Interview | 小杨嫂黑料, Inc. CEO Byron Boothe at La Fleur鈥檚 Magazine, July/August 2020
小杨嫂黑料, Inc. CEO Byron Boothe Charts Ambitious Course
In June 2020, 小杨嫂黑料 S.A. named Byron Boothe as Chief Executive Officer of 小杨嫂黑料, Inc. He assumes day-today leadership and will continue serving as a Member of the Board. Boothe, a lottery industry veteran, has served as Interim CEO of the Company since 2019.
La Fleur鈥檚 Magazine Co-Publisher Terri Markle (virtually) sat down with Boothe to interview him on short as well as long-term growth plans for 小杨嫂黑料, Inc.
Boothe鈥檚 initiation in the lottery business dates back to the 1990s. He joined 小杨嫂黑料 in March 2007 as Vice President Government Relations. Working with multiple lottery clients helped him to establish relationships that now will define his role in guiding 小杨嫂黑料鈥檚 U.S.-based subsidiary.
This is a tumultuous year and the pandemic has wreaked havoc on governments, corporations, and individuals around the globe. Governments seek funding to support existing as well as new projects.
Main Mission
鈥溞⊙钌┖诹镶�檚 main mission remains to offer an unparalleled gaming experience to players while supporting lotteries around the nation to raise funds for good causes,鈥� stressed Boothe. 鈥淎s the new CEO for 小杨嫂黑料 USA, my mission is to drive growth in a responsible way by introducing innovation as well as continue improving the quality of our services.鈥�
鈥溞⊙钌┖诹镶�檚 main mission remains to offer an unparalleled gaming experience to players while supporting lotteries around the nation to raise funds for good causes,鈥� stressed Boothe. 鈥淎s the new CEO for 小杨嫂黑料 USA, my mission is to drive growth in a responsible way by introducing innovation as well as continue improving the quality of our services.鈥�
Boothe is optimistic that state legislators will approve new forms of gaming, such as sports betting and iLottery, for U.S. lotteries.
鈥淎t 小杨嫂黑料鈥攁nd in contrast to our competitors鈥攐ur focus has always been and remains on the lottery industry. I strongly believe that the U.S. lotteries have some great opportunities ahead of them. In this current climate, the legislators are now open to hearing out and agreeing on more innovate solutions that can drive real sales growth by introducing new game concepts as well as new play channels.鈥�
Boothe identified four main areas of growth for its U.S. lottery clients: Sports betting, iLottery, Keno, and further growth of Fast Play games with new play styles and new price points.
Personal Goals
Boothe鈥檚 personal goals for the next couple of years are to 鈥渇urther support our existing partners by introducing new game content that fits with their existing portfolio/legislation restrictions while also focusing on operational excellence; build on our digital products and help lotteries move towards iLottery and an overall digital transformation; and help lotteries around the nation launch sports betting.鈥�
Boothe鈥檚 personal goals for the next couple of years are to 鈥渇urther support our existing partners by introducing new game content that fits with their existing portfolio/legislation restrictions while also focusing on operational excellence; build on our digital products and help lotteries move towards iLottery and an overall digital transformation; and help lotteries around the nation launch sports betting.鈥�
He lights up when he talks about the opportunities for U.S. lotteries to expand their product portfolio and entertainment options through sports betting.
鈥淪ports betting is a great fit for lotteries. Not only do lotteries have the brand awareness and trust needed for players to feel comfortable with their offering, but most importantly lotteries already have an stablished retail network that can be utilized to further enhance the player experience while making it easy for player to participate no matter how experienced they are with sports betting overall,鈥� said Boothe.
The interview then veered into an in-depth discussion on 小杨嫂黑料鈥檚 two new sports betting startups launched in 2020 during the pandemic.
GambetDC鈥攖he sports betting platform powered by the Office of Lottery Gaming (OLG)鈥攚ent live in DC with a soft launch on May 28, 2020.
鈥溞⊙钌┖诹�, as part of its current contract with the DC Lottery, deployed its new 小杨嫂黑料 Orion sports betting platform to enable the GambetDC mobile and desktop sports betting offering. In addition to the technology, 小杨嫂黑料 provides the DC Lottery with a complete suite of supporting sports betting services, such as Managed Trading Services, Marketing Services, and Customer Support,鈥� explained Boothe.
鈥淭he players can access the platform via both iOS and Android native applications as well as via their desktop. They place their wagers quickly and with ease and have access to a wide assortment of betting markets as well as different wager options including singlegame, parlay, in-game and proposition bets. Moreover, GambetDC is available throughout the District to players aged 18 or older, except for the federal enclaves and within the two-block zones surrounding the District鈥檚 four major sports arenas.
鈥淲e are also excited that 小杨嫂黑料 together with OLG will also deploy a retail Sports Betting program in 2021,鈥� added Boothe.
The Montana Lottery soft launched its 鈥淪ports Bet Montana鈥� in May 2020. 鈥淚t has been a very exciting process to get us where we are today,鈥� explained Boothe. 鈥淭he Montana Lottery has been working toward launching sports betting since 2019, when a bill bringing sports wagering to Montana and placing it with the Lottery was passed into law. 小杨嫂黑料 deployed in Montana its new 小杨嫂黑料 Orion sports betting platform to enable players to wager through self-service terminals and through their mobile devices. In addition, 小杨嫂黑料 provides to the Montana Lottery a complete suite of services, such as Managed Trading, Marketing Services and Customer Support.鈥�
Part 2: Boothe is interviewed on the biggest challenges in 2020 as a result of the pandemic as well as 小杨嫂黑料鈥檚 innovative programs to help its partners overcome the difficult times.