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| Vol. 34 No. 10 -- Monday March 13, 2006 |
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NZ Lotteries Half Year Results Well Up on Previous Year 
NEW ZEALAND (March 7, 2006) -- NZ Lotteries has posted a strong result for the six months ended 31 December 2005, NZ Lotteries Chair John Goulter announced today. The results were released in the NZ Lotteries 2006 Half Year Report today. Sales, for the period, of $359.2 million were $40 million ahead of the same period last year, an increase of 12.5 %. The net surplus for the half year was $79 million, up 14% on last year. "The result reflects the introduction of Big Wednesday1, and higher Lotto family sales which benefited from some large Powerball jackpot runs," said Mr Goulter.
The increase in the number of outlets selling NZ Lotteries products has also had a positive effect on sales. At the end of December 2005 there were 830 lottery outlets compared with 700 at the same time last year and 756 at the end of the 2004/2005 year. In the same period 95 existing stores were refurbished using the new-look format, and more than half the network now has the new format. "Our new mid-week jackpotting game Big Wednesday, has been well received since its launch by players and retailers. Initial sales have exceeded our expectations and we are encouraged to note that sales have not significantly impacted on the Lotto family or Instant Kiwi games. "Sixty-five players won Lotto First Division, with one player winning the largest individual lottery prize ever won from Lotto First Division and Powerball, worth $15.2 million. "There were 55 winners of prizes valued up to $1 million in Lotto's Christmas promotion, 27 Winning Wheel winners, averaging $200,000 per win, including two players who spun and won $1 million each," said Mr Goulter. In January 2006 Trevor Hall advised that he would be resigning from his position as Chief Executive. Mr Goulter says the Board wishes Trevor well in his endeavours. NOTE 1 - Big Wednesday went on sale on 17 October 2005 and the first draw was held on 26 October 2005. The NZ Lotteries 2006 Half Year Report can be viewed at: www.nzlotteries.co.nz/Newsroom/MediaKit/CorporatePublications.aspx SOURCE: NZ Lotteries media release. Montana Lottery Hosts Big Sky Retailer Roundup HELENA, Montana (February 2006) -- Montana Lottery staff, along with staff from their new online vendor, INTRALOT USA, is kicking off a 17-city tour of the state, offering Lottery retailers a chance to preview and practice with the new red Lottery terminals that will be operating beginning March 31.
Called the Big Sky Retailer Roundup, the training sessions will give Montana Lottery retailers an overview of how the new terminals work and the features that are available. “We think our retailers and players will be pleased with the new system,” says George Parisot, Montana Lottery Director. “The new terminal will be easy to operate and will give players and retailers information that will make it simple to sell and pay Lottery tickets.”
There are similarities to our previous logo, so people will still recognize it as being the Montana Lottery,” says Parisot. “But the overall feel is ‘Fun,’ and that’s what the Montana Lottery is about.” Retailers also have a chance to talk to Lottery Security and Accounting staff on ways to improve security and accounting procedures for Lottery products. And retailers will review the Lottery’s Scratch product and advertising plans for the next several months. “We think the retailers will learn a lot about the operation of the Montana Lottery” says Parisot. “The Montana Lottery is a multi-million-dollar business operated for the benefit of Montana citizens.” PHOTO: SOURCE: Montana Lottery media release. MDI’s New Field & Stream® License is Major Attraction to
Outdoor Enthusiasts Everywhere ALPHARETTA, Georgia, USA (March 8, 2006) -- Rich in a tradition of quality outdoor apparel and respect for the wilderness, Field & Stream® is taking its place in the Lottery industry now that MDI Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Scientific Games Corporation (NASDAQ: SGMS), has acquired the license to the historical brand.
"Field & Stream is a brand that speaks to a highly-sophisticated audience of outdoor enthusiasts and we're proud to offer this opportunity to our lottery customers," said Steve Saferin, MDI president. "This license provides lotteries the ability to tap into a player base previously untouched, offers incredible merchandise opportunities and makes for excellent gift giving ideas." Under the multi-year agreement with Field & Stream Licenses Co., North American lotteries have the rights to the Field & Stream logo as well as a vast array of merchandise opportunities, a strong draw among serious hunters, fishermen, hikers, bikers, campers and sports fans of all kinds. Lotteries can now offer their players the most durable of outdoor wear and gear including Field & Stream hunting equipment, luggage, watches, sportswear, rustic furniture, and all terrain vehicles.
"From deer hunters to fly fishers to tailgate partiers, the Field & Stream merchandise prizes offered in this game are highly sought-after items," Saferin said. "Why not offer lottery players the chance to add to their favorite past time by building a collection of high-quality items?" MDI actually sought out the rights to Field & Stream after extensive research showed a direct interest among outdoor enthusiasts and lottery players. For example, of the 33.2 million people who participated in fishing over the past year, 23 percent of them had purchased an instant lottery ticket within the same time frame. And of the 13.3 million who hunted, 21 percent had purchased an instant lottery ticket. “Once we saw the data, we realized this was a dedicated audience of lottery players,” Saferin said. “Out of all the people in the U.S. who played an instant ticket in the last 30 days, nine percent have hiked or backpacked in the last 12 months, 14 percent have gone camping and 15 percent had gone boating. These numbers can’t be ignored.” The history of Field & Stream is a story of one man's belief in the American dream. In 1871, with colleague Paul Ferguson, Irish native Richards Gordon founded a successful fur trading company, now the fifth oldest corporation in Minnesota. Later, Gordon expanded and developed his outdoor business by using the Field & Stream trademark on his products. Its popularity grew and the Gordon & Ferguson Company was asked to supply the fur coats worn by Admiral Richard E. Byrd on his famous expedition to the Antarctic. Building on its reputation for quality, the company was asked to supply flight suits to the emerging aviation industry and was selected by Minnesota local Charles Lindbergh to uniform him while flying the Spirit of St. Louis on the first non-stop flight from the U.S. to Paris. That suit, bearing the company's label, is now on display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. After supplying the U.S. armed forces in World War II, the company continued to manufacture quality outdoor apparel and in the 1980s, began licensing the Field & Stream brand to other companies. Field & Stream Licenses Co. now monitors and controls the licensing of the Field & Stream brand on products that evolved from the entrepreneurial efforts of Richards Gordon. Jerry Lavin, president of Field & Stream Licenses Co., said he is thrilled to enter the lottery category and tap into this new audience.
“The opportunity to offer Field & Stream lottery tickets, a unique new product line, is very exciting to all of us at Field & Stream Licenses Company,” Lavin said. “We are always desirous of bringing new products or services to the marketplace. The Field & Stream lottery ticket is unlike anything we have ever offered and we look forward to its great success.” About Scientific Games Scientific Games Corporation (www.scientificgames.com) is the leading integrated supplier of instant tickets, systems and services to lotteries, and the leading supplier of wagering systems and services to pari-mutuel operators. It is also a licensed pari-mutuel gaming operator in Connecticut and the Netherlands, and is a leading supplier of prepaid phone cards to telephone companies. MDI Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Scientific Games Corporation, is the worldwide leader in licensed lottery games and promotions. SOURCE: MDI Entertainment media
release. Self-service innovations for a competitive edge! KEBA at the CeBIT 06 LINZ, Austria (February 2006) -- At this year’s CeBIT (Hall 17 Stand D23) KEBA is displaying both proven and visionary solutions on the subject of customer self-service under the motto "Self-service innovations for a competitive edge". KEBA offers proven solutions in the areas of cash-recycling and non-cash transactions. As a leader in technology and innovation in the cash-recycling sector with an installation base of more than 1,000 cash recyclers and pay-in/pay-out systems at banking institutions in Germany and Austria, KEBA can draw upon a vast amount of know-how in this promising self-service segment. The manufacturer selection made by FinanzIT in the summer of 2005, in which KEBA was awarded the status of an innovator in the area of cash-recycling and account information terminals, is proof and acknowledgement of their services in these fields.
The Rondo 4cashcycle+ terminal from KEBA is the most reliable product on the market and provides an industry yardstick with its trend setting cassette technology for self-service recycling. Rondo 4cashcycle+ is impressive in the field with its high levels of availability (> 97%) and simple, intuitive operation for the user. The emphasis on cost effectiveness and low TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) is not just paid lip service at KEBA. Cash handling costs, for example, are reduced by extending the refilling and emptying intervals. And the 4ecomp+ cost effectiveness tool makes it easy to calculate the criteria in favor of cash recycling for each individual branch office situation. In addition to the successful cash recycling products, the profitable non-cash solutions are also presented. These online bank transfer terminals and self-service form acceptance terminals from KEBA present an economical replacement for the mechanical stamping boxes. These systems integrate the new Tosca 3 scanner, a KEBA proprietary development, which makes the possibilities of pay-in form processing even more simple and secure. Visionary solutions are discussed by KEBA with the presentation of a study in biometric recognition and a new type of display screen. The display screen ensures maximum discretion for the user as well as high commercial appeal for the operating institution. The new Rondo configuration tool can be used to put together the optimum Rondo constellation that ideally meets the individual requirements of the particular branch office. There’s lots of exciting information to grab your attention this year on the KEBA booth at the CeBIT. KEBA at the CeBIT in Hanover, 9.3.-15.3.2006, Hall
17, Booth D23.
Svenska Spel to Operate Bingo Halls in Sweden Article By: Göran Wessberg 
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (March 6, 2005) -- As of October this year Svenska Spel will help local sports in Sweden to raise money for their activities through bingo halls. For the last 5 years there has been a growing cooperation between Svenska Spel and the bingo alliances since the government decided to grant Svenska Spel a licence for an extra 500 VLTs to be installed in the bingo halls.
This cooperation has now lead to a wish from some of the main bingo halls to Svenska Spel to run the bingo business in order to generate more money for local sports clubs. For a start 20 of the halls have signed a contract with Svenska Spel and another 20 are prepared to join this cooperation as well. Svenska Spel will completely refurbish these halls, give them a total new design and offer some very innovative solutions. According to Mattias Tengblad, project leader, Svenska Spel will offer an integrated, centrally based, state-of-the-art technology which make it possible e.g. to have local as well as national jackpots, and the whole range of Svenska Spel´s products which are available at www.svenskaspel.se (except Internet poker). Since 2003 Svenska Spel has successfully operated a lot of varieties of very popular bingo games on the Internet. These will of course be offered in the new bingo halls along with the VLTs called Jack Vegas.
Mattias Tengblad says that Svenska Spel will have three target groups for this project.
For many years, approx. 100 bingo halls have operated in Sweden run by local alliances. In the beginning of the 1990´s they had their peak turnover of 2 100 million SEK (220 million Euro) but there has been a steady decrease for the last 10 years. In 2005 sales were down to 1 750 million SEK (185 million Euro), much due to the smoking ban imposed in July on all restaurants, bars and bingo halls. The first halls, still unnanmed, will open early autumn. Svenska Spel intends to give a full presentation on this project and its unique technology at the WLA seminar on interactive gaming in Vancouver end of September. SOURCE: Göran Wessberg. RICHMOND, British Columbia, Canada (March 3, 2006) -- Gerald Benjamin of Victoria has made history as the winner of the largest prize ever won online - $3,845,357.00 on Lotto 6/49! Gerald logged onto British Columbia Lottery Corporation’s (BCLC) Web site PlayNow on bclc.com, one of only two legal Internet lottery Web sites in North America, to buy his $2 Lotto 6/49 ticket. The 39 year old found out he’d won when he received an email that told him he had a BIG WIN and instructed him to contact BCLC. “When I received the email, I knew something good was up,” said Gerald, who works for B.C Transit. “But I didn’t expect this! I can’t believe it!” Gerald logged on to buy his ticket on the afternoon of Saturday, Feb. 25, and won that night’s Lotto 6/49 draw.
“This is unprecedented,” says Kevin Gass, Vice President, Corporate Communications & Marketing. “It demonstrates just how popular our online game site has become, a site that can be played with convenience and confidence because it features all the integrity and security of our regular distribution outlets.” PlayNow is a secure section within BCLC’s Web site which incorporates stringent safeguards, standards and codes of conduct for Internet play. Games are limited to B.C. adults and the site has features in place to encourage responsible play practices including a maximum weekly limit, session log and purchase history. A voluntary online self-exclusion program that allows people to ban themselves from purchasing games through the site is also available. Since its launch in October 2004, more than 30,000 players have registered for PlayNow where they can enjoy Lottery, Sports Action, Keno and SportsFunder Interactives games. For further information: contact: Ninu Gill, Corporate Communications, (604) 276-6443, ngill@bclc.com SOURCE: British Columbia Lottery Corporation media release. Race Is On For Kansas Lottery $200 Grand Tickets 
KANSAS CITY, Kansas, USA (March 7, 2006) -- This could be the year a Kansas Lottery player wins $200,000 by correctly predicting the top three finishers, in order, of the ARCA RE/MAX Series Kansas Lottery $200 Grand at Kansas Speedway. July will mark the third time the Kansas Lottery has sponsored the ARCA RE/MAX Series race at Kansas Speedway. To get fans ready for another exciting season at the racetrack, the Kansas Lottery has launched its new Kansas Lottery $200 Grand instant ticket.
The $2 ticket has a top instant prize of $10,000, plus players can mail in their non-winning tickets for a chance to win one of 45 weekend racing packages for two to enjoy the July 1-2 races at Kansas Speedway. The grand prize trips, each worth an estimated $2,300, will be awarded in a second-chance drawing. The 45 grand prizes include: Right before the Kansas Lottery $200 Grand race on July 1, the Lottery will draw the names of two of the 45 winners, who will then get a chance to win $200,000 by correctly predicting the exact finishing order of the top three drivers in the ARCA RE/MAX Series race. "Our past contestants have all come very close to winning the $200,000, but none has been right on the money, so to speak," said Lottery Executive Director Ed Van Petten. "We're hoping this will be the year that someone goes home $200,000 richer."
Even if this year's contestants are unsuccessful, each will be awarded $2,000 and a weekend racing package at Kansas Speedway for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and NASCAR Busch Series races, Sept. 30 - Oct. 1, as a consolation prize. Visit www.kslottery.com or see the back of the Kansas Lottery $200 Grand scratch ticket for more information. Kansas Speedway's ARCA RE/MAX Series Kansas Lottery $200 Grand is set for July 1. The race is paired with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 and IRL IndyCar Series event that weekend. For race tickets or more information, call Kansas Speedway at 913.328.RACE or toll free at 866.460.RACE. You may also log onto www.kansasspeedway.com. EAST GREENWICH, Rhode Island, USA (March 8, 2006) -- Szrek2Solutions LLC and Chariot (UK) plc have signed a license and services agreement, calling for the implementation of Trusted Draw™, an electronic draw and audit system offering the most advanced random number security available to the gaming industry. Trusted Draw will be used to generate the draw outcomes for the charity games offered by Chariot to lottery players in the UK over the internet platform, supplied by Betware of Iceland. Chariot will use audit functionality in Trusted Draw to verify the integrity of the draw outcomes and of the winner selection process, to ensure that utmost safety measures are taken to protect properness of the games.
Szrek2Solutions believes the implementation of Trusted Draw by Chariot will set a new lottery industry standard for the transparency of electronic draw and RNG (random number generation). Trusted Draw offers a unique feature of audit of random numbers based on RUN+A (Random Unpredictable Numbers with Audit) method, patented by Szrek2Solutions, utilizing asymmetric encryption technology (public/private key) to digitally sign and time-stamp game data and produce a unique random number set. The digital signature used in the process can be “decoded” at any subsequent point in time to recreate and verify both the winning number set and the exact time they were generated (draw time). Trusted Draw audit system uses the RUN+A methodology to verify integrity of the draw – correctness of winning numbers, exactness of draw time, and accuracy of draw hardware. In addition the audit system confirms that the bet file supplied by the Game system has not been altered and all bets participate in the draw with a fair chance of winning. Audit system uses the Trusted Transactions schema (patent pending), which performs time-stamping of the bet file before the draw. As an auxiliary internal control feature TD audit system performs independent winner selection and compares the results to the ones provided by the Game system. All draw and audit functions are performed automatically, with no operator intervention, which in addition to transparency eliminates risk of human error, facilitates the operation and reduces time and cost of the draw.
Trusted Draw™ has potential application for a wide range of games, including bingo, keno, lotto, numbers and raffle games, on a wide range of betting platforms, including traditional lottery and internet and mobile phone wagering. About
Szrek2Solutions About Chariot (UK)
plc About Betware SOURCE: Szrek2Solutions, LLC. Rhode Island Lottery First to Launch OGT’s John Wayne® Lottery Ticket SAN ANTONIO, Texas, USA (March 8, 2006) -- The Rhode Island Lottery and OGT have partnered to launch the first John Wayne “The Duke” lottery game, which will support a local Veterans’ organization. The lottery game features Wayne’s moniker “The Duke,” his signature and his likeness on three (3) different scenes. Expected to launch this month, OGT and Wayne Enterprises will donate a portion of the licensing fees to the World War II Memorial Commission of Rhode Island. Year after year, John Wayne remains on the Harris Poll’s Top Ten List of America’s Favorite Movie Stars, and was ranked #3 in the latest poll. “John Wayne’s fan base has proven to be loyal and expansive as well,” said Angelo Petrocelli, Instant Ticket Development Supervisor for the Rhode Island Lottery. “The popularity of John Wayne coupled with the charitable donation were two strong reasons why we had launched this game.”
“We are thrilled the Rhode Island Lottery is our first Lottery to launch a John Wayne lottery game,” said Carla Schaefer, OGT’s V.P. of New Business Development. “The Lottery was quick to realize the potential for success in choosing our newest licensed property.” Lotteries can use Wayne’s likeness, his nickname “The Duke,” his signature and various images spanning his 50-year career. For any Lottery who runs a game using John Wayne, OGT and Wayne Enterprises will donate a portion of the licensing fees to a Veteran’s organization of the lottery’s choice, or the John Wayne Cancer Foundation. About Wayne Enterprises - John Wayne®,(John Wayne's signature)® and DUKE® are registered trademarks of Wayne Enterprises. The name, image, and likeness of John Wayne and all related indicia are intellectual property of Wayne Enterprises. All Rights Reserved. www.wayneenterprises.com. SOURCE: Lyse Trudel, Communications
Officer, Oberthur Gaming Technologies, (+1-514) 254-3600, ext. 101.
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In addition to
introducing the new Lottery terminal, the Montana Lottery will be showing a
newly designed logo (
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