Tatts Group is looking at expanding its sales of lottery tickets at fuel outlet convenience stores as part of a string of moves to boost the division.
Tatts trialled the sale of lottery tickets through the Coles Express network in the first half of the financial year, and says it is exploring opportunities to include other convenience/store fuel outlets.
"We firmly believe the convenience fuel channel presents an opportunity to grow the lotteries category," Tatts chief executive Robbie Cooke said on Thursday.
Tatts is also expecting to release two new lotteries games - Set for Life, and Lucky Lotteries - in the second half of the current financial year, and develop a new lotteries website to provide consumers with a "state of the art" online experience.
Tatts says the Set for Life game is the first new draw game since Powerball in 1996 and will appeal especially to people 25 to 40 years old.
It gives players the opportunity to win a top prize of $20,000 a month for 20 years.
Tatts also will relaunch its wagering division as UBET in the second half.
The first "next generation" UBET retail outlet will open in April.
The relaunch will also include a new website and new mobile phone apps, self-service terminals with cash-handling capability and a step-up in marketing.
Tatts on Thursday reported a first half net profit by 14.6 per cent to $139.8 million, boosted by the continued shift of gamblers to online platforms.
"I'm pleased to report a strong result driven by record lotteries earnings, strong online growth, resilient wagering performance, cost control and reduced funding costs," Mr Cooke said.
Lotteries generated an increase of 18.4 per cent in online sales, and the online channel was now delivering 10.8 per cent of the group's total lotteries sales.
Digital sales in wagering lifted by 12.9 per cent and now generated 24.8 per cent of total wagering sales.
Lotteries revenue lifted 1.3 per cent to $1.01 billion.
Tatts' wagering division lifted revenue by 0.4 per cent to $339.2 million.
The increase in digital sales more than offset a 12.7 per cent fall in phone-based sales.
The "bricks and mortar" wagering outlets experienced a fall of 1.8 per cent in sales.
Tatts shares were nine cents lower at $3.78 on Thursday.
ONLINE GROWTH HELPS DRIVES TATTS PROFIT
* First half net profit of $139.8m, up 14.6pct from $122.0m in 2013/14
* Revenue of $1.51b up 1.2pct from $1.49b
* Fully franked final dividend of nine cents a share, up one cent
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