Bwloto is a pioneering force on a mission to modernise lottery products, writes Lauren Harrison.
Founded in 2019 as a breakaway from Betware (which became Novomatic Lottery Solutions), the company was established by industry veterans and lottery legends Sverrir Orn Sveinsson, Johann Sigurdsson, and current Bwloto CEO Ivar Unnthorsson.
Together, the founding team leverages over 60-years of combined expertise in lottery technology, leadership and product development – and can even lay claim to digitising the lottery back in the early 2000s, uniquely positioning them to lead the sector in redefining what a modern lottery system can be.
Bwloto is already the partner of choice for some of the world’s most prestigious national lottery operators, including Danske Spil in Denmark, Norsk Tipping in Norway, Svenska Spel in Sweden and Veikkaus in Finland. But now they’re seeking to level the playing field and open the market to operators of all sizes.
So what sets Bwloto products apart? How are they using innovation to engage new audiences? And is it really possible for smaller operators to thrive in a traditionally monopolised market?
Join iGF’s Curtis Roach and Bwloto CEO Ivar Unthorsson as they explore these questions and more.
Do modern online lottery products do enough to attract a younger generation of players? What can be done to help improve this going forward?
“Not quite. Most online lottery products still feel more transactional than entertaining and designed for ticket sales, not engagement.
“To connect with younger, digital-native players, the experience must evolve: more immediate rewards, mobile-first UX, and event-driven formats like raffles that tie into sports, social causes, or trending moments.
“Our Raffle as a Service™ platform is perfect for this, enabling operators to quickly launch new raffle concepts, experiment with different game mechanics and respond in real-time without long lead times.
“This is the same with our eInstants that feel closer to casual mobile games than traditional scratch cards. That’s why our eInstants go beyond simple digitisation. They’re adaptable, re-skinnable, and designed for rapid deployment.
“When I led the launch of Denmark’s first eInstant platform at Betware in 2003, we went from concept to live in just three months, which remains one of the fastest rollouts in the industry.
“At Bwloto that speed and agility are built into our DNA. That same structure powers our delivery today: modular game engines and a configuration layer that lets operators control what they launch.”
The need for localised lottery products is already understood within the industry. But what does this look like in real-time? How can operators ensure their product is flexible enough to succeed across fragmented markets?
“Localisation is more than translating content. It’s about aligning the entire product experience with local regulation, cultural preferences, and technical realities.
“Every Bwloto product–from eInstants to Raffle as a Service™–is built from the ground up to be adaptable via admin tools, configuration layer and modular architecture.
“Our Lottery as a Service™ and Raffle as a Service™ platforms follow a true SaaS model. It’s scalable, easy to configure, and has a low operational overhead – in sharp contrast to the custom-built enterprise systems that still dominate much of the lottery industry today.
“Operators can configure payout structures, game frequency, visuals, RG tools, and integrations with preferred payment, CRM, and AML/KYC systems – all per market. And because we support both digital and retail channels, that adaptability applies across the whole player journey, not just the interface.
“This is how we deliver speed and efficiency; not by building from scratch every time, but by offering ready-made, configurable foundations that operators can customise without compromising stability or compliance.
“What makes this hard to copy is our architecture: game engines, configuration layer, and even visual assets are treated as dynamic modules – stored, versioned, and deployed independently.
“That means we don’t just localise; we localise at scale.”
A few household brands dominate the online lottery sector. Is it still possible for smaller suppliers to compete and bring exciting new products to market?
“The challenge for new suppliers isn’t creativity. It’s access.
“A few large vendors control most distribution and integration pathways, making it difficult for fresh ideas to gain traction. And the business model is part of the problem. Legacy enterprise vendors, for example, rely on heavy, one-off builds and long-term contracts.
“We took the opposite path: a cloud-native SaaS platform with pre-integrated modules, priced transparently and designed to scale across operators.
“We come from Betware – the company that launched the world’s first iLottery. Our board member and key investor, Sigurdur Baldursson, led the Icelandic National Lottery into that new era. He later started one of the first online sportsbooks, Platform Parspro, which he sold to Scientific Games.
“I joined shortly after and helped deploy one of the industry’s first eInstant platforms at the Danish lottery. That background gave us a deep understanding of how to build modern systems. And how to avoid the inefficiencies that still slow this industry down.
“But beyond experience, our edge is structural. Our platform is integration-first. We’ve built native connectors into major CRM, content, and regulatory systems so that onboarding a new client doesn’t require reinventing the wheel.
“That’s how we go live in weeks or a few short months, unlike much of the industry, where timelines often stretch beyond eight-months.
“With Lottery as a Service™, we’ve built a modern, cloud-native, API-driven alternative that gives operators of all sizes the same tools the incumbents rely on. But at a fraction of the time and cost.
“And we go far beyond lottery.
“Through our aggregation platform, we deliver casino, slots, live games, and sportsbook content via integrations with top-tier providers. This allows operators to scale their offerings without adding complexity and innovate without risking their bottom line.”
What product or player trends do you expect to see developing over the year ahead? How can operators leverage these changes to expand their customer base and keep players engaged?
“In our view, these trends will shape the year ahead: More innovation in draw games, especially Raffle & Sweepstakes format tied to loyalty, engagement as well as current events, causes, or moments in culture; hybrid mechanic mixing draw, instant, and gamified elements; and Omnichannel consistency where players expect the same product digitally and at retail.
“There will also be deeper localisation of eInstants. It’s no longer enough just to translate. Operators will need to tailor game formats, themes, prize logic, and UX to specific regions and audiences.
“To stay ahead, operators need platforms built for adaptability. This means they can quickly configure and test new ideas without needing custom development work or vendor sign-off. That’s a huge strategic advantage in a regulated space.”
As pioneers in digital lottery, how has your experience shaped what you’re building now?
“It’s funny. I’ve been doing this since 2001, and I’m still just getting started. At 47, we can almost say–only half-joking–that we’re the grandparents of iLottery. We helped lay the foundations, and now we’re back building what comes next.
“What really sets this phase apart is the team. It’s not just veterans. It’s an all-star line-up of people who’ve delivered for some of the biggest names in the industry.
“Sigurdur Baldursson, who helped lead the original digital lottery transformation, is a key investor and board member. Johann Sigurdsson, formerly CCO at Novomatic Lottery Solutions, brings decades of operational and commercial insight that’s been critical as we scale.
“We’ve learned that speed, clarity, and adaptability win. And that’s precisely what we’re building at Bwloto – a platform designed for the modern lottery that removes the barriers between idea and execution.
“Our motto? It’s the same as it was at Betware: Everything is possible. Then make it fast.”
How does Bwloto support both small and large lottery operations differently?
“For small and mid-sized operators, we are the full stack: digital lottery platform, content, retail, integrations, and onboarding. Everything needed to launch and scale, with world-class stability at a fraction of the cost.
“For large operators, we’re the innovation layer. We integrate with existing systems and help them test and deploy new formats–like Raffle as a Service™ or enhanced eInstants–without touching their core infrastructure.
“We’ve industrialised what’s traditionally been custom.
“Whether it’s the platform, draw game engine (lotto, raffle, sweepstakes), an eInstant engine, retail, a bonus engine, a gamification engine or a payment integration, we’ve modularised every component so it can be reused, localised, and scaled across clients with minimal overhead.
“That’s how we deliver enterprise-grade stability on a startup timeline and budget – because we’ve designed for SaaS from the ground up.”
Editor’s Note:
Ivar presents a compelling vision for the lottery sector. One that’s localised, agile, digitally native, and designed with a new cohort of players in mind.
According to him, staying relevant means evolving from a transactional experience to one that is engaging, fast-moving, and culturally relevant.
And with fast deployment, modular configuration, and next-generation product content, Bwloto delivers exactly that.
Rather than harking back to the past, Bwloto has prioritised building a cloud-native, API-driven and modular platform that streamlines speed to market, means operators can test new features and concepts in weeks–rather than months–and scale at speed.
The result?
A more level playing field where smaller operators can access a full suite of cutting-edge tools, allowing them to compete, and larger ones can innovate without overhauling their legacy system.
So what’s next for the world of lottery?
One thing is certain: from more innovation in draw games to enhanced player engagement through loyalty and gamification, omnichannel consistency, and deeper localisation, Bwloto is leading the lottery way.
