Quanta Leap: World’s First Blockchain Lottery

We’re at the offices of Quanta. It’s an unassuming office: White walls and flipcharts, tables occupied by coffee mugs, swathes of notes and well-worn laptops, mirroring pensive reflections of the hard at work. The ramshackle energy of a start-up is in the air here; a palpable sense of something exciting in its embryonic stages: Wild, free-flowing, uncertain and brimming with possibility.

We meet with two of the leading lights of Quanta. Ray Davies – is the Chief Operating Officer, calm, professional and owner of a voice so soothing it could cure insomnia and he is joined by Operations Team Leader, Aaron Cottam. When Aaron informs us of his job title, it would be a lie to say we didn’t do a cartoon style rubbing of the eyes in disbelief. He is so fresh-faced. Yet after half an hour in Aaron’s company it’s impossible not to be impressed by his searing intellect and assured confidence; he’s the real deal. Underestimate this wonderkid at your peril.

A Fish Called Quanta?

When we ask Ray and Aaron to define Quanta it was, initially, straightforward: Quanta are the World’s first fully licensed blockchain lottery. To begin with it’s available to Island residents only, you have to be 18 years and over to enter, you buy a ticket, you could win; simple. A lottery! Everyone loves a lottery! But wait… hold up. Blockchain lottery? What the heck is Blockchain?

Off the Blockchain, son!

This is where it got a bit confusing and began to scramble Gef’s tiny head to mush. Even the guys struggle to explain it in simple terms… The technology is so cutting-edge and complex that it is tricky to pin it down. Words come and go: Verification, immutable, transparency, unique data, digital trust. Thankfully, Ray is on hand to meet our level.He proposes the ultimate analogy for such wizardry practices: Harry Potter. Ray tells us to visualise Harry P using his magic quill to write something in his text book and as if by magic the same sentence appears at the same time in the text books of all of his fellow students no matter where they are. Everyone has the same record of what was written down but the clever bit is, it can’t be changed.Before you Harry P enthusiasts write in (using your quills) and berate the lack of accuracy in the above, calm your jets. The point here really is that blockchain technology is, er bloody complex… alright?In all seriousness, the general consensus within the tech community suggests it is only a matter of time before Blockchain is as ubiquitous as the internet. It is, in every sense, a game changer. Aaron speaks of companies he knows who utilise the technology for basic household maintenance such as topping up your oil and gas bills and in the future everything from legal agreements, government treaties, the writing of wills, property transactions could all be conducted using this revolutionary new technology.As Ray summarises, Quanta believe that before long Blockchain will be “fully immersed in society”. It is compelling listening.

A Lotto Good

You’ve got to be in it to win it. But how? Firstly you need to buy yourself some Ethereum. Ethereum may sound like the Greek God of Chemical Weaponry but in actuality, it is, in crude terms, a cryptocurrency available in the market. Quanta can’t assist with this process so you’ll need to do some research online but it’s straightforward enough to do via an exchange. Once you’ve got a hold of the sweet, gleaming Ethereum, you can get cracking.

Leading the Way

The IOM serves as the “soft launch” base for this project; a public test environment to fine tune before rolling it out worldwide. Aaron is under no doubt of the significance of Quanta’s location – “The Island is renowned for nurturing new start ups and for leading the way in e-gaming, tech and other more niche’ areas of business. This is the most supportive environment an industry like ours could ask for”. A patriot too? We love this kid.

Prizes

When we pose the question to the guys of what they tell their mates in the pub about the Quanta Prize Draw and why they should enter, they are both unequivocal. Because it only available to Island residents for the next few months, there’s a great chance for someone from the Isle of Man to win the Jackpot, especially when compared to winning a Jackpot in some other Lotteries. Particularly during this phase of 3 month rollout before it expands into other global markets.The Jackpot itself pays out a minimum of a £10,000 equivalent in shiny shiny Quanta game tokens,  these can be exchanged for Ethereum and in turn the Ethereum can be exchanged for cold hard cash monies. Enough said.There are various incentives such as a 4 x deposit bonus, and for every Quanta Game Token played you receive 50% bonus tokens back (you know conditions apply etc.). And, most crucially of all, the blockchain technology ensures it is impossible to be rigged – despite many requests from mates of staff! The Ethereum blockchain can not be hacked and it is as transparent as sautéed onion.

Here to Help

Ultimately, the Quanta team are energised, excited and almost certainly, working themselves into dust. In this mind-melting hub of algorithmic alchemy, one is left with the approximation their business is a melding of sci-fi director Alex Garland’s vision of your Saturday night lotto.Ray is keen to stress, they’re here to help. They know as well as anyone that the advanced technology and the need to acquire ethereum in advance may put people off.

“Just pick up the phone or send us an e mail. We can explain the process and how it works”

The Quanta Prize Draw is every Friday. So what are you waiting for? Find an exchange, do a bit of googling and once you have the ethereum nestled safely in your virtual wallet, give it a go. For more information on the games and how to register head to www.quanta.im/get-startedvar bannersnack_embed = {“hash”:”b7n5ehnh6″,”width”:672,”height”:280,”t”:1549964073,”userId”:38193901,”responsive”:true,”type”:”html5″};//cdn.bannersnack.com/iframe/embed.js

*At the moment of transfer of the winning game tokens the Ethereum equivalent paid out to the jackpot winner will be equal to £10,000 (GPB). The timing of withdrawal of any winnings thereafter may affect the actual amount received once converted to Sterling due to the volatility of the Ethereum exchange rate which could go up or down.

Quanta Lottery is owned and operated by Quanta Technology Limited, 3rd Floor, Goldie House, Goldie Terrace, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 1EB and is licensed and regulated by the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission under the Online Gambling Regulation Act 2001 (licence issued 7th August 2017). Online gambling is regulated on the Isle of Man.

Quanta Lottery is available to players aged 18 and over. Terms and Conditions apply. Visit myquanta.im for further information. Online gambling debts are enforceable in the Isle of Man Courts. Quanta is committed to responsible gambling and access to information and help is available on our website and at GamCare (www.gamcare.org.uk) or GambleAware (https://about.gambleaware.org). Both organisations offer vital support and we encourage anybody who has difficulty in controlling their gambling to contact either or both organisations for further assistance. Remember, when the fun stops, stop!