What Makes A Holiday Instant Ticket Truly Successful

The Core Elements That Consistently Drive Seasonal Success

By Pollard Banknote Limited

Published February 17, 2026

With 92% of Americans celebrating major winter holidays and spending expected to rise nearly 4% year over year, the festive season remains the biggest acquisition moment for gifting to new players and driving seasonal impulse purchases of instant tickets. And the time to start planning is now.¹

During the winter holidays, lotteries face steep competition from countless industries all vying for consumer attention. Yet Pollard Banknote’s multiyear portfolio performance shows clear, reliable patterns in the holiday themes, formats, and innovations that consistently rise to the top. From timeless festive motifs to premium print innovations and engaging playstyles, Pollard’s holiday offerings help lotteries capture the spirit of the season and deliver standout Q4 results year after year.

Holiday Season Snapshot: Consumer Trends that Fuel Instant Ticket Sales

Holiday spending continues to be a powerful indicator of overall consumer behavior, a trend reflected in Mastercard’s 2025 Holiday Spending Study, which reported:

• Online spending up 7.4%

• In-store spending up 2.9%

• Overall holiday spending up 3.9%

This seasonal retail momentum translates directly into lottery performance. U.S. Instant Sales data from 2025 shows weekly sales rose an average of 13% in December vs. November, with holiday-themed games acting as the primary driver of this Q4 lift.

Consumer gifting habits reinforce this momentum. A recent study conducted in the U.S. revealed that 73% of scratch ticket gifters purchased holiday-themed games, giving them to an average of four recipients per gifter. This wide distribution expands reach and drives incremental sales.

Strategic Timing Matters

Data from the October 2025 Prosper Insights & Analytics survey, conducted in partnership with the National Retail Federation (NRF) shows that over half of consumers, or 51.9%, begin holiday shopping in October or earlier. This aligns with real-world performance where 2025 data shows that 75% of U.S. holiday instant tickets launched October 31 or earlier.

The Power of the Price Point

Lower price tiers shine during the holidays.

Holiday games launched at the $1, $2, and $5 price points indexed between 110–120 because they align naturally with stocking stuffers, impulse buys, and casual gifting.

Four Key Attributes of High-Performing Holiday Instant Tickets

1. Proven Themes & Formats That Consistently Outperform

Classic holiday themes consistently deliver strong results, making them essential building blocks for a reliable seasonal lineup. These enduring themes succeed because they tap into familiar holiday traditions and broad consumer recognition.

• To/From lines remain a hallmark of gift-ready holiday tickets. In 2024, 65 North American games included To/From functionality, especially at the $1 price point. These act as a “2 for 1” offering (part ticket, part gift tag), often complete with a perforation to mimic a hanging ornament.

• White Elephant games, themed around popular holiday gift exchanges, launched eight times over six holiday seasons with sales performance 21% above average.

• Gnomes g’never seem to go out of style. With nearly 30 launches since 2019 and strong indexing above 100, they remain a whimsical fan favorite.

• Food & candy cane themes deliver sweet results every year. In 2024 alone, 23 titles launched, indexing 11% above average.

• Holiday Cash themes prove that cash is king and with 72 launches and a 121 index since 2019, these games consistently deliver for gifters.

2. Extended Play Games Drive Engagement & Seasonal Appeal

Extended Play games deliver a uniquely satisfying holiday experience. They emulate a “slow unwrapping” moment that is perfect for cozy mornings, gatherings, and downtime.

Since 2019:

• 148+ Extended Play holiday titles launched across the U.S. & Canada.

• Holiday Crossword and Bingo continue to dominate game selection.

  
  

Their longevity and play depth make them ideal for gifting; offering more entertainment, more time spent, and higher perceived value.

3. Premium Print Innovations & Higher Price Points Bring Holiday Sparkle

While lower price points lead casual gifting, premium tickets add a little extra holiday sparkle at retail. Larger formats, dazzling innovative print features, and elevated artwork create an extraordinary “premium gift” feel that resonates with players and gift-givers alike.

Top Performers from Pollard’s 2024 Holiday Offering

• Winter Magic featuring Spectrum Scratch FX™

  Winter Magic, a fan favorite since 2019, enjoyed 18 launches and sales 32% above average. Its Scratch FX™ Hyperplaid pattern weaves shimmering foil through warm winter tones for a look that feels both modern and nostalgic.

• Merry Money with Play FX™ and Pastel Inks

  A festive crowd-pleaser with 31 launches since 2019, indexing 19% above average, pastel hues and multiplier-packed gameplay bring maximum holiday cheer in a soft and inviting palette.

• Holiday Gold featuring Play FX™ and Spectrum Scratch FX™

  With 16 launches over six seasons and performance 13% above average, Holiday Gold shines literally and figuratively. Play FX™ highlights winning numbers with shimmering accents, and Sharp Fonts+ gives crisp, high-definition detail.

4. Oversized Formats & Unified Game Families Maximize Retail Presence

Large formats and cohesive Families of Games help lotteries stand out at retail and further drive multi‑ticket purchases. Die‑cut tickets, which bring unique shapes and festive silhouettes to life, have shown dependable performance with 20 launches indexing at 116. Big Ticket™ formats also excel thanks to their oversized footprint and high‑impact retail visibility, making them natural attention‑getters for holiday shoppers. Additionally, holiday game families remain a powerful strategic tool. In 2024, 10 lotteries collectively launched 37 family games that ranged from two-five games per family, creating visually unified sets that offer cross‑price‑point exploration and reinforce overall brand recognition. 

One standout innovation from Pollard Banknote is EasyPack™ which brings extra holiday magic to retail. This oversized ticket opens like a festive greeting card, revealing twice the space for seasonal graphics and immersive gameplay. During a season built around unwrapping, this tactile reveal moment elevates giftability, boosts perceived value, and enhances overall play satisfaction making EasyPack™ a powerful addition to any holiday lineup. The format’s momentum is growing, too: across the 2024 and 2025 holiday seasons, seven lotteries launched nine EasyPack™ games, and that number is poised to rise as we head into the 2026 holidays.

That accelerating adoption is backed by strong in‑market performance, with Virginia Lottery offering one of the most recent and clearest examples of EasyPack™’s rising impact. Virginia launched its holiday EasyPack™ on November 4, 2025, and since then the game has reached 48% sell‑through ($20 million activated to date), was the Lottery’s #1 $20 game based on claims per week during the holiday campaign, and is currently available in 83.25% of retailers. The Lottery was also pleased to see its second, non‑holiday pulse hit the market right around Christmas, avoiding the risk of holiday branding lingering too far into January. With new advertising now supporting the second pulse, Virginia’s performance offers a strong early signal of EasyPack™’s growing potential as we head toward the 2026 holiday season.

Conclusion: The Holiday Ticket Success Formula

Holiday instant tickets excel when they bring together several key elements: proven holiday themes that resonate year after year; seasonal designs that evoke emotion and nostalgia; premium print effects and larger, gift‑ready formats; well‑timed launches in early October that capture the full momentum of the shopping season; and price points that align naturally with gifting and impulse‑buy behavior. Increasingly, lotteries are also finding success with luxe, higher‑price‑point premium gift options—tickets that combine elevated design, richer play value, and sophisticated packaging to appeal to gift‑givers seeking something special. These premium offerings not only enhance the perceived value of holiday gifting but also help broaden reach and attract new or occasional players who are drawn in by the upgraded experience. According to decades of Pollard Banknote performance insights and broader retail research, this blend consistently delivers reliable Q4 lifts and memorable seasonal experiences for players.

As lotteries look ahead to planning their upcoming holiday lineups, Pollard Banknote remains a trusted partner offering the innovative gameplay, festive design expertise, and advanced print capabilities needed to capture the magic of the season and drive standout performance at retail.

Footnote:

¹ Sources: Numerator, 2024 Holiday Preview; Mastercard, 2025 Holiday Spending Study.