Arizona Lottery's Tech Overhaul: A Bet on Modernization and Growth

ATLANTA, GA – July 09, 2026 – The Arizona Lottery, a 45-year-old state institution, has just undergone its most significant operational upgrade in decades. In a move that prioritizes execution over simple expansion, the Lottery has gone live with a new, advanced technology suite from long-term partner Scientific Games. While players will notice an array of new draw games and bigger prizes, the real story lies in the deep-seated modernization of the infrastructure that powers everything from ticket sales to retailer management—a strategic overhaul designed to ensure long-term, sustainable growth.

This isn't merely a software patch or a new game rollout. It's the deployment of the Scientific Games Momentum ecosystem, a comprehensive platform that replaces the Lottery's core systems. The goal, as stated by Arizona Lottery Executive Director Alec Thomson, is to modernize operations and position the Lottery for the future. "The changes to our draw games will give our players bigger value, more ways to play and even more chances to win," Thomson noted. This project represents a critical inflection point where innovation in gaming technology meets the practical need for enhanced state revenue and operational security.

The Technology Underpinning the Transformation

At the heart of the upgrade is the Momentum ecosystem, a name that belies the complex machinery working behind the scenes. This cloud-based platform serves as the new central nervous system for the Arizona Lottery, handling everything from transaction processing to retailer communications across a network of approximately 3,600 locations. Paired with the upgraded gem|suite software, the system provides a robust framework for managing a complex, high-volume retail operation.

For Arizona's retailers, who earned over $103 million in commissions in fiscal year 2023, the upgrade is designed to streamline day-to-day work. The gem|suite software handles licensing, inventory management, and business intelligence, giving both the Lottery and its retail partners near real-time visibility into performance. This data-driven approach allows for more agile product management and better support for the small businesses that form the backbone of the Lottery's sales network. The deployment also includes the rollout of new WAVE point-of-sale terminals, continuing a history of positive retailer reception to Scientific Games' equipment upgrades.

Beyond efficiency, the new system brings enhanced security—a non-negotiable in an industry that handles billions of dollars in transactions. Scientific Games emphasizes its commitment to "unwavering security," a critical factor as state-sponsored gaming operations face increasing digital threats. By modernizing the core infrastructure, the Arizona Lottery is not just preparing for growth but also hardening its defenses against potential disruptions.

A Calculated Play for Player Engagement

The most visible outcome of this technological shift is a revitalized draw game portfolio. The updates are a calculated effort to increase player engagement by offering more variety, better odds, and more frequent opportunities to win. The classic state game, The Pick, now features an automatic multiplier on every play and better overall odds, along with a new instant-win add-on called The Pick PLUS. This directly addresses player demand for more value and excitement from familiar games.

Furthermore, the Lottery is expanding its daily offerings by adding a midday drawing for the Pick 3 game and introducing an entirely new Pick 4 game with both midday and evening drawings. This strategy of increasing draw frequency is a proven method for boosting daily sales and maintaining player interest between large jackpot runs. The addition of Powerball Double Play, a second-chance add-on, provides another layer of engagement, offering a separate drawing with a top prize of up to $10 million.

With increased gaming options comes a heightened responsibility to promote safe play. The Arizona Lottery maintains a Level 2 Responsible Gaming Certification from the World Lottery Association and partners closely with the Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG). A portion of lottery revenue, amounting to $300,000 in fiscal year 2024, is directed to the ADG's Division of Problem Gambling to fund free education, prevention, and treatment resources. This integrated approach ensures that as the Lottery's offerings expand, so do the safeguards for its players.

The Bottom Line: Fueling Arizona's Public Good

Ultimately, the success of this modernization project will be measured by its impact on the Arizona community. Since 1981, the Arizona Lottery has generated more than $5.9 billion in net funding for public programs, becoming a vital revenue stream for the state. In fiscal year 2023 alone, record sales of over $1.5 billion resulted in a transfer of more than $318 million to 17 state beneficiaries.

These funds are not abstract figures; they support tangible programs across four key pillars. Over the years, more than $459 million has gone to public universities, over $1.18 billion to economic development initiatives, over $473 million to environmental conservation via programs like the Heritage Fund, and over $564 million to health and human services for the state's most vulnerable populations. This new technology is expected to build on that legacy. The previous systems upgrade from Scientific Games in 2015 helped drive a 73% increase in total sales over the subsequent eight years, setting a powerful precedent.

John Schulz, President of Americas & Global Instant Products for Scientific Games, emphasized this core mission, stating the company is focused on "readying the Lottery for long-term sustainability through advanced systems and software, and exciting new products that engage players and drive proceeds to the good cause programs that benefit Arizonans."

A Strategic Move in a Competitive Global Market

The Arizona Lottery project is not an isolated event but part of a broader pattern of successful, large-scale technology deployments by Scientific Games. The company has recently launched its Momentum ecosystem for lotteries in New Mexico and Minnesota and, in a massive undertaking, began powering the UK's National Lottery and its 43,500 retailers in 2025. These consecutive, successful go-lives reinforce the company's position as a fast-growing and reliable systems provider in a competitive global market dominated by giants like IGT.

This ability to execute complex, multi-faceted technology transitions is a key differentiator. As lotteries worldwide grapple with the need to modernize, attract new demographics, and integrate digital and retail channels, they require partners who can deliver robust, secure, and scalable solutions. By successfully overhauling the Arizona Lottery's core systems, Scientific Games has once again demonstrated its capability to turn technological innovation into measurable operational results and public value.