The evolution of the Virginia Lottery gaming machine

The Virginia Lottery has seen its gaming machine evolve over time. The first machine was the Instant-Ticket Vending Machine (ITVM). That machine carried eight bins and only offered Scratchers. Players could insert money and select the game they wanted; the ITVM dispensed tickets like a vending machine. The front of the machine had inserts that were manually changed by retailers to let players know which game was in each bin. When the Virginia Lottery created the ITVM, it wanted to make buying Scratchers easier for players and selling Scratchers easier for retailers.

At the time, daily games such as Pick 3, Pick 4 and Cash 5 were becoming favorites of Virginia Lottery players. Players were requesting the ability to enter their daily game numbers on the Lottery machines directly. That desire prompted the transition to the Lottery Express machine. Compared to the ITVM, the Lottery Express machine offered 24 bins for game selection and gave players the ability to select their daily numbers.

Today, when entering a Lottery retailer, players see the big green Game Machine. The Game Machine is different from the previous two machines: It features a selection of 28 Scratchers, a digital slide show that shows the latest promotions offered by the Lottery and also keeps players updated with the latest Powerball and Mega Millions jackpot amounts. Unlike the ITVM and the Lottery Express machine, some of the Game Machines allow debit-card transactions. The Game Machine also allows retailers to easily load games without entering manual information and can display text in different languages to meet player needs.

The Lottery strives to have the best equipment in place to enhance the player experience. The Game Machine is an essential tool in meeting that goal. Interested in seeing one of our Game Machines in person? Then check out our Find a Retailer locator to find a store with a Game Machine near you!

_{Last Modified 11/15/19}