Best Practices for a Secure and Engaging Lottery & Gaming Platform

Lotteries are games of chance that appeal to customers from all demographics. State and federal laws have morphed through the years, and digital lottery and casino betting has become more popular as it has become more accessible. For lottery operators and providers, the success of their lottery platform rests on building a safe, certified, and entertaining product.

It’s not an easy task, but the burden can be alleviated by doing three things:

1. Follow best practices for security and safety
2. Adopt a lottery app and platform design that incorporates sophisticated lottery app UI and lottery UX
3. Work with a trusted software engineering partner

Let’s first examine best practices and finish up with a discussion on the importance of finding a trustworthy, experienced software engineering partner.

Security

Developing a safe and secure lottery platform in an age when cybersecurity attacks are at an all-time high is challenging. A recent Forbes article compiled a list of “alarming stats,” including the fact that 66% of small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have been a target of cyber-attacks within the last 12 months, 40% of SMBs that suffered a severe attack experienced eight hours of downtime, and 83% of SMBs are not financially prepared for the fallout.

Though daunting, becoming a cyber-attack victim is avoidable. There are several best practices that digital lottery and casino gaming developers can implement from the get-go. For example, prior to designing the app and its features, the team should undergo a security assessment. This is something the right software engineering partner can and should provide as part of their services—more on that in a moment. After the evaluation, a secure architecture and design plan must be implemented, along with a secure software development lifecycle (SDLC).

Once building the application commences, it’s crucial to utilize lottery technology—both hardware and software—that provides built-in security features. However, do not assume that generic security features will defeat the advanced machinations of today’s cybercriminals. Security measures should be included at the application level. Consistently testing security protocols and administering staff training is crucial for player protection and the integrity of the application itself.

The World Lottery Association (WLA) agrees, noting on their website, “The security of a lottery will always play a critical role in maintaining the confidence and trust of the public in its lottery games. Therefore, a lottery organization must develop and maintain a visible and documented security environment to achieve and sustain public confidence in its operations.”

Obtaining the WLA Security Control Standard certification (WLA-SCS) further enhances the security of a lottery platform. WLA declares that, for the lottery sector, they are the only internationally recognized security standard. “It is designed to assist WLA members to obtain a level of security control in line with generally accepted best practices and to enable an increased reliance on the integrity of their operations. The WLA-SCS specifies the required practices for an effective security management structure by which a lottery may maintain the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of information vital to its secure operation.”

Lottery App Design

In addition to critical security features for the lottery platform, the lottery app design plays a massive role in its success. Those eager to enter the digital lottery and casino gaming market (forecasted to grow by $220.52 bn during 2020 – 2024) must consider who their customers are and what they want. This is known as the user experience or UX. For a positive lottery UX, the lottery app UI (user interface) must be intuitive, attractive, and ultimately, work correctly (e.g., no log-in problems or missing content) whether the user is on their mobile device or a desktop computer.

A well-designed, user-friendly, personalized lottery platform will engage customers and facilitate an exceptional experience. The experience should include easy log-in, purchasing/withdrawal, and checking result procedures. Additionally, a lottery platform that provides multiple lottery and casino gaming options draws users while also providing further opportunities for increasing lottery platform revenues.

Working with a Software Engineering Partner

Designing a secure and innovative lottery platform requires a specific skill set. The skillset involves understanding how to implement the sophisticated lottery UX, lottery app UI, lottery compliance, and security needed in today’s digital environment. In addition, if lottery operators and providers need agility, speed, and experience to break into the competitive market, they will need to work with a knowledgeable software engineering partner who understands their goals, who can help them innovate in the cloud, and who can integrate seamlessly with their in-house team. 

Developing and operating a lottery platform that offers customers a high-value proposition that they can trust is the foundation for success. As a leader in digital product engineering, GlobalLogic and Method (a GlobalLogic company) has been helping clients in the online lottery and betting industry across the globe, and we’d love to do the same for you. 

To learn more, visit the Method website or contact our team today. Let’s work together to build something exceptional.