National Lottery plc marked its first year of national lottery operations with the announcement of three new projects. These are the ScratchiZ instant tickets product, online lottery, and the upcoming debut of the Friday Super5 draw.

These initiatives were launched during an event at the National Lottery’s Quad Central flagship store. The occasion also served as the inauguration of the cutting-edge store itself, which is now an integral part of the company’s investment programme. Another 15 new stores are set to be launched by the end of the year.

Expressing his thoughts on these milestones, Johann Schembri, CEO of National Lottery plc, stated, "As we promised when we took over operations a year ago, our vision was to bring the national lottery closer to the public. We aimed, and succeeded, to deliver a compelling product, and a truly vibrant local brand. We are now very excited to leverage the opportunities opening up through a stronger, more efficient and state-of-the-art local retail distribution network.

"The introduction of the ScratchiZ instant tickets category complements an already rich suite of lottery products, raising our offering to the level of leading European lottery operators. The recent launch of our online lottery is yet another step in our distribution strategy. We remain dedicated to meeting industry market presence benchmarks via a diversified distribution network. The launch of our online lottery through the state-of-the-art e-commerce site provides a convenient and entertaining omnichannel experience that caters to the digital preferences of our esteemed players."

At the event, Minister for the Economy, EU Funds and Lands Silvio Schembri said that the investment by National Lottery shows the trust the company has in our country’s economy. “The gaming sector is a thriving economic sector on our island, so much so that the gross value added in this sector has increased by 5.8% in the last two years. “With the launch of the e-commerce site, the traditional lotto and other games have a new platform and thus tradition is once again embracing innovation,” said Minister Schembri.

Johann Schembri, CEO of National Lottery plc.

National Lottery plc also announced the introduction of the Friday Super5 draw, kicking off on July 21, 2023. The draw offers players an additional weekly opportunity to take home the coveted jackpot.

In the year since it took over the operations of the national lottery, National Lottery plc has awarded record prizes exceeding €107.14 million, underscoring its commitment to winners. This is more than double what the previous operator awarded in its last year of operations. The company's deep and real time understanding of the local market enables it to tailor its offerings to meet the demands and preferences of the Maltese community.