Scientific Games Scratch Connect Generates 40 Percent Follow-On Play from 570,000 Ohio Ticket Scans
SCCG Take — These metrics show connected lottery mechanics can lift engagement without displacing retail channels. Sustained results across additional states will clarify the model’s scalability for other jurisdictions.
Scientific Games has announced early results from the Ohio Lottery’s first Scratch Connect title, which links a retail scratch-off game to a mobile digital experience. As of August 22, nearly 570,000 players had scanned their $5 Bonus Cash Wheel tickets to access the Reach the Wheel online game. 90 per cent of those players completed the digital portion, and 40 per cent then chose to play again by entering another ticket, as reported by G3 Newswire.
Retail-to-Digital Flow Preserves Brick-and-Mortar Role
The Scratch Connect mechanic directs players to scratch a designated logo on the physical ticket, scan the revealed QR code, and enter a digital bonus round after age verification. No account creation or registration is required. The physical ticket functions as the bearer instrument for all prizes, which are redeemed exclusively at retail locations. The product needs no system vendor integration, allowing lotteries to deploy it quickly.
This Ohio launch is the third Scratch Connect title in the U.S., following earlier releases in Kentucky and Pennsylvania, with further games scheduled. The retail and digital segments share wheel-style play action, colors, and visual themes to create a continuous experience from ticket to device.
Leadership View on Connected Lottery Play
“The early response to Bonus Cash Wheel demonstrates the opportunity lotteries have to connect retail and digital play in a way that feels natural to players,” said Charlie Scannella, VP, Customer Success & Relationship Management for Scientific Games. “Scratch Connect extends the entertainment of a physical scratch game to mobile while keeping the retail network central to the experience. Players can move easily from the ticket to digital play without an account or registration, giving lotteries a simple way to introduce a connected experience while supporting their retail business.”
Reporting: G3 Newswire
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
Scientific Games proves you can digitize lottery engagement without killing the retail channel that pays the bills.
As SCCG, we've watched lottery modernization stall for years over cannibalization fear. This Ohio data — 90% completion, 40% repeat play, zero account friction, all prizes redeemed in-store — gives state operators a defendable path to engage younger players while protecting retailer revenue. That changes the conversation.
- 570K scans, 90% completion rate, 40% played again — strong retention with no registration barrier
- All prizes redeemed at retail; digital is engagement layer, not replacement channel
- Third U.S. launch (Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania); more states queued — model proving repeatable
SCCG angle: SCCG works with lottery vendors, digital platform builders, and state agencies across every regulated market. When a client needs to navigate the retail-digital balance — whether pitching a connected product, structuring a vendor RFP, or entering a new lottery jurisdiction — we broker the right introductions and help position around what regulators actually care about: protecting retail revenue while proving engagement lift.
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