National Lottery operator Allwyn has begun installing more than 30,000 Wave lottery terminals across its retail network, replacing legacy Altura machines.
The rollout follows the successful completion of the largest software upgrade in the lottery’s history, which took place from 2–4 August. The upgrade involved more than 30 new technology systems, a rebuilt back-end gaming platform, a new in-store network, and the migration of retailer records and millions of transactions from legacy systems dating back to 2009.
Wave terminals feature a high-speed processor for faster transactions, a larger tilt-adjustable LCD screen, wireless 1D and 2D barcode scanners, and a play slip reader that accepts both horizontal and vertical feeds. Retailers also gain enhanced functionality, including improved reporting and the ability to change numbers on National Lottery Fast Pay cards.
Around 8,000 retailers received a Wave terminal in the first half of the year, primarily replacing Compact Lottery Terminals that were incompatible with the new systems introduced in August.
The rollout to the remaining Altura estate began on 11 August. By the end of the month, nearly 4,000 retailers will have their Altura machines replaced. From September, Allwyn plans to install thousands of Wave terminals each week.
