IWG, the supplier of online, instant win games, and Inspired Entertainment, a provider of virtual sports, are collaborating on a brand new vertical for North American lotteries – instant win versions of virtual sports. Under the terms of the partnership, IWG will create ‘unique and engaging’ instant win games that feature Inspired’s virtual sports content. They will, said both firms, offer a good entry point for potential new sports bettors.

Each predetermined game will be tailored to ensure best practices in instant win game mechanics remain intact, while also capturing the exciting game play that has made virtual sports grow to become an important product for lotteries and operators around the world.

The first iteration of Instant-Virtual Sports will allow players to view single virtual football plays and win prizes based on the result of that play. The new game, which will go live later this year and in time for NFL playoffs, will be accessible online via the Progressive Play RGS across IWG’s lottery and commercial operator network.

Rhydian Fisher, IWG CEO, said: “We are very excited about this collaboration. These games are beautifully simple, and with the advent of sports betting in the US landscape, we feel they are a good entry point for customers who are interested in sports betting but may not have experience in doing so.

“We are confident that the instant win game play mechanics, coupled with the rich virtual animations, will prove to be popular with players and drive further revenue for good causes. It’s a great complement to our instant win portfolio and we could not be more excited to offer this to all our lottery partners.”

Lorne Weil, Inspired executive chairman, said: “With the proliferation of mobile wagering and sports betting throughout North America, lotteries need to get creative to stay competitive, now more than ever. We see a huge opportunity in the North American lottery market for these products, where the instant gratification and digital format have the ability to reinforce current offerings and attract new players. We can’t wait to showcase these new games and, while we are starting with instant-win virtual football, we are excited to leverage additional Inspired content to grow this category with IWG.”