RFI iLottery final clean .docx

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

iLottery System and Related Services

Responses Due: August 10, 2025 at 1:00 PM CT

I. Purpose of the Request for Information (RFI) This is a request for information only.

The Illinois Lottery is issuing this RFI to solicit information from the gaming community (including vendors and consultants) regarding industry trends, innovations, technology and best practices in the current lottery landscape. The RFI seeks to collect information and data, initiate an open and transparent dialogue with vendors, industry consultants, and other knowledgeable parties interested in sharing industry information and their professional perspective, for the Illinois Lottery to consider in preparation for initiating a formal Request for Proposal (“RFP”) for an iLottery system and related services pursuant to Illinois statute (20 ILCS 1605/7.12) .

Presently, the Illinois Lottery is mandated to operate with the assistance of a private manager while exercising control over all significant business decisions made by the private manager. The Illinois Lottery is mandated by Illinois statute (20 ILCS 1605/9.1) to select a qualified private manager through a competitive bidding process consistent with Section 20-35 of the Illinois Procurement Code. Once a private manager is selected, the Illinois Lottery must enter into a management agreement which includes at a minimum, the terms and conditions found in 20 ILCS 1605/9.1(C-5 and D). It is this agreement by which the iLottery system and related services would be managed.

This RFI is not a procurement and will not result in a participant receiving a contract, (44 Ill. Adm. Code 1.15). Responding to this RFI is not a prerequisite to participate in a future procurement or procurements and does not obligate the Illinois Lottery to conduct a future procurement. Further, a response to this RFI does not provide any advantages to the participant in a potential future RFP. All information received in a participant’s response will be available for public review. (44 Ill. Adm. Code 1.2050[j]) II. Submission

a. Important Information Regarding Submission This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. The RFI is not a procurement method and will not result in a participant receiving a contract. (44 Ill. Adm. Code 1.15). Responding to the RFI is not a prerequisite to participate in a future procurement(s) and does not obligate the Illinois Lottery to conduct a future procurement. Further, a response to this RFI does not provide any advantages to the participant in potential future Requests for Proposals (RFP). All information received in a participant’s response will be available for public review. (44 Ill. Adm. Code 1.2050[j]) You are invited to provide non-price information in response to the RFI. You are prohibited from providing pricing, the details of customized solutions, sample procurement specifications, or any other information outside the scope of the RFI because it could disqualify your organization from participating in future related procurements. (30 ILCS 500/50-10.5[e]). However, you may provide general information about industry trends and innovations, products, services, or industry best practices that are not specifically tailored to meet the State’s needs. For additional information on prohibited vs. non-prohibited information, please see 44 Ill. Adm. Code 1.2005(v).

b. Submission

Please provide your responses by: August 10, 2025 at 1:00pm

All responses must be submitted via BidBuy. Instructions to register via BidBuy are below.

If you have questions regarding where to locate the RFI, please email: LOT.Procurement@illinois.gov

c. Illinois BidBuy Portal Registration Once vendors are registered on the State of Illinois BidBuy Portal (the State’s electronic procurement and purchasing information system) they will receive official notices throughout the procurement process for this RFI and any official notices of future procurement solicitation opportunities for the State of Illinois. To register on BidBuy, access the following website for instructions:

https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/bidbuy.html For more information, please email: il.bidbuy@illinois.gov

d. Response Organization and Format Your submission should include information in-full or in-part as a response to the questions listed below. Information may include the vendor’s perspective on the topic and any other information the Illinois Lottery should consider when issuing an RFP for Private Management and other related lottery services.

iLottery Background iLottery systems enable the sell and purchase of lottery games online. They are integrated with a lottery’s central gaming system and perform related day-to-day lottery business, financial and technical functions involving iLottery games, data and player information. iLottery systems include but are not limited to, gaming operating system controls, gaming servers, access portals, content management, data management and reporting, system security, data center, network management, change control, testing, project management, system integration, player account management, geo-location, age verification, player support, system support, claims and payments, internal control system, financial management, ticket scanning/validation, participation in sweepstakes, promotions, results, game rules, claiming information, transaction information, etc. The iLottery system also has extensive player safeguards and customized responsible gaming controls that enable players to play responsibly and manage their gameplay preferences effectively.

RFI Questions: iLottery

General Questions

a) What do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities for iLottery in the US over the next 3 – 5 years?

b) How does a Lottery prepare to address those technology changes?

Application and System Delivery

a) What methods/tools or best practices are in use today with regards to iLottery System Development Life Cycle (SDLC), system integration, quality assurance testing, verification, and validation?

b) What is the most recognized staffing model for system development, delivery, and support?

c) What are the various service level management approaches to address change, release, problem, and incident management?

d) What are the pros and cons of those service level management approaches?

e) What are the industry standards or best practices when defining risk, priority, and scheduling of system, game, and security upgrades?

f) Which Project Management Methodology is the most effective in delivering iLottery systems in the Lottery industry and why?

g) Are there any additional unique features or capabilities in application and system development the industry is moving towards that hasn’t become the industry standard yet?

Business Requirements

a) Describe the industry standard or best practices for designing and deploying the following. Responses should cover the subject areas listed below:

1) iLottery access and features (web-based, mobile web, mobile).

2) Payment methods and withdrawal options supported by the solution.

3) Loyalty programs, customer relationship management capability and functionality, customer acquisition and retention approach, marketing programs, promotions, affiliate programs.

4) Game design, development and support, content offerings, 3rd party integration, delivery schedule capability, quality control.

5) Ticket validation and scanning,

6) Claim submission and payment integration.

7) Electronic play slips

8) Responsible gaming tools and practices.

9) User interface, player account management capabilities

10) ADA requirements.

Technical Requirements

a) Describe the industry standard or best practices for designing and deploying the following:

1) System architecture

2) Network Design and Redundancy (data center, connectivity to inter-site locations and 3rd party systems, back office, etc.)

3) Network Security

4) Network Administration and Monitoring

5) Network Bandwidth, Availability and Scalability

6) Integration of iLottery with multiple systems and networks

7) Integration of iLottery with a Central Gaming System

8) Use of a Remote Gaming Server

9) Use of an Internal Control System

10) Business Intelligence, data analytics and reporting capabilities (ad-hoc, customized, capacity and frequency)

11) Access controls and administrative capabilities for users of the solution.

12) Solution support e.g. tier1, tier 2, back office, etc.

13) Auditing and Compliance

14) Use of cloud-based solutions

b) Describe the industry standards or best-practices for delivering an optimal iLottery system security solution. Responses should minimally cover:

1) Cybersecurity optimal structure, cyber-attacks, preventative measures, data breaches, and incident communication plan.

2) “Know Your Customer”, age verification, geo-location, and anti-money laundering policies and practices?

3) Disaster recovery, business continuity, and communication plans during a disaster scenario.

4) Data security, the communication plan and timing, and how Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability (CIA) of data is maintained when a breach occurs.

5) Best practices for defining the Service Level Agreements (SLAs) needed to ensure the optimal security solution for iLottery.

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