Hantle's ATMs can be ready to dispense lottery tickets

Hantle's ATMs can be ready to dispense lottery tickets
Tags: Hantle USA, Inc., Manufacturers, North America, Software, Transaction Processing, Triton
November 21, 2010

Hantle USA Inc.'s ATMs can be upgraded to dispense quick pick lottery tickets, said Wes Dunn, vice president of sales for Genmega Inc., which manufactures ATMs for Hantle.

"About 50,000 Hantle ATMs, which operate on the Microsoft Windows CE operating platform, can be upgraded to dispense lottery tickets," Dunn said.

The machines include Hantle's 1700W and C4000 series of ATMs. The Fremont, Calif.-based Genmega recently launched the 1900 series, and in 2011, the manufacturer will release a new line of ATMs. Hantle also is based in Fremont.

Genmega has been working with linq3 Inc., a New York-based company that has developed software which dispenses lottery tickets through ATMs. "We have received their [linq3's] specifications, including how messages should appear on ATM screens and message protocols," he said. Genmega's software would connect to linq3's server to dispense lottery tickets through ATMs.

Dunn said he has met with Wayne Dalton, linq3's senior vice president of sales. Dalton assures Dunn that progress is being made about selling quick pick lottery tickets through ATMs.

Dunn is hopeful, but he has his doubts. "It depends on each state's lottery commission. Some states liked the idea, but other states were turned off by it," Dunn said.

Last week, Triton Systems of Delaware LLC announced that it will begin manufacturing the Traverse ATM. When loaded with software developed according to linq3's specifications, Traverse also will be able to dispense Mega Millions and Powerball quick pick lottery tickets. Dunn said, however, Traverse is a low-cost machine that could also do well without dispensing lottery tickets.

If some state lottery commissions allow ATMs to dispense quick pick lottery tickets, it would be a great thing for ATM manufacturers, he said. The industry has been searching, so far without any luck, for a second application for ATMs, Dunn said. The first ATM application is dispensing cash.

"I have worked on a lot of white whales, like check cashing and gift card dispensing, and none of them were successful. So it would be good if dispensing lottery tickets worked," he said.