Becoming Indispensable: Strengthening the Retail-Lottery Partnership
Amy Drooker's Key Insights from NASPL PDS 2026
By Pollard Banknote
Published September 22, 2026
The future of retail lottery growth depends on treating retailers as true partners, not simply points of sale. As retailers face increasing competition, changing consumer behaviors, and evolving operational priorities, lotteries must clearly demonstrate their value and actively contribute to retailer success.
At the NASPL Professional Development Seminar (PDS) in Seattle this past July, Amy Drooker, Senior Vice President of Retail Lottery Strategy & Solutions at Pollard Banknote, led discussions with retailers about the realities of today's retail environment and the opportunities ahead for lottery. These conversations explored topics ranging from merchandising and store placement to loyalty, digital integration, and retailer partnerships.
Drawing on insights from those discussions, along with decades of experience working alongside lotteries and retailers across North America, Amy explores key considerations and emerging opportunities for driving sustainable growth in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
Retail Performance: How Lottery Stacks Up
What does retail industry data tell us about how lottery is performing today? Is it keeping pace with other front-end categories?
Amy Drooker (AD): Lottery remains one of retail's most established and reliable business categories, and what excites me most is that the growth story is far from over.
Although lottery is often viewed as a mature category, we're seeing new opportunities emerge through digital innovation, loyalty programs, personalized promotions, and improved retail experiences. Those tools help lotteries connect with players in new ways while creating additional value for retailers.
In my conversations with retailers over the years, one theme has remained consistent: lottery continues to be a dependable traffic and revenue driver. In an increasingly competitive environment, where every square foot and every customer visit matter, retailers are looking for categories that deliver both immediate returns and ongoing engagement. Lottery does both—generating incremental revenue, encouraging repeat visits, and creating opportunities to connect with customers. That's why many retail leaders still see significant untapped potential in the category.
Where and why are shoppers walking past without engaging?
AD: The biggest challenge isn't customer interest. It’s visibility—making sure products are seen at the right time and in the right place.
When lottery products aren't positioned in high-traffic, convenient locations, even the most interested customers can overlook them. That's why we work closely with retailers to evaluate store layouts, understand shopper flow, and identify opportunities to improve visibility.
What's often surprising is that the issue isn't whether shoppers value lottery; it's whether lottery appears at the moments when purchase decisions are being made. Understanding where customers browse, pause, and make purchase decisions can reveal opportunities to introduce lottery in a more relevant and engaging way. In many cases, relatively small adjustments can help convert missed opportunities into meaningful sales growth.
Placement, Visibility, and Growth
What can lotteries learn from retailers about placement and visibility?
AD: One of the biggest lessons retailers have learned is just how much location matters.
Years ago, many organizations underestimated the impact of signage, visibility, and equipment positioning. Today, retailers recognize placement as one of the most powerful drivers of category growth.
Lotteries should regularly evaluate whether equipment is placed in the most effective positions, whether additional access points are needed, and where customers naturally engage with lottery products throughout their shopping journey.
Fuel centers are a great example of this. Once totally overlooked as lottery destinations, they have become reliable contributors to sales through a focused combination of placement, signage, promotions, and customer messaging.
The broader lesson is that growth opportunities often already exist within a retailer's footprint. Success comes from identifying where players naturally engage and ensuring lottery is visible and accessible at those moments.
How should lotteries respond to shifting shopper demographics?
AD: Consumer behavior is constantly evolving due to economic conditions, technological advancements/adoption, and changing shopping habits.
Rather than trying to predict every demographic shift, lotteries should focus, where possible, on using data to understand customer behavior and continuously adapt their merchandising and marketing strategies in response. The ability to capture and leverage customer insights based on findings from player engagement platforms will become increasingly important, as lotteries look to personalize experiences and strengthen engagement in-store and out.
If a lottery director could change just one thing about retail merchandising, what would have the biggest impact?
AD: If I could recommend just one priority, it would be creating a disciplined approach to continuously evaluating a lottery’s in-store presence.
Start by evaluating whether equipment is positioned in the best possible locations and whether visibility is being maximized. Even small improvements in visibility and convenience can have a big impact on performance.
For lottery sales teams, this means looking beyond routine retailer visits and actively identifying opportunities to strengthen execution. Whether it's improving signage, repositioning equipment, adding secondary touchpoints, or highlighting new games and promotions, every visit should include a review of how effectively lottery is showing up for shoppers.
I would also encourage lotteries to think beyond traditional purchase points and create reminders throughout the shopping journey. Grocery shoppers, for instance, are often highly habitual and may simply need the right prompt at the right moment.
Clear, compelling messaging is vital to cut through the noise at the point of sale and capture customer attention. Customers respond positively when new games and promotions are communicated in places where they have time to notice and engage.
Self-Service, Vending, and Player Protection
Self-checkout and automation are reshaping retail, particularly in the grocery sector. How can lottery remain an impulse purchase rather than become an afterthought?
AD: For years, many retailers believed service desks would gradually disappear as transactions became increasingly automated. What we've learned, however, is that customer interactions are becoming more complex, not less.
Service remains a key differentiator, and customers continue to value access to support and assistance when they need it.
At the same time, I'm a strong advocate for in-lane and self-service lottery solutions, not just because it's my line of work, but because their value extends far beyond incremental ticket sales. These solutions create opportunities to integrate lottery with loyalty programs, targeted promotions, customer communications, and ongoing engagement. As the industry continues its digital evolution, those connections become increasingly valuable.
Those capabilities simply aren't available when lottery remains isolated at a service desk or standalone kiosk.
Simply put, lotteries must strive to be in two places at once within the retail environment: accessible and integrated into the customer journey through self-service and in-lane solutions, while still supported by knowledgeable retail staff when guidance, verification, or player protection measures are needed. Striking that balance ensures lottery remains visible, convenient, and relevant in an increasingly automated retail landscape.
Loyalty and the Path Forward
As the lottery ecosystem becomes increasingly digital, what role will retailers play in the future player experience?
AD: Digital is transformative for the lottery industry.
We've already seen how digital capabilities can drive incremental engagement and growth. But digital shouldn't replace retail; it should strengthen the connection between lotteries and their retail partners.
The opportunity lies in building an integrated ecosystem where retail and digital channels complement one another. Retailers are often the first and most frequent point of contact for players, making them a critical partner in driving engagement. They can help connect customers to lottery offers, loyalty programs, and communications through digital tools while continuing to deliver the in-person experience that many players value.
The most successful lotteries will be those that create seamless connections between retail and digital, ensuring each channel strengthens the other and delivers a more convenient, engaging player experience.
If every lottery leader could do one thing differently at retail this quarter, what would you recommend?
AD: Spend more time looking at lottery through the retailer's eyes.
Too often, there is a desire to jump immediately to new technologies, promotions, or large-scale initiatives. Before doing that, take a fresh look at the opportunities that already exist within your retail network. Assess placement, visibility, equipment locations, signage, and retailer relationships to identify opportunities that may already be hiding in plain sight.
Build stronger partnerships with retailers and help them understand the value lottery delivers. Many retailers underestimate the revenue potential, margin contribution, and customer engagement benefits lottery can provide. One recurring theme that has stood out during my years attending the NACS Show (National Association of Convenience Stores) is the focus retailers place on improving store performance, staying ahead of evolving consumer expectations, and finding new opportunities for growth. Lottery is uniquely positioned to support those priorities by generating store traffic, encouraging repeat visits, and creating moments of excitement that enhance the overall customer experience. The opportunity for lotteries is to do a better job of demonstrating how lottery contributes to the business outcomes retailers care about most, and positioning lottery as a strategic partner in their success.
Lead with data. Show retailers where opportunities exist, and demonstrate how improvements in execution, visibility, and player engagement can drive measure results. When retailers can clearly see the connection between lottery performance and store success, it reinforces the value of lottery as a strong retailer partner.
My biggest recommendation is to combine strong retail execution with a long-term engagement strategy. The future belongs to lotteries that successfully connect retail and digital experiences in ways that benefit both players and retailers. Lottery already has a compelling product. The opportunity is to better communicate its value, optimize execution, and continue evolving through both retail and digital innovation.
For Amy Drooker, retail success comes down to a simple formula: make lottery easy to see, easy to buy, and valuable to retailers. While digital innovation will continue to shape the industry, long-term growth depends on strong execution, data-driven decision-making, and meaningful retailer partnerships.
As retail evolves, lotteries must ensure the category remains visible, convenient, and relevant across all shopping channels. By focusing on fundamentals such as placement, visibility, retailer engagement, and customer insights, lotteries can strengthen player engagement, drive retail performance, and create lasting value for both retailers and consumers.
