The online lotteries announced last Friday (10) by Caixa Econômica Federal are a gamble in the dark for lottery points of sale. The novelty that games can be made over the internet may increase the number of bettors, according to industry representative. But the move can also draw players from the lottery stores and take them to the virtual world where the commission paid per bet will be lower.
For lottery stores, which will receive a value for each virtual bet, the new model is a mystery. While it can expand the public, the measure also threatens the gains and clients that visit the establishments, says Jodismar Amaro, president of Febralot (Brazilian Federation of Lottery Companies).
“We believe [the Online Lotteries] will bring a different audience, but we do not yet have a sense of what it can take away. The people who come here today [store], will they continue to come or will they migrate to the internet?”
A lottery house currently earns 9% commission on each bet, but in online mode it will be 3.11%. The amount received will be proportional to the performance on the physical bets. That is, if the lottery sells 1% of all physical games at the national level, it will get the commission referring to 1% of all virtual bets.
If the strategy attracts a new audience, it will be a gain for Caixa and Lottery, says Amaro. But if the measure only take customers out of bookmakers, the income of these establishments will decrease.
“If customers migrate from the physical to the online, the lottery will be affected. We are going to change a commission of 9% for another of 3%. For each client that we lose in the physical we will need three on the internet to compensate.”
The good news, according to Amaro, is the minimum limit of R$ 30 (US$7.75) for bets in the virtual world. "That was a precautionary measure. Above US$7.75, customers can play on the internet, and below that figure they have to go to a store. If not, we’d lose customers everyday, as some only bet low figures such as R$ 5 (US$1.30).
The portal Loterias Online (www.loteriasonline.caixa.gov.br) allows virtual betting in various lottery modalities (Mega-Sena, Lotofácil, Quina, Lotomania, Timemania, Double Seine, Loteca, Lotogol and Dia de Sorte), with the exception of of the Federal Lottery.
Bettors must be at least 18 years old, register the CPF and make games of at least R$ 30 (US$7.75), which obligatorily induces more than one bet - each Mega-Sena ticket, for example, costs R$ 3,50 (US$0.90). The limit is R$ 500 (US$130) per day on bets.
Caixa expects to increase collection by increasing access for those who are not in the habit of attending lottery houses, such as the public between 18 and 30 years old - accustomed to shopping online and using internet banking - and women, who represent only 15 % of physical bets. In October an app will be released.
Source: GMB / noticias.r7
