefits from launching e-instants online is often the most overlooked. Data. Lots and lots of precise, invaluable and enlightening data.

A whole world of genuine player insight is at your fingertips. Where once data was limited to sales figures and possibly the where and when of the purchase, online sales bring the real player into sharp focus. Their age, their gender, where they live, when they play, what they play, their favorite game, their least favorite game. All revealed in glorious detail.

The amount of data collected is a matter for individual lotteries. The question it poses however, is universal —How best to use it to improve your players’ enjoyment of the lottery?

“What has been clear from the outset of every launch we have been part of on both sides of the Atlantic is that there isn’t one type of lottery player, there are many,” explained Rhydian Fisher, CEO, Instant Win Gaming (IWG). “Understanding them and entertaining them is a constant challenge.” Happily, one of the other key advantages to digital e-instants is the speed with which lotteries can adapt and react to the data they gather.

“By collaborating with lotteries and helping analyze performance, companies like IWG can adapt the portfolio and relaunch games that better meet the needs of the audience very quickly. None of our clients has more than 35 games live at any one time but we hold at least 100 games in our portfolio for precisely this reason,” said Fisher. “We produce and launch new games every month, not just because the technology allows it but because day by day, week by week our understanding of the players improves.”

Meaningful collaboration between a lottery and its game developer— combined with the willingness and flexibility to adapt—is vital not just at launch but for the entire life of the digital offering.

“The successful lotteries of the future can’t ignore innovation but innovation alone doesn’t guarantee success,” stressed Fisher. “Analyzing your player base and innovating to deliver what the data reveals they want, and importantly expect, will.”