Last Updated: January 15, 2025
What Are Digital Seeds (Cookies)?
Cookies are small digital markers stored on your device when you visit websites - like natural markers that help animals navigate their territory. They help our platform remember your preferences, keep you logged in, and understand how our ecosystem is being used.
Think of them as breadcrumbs on a forest path - they help us recognize you when you return and remember the route you prefer to take through our platform.
Why We Plant These Digital Seeds
Essential Functions: Some cookies are absolutely necessary for our platform to function - like roots are essential for a tree. Without them, you couldn't log in, participate in draws, or use basic features.
Security: Cookies help us detect suspicious activity and protect your account from unauthorized access - like natural warning systems in ecosystems.
Performance: We use cookies to understand how users navigate our platform, which helps us identify problems and improve the experience - like studying animal paths to improve trail design.
Preferences: Cookies remember your settings like language preferences and display options - like how trees adapt to their specific environment.
Types of Digital Seeds We Cultivate
| Cookie Type | Purpose | Lifespan | Can You Remove? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential Seeds | Keep you logged in, remember your session, enable core platform functions | Session or 30 days | No - required for platform to function |
| Security Seeds | Detect fraud, prevent unauthorized access, verify your identity | 30 days | No - required for security |
| Preference Seeds | Remember your settings, language, display preferences | 1 year | Yes - but settings won't be saved |
| Analytics Seeds | Understand platform usage, identify popular features, track performance | 2 years | Yes - won't affect functionality |
| Environmental Seeds | Track engagement with our environmental initiatives (if you opt in) | 1 year | Yes - environmental features still work without them |
Specific Seeds We Plant
eco_session: Keeps you logged in during your visit. Expires when you close your browser.
auth_token: Verifies your identity for secure actions. Expires after 30 days of inactivity.
user_preferences: Stores your platform settings and display preferences. Expires after 1 year.
security_check: Helps detect suspicious login attempts. Expires after 24 hours.
analytics_id: Anonymous identifier for usage tracking. Expires after 2 years.
age_verified: Remembers that you've confirmed your age. Expires after 1 year.
cookie_consent: Records your cookie preferences. Expires after 1 year.
environmental_tracking: Tracks your engagement with our sustainability features (optional). Expires after 1 year.
Partner Ecosystem Seeds
We work with trusted partners who may plant their own digital seeds:
Payment Processors: Handle secure transactions and fraud detection using renewable energy infrastructure.
Identity Verification: Verify your age and identity as required by Australian gaming laws.
Analytics Services: Help us understand platform performance and user behavior to improve sustainability.
Security Services: Protect against bots, fraud, and cyber attacks using environmentally conscious methods.
These partners are bound by strict data protection agreements and can only use cookies for the specific services they provide us.
Managing Your Digital Garden
Browser Settings: All browsers let you control cookies - like managing which plants grow in your garden. You can block all cookies, remove existing ones, or get notified when new cookies are planted.
Our Cookie Banner: When you first visit, you'll see a banner letting you accept or customize your cookie preferences - like choosing which seeds to plant.
Account Settings: Logged-in users can manage cookie preferences in their account dashboard.
What Happens If You Remove All Seeds?
Essential Seeds Removed: The platform won't work properly. You won't be able to log in, participate in draws, or access your account - like removing roots from a plant.
Preference Seeds Removed: Your settings won't be saved between visits. You'll need to set your preferences each time - like replanting your garden each season.
Analytics Seeds Removed: No impact on functionality, but we can't improve the platform based on usage data - like not being able to study ecosystem health.
Environmental Seeds Removed: You'll still see our sustainability content, but it won't be personalized to your interests.
Mobile App Ecosystem
Our mobile apps use similar tracking technologies called "local storage" and "device identifiers." These work like cookies but are stored in the app rather than your browser - like seeds planted directly in app soil rather than browser soil.
You can control these through your device's privacy settings or by uninstalling the app.
Do Not Track Signals
Some browsers send "Do Not Track" signals. Currently, there's no industry standard for how to handle these signals, so we don't respond to them automatically - like different ecosystems having different natural signals.
However, you can always opt out of non-essential cookies through our cookie banner or account settings.
Cookie Security Ecosystem
All our cookies use security best practices - like natural defenses in healthy ecosystems:
- Secure Flag: Cookies are only sent over encrypted HTTPS connections
- HttpOnly Flag: Prevents malicious scripts from accessing sensitive cookies
- SameSite Protection: Prevents cross-site request forgery attacks
- Encryption: Sensitive cookie data is encrypted before storage
- Carbon Neutral: All cookie processing uses renewable energy
Policy Evolution
We'll update this policy when we change how we use cookies - like how ecosystems adapt to environmental changes. Check the "Last Updated" date to see when changes were made.
Significant changes will be communicated through email or platform notifications.
Questions About Our Digital Ecosystem?
If you have questions about our cookie usage, contact us:
- Email: privacy@ecolotto.com.au
- Phone: 1-866-531-2600
- Contact Form: Plant us a message
Browser Cookie Controls
Chrome: Settings > Privacy and Security > Cookies and other site data
Firefox: Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data
Edge: Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Cookies and site data
For mobile browsers, look for similar options in your browser's settings menu - like finding the right tools for different gardening tasks.
