Digital Lotteries...the new thing?

[Hairspray0901]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 12:20pm

Gigi just announced a digital lottery system.

http://www.theatermania.com/broadway/news/gigi-announces-digital-lottery_72236.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=24mar2015

Something Rotten also announced a digital lottery system the other day:
http://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city-theater/news/something-rotten-digital-lottery_72199.html

Both, requiring you to enter on their website.
With the On the Town & Hamilton digital lotteries via. TodayTix, do you think this is going to become a new thing for all NEW shows who offer policies like this? Are the days of in-person lotteries over? If/Then had an in-person lottery and Wicked, Book of Mormon & Hedwig still have them, I believe (I think that's it?).

What are everyones thoughts about this? I think it's a great idea - especially that Gigi's notifies you a day in advance for matinee's and by 12:30 for the evening performances, giving the tunnel and bridge crowd a good amount of time to get into manhattan!
Updated On: 3/25/15 at 12:20 PM

[little_sally]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 12:22pm

I prefer it, especially since with a full-time job, I don't have the time to rush shows and can't always get to lotteries.

[macnyc]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 12:23pm

I like the idea, but I wish they all would use TodayTix, just for simplicity.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 12:31pm

Jersey Boys tried a mobile lotto a couple of years ago, but I don't think it ever caught on. Plus the only people who seemed to say they won (in disgruntled comments on the official FB) were people who worked for their PR company.

[VotePeron]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 12:35pm

I hate the idea, I truly do. I think there is something really special about going to the theater, entering the lottery, and having it be a physical entity.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 12:40pm

I don't prefer it, but I don't hate it, either. There are some lotteries that take forever and the physical space isn't really conducive to a crowd or trying to hear your name. And sometimes I just don't want to get up.

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 12:45pm

I personally love the idea, but would prefer each show to do their own as Gigi and Something Rotten have created. TodayTix seems to have a wacky system.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 12:52pm

I love the idea. Going to the theater at 5 or 6 only to not win is kind of a pain. I'm all for convenience.

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 12:54pm

I think it's a fantastic idea!! As someone who lives in Jersey, it is definately easier! I'm sure more people will enter now since it's so accessible!

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 12:55pm

^ Well, that's actually a con of it, haha...

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 1:15pm

Haha - didn't even think of that actually. If I remember correctly… something like 9,000 people entered the Hamilton online lottery for a performance early on.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 1:48pm

It certainly does make it feasible for us working slobs!

[Kad]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 1:56pm

It certainly works for Shakespeare in the Park, too.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 2:01pm

I definitely prefer an online lottery to an in person lottery but I prefer rush to both of them. I'd rather just get up early instead of worrying about winning something by chance. Though I did get If/Then on my first try. But again, it's just chance. As for the "experience," that's what Shakespeare in the Park is for. But again, that's more rush than lottery.

"I don't prefer it, but I don't hate it, either. There are some lotteries that take forever and the physical space isn't really conducive to a crowd or trying to hear your name. And sometimes I just don't want to get up."

That's a good point. If/Then was like that when people were confused about whether their names had been called and couldn't hear what was being said.

[bluetuna]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 2:25pm

I wish there were more digital lotteries, so I'm for this. Even living in NYC, commuting to Times Square (at $2.50 each way) only to lose a lottery is kind of a waste of time and money if you don't have a backup show to rush or anything.

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 2:32pm

Imagine how people living in Westchester, Long Island, CT and NJ feel. $16-20 round trip just to loose a lottery.

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 2:34pm

Yea, or then go to the TKTS booth to spend a lot more

[de_lovely]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 3:02pm

Yeah, living in CT these digital lotteries are GREAT. Except for the Something Rotten one with its notice 2 hours before (not enough time to get into the city). I wonder if Something Rotten would be willing to change its announcement time since TodayTix at 4 hours and Gigi at approximately 7 hours before the show allow people who have to take a 30 dollar train to actually enter.

[Hairspray0901]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 4:02pm

I'm actually from NJ too and the something rotten lottery won't work for me unless I enter while I'm already in the city - 2 hours isn't enough time for me. It would definitely be a nice surprise if they change it to a few hours before like GiGi and TodayTix, rather than just 2.

Yes, I agree, the con of having it so accessible is that more people will most likely enter, therefore, making it harder to win.

I think those of us who enter lotteries consistently know they're much easier to win during Broadway's rough months such as September/October and January/February when everyone goes back to school. This, I'd imagine, will have submissions at all times of the year since you take out the inconvenience of school AND the weather factors of people not wanting to go out in the rain or snow to enter your name in a barrel to MAYBE win.

[Actriz2]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 4:40pm

It's better than in-person lotteries, but in an ideal world lotteries are eradicated and all shows just have rush.

It would appear Fun Home is having a lotto as well.

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 5:00pm

It is better for people who work or are far away as mentioned but on the other hand I think it makes it incredibly hard to win. Instead of competing with an average of 50 to 200 dedicated people who actually made it to the theater, you are now competing with a thousand or more who have a phone or a computer and think "why not ?"...



Updated On: 3/25/15 at 05:00 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 5:03pm

On the other hand, you're left to guess how many are entering, as opposed to in person, when you can see the crowd and be disillusioned for sure.

[djoko84]

Posted: 3/26/15 at 8:05am

I hate this. Now much more people will enter the lottery and your chances of winning will dwindle significantly. The whole point is not a lot of people can get to the theatre or won't even try to so it makes it much easier for the people who can.

[jnb9872]

Posted: 3/26/15 at 10:03am

^^ Actually, the whole point is to drum up business and word of mouth for the show. Naturally, the assumption is that the winners will spread the word of mouth about the show they wouldn't be able to see without the lottery's cheaper tickets. But how do you maximize the possibilities of this concept?

Well, if you have 100 people who go to theatre for 20 seats, you have a smaller crowd, who generally have planned this part of their day and, upon losing, will go about the rest of their night and maybe try again another day or maybe not. But if you have a digital lottery, one that perhaps (like some do) you can double or triple your chances for by sharing news of your entry around on social media... well suddenly you have a larger, more vocal share of attention and free publicity going around regardless of whether these people win or not. More people know about the show and the lottery, and the more people enter the more their friends' know and so on. How quickly have any of our Facebook feeds become inundated with posts about the HAMILTON lottery?

It's a pretty blatant (but blatantly successful) marketing tactic. It works. It's likely the future. And it's extremely convenient, effort-wise, with less success results-wise. Shows are perfectly fine with that bargain, and so long as they keep offering lotteries we'll keep playing them. Because it's still a great deal if you win.

[djoko84]

Posted: 3/26/15 at 11:11am

When I wrote that I was thinking about the customer and not the business.