Kentucky Lottery Extends Partnership With Scientific Games By 10 Years

Image showing lottery gaming with lotto balls along with the Kentucky state outline featuring the Kentucky Lottery logo along with the Scientific Games logo for a story about the Kentucky Lottery extending its partnership with Scientific Games.

The Kentucky Lottery is enjoying its partnership with Scientific Games.

So much so, that the two have agreed to extend their collaboration for another 10 years.

Starting back in 1989, SG has been the primary scratch-off provider for the Kentucky Lottery.

The state is coming off a record year of sales, led by the Kentucky online lottery, but its scratch sales held firm in fiscal year 2024, as well.

Scientific Games agreement goes back decades in Kentucky

Along with working together since 1989 on scratch games, the Scientific Games Enhanced Partnership program (SGEP) with Kentucky started in 2018.

That enhancement has helped propel the Kentucky Lottery to a top-20 performer for instant games in the world.

Kentucky Lottery President and CEO Mary Harville commented on the new extension in a press release:

“The Kentucky Lottery is always looking for new and exciting games to offer our players and retailers, and the Lottery’s continued partnership with Scientific Games will ensure we are doing just that. Creative and top-performing Scratch Offs bring the players into retailers, which in turn helps the Kentucky Lottery increase our revenues each year. This allows us to fund the many scholarships for Kentucky’s students and families. We look forward to working with Scientific Games to carry out this mission in the years ahead.”

SGEP is used by several instant lotteries around the world, including five of the top six states in the US.

Driven by data analytics and patented technologies, the program enhances the Kentucky Lottery’s scratch games through portfolio management and optimization, game design services, advanced logistics, licensed brand services, digital services, along with retail sales and marketing support.

SGEP drove 31% better performance for US lotteries using it in FY23-24.

Kentucky recorded $940.8 million in scratch sales for FY24. It was a 0.3% dip from the $943.5 million it did in FY23.

Kentucky Lottery hits record state funding in FY24

Since 1999, the Kentucky Lottery has funded over $5 billion in scholarships and grants for students and families in the state.

Through work with Scientific Games, more than $1.6 billion in commission to state retailers has also been generated.

John Schulz, President of Americas and Global Instant Products for Scientific Games, commented on continuing to work with Kentucky in the release:

“The Kentucky Lottery has always taken an innovative, collaborative approach to growing its Scratch Off product category, and moving to the SGEP program was a very strategic business decision. Our partnership has proven to be highly successful, keeping the product pipeline flowing with exciting and innovative games to Kentucky Lottery retailers and players and protecting funding for scholarships for Kentucky students.”

In FY24, Kentucky produced $405.4 million for scholarships and grants for in-state students, a new yearly record.

 

Photo by kmls via Shutterstock
Graphics from the Kentucky Lottery and Scientific Games

About the Author

Drew Ellis

Drew Ellis

Lead Writer
A member of Catena Media since 2020, Drew Ellis is the Lead Writer at PlayiLottery, where he handles coverage of the online lottery industry in the US. He previously spearheaded news content at PlayMichigan, where he covered one of the most prominent online lottery industries in the US — among the many other aspects of Michigan's sprawling iGaming market. You can email him at [email protected].
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