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Vol. 30 No. 3 -- Monday January 17 , 2005
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  • GTECH Executive Honoured as a Premier 100 IT Leader. Full Story.
  • INTRALOT Supports "Doctors of the World" for Tsunami Aid. Full Story.
  • 2004, Another Record Year For The Maryland Lottery. Full Story.
  • New Jersey's Record Breaking Sales Week for Instant Games. Full Story.
  • Instant Ticket Revolution in Hungary. Full Story.
  • California Lottery Winners Share Their Wealth with Charities. Full Story.
  • China to Host International Lottery Technology & Equipment Expo. Full Story.
  • Techlink Entertainment’s Responsible Gaming Device to be Field Tested in Nova Scotia. Full Story.
  • Satellite Failure – How Nebraska Lottery Handled the Public Relations. Full Story.
  • Colorado Lottery Extends GTECH Lottery Contract. Full Story.
  • La Française des Jeux 2004 Results, 2004, the Year of Euro Millions. Full Story
  • Eurofootball Donated Presents to 7,000 Parentless Children. Full Story

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GTECH Executive Honoured as a 2005 Premier 100 IT Leader by IDG’s Computerworld
The "Voice of IT Management" Recognizes Caffrey for Creativity and Business Savvy in 6th Annual Awards Program

WEST GREENWICH, Rhode Island (January 10, 2005) -- GTECH Holdings Corporation (NYSE: GTK) announced that Thomas J. Caffrey, Vice President of Global Technology, has been recognized by IDG’s Computerworld, the "Voice of IT Management," as one of the business world’s Premier 100 IT Leaders. The award honors executives who show exemplary technology leadership in resolving pressing business problems. Honorees, including Caffrey, were selected from nearly 600 nominees, and were named and profiled in the January 3 issue of Computerworld. They will be honored again at Computerworld’s Premier 100 IT Leaders Conference, occurring March 6-8, 2005, at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. "Technology performance is critical to our business success at GTECH, and this award clearly demonstrates Tom’s ability to lead GTECH through a challenging and ever-changing IT environment," said David J. Calabro, Chief Operating Officer of GTECH. "Tom’s leadership and talent have strengthened our business and positioned us well to meet the demands of a changing market. His dedication to GTECH’s success is an important quality that fosters continuous innovation within our organization, which helps us manage our growth more efficiently." "As an IT professional, being named to the Premier 100 IT Leaders list is a distinct honor," said Caffrey. "For GTECH to remain competitive, we must continue to utilize IT to drive our business strategy. This award recognizes and validates the work that is required for IT success in any company."

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"Our Premier 100 list honors those who have kept fighting despite the many obstacles that technology has thrown at them this year," said Don Tennant, editor in chief of Computerworld. "This group of men and women has proven themselves through all facets of business, including some of the toughest challenges, such as cultural hurdles, language barriers, corporate politics, internal/external communication, and maintaining fresh, creative ideas. They think out of the box and do not cower away from difficult projects; rather, they embrace the struggle while foreseeing the opportunities it can bring in the future." Caffrey held various business and technology positions prior to joining GTECH in 1999. At GTECH, he was responsible for creating an Information Technology strategy for all internal IT support, which resulted in the Company’s first formalized Information Technology Group. Caffrey has since taken on responsibility in the external customer/operational area, including worldwide telecommunications, technology services, information security, and quality assurance. He has succeeded in creating a telecommunications organization and strategy that is the most competitive in the industry, evidenced by GTECH winning the majority of its most recent lottery procurements and attaining 70 percent worldwide market share. Caffrey continues to lead by example as he guides corporate strategy through the innovative use of technology, making his organization more competitive in the marketplace. The complete list of Premier 100 IT Leaders can be found in the January 3, 2005 issue of Computerworld and online at www.computerworld.com/p1002005. The issue includes several feature articles summarizing the challenges IT Leaders expect to face in the coming year, including motivating staff, avoiding project pitfalls, shoring up network security, and preparing for the rebound. Other honorees for the Premier 100 list included IT executives from Chrysler/Mercedes-Benz, Federal Express, Bank of New York, and MasterCard International Inc.

About GTECH Corporation

GTECH, a leading global information technology company with over $1 billion in revenues and more than 5,400 people in over 50 countries, provides software, networks, and professional services that power high-performance, transaction processing solutions. The Company’s core market is the lottery industry, with a growing presence in commercial gaming technology and financial services transaction processing. For more information about the Company, please visit GTECH’s website at http://www.gtech.com.

About Computerworld

Computerworld, the "Voice of IT Management," is the most trusted source for the critical information needs of senior IT management. Computerworld’s integrated offerings form the U.S.-based hub of the world’s largest (58-edition) global IT media network through its weekly publication, Computerworld.com website, focused conference series and custom research. In the past five years alone, Computerworld has won more than 100 print and online awards for editorial and design excellence, surpassing its direct competition by an order of magnitude. Recognition includes the 2004 Magazine of the Year Award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors and a Jesse H. Neal Award for "Best News Coverage." In print since 1967, Computerworld is the source for information technology management, with a guaranteed rate base of 180,050, a total print audience of 1,138,000 (IntelliQuest CIMS 2004 Business Influencer Study) and an online audience of over 1 million unique monthly visitors (DoubleClick).

Computerworld is a business unit of International Data Group (IDG), the world’s leading technology media, research and events company. A privately held company, IDG publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers, including Bio-IT World, CIO, CSO, Computerworld, GamePro, InfoWorld, Network World and PC World. The company features the largest network of technology-specific websites, with more than 400 around the world. IDG is also a leading producer of more than 170 computer-related events worldwide, including LinuxWorld Conference & Expo®, Macworld Conference & Expo®, DEMO® and IDC Directions. IDC provides global market research and advice through offices in 50 countries. Company information is available at http://www.idg.com.

SOURCE: GTECH media release.


INTRALOT Supports "Doctors of the World" for Tsunami Aid

ATHENS, Greece (January 10, 2005) -- INTRALOT supported the "Medicins du Monde" (Doctors of the World) on their delegation to SE Asia aiding the victims of the tsunami-hit. The company has promptly responded to this tragedy with a contribution in medical equipment and medicines for the cure of the injured people and the prevention of epidemic outbreaks.

The "Doctors of the World" arrived immediately after the crisis situation in Indonesia and Sri Lanca aiming to provide together with their local colleagues relief operations to thousands of the injured and homeless people, while expanding their aid to the other countries, as well. The Doctors delegation is going to remain in the afflicted areas for as long as necessary in order to help confronting the consequences of this huge disaster and preventing further deaths.

The "Medicins du Monde" organization is an independent, non-governmental, humanitarian, international organization and was founded in France in 1980 by the French doctor Bernard Kouchner who later headed the French Ministry of Health and Humanitarian Action. Faithful to the Hippocratic oath and advocating the ideals of Humanitarian Action, the groups of these doctors were the first to offer their services in site.

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About INTRALOT (www.intralot.com)

INTRALOT, a public listed company on ASE, is a leading supplier of integrated gaming and transaction processing systems, innovative game designs and value added services to state-licensed gaming organizations and financial services providers worldwide. With 30 subsidiaries, 7 business offices and 1,500 people in 26 countries and revenues of € 320 million, the company dominates in Europe, has secured a strong position in South America and has established a foothold in North America, while expanding its presence in S.E. Asia and Australia. Following a highly successful period of rapid growth, INTRALOT currently ranks 3rd on revenues and 2nd on profits among lottery suppliers worldwide.

SOURCE: INTRALOT (www.intralot.com) media release.
For more information please CONTACT: Mrs. Christina Geronicola, Communications Director. Phone: +30-210-6156000, Fax: +30-210-6106800, email: geronicola@intralot.com.


2004, Another Record Year For The Maryland Lottery

BALTIMORE, Maryland (January 10, 2005) – The Maryland Lottery has "hit the jackpot" once again by producing another record year in sales. Lottery sales for 2004 were $1.45 billion, exceeding 2003 calendar year sales by more than $115 million. Revenues from those sales exceeded $464 million, an increase of more than $11 million from 2003.

Nearly all Lottery games have shown increases in sales in the last year. Keno and Keno Bonus led the way with more than $411 million in sales.

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Scratch-off tickets accounted for over $370 million. "Scratch-offs and Keno are our two biggest growth games. Currently, Scratch-off sales are averaging a record-breaking $7 million each week," said Lottery Director, Buddy Roogow. After trending down, Pick 3 sales were higher than in previous years, bringing in $295 million. Maryland’s multi-state lottery game, Mega Millions, increased sales from $74 million to $99 million. Lottery officials believe that part of the significant growth in the Mega Millions game is due to the steady stream of high jackpots won in Maryland. In 2004, a huge $109 million jackpot was won in the State, generating excitement among players. Lotto increased $2 million over calendar year 2003. In addition to record sales, payouts also broke a record this calendar year. Lucky Maryland Lottery players received a whopping $843 million in prizes in 2004.

"This has been an exciting and productive year for the Maryland Lottery," said Roogow. "Our products are very popular. Our payouts are among the highest in the country and continue to be presented in innovative and entertaining ways."

Lottery proceeds benefit numerous State services, including education, public safety, the environment, health and safety programs, among other services. "At a time when the State is experiencing budget shortfalls, every extra dollar we can raise is critical," said Roogow.

In addition to record sales and prize payouts, Lottery retailers earned more than $95 million. Roogow adds, "As sales grow, so does the money that goes to our retailers, contributing to the State’s economy."

SOURCE: Maryland Lottery media release.
For information, CONTACT: Jimmy White, 410-230-8803.


New Jersey's Record Breaking Sales Week for Instant Games; Scratch-Off Ticket Sales Reach $23.8 Million from December 22-29, 2004

TRENTON, New Jersey, USA (January 5, 2005) – The New Jersey Lottery ended the year with another record. Aided by its popular holiday-themed games, the lottery today announced a record breaking sales week for instant tickets with $23.8 million worth of scratch-offs sold from December 22-29.

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The previous mark for one week sales was $23.5 million for the week of December 17-24, 2003. In fiscal year 2004, the lottery achieved a record $2.1 billion in total sales, which included $973 million in instant game sales. The contributions to support state education and institutions from the record-breaking week were $6.5 million.

"The popularity of our instant games has continued to grow over the past several years, especially during the holidays," said Acting Executive Director William T. Jourdain. "These games appeal to a wide variety of players because of the number of different games in the marketplace and the variety of prizes awarded. Plus, they make the perfect last-minute holiday gift."

The record-breaking sales week centered on holiday-themed games such as the Stocking Stuffer gift pack, Holiday Countdown, Holiday Lucky Times 10, and Snow Magic . These scratch-offs were supplemented by sales of long-running favorites such as Crossword, Bingo and Win For Life .

"This record-breaking performance translates to more good news for the programs and services supported by the lottery through the State Budget," said Treasurer John E. McCormac, CPA. "The lottery continues to break sales records and boost its revenues to the state."

The New Jersey Lottery currently offers approximately 50 different types of instant games at each of its 6,000 lottery retailer locations throughout the state. Since 1975, instant tickets have evolved to offer bigger jackpots and more lucrative prizes, while incorporating new themes, holidays, events and licensed products.

SOURCE: New Jersey Lottery.
CONTACT: Jamiee Gilmartin, Public Information Officer Office: 609-599-5875 Fax: 609-599-5829.


Instant Ticket Revolution in Hungary

HUNGARY (January 10, 2005) -- Last becomes first? Szerencsejáték Rt., Hungary’s national lottery and only instant ticket organizer in the country has long suffered from high taxation and the low payout rate on instant tickets.

When it came to statistics, Hungary has always been at the end of the lists when comparing payout percentages. Now, there is a chance for significant improvement! After years of persuasion activity towards government officials the efforts finally bore fruit in 2005.

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The Ministry of Finance decided to ease the tax burden on instants, reducing it from an overall 27% to 12% of the revenue, enabling the payout rate to be raised to 60% from 44%. The unprecedented change gives the lottery company a good chance to prove that the government will not loose by the tax reduction; on the contrary, it may end up cashing more in than ever before.

The chances are good since instant sales have been steadily growing in the past few years even with the lower payout rate, 2004 sales data id up by 32%, the total income ending at 30 million Euros. The sales goal for 2005 will be a challenging sum: 44 million Euros. Szerencsejáték Rt. will close all its currently running tickets by March, 2005 and replace them with the ones with higher payout. The extra money will be used in the top and bottom prize categories. Thus, overall odds of winning will be increased from an average 1:4 to 1:3, and the top prizes will grow as well.

The introduction of the new tickets will coincide with the launch of Szerencsejáték Rt.’s new online validation and logistics system, developed by EssNet. The new system will increase validation security, handles distribution and administration and will boost the flow of information.

SOURCE: Szerencsejáték Rt.
CONTACT: Gergely Koppány, Head of Instant Ticket Department, Szerencsejáték Rt. Tel.: (36-1)-224-3527, Fax: (36-1)-224-3412, Email: gergely.koppany@szerencsejatek.hu.


California Lottery Winners Share Their Wealth with Charities

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (January 7, 2005) -- Have you ever wondered how you would spend a multi-million dollar SuperLOTTO Plus® jackpot if you won? For many lucky Californians this question was easy to answer and it included sharing their good fortune with others.

There have been many California Lottery winners who have demonstrated their generosity and good will to others through sharing of their time, effort, and financial support. One of those winners is Kevin, a Summerland winner who won $63 million and gave $4 million to his friends and family for helping him during his times of hardship. Included in this generosity was a friend and restaurant owner who used to prepare meals for Kevin on a daily basis. Besides the generosity directed at friends and family, he donates to many charitable organizations, including: Visiting Nurses, which provides care and support for people in their homes; New Leaf, a San Francisco nonprofit multi-purpose counseling center; and Sarah House, which provides low-income housing for disabled persons with HIV & AIDS.

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Many Lottery winners use their good fortunes to fund a first class education for their family members; others donate scholarships through their own foundations or through the Adopt a School Program. Andy, the winner of a $5.2 million jackpot, uses his winnings to support an annual scholarship golf tournament that raises funds for college bound graduates of the Glen Alta Elementary School. Another generous Bay Area winner, Robert, who won $9.9 million, gave $1 million to the University of Berkeley in the name of his past math professor, Shiing-Shen Chern, a professor who is recognized as one of the greatest geometers of his generation.

In addition to educational causes, many winners contribute to civic charities, including Pamela, who won $88 million. She reported a substantial amount was given to churches in support of their activities that bring good health and happiness to families. Saddened by the recent world events in Indonesia, this winner will donate a portion of her prize money to the tsunami victims and to Doctors Without Borders.

Also demonstrating her big heartedness was Diane, a winner of a $33 million jackpot, who stated, "It's a dream come true, I'm so grateful that I can afford to buy some luxuries for myself; but, it's also beautiful knowing that I have made a positive difference in helping those in need."

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Recent winners from Riverside County Steve and Debi, who won $27 million, plan to use their Garden of Angels Foundation to award scholarships in the name of babies that are part of the Garden of Angels. The couple met through their philanthropic activities in the community, when he was taking part in a Harley Ride in support of the Garden of Angels. The pair married and four months later won the Lottery. "We feel blessed to have won this and plan to use the money very wisely to help the community. It is a responsibility we take very seriously," said Steve.

It has been said that money can't buy happiness, and while that may be true, knowing that you have contributed to a charitable cause for the good of others is a wonderful feeling that warms a person's heart, as evidenced by the personal stories of these California Lottery winners.

SOURCE: California Lottery (www.calottery.com) media release.
CONTACT: Rosa Escutia or Cathy Johnston on 916-324-9639.


China to Host International Lottery Technology & Equipment Expo

BEIJING, China (January 2005) -- The 2005 China International Lottery Technology & Equipment Expo (www.lotteryexpo.com.cn) will be held in Beijing from 2 April to 4 April, 2005.

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It will be hosted by the Lottery Committee, China Association of Social Work, and managed by China Gloria (Beijing) Lottery Entertainment & Culture CO., LTD.

Many Chinese government officials and delegations from local lottery issuance & management organizations will attend the expo.

Operators and suppliers of lottery products and services from all over the world are warmly welcomed to exhibit their new and well-done products!

The exposition will provide attendees abroad with the opportunity to understand China lottery market, including its history and status quo, as well as the challenges posed by consumers’ increasing demand. It will also be a good opportunity for them to show their high technology and understand each other, to exchange lottery technological information with China lottery officials and companies.

China Gloria will try their best to create a mutually beneficial environment for China and foreign lottery practitioners, to promote international cooperation between China lottery and advanced technology companies all over the world.

Those who are interested in the expo can acquire exhibiting materials by phoning China Gloria (tel. +86-10-58635563 or +86-10-58635526; fax +86-10-58635553), or log on the official website: http://www.lotteryexpo.com.cn

SOURCE: China Gloria (Beijing) Lottery Entertainment & Culture CO., LTD. (http://www.chinagloria.com/).


Techlink Entertainment’s Responsible Gaming Device to be Field Tested in Nova Scotia

SYDNEY, Nova Scotia, Canada (January 2005) -- Headquartered in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Techlink Entertainment produces unique responsible gaming devices, and recently announced its cooperation agreement with the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation to complete usability and field testing.

Since its inception almost 8 years ago, the company has been guided by a simple but important credo:

"social responsibility is an essential element of gaming."

Products cannot be offered to the general public with the obvious potential to cause troubling behaviour with far-reaching individual and collective consequences. The company believes that technology is a vehicle whose power can be effectively harnessed to foster an environment more conducive to responsible gaming.

Techlink Entertainment is committed to responsible gaming. To date, the company has invested greater than $10 million in the development of technologies, software and methods conducive to a more controlled player centric environment. Techlink Entertainment’s advanced products foster self-policing and provide players with an array of digital tools to affect predetermined results.
Employing patented proprietary product based on innovative new software, Techlink Entertainment has elevated the bar in the use of technology to foster and facilitate responsible play. The company has originated a line of products ranging from responsible electronic gaming devices, to a hotel room gaming suite and Internet gaming console. All products employ anonymous player card technology that allow for broad ranging interactivity between player and device and a series of on-screen checks, reminders and accounts that curb irrational play.
Techlink Entertainment has developed a new interactive, player centric, card-based peripheral known as the Responsible Gaming Device (RGD). The solid-state product can be retrofitted to virtually any electronic gaming device (EGD) regardless of context. Otherwise benign EGDs are rendered interactive, on-line and fully responsible once the peripheral is in place. Developed as part of an exhaustive multi-year research program, the peripheral seamlessly becomes part of the player’s environment; it functions as a personal navigator that reduces the risk of excessive play, over expenditure and loss of control. The RGD is to gaming what the seatbelt is to the automotive industry. It affords players a restraint that minimizes personal damages that inherently result from irresponsible play. The RGD is unobtrusive like the seat belt and allows for an unencumbered, satisfying and enjoyable gaming experience. Moreover, the device elevates the bar in so far as responsible gaming is concerned allowing regulators and operators to bring the economic and social components of gaming into balance to the satisfaction of society.
Techlink Entertainment believes the RGD is the only product of its kind. It’s been engineered with several key factors in mind. First, the device provides jurisdictions with the opportunity to introduce a cost effective technology-based solution to irresponsible play without facing the considerable hardship of wholesale hardware replacement. As well, it respects the proprietary rights of manufacturers; therefore the RGD is designed to retrofit to existing EGDs without violating restricted access in going under the hood.

The RGD has true responsible gaming features that exceed industry standards and enhance game play by allowing players to exercise self-control. This technology allows jurisdictions to further their initiatives to provide more responsible gaming. The RGD is a ‘plug and play’ device that connects to the VLT, using regular communications cable, and communicates with our central system on Ethernet. The central system monitors and controls responsible gaming and player tracking information from all connected VLTs. Gaming is moving into more sophisticated central systems, centralized controls, interactivity with remote devices and controlled downloading. The RGD is designed to become an integral part of this context and support robust player centric protocols.
Techlink Entertainment’s RGD uses anonymous card technology in tandem with a Personal Identification Number. At any point in time, players can easily access comprehensive personal account summary, cash limits can be set with relative ease and periods of time designated for self-exclusion. Once established, limits apply across an entire jurisdiction. The number of features can be easily expanded and interactivity taken to new levels as directed by the regulator/operator.
Some of the features included within the RGD include the following:

Anonymous Player Enrollment

Techlink Entertainment’s responsible gaming solution begins with anonymous player enrollment allowing jurisdictions to offer gaming in both supervised and unsupervised environments. After showing proof of age, players provide date of birth (y/m/d) and receive a player’s card to easily access their favourite gaming device.
Now, jurisdictions can worry less about underage play and focus more on the entertainment value of gaming.

The Enrollment Process

Step 1

The player proceeds to a registration location authorized by the jurisdiction.

Step 2

The player supplies proof of age required for game play.

Step 3

The player enrolls in the program by providing date of birth (y/m/d) and a four digit PIN

Step 4

The ID number is assigned to the players card.

Step 5

The card is issued, allowing players access to responsible gaming anywhere in the jurisdiction.

Individualized Player Account Summary

Using the player’s card, players can access an account to obtain information on play behaviour. Total money wagered, won, and lost are examples of the information shown in the player’s account that serve as a great reality check.

To assist players in looking beyond a single game session, the account summary shows money spent over a specified period. While big wins and losses are easily remembered, overall spending is soon forgotten. The player account enables players to take control and adjust their gaming habits.

Self-Limitation and Self -Exclusion

With Techlink Entertainment’s self-limitation and self-exclusion features, players can choose to set their own limits. Self-limitation allows players to set their own minimum money loss per day, week, or month. This reduces the likelihood of impulsive play and getting "lost" in the game.

With self-exclusion, players who become aware that they have developed a gambling problem or just decide that they want to take a break from gambling can exclude themselves from any gaming product by day, week, month, or year.

Self-Imposed Money Limits

Players can set their own spending and loss limits that they wish to allow themselves to game in a given period of time. The system would lock the user out after the spending or loss threshold is reached and the player would not be able to play anywhere in the jurisdiction until the next time period begins.



SOURCE: Techlink Entertainment (www.techlinkentertainment.com).
CONTACT: Leanne MacKenzie, Tel: 902-562-6031 ext. 107, Fax: 902-562-9882, email: lmackenzie@techlinkentertainment.com.


Satellite Failure – How Nebraska Lottery Handled the Public Relations

By Brian Rockey, Associate Marketing Director, Nebraska Lottery; and Misty Wendt, Public Relations Manager, Intralot Nebraska

NEBRASKA (January 2005) -- While the Nebraska Lottery was just one of dozens of business and media customers affected worldwide by the November 28 failure of the Telstar 7 satellite, we were probably the only affected party to enjoy the level of customer service delivered by INTRALOT, USA and their Nebraska staff.

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By the evening of Thursday, December 2, the entire Nebraska Lottery Lotto retailer network was back on-line, but other interests affected by the failure faced long delays. In order for this to happen, the entire staff of INTRALOT worked around the clock for four days. Corporate management personnel even came from their offices in Duluth, Georgia to help.

INTRALOT Nebraska supplemented its 11 Customer Service Technicians across the state with several front office staff, and brought in dozens of contract technicians. These technical crews worked more than 2,000 man-hours and drove thousands of miles across the state to restore service at more than 975 Nebraska Lottery Lotto retailers.

The outage was made all the more dramatic by the Powerball jackpot of $127 million for the Wednesday drawing, and the Nebraska Pick 5 Doubler jackpot promotion. Remarkably, players seeking Powerball tickets for the December 1 drawing had access at about 800 retailers statewide by draw break that evening. The full network was operational in plenty of time for the Saturday, December 4, Powerball drawing, with an estimated jackpot of $145 million.

Sales of Powerball, Nebraska Pick 5 and 2by2 tickets that were disrupted by the Sunday failure of the satellite had rebounded significantly by that Wednesday night. Total Lotto sales for Wednesday, December 1, alone were about 70 percent higher than average Wednesday sales for the previous two months. A combination of the fast recovery effort mounted by Intralot staff, and players deferring rather than canceling their Lotto purchases, helped to minimize potential losses. Moreover, Lotto sales for the week were more than $240,000 above goal.

Knowing how important public relations is in situations like this, our efforts started right away. INTRALOT staff began calling retailers as early as 5:00 a.m. on Sunday morning to inform them of the situation so they knew why there were not able to sign on to their Lottery terminals that morning. Additionally, INTRALOT changed the Hotline greeting to an outgoing message that gave information regarding the situation, which helped to ensure that retailers did not have to wait for an available operator to be updated.

Due to the satellite failure, retailers were not able to obtain their weekly settlement report via their Lottery terminal. So that the retailers were able to do their weekly accounting, INTRALOT staff called retailers on Monday to give them their weekly settlement amounts.

I worked closely with Misty Wendt, Public Relations Manager for INTRALOT, in an effort to keep the media and public informed. Each day we released statewide press releases that included a status update. In addition, the home page of the Nebraska Lottery website featured the most recent press release and a list of retailers who had been reconnected. Additionally, I was available for interviews throughout the week and Misty and I worked to coordinate members of the media meeting up with the technical crews so photos and news footage could be taken.

As a final public relations effort, and to ensure that all retailers understood what had happened, Nebraska Lottery Acting Director Jim Haynes wrote a letter that appeared on the front page of the December retailer newsletter, Ticket Talk. He explained the situation and thanked the retailers for their patience and understanding.

The situation could have easily become a crisis, however, due a few key tactics, it did not. First, it was very important that members of the media always dealt with Misty or me. This allowed us to ensure that the information being conveyed to the media was consistent. Equally important was that we always explained the situation in full to ensure the media understood and conveyed the right story. We also always released accurate and truthful information to the media. Additionally, we explained that this was not just a Nebraska Lottery issue, but that it affected many businesses throughout the country.

These PR tactics and the expedited response by INTRALOT helped to minimize lost sales, and enhanced our ability to keep Nebraska Lottery retailers and the public informed as the situation was resolved.

SOURCE: Nebraska Lottery.
CONTACT: Brian Rockey, Associate Marketing Administrator, Nebraska Lottery. Phone: 402/471-6104.


Colorado Lottery Extends GTECH Lottery Contract
GTECH Receives Second Consecutive 90-Day Contract Extension from the Colorado Lottery

WEST GREENWICH, Rhode Island, USA (January 13, 2005) - GTECH Holdings Corporation (NYSE:GTK) today announced that the Colorado Lottery, pursuant to the provisions of its original contract with GTECH, exercised for the second time its unilateral right to extend GTECH’s contract for an additional 90 days. Under this second consecutive 90-day extension, the Company will continue to provide online lottery products and services to the Lottery commencing on January 31, 2005. GTECH’s contract with the Colorado Lottery expired on October 31, 2004, however the Lottery, in its sole discretion, granted the Company its first 90-day extension which began November 1, 2004.

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Following a competitive procurement in October 2002, the Colorado Lottery selected Scientific Games Corporation as its vendor to provide equipment and services for a new integrated online and instant-ticket lottery system. As with the first 90-day extension, this second contract extension was entered into in order to provide Scientific Games additional time to convert the system beyond the previously-established deadline.

Under the terms of the contract extension, GTECH will continue to provide ongoing services to the Colorado Lottery, including operation and maintenance of the central system hardware and software, terminal maintenance, and hotline management through April 30, 2005. GTECH has provided online lottery products and services to the Colorado Lottery since 1988. The Company estimates revenues of $2 million over the 90-day contract extension period.

GTECH, a leading global information technology company with over $1 billion in revenues and more than 5,400 people in over 50 countries, provides software, networks, and professional services that power high-performance, transaction processing solutions. The Company’s core market is the lottery industry, with a growing presence in commercial gaming technology and financial services transaction processing. For more information about the Company, please visit GTECH’s website at http://www.gtech.com.

SOURCE: GTECH Corporation media release.
CONTACT: Robert K. Vincent, Public Affairs, Phone: 401-392-7452.


La Française des Jeux 2004 Results, 2004, the Year of Euro Millions

FRANCE (January 13, 2005) -- With an 8.55 billion euro turnover La Française des Jeux closes its 2004 financial year.

This 9.8% growth supported by the 40,000 La Française des Jeux sales outlets is the result of the success of its new game: Euro Millions.

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28 years after the launch of Loto in 1976, La Française des Jeux, together with 9 other European lotteries, launched Euro Millions in 2004. This new draw game convinced the French public, with sales of 587 million euros. Euro Millions also smiled upon French players, with six French winners (out of 13 top winners in all countries) winning prizes ranging from 10 to 33 million euros.

In 2004, other draw games (Loto, Keno, Rapido) showed a 1.9% increase in turnover compared with the previous year. Instant games, after a 2.6% decline in 2003, achieved a 2.3% growth in 2004.

Sports betting games posted a 221 million euro turnover (compared with 213 million in 2003).

The multimedia channel showed a 29.4 million euro turnover, accounting for 0.3% of the company’s overall turnover.

Players received 5.16 billion euros in gross prizes, i.e. 60.3% of stakes and 193 people won more than 1 million euros.

560 million euros in commissions were paid to the distribution network, and the overall contribution to public finances surpassed 2.3 billion euros, 10% of which being allocated to the development of sport.

These results confirm a gaming model allowing a large public to play moderately. In 2004, la Française des Jeux kept enforcing its mission for public order, in balancing the necessary renewal of its offer with its imperatives for security and game control.

SOURCE: La Française des Jeux press release.
For more information, please contact: Antonia Dadoun – La Française des Jeux, Email : adadoun@lfdj.com.


Eurofootball Donated Presents to 7,000 Parentless Children

SOFIA, Bulgaria (January 13, 2005) -- The most family holiday of the year came earlier to almost 7,000 children aged 1 to 21 living in the Homes for Fostering and Bringing up Children Deprived of Parental Cares. For the 7th consecutive year, Eurofootball donated school kits, sport accessories, educational games and various toys to all 99 homes in Bulgaria, which are under the supervision of the State Children Protection Agency.

Moreover, Eurofootball employees visited Nadezhda Home in Mladost Residential Area and handed the presents personally to the children. This Christmas activity is part of the "Parentless Children Benefit Program"; an initiative which started by Eurofootball 7 years ago in an effort to contribute actively in the improvement of living conditions in all the orphanages of Bulgaria.

"The "Parentless Children Benefit Program" of Eurofootball aims at promoting education and sports activities among underprivileged groups, while our employees actively participate in person." said Eurofootball CEO, Nikos Arsenopoulos.

Eurofootball was established in Bulgaria in 1993, whereas received a license from the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Bulgaria to organize bets on sports events, in agent shops situated throughout the whole country. In February 2002, INTRALOT acquired the 49% of the company.

CONTACT: Mr. Nikos Arsenopoulos, CEO, Phone: (+359 2) 8189 115; 8189 126, Fax: (+359 2) 955 94 27, E-mail: narsen@eurofootball.bg

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