In 2001, state legislators of the Administration and Regulation Appropriations subcommittee requested that the Lottery look for new sources of revenue that would not require a change in statues in order to help balance the State budget. The declining Iowa economy, mimicking the rest of the nation, was clearly impacting the state's tax revenues.

The solution came in the form of TouchPlay devices, which eventually went into testing in April of 2004, bringing in mediocre revenues. It wasn't until August, when testing at 20 gas stations and convenience stores occurred, that the potential was truly realized.