Illinois Lottery
Rebuilding the Illinois Lottery's private manager's corporate website into a secure, ADA-compliant, and future-proof platform — delivered in eight weeks.
Overview
When Camelot Illinois sought a partner to redevelop their public-facing corporate website, they needed more than just a design agency. Their existing site was difficult to update, lacked a clear content strategy, and failed to serve key audiences, including B2B partners, media, and state legislators. Birk Creative was tasked with a complete transformation: to build a brand-new, mobile-responsive, and AA ADA-compliant website on a secure CMS, all while establishing a powerful foundation for future growth.
Allwyn North America (formerly Camelot Illinois)
-
7+
YEARS OF CONTINUOUS OPERATION
-
$75,000+
SAVED FOR CLIENT BY ADAPTING THE EXISTING SITE
-
0
REBUILD COSTS DURING REBRAND
Challenge
Our discovery process included a thorough technical audit of the existing site, a deep dive into their Google Analytics, and a collaborative analysis of their strategic goals. We identified the critical need for a platform that could handle frequent updates, from press releases and job postings to complex procurement opportunities, without requiring any coding experience from the Camelot Illinois staff. The solution had to be both elegant in design and powerful in function, clearly distinguishing the corporate entity from the consumer-facing Illinois Lottery brand.
The Solution
While the initial RFP expressed a preference for a non-WordPress CMS due to security concerns, we demonstrated that a custom-hardened and securely configured WordPress installation would provide the ideal balance of power, flexibility, and user-friendliness. We developed a completely custom, stand-alone website with a new logo and branding, built on a mobile-responsive framework. A key deliverable was a comprehensive virtual training session that empowered the Camelot Illinois team to manage everything from text and photo updates to creating and deleting posts, giving them full control over their communications.
Comprehensive SEO and Analytics Integration
Understanding that a website is only as effective as its ability to be found, we implemented a robust, one-time SEO strategy from the ground up. This included a full technical audit, integration with Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools, and meticulous on-page optimization. We configured the Yoast SEO plugin, established a logical header tag structure, and updated all image alt tags and link titles for optimal search engine indexing. The result was a site with a 1.16-second load time and a solid foundation for organic growth.
Strategic Content Architecture and User Experience
We streamlined the entire user experience by reorganizing the site's architecture. Complex, cumbersome features on the old site, like the job posting dropdowns, were replaced with a simplified, intuitive system. We designed dedicated, easy-to-manage sections for News, Our People, and Business/Procurement Opportunities, ensuring each primary audience could find the information they needed quickly. The design was clean, professional, and visually distinct, using state-based imagery to ground the brand in Illinois.
Results
Birk Creative successfully delivered the new Camelot Illinois website within the ambitious 8-10 week timeline, meeting all state-mandated Double AA ADA compliance requirements. The project culminated in a secure, high-performance digital platform that the client could confidently manage internally. The new site provided a clear and professional hub for corporate communications, effectively serving the distinct needs of its B2B, media, and legislative audiences.
A Future-Proof Foundation: Seamless Rebrand to Allwyn North America
The ultimate testament to the quality and strategic foresight of our work came later, when Camelot Illinois underwent a complete corporate rebrand to become Allwyn North America. The robust and flexible foundation we built was so effective that the new Allwyn team was able to adapt the entire site to their new branding with minimal effort. The core architecture, content strategy, and CMS functionality transferred seamlessly, proving the long-term value and transferability of our code. This successful transition underscores Birk Creative's commitment to building not just websites, but durable, scalable, and future-proof digital assets for our clients.
-
Quantified Long-Term Success: 7 Years of Performance Excellence
To demonstrate the enduring value of our work, we conducted a comprehensive SEO and performance analysis of the current Allwyn North America website in November 2025, seven years after the original launch. The results provide compelling evidence of the long-term return on investment.
Performance Metrics: Then vs. Now
The original 2018 Camelot Illinois website achieved a strong baseline with a 1.16-second load time and an 81/100 performance score. Seven years later, the rebranded Allwyn North America site not only maintains this high standard but has significantly improved upon it.
SEO Foundation: Built to Last
The comprehensive SEO framework we implemented in 2018 remains fully functional and effective in 2025. Core technical elements, including SSL/HTTPS implementation, XML sitemaps, canonical tags, and a logical header tag hierarchy, continue to guide search engines and preserve the site's authority. The site has developed a strong backlink profile over time, a testament to the stable architecture and content strategy:
Total Backlinks: 378
Referring Domains: 286
Domain Strength: 50/100
Dofollow Backlinks: 96
This level of domain authority is only achievable because the underlying site structure, URL patterns, and content strategy were sound from the beginning, allowing link equity to be preserved and grown even through a major rebrand.
Return on Investment: Exceptional Long-Term Value
The original $48,950 investment in 2018 has delivered remarkable returns over seven years. A typical corporate website requires a major rebuild every 3-5 years, often at a cost equal to or greater than the original investment. The Camelot/Allwyn website has avoided this costly cycle entirely.
Value Delivered:
7+ Years of Continuous Operation: The website has served as a reliable corporate communications hub for over seven years.
Zero Rebuild Costs During Rebrand: The client saved an estimated $50,000 - $75,000+ by adapting the existing site rather than commissioning a new build for the Allwyn North America rebrand.
Preserved SEO Equity: The seamless transition ensured that years of accumulated search engine authority were not lost, preventing the significant drop in organic visibility that typically follows a poorly managed site migration.
Sustained High Performance: The site continues to meet and exceed modern performance, accessibility, and SEO standards, demonstrating a level of quality that has stood the test of time.
This analysis quantifies the success of our original project, proving that a well-architected, technically sound website is a long-term investment that delivers a powerful and sustained return.