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GTECH Executive
Honoured as a 2005 Premier 100 IT Leader by IDGs 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 IDGs Computerworld, the "Voice of IT Management," as
one of the business worlds 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 Computerworlds 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 Toms ability to
lead GTECH through a challenging and ever-changing IT environment," said
David J. Calabro, Chief Operating Officer of GTECH. "Toms leadership
and talent have strengthened our business and positioned us well to meet the
demands of a changing market. His dedication to GTECHs 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 Companys 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 Companys 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 GTECHs 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.
Computerworlds integrated offerings form the U.S.-based hub of the
worlds 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 worlds 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.
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. Marylands
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 States
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.
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.,
Hungarys 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."
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
Entertainments 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 Entertainments 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 players 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. Its 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
Entertainments 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 Entertainments 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 players 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 |
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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 players 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 players 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 Entertainments 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 GTECHs 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.
GTECHs 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 Companys 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 GTECHs 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 companys 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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