Aristocrat Interactive and Inspired team up to deliver virtual sports games to Virginia Lottery

The Virginia Lottery has added computer-generated Virtual Sports draw games to its iLottery platform, the first time the product has entered a US lottery program.

The games—marketed as “VSports”—were created by Inspired Entertainment and delivered through NeoPollard Interactive, a joint venture between Pollard Banknote and Aristocrat Interactive. Using Aristocrat Interactive’s Fusion aggregation system, the lottery can now offer virtual football, basketball, and horse-racing draws on the same digital hub that hosts its traditional instant and draw titles.

“Our commitment to providing best-in-class lottery content is strengthened by robust third-party integration capabilities with content providers like Inspired Entertainment,” said Chris Shaban, managing director of Aristocrat Interactive iLottery. “The introduction of these first-of-its-kind draw games for the Virginia Lottery exemplifies how customers can benefit from strategic integrations that drive new innovations and improvements in available content for players.”

How VSports works

Each game follows a published timetable that lets players bet on a simulated event every two or three minutes. Outcomes are produced by a certified random-number generator; real-world sports results do not affect winning numbers. The lottery is presenting the titles in a draw-game format to expand its menu for sports-minded customers without adding live wagering.

Scott Kenyon, deputy executive director of marketing for the Virginia Lottery, said the agency expects the new content to engage existing players and attract new ones.

"Through the Virginia Lottery's agreement with NeoPollard Interactive, we are delivering unique content for a diverse set of players while also attracting new audiences," he said. "This relationship allows us to provide a wide range of new, distinctive games that we are confident will be exciting and appealing to our players, while also supporting the Lottery's overall mission of raising revenue for K-12 public education in the Commonwealth."  

Suppliers’ collaboration

Aristocrat Interactive, Aristocrat Leisure Ltd.’s regulated online real-money gaming division, merged Anaxi with the NeoGames businesses—Aspire Global, BtoBet and Pariplay—in 2024. The group supplies land-based systems along with online technology, content, and services that cover iLottery, iGaming, online sports betting, and customer-experience solutions.

Brooks Pierce, president and CEO of Inspired Entertainment, said: “We are honored to work with Aristocrat Interactive through its contract with NeoPollard Interactive to bring this unprecedented gaming experience to the Virginia Lottery. This collaboration showcases players' growing appetite for engaging online lottery experiences and will provide additional funds for a good cause.”

The lottery and its suppliers plan to add more virtual sports titles over time. The initial release is positioned as the start of a year-round expansion of digital draw content.