Pablo Tur of Serviapuestas Tells Us About Innovation in the Regulated Lottery Sector

First of all, how are you and your family doing in these COVID-19 times? 

Pablo Tur: We are ok, still trying to adapt our way of life to the new situation, taking care of our people, and being optimistic about the end of this pandemic that hopefully will be soon. 

Tell us about you, your career, how you founded Serviapuestas.

Pablo Tur: Since I was young, I have always worked for other companies. I was Director of Business Development for many years, and I have always had the desire to undertake.

One day I decided to start my own project, and this is how this venture was born.

How does Serviapuestas innovate? 

Pablo Tur: Our goal is to bring new technologies to the Lottery sector. We have created a platform that allows users to play Lottery games from anywhere and on any device with total security.

We also focus on product innovation, such as group shopping and other ways of playing in a group that allows customers to have a better chance of winning. 

How the coronavirus pandemic affects your business, and how are you coping?

Pablo Tur: Our physical lottery store sales have fallen by 30% since the start of the pandemic; however, sales through our digital channels have increased. 

Did you have to make difficult choices, and what are the lessons learned?

Pablo Tur: The most difficult measure that we had to take has been reducing the personnel that works at the physical store. We have had to adjust the opening and closing hours to be able to cope with the decrease in sales at the traditional channel.

We have learned that digital sales through mobile phones have been a save for the company. Our strategy of developing digital channels has allowed us to maintain and increase in total sales. 

How do you deal with stress and anxiety?

Pablo Tur: I have great support at home. I am lucky to have an awesome wife, and in her, I find the support I need to face all my problems.

Stress and anxiety are two situations that I have experienced, and I have also dealt with specialists. It is highly recommended to go to one as soon as you start having symptoms, and addressing these problems early is much better than letting them grow.

Who are your competitors? And how do you plan to stay in the game?

There are more than 10,000 official points of sale in the Spanish Lottery sector that are self-employed or small companies. There are companies that have developed platforms to sell online and offer a kind of marketplace to these companies.

Few Official Lottery Administrations have developed our own digital platform to sell the products. There are powerful brands that do it but without so much digital penetration.

Right now, we are among the 10 Official Lottery Administrations that bill the most in Spain. 

Offering our clients the best experience when buying their Lottery games is how to stay in the game. We also want to open new markets once we have consolidated our position in Spain.

Your final thoughts?

Pablo Tur: I believe that the regulated sector of the Lottery has an enormous growth potential due to the low penetration of new technologies and their fragmentation on the supply side as there is no possibility in Spain of having more than one license per company or person.

Your website? 

www.serviapuestas.es