International Game Technology (IGT) announced Wednesday its IGT Global Services subsidiary has signed a 10-year contract with National Lottery plc, a subsidiary of IZI Group and the new operator of the National Lottery in Malta. Additionally, IGT has also signed an instant ticket printing services contract, expected to run until June 2032, for the National Lottery’s re-launch of instant tickets into the market.
Under the terms of an initial agreement, IGT’s lottery central system and retail solutions went live in July 2022, replacing a competitor’s technology. IGT collaborated with National Lottery to introduce an additional draw day for LOTTO, described as “the most traditional and successful game in Malta,” and launch two draw games, Pick 3 and Super 5 4-3-2-1, the first draw games to go live in over 10 years.
With the new agreements in place, IGT plans to work with the National Lottery to relaunch the Lottery’s instant ticket program and double the size of its retailer network while further driving innovation for the Maltese lottery.
“IGT’s extensive experience with achieving significant sales growth for leading lotteries such as National Lottery plc made it an ideal partner for re-establishing Malta’s National Lottery,” said Johann Schembri, IZI Group’s Founder and CEO. “In addition to its sophisticated lottery product portfolio, IGT’s responsible approach to innovation and sustainable growth align with the Lottery’s vision of providing unique gaming entertainment experiences to players in a responsible and safe environment.”
Schembri further said that IZI Group is “very impressed” with what IGT has been able to accomplish for them “in such a short time,” adding that the company looks forward to further enhancing the player experience via their partnership over the next 10 years.
“National Lottery plc and IGT had an ambitious, seven-month timeline to complete a comprehensive lottery system implementation and deploy new equipment throughout Maltese retailers,” said Jay Gendron, IGT Chief Operating Officer, Global Lottery. “Nevertheless, IGT was up for the challenge.”
“Our technology, along with new draw-based games and features, went live in record time and on schedule. We are now focused on working with the Lottery to inspire continued sales growth responsibly through innovative technology and compelling instant ticket content that engage players.”
With a global presence in the lottery market, IGT is currently the primary technology provider to eight of the world’s largest 10 lotteries and 16 of the world’s top 25 lotteries.