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| Vol. 35 No. 3 -- Monday April 24, 2006 |
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Article By: Roar Jødahl, Norsk Tipping press spokesman NORWAY (April 19, 2006) -- On April 8th Norsk Tipping gave Lotto a facelift – both the game itself and the TV draw. This coincided with Lotto’s 20-year anniversary in Norway. Norsk Tipping introduced an extra weekly draw, Millionsjansen - The Million Kroner Chance - that gives a randomly selected lucky player the chance to win between a few hundred thousand and up to several million kroner. Wherever possible the player will participate in the TV programme via the telephone.
At the same time we have changed the prize distribution key, so that the first prize will now average twice the previous amounts. The average first prize in Lotto from now on will be in the regions of 4.8 million kroner. The new first prize is financed through an increase in the price of each Lotto row from three to four kroner. It appears that our customers are quite happy about the changes, and even though the total number of rows has gone down slightly, the vast majority of players have accepted the new stake. The last increase in Lotto stake price in Norway was way back in 1997. Turnover for Lotto in 2005 was 413.5 million Euro (€89.47 Euro Per Capita). SOURCE: NORSK TIPPING AS. ATHENS, Greece (April 18, 2006) -- INTRALOT, through a joint venture, has been selected as the preferred bidder of ChinaTrust Commercial Bank in Taiwan (CTCB), a member of Chinatrust Financial Holding Company, which has received the license from the government to operate the Public Welfare Lottery. INTRALOT will provide the lottery IT system, along with the necessary maintenance services for the operation of the Public Welfare Lottery. The project duration is seven (7) years and costs approximately € 35 millions. The sign of the relative contract is subject to approval by the Taiwanese Ministry of Finance.
The project entails the supply, implementation and maintenance of the core gaming system, software and equipment. INTRALOT will install and support its LOTOS™ O/S On-line and Instant Gaming Computer System on the IBM AIX platform, and will provide 8,000 CORONIS full-function terminals in retailer locations across the region. INTRALOT may also participate in the corporate plan, to be established by CTCB, for the administration and operation of the Public Welfare Lottery for the upcoming 7 years. This will be upon invitation by the CTCB and in accordance with the relevant provisions of the RFP. Cooperation between the two parties may also be extended to Sports’ Betting Games, provided that their conduct is approved by the local government. INTRALOT commits itself to delivering significant value to the Public Welfare Lottery in order to attract new players, increase the participation of existing players and maximize the revenues of the Public Welfare Lottery for the good of the citizens of Taiwan. Significant emphasis will be placed on increasing games’ sales through the development of new games and therefore on the growth of the local gaming market, which is estimated at about € 3 billions. INTRALOT S.A. CEO, Mr. Constantinos Antonopoulos stated: “We would like to thank ChinaTrust Commercial Bank for awarding INTRALOT this important project, which proves that INTRALOT, through its full range, integrated series of products and services, may be an agent of change in the context of the large privatization schemes which take place worldwide. INTRALOT’s presence in the Taiwanese market, one of the most considerable worldwide and one of the most significant of the continent, will be the “vaulting horse” for its further expansion into the Asian market, the biggest in the world.” About INTRALOT (www.intralot.com) INTRALOT, a public company listed on the ASE, is a leading supplier of integrated gaming and transaction processing systems, innovative game content and value added services to state-licensed gaming organizations worldwide. Its broad portfolio of products & services, its know-how of Lottery, Betting & Video Lottery operations, its experience in sports games and its leading-edge technology, give INTRALOT a competitive advantage, which contributes directly to customers’ efficiency, profitability and growth. With 35 subsidiaries, 8 business offices, 3.000 people and revenues of € 523 million for 2005, INTRALOT’s footprint straddles five continents. SOURCE: INTRALOT media release. Crack the Da Vinci Code to Win $150,000 on Latest Scratchie SYDNEY, NSW, Australia (April 18, 2006) -- Fans of the Da Vinci Code now have 150,000 reasons to crack the code following the launch of NSW Lotteries new instant scratchie - Da Vinci Code Bingo. The $3 ticket has a top prize of $150,000 and goes on sale this week to tie-in with the Australian release of the blockbuster movie on 18 May.
The ticket features the Mona Lisa and a set of code symbols, which are based on the plot of the best selling book and the movie. To crack the code behind Da Vinci's most famous portrait, players simply scratch the secret symbols and follow the play instruction on the back of the ticket for a chance to instantly win $150,000. In addition to the top prize, there close to 200,000 other prizes to be won, with chances of wining any prize at 1 in 3.8. Da Vinci Code Bingo joins a long line of bingo-style games from NSW Lotteries. These types of games are among the most popular of all Instant Scratchies. NSW Lotteries expects the game to appeal to both Da Vinci Code fans and regular Instant Scratchies players looking for a new twist. As the current advertising campaign says:
Da Vinci Code Promotion SOURCE: NSW Lotteries media release. Tennessee Lottery Sales Hit Quarterly Record NASHVILLE, Tennessee, USA April 17, 2006) -- Today’s transfer of nearly $79.6 million to the state’s Lottery for Education Account pushes the amount raised for education to over one-half billion dollars. The transfer is also the highest since sales began just over two years ago. “This quarter is significant in so many ways,” said Rebecca Paul, President and CEO of the Tennessee Lottery. “More than a half-billion dollars for education is something we can all celebrate, from Memphis to Mountain City.”
The third quarter transfer (for the period of January 1 to March 31, 2006) is $79,581,000, bringing the total proceeds for the Lottery for Education Account since inception to $558,083,000. In addition, the Lottery has transferred $8,922,000 to the After-School Program Account, which brings the total raised for education to $567,005,000. Additional details about the funds generated by the Lottery since inception on January 20, 2004 through March 31, 2006, include:
“We’ll continue to keep the games fresh and exciting to continue this momentum,” said Paul. “It’s a great day for Tennessee … and an even better day for its students.”
The Tennessee Lottery began selling tickets on January 20, 2004. As of March 31, 2006, the Lottery has raised more than $567 million to fund specific education programs, including college scholarships, pre-kindergarten and after-school programs. For more information, please visit www.tnlottery.com. For information about Lottery-funded scholarships, visit www.collegepaystn.com. SOURCE: Tennessee Lottery Media
release. Detroit Red Wings Licensed Property Game a Sell-Out in
Michigan ALPHARETTA, Georgia, USA (April 13, 2006) -- Michigan Lottery players scored a major goal with the state’s Detroit Red Wings instant ticket, scooping up the game in just seven weeks. The Detroit Red Wings game went on sale on February 15 and indexed at 124, compared to eight other $2 games launched this fiscal year.
“The people of Michigan are die-hard hockey fans and running a Red Wings ticket was a perfect choice for the lottery. We are pleased Michigan achieved such success with this game,” said Steve Saferin, president of MDI Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Scientific Games Corporation (NASDAQ: SGMS). “Hockey went through a rough phase, but these sales prove the sport remains strong and makes for great lottery games.” Michigan’s $2 Red Wings instant ticket featured multiple chances to win with a top cash prize of $20,000. The game also offered players a second-chance way to win one of three NHL Dream Trips, including their choice of a Home Game Getaway package, a Road Trip Getaway Package or a 42” wide screen television. NHL Merchandise prize packs were also awarded. Since the game’s launch in February, it averaged $956,000 in sales per week, which is $223,000 over the seven-week average of Michigan’s eight previous $2 instant games. And for the first second-chance drawing in mid-March, the lottery received over 120,000 entries and expects similar volumes in the weeks to come. Glenn Strong, Michigan Lottery instant game product manager, said $2 games remain strong for their lottery, including PAC-MAN which quickly sold out in September and now the Detroit Red Wings game showing incredible sales. “We’re extremely pleased with the performance of the Red Wings ticket,” Strong said. “Its seven-week sell out was driven not only by our core players, but also by a fair number of new and lapsed players who were simply drawn to the Wings brand.”
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. Svenska Spel - No 1 State Lottery with Sudoku Article By: Göran Wessberg STOCKHOLM, Sweden (April 12, 2006) -- Late March Svenska Spel was the first state lottery in the world to introduce a Sudoku scratch ticket. It was a hit from the very start, which was to be expected since Swedes take a tremendous interest in this number puzzle which is to be founds in almost all daily Swedish newspapers since it was introduced last summer.
But the Svenska Spel Sudoku ticket (produced by Pollards) offers the chance of winning 250,000 SEK (€25,000 Euro) as well for the stake of 30 SEK (€3 Euro). Every third ticket is a winner, Fredrik Lundgren, marketing manager for scratch tickets, points out. Moreover we have a unique feature with our ticket since it offers both a game where you can win prizes and a puzzle to be solved. These are linked to each other so if you find it difficult to solve the mathematical riddle you can "cheat" or get extra help by scratching the corresponding part on the "winning" ticket. Skrap Sudoku belongs to a family of other scratch tickets with themes such as bingo and a labyrinth, all priced at 30 SEK. For more information, contact Jan Stocklassa, VP Svenska Spel International, Email: jan.stocklassa@svenskaspel.se SOURCE: Göran Wessberg. Szerencsejáték ZRT Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Special Instant Ticket Article By: Tamás Kiss, Product Manager, Instant ticket department, Szerencsejáték ZRT HUNGARY, Budapest (April 19, 2006) -- Szerencsejáték Zrt., the national lottery of Hungary launched a special instant ticket called Jubileumi (Jubilee) in January 2006 for the 15th anniversary of the company. The ticket stands out of the selection in both price and top prize. It costs 300 HUF (appr. €1,2) which is the highest price point currently in Hungary. The top prize is 15 million HUF (appr. €60 000) which also the highest prize in the history of Hungarian instant tickets. The odds of winning is 1: 3.28.
The ticket offers three games, two of them being a “match three out of six,” one is a “match your number” type game. The games use historic logos and symbols of the company and its predecessors, aiming at nostalgic feelings from the players. The goal of Szerencsejáték Zrt. with this ticket was not just to maximize its profit and revenue but to see, how players react to a higher price point game. The 3 million tickets were sold in 3 months instead of the planned 12 months, so a second series was ordered and launched in April 22. Both series were produced by Oberthur Gaming Technologies (OGT). SOURCE: Szerencsejáték Zrt.
WINNIPEG, Canada (April 18, 2006) -- Pollard Banknote Limited Partnership (“Pollard Banknote”) is pleased to announce it has been awarded a contract to print a brand new national instant ticket game for the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation (ILC). The game - entitled Grand Prix Casino - showcases casinos across Canada and is the first pouched game to be released across the country in more than a decade.
Scheduled to launch in June, Grand Prix Casino will feature 21 popular casino games per pouch and offer over $35 million in prizes, including 800 prizes of Canadian casino getaways and 20 top prizes of $500,000. Pollard Banknote is the world leader in the production of instant scratch pouched games. This latest agreement marks the continuation of a relationship between Pollard Banknote and the ILC that began more than 17 years ago. During this time, the company has been entrusted with printing some of the ILC’s most successful products of this kind, including Mega Millions 2000, Celebration, and Extravaganza. The ILC coordinates, through its five Regional Marketing Organizations (RMO), the production and marketing of certain lottery products throughout Canada, with each RMO responsible for promoting these offerings within its own jurisdiction. The RMOs are: British Columbia Lottery Corporation, Western Canada Lottery Corporation, Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation, Loto-Québec, and Atlantic Lottery Corporation Inc. Over the past two decades, Pollard Banknote has supplied secure and innovative products to all RMO members of ILC. Supplying yet another game for national release serves as a welcome opportunity for the company to contribute to the enduring success of this important coast-to-coast collaboration between Canadian lotteries. About Pollard Banknote
As well, Pollard Banknote manufactures ticket vending machines, pull tab tickets and bingo paper, and supplies lottery management services (including warehousing and distribution). Established in 1907, the firm is owned by the Pollard family and the Pollard Banknote Income Fund and currently serves more than 45 lotteries worldwide, including some of the largest and most respected lotteries in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Central and South America. About Pollard Banknote Income
Fund SOURCE: Pollard Banknote (www.pollardbanknote.com) media release. For further information please CONTACT: Gordon Pollard, gpollard@pbl.ca, or John Pollard, jpollard@pbl.ca, Co-Chief Executive Officers, Phone: (204) 474-2323. Alliance of JCM, Tovis and Transact En Route to SGS LAS VEGAS (April 18, 2006) – Fresh from their successful joint appearance at this month’s NIGA tradeshow, the alliance of JCM American, Tovis Monitors and TransAct Technologies will next be appearing in Tunica, Miss., at the upcoming Southern Gaming Summit (SGS). SGS is held May 4-5 at the Tunica Arena & Expo Center, and the alliance companies will be in booth #333. The group is also sponsoring the event’s registration. “Our joint display at the NIGA tradeshow went exactly as we had envisioned, and our customers are very enthusiastic about the convenience that our alliance brings to them. We are very excited to bring that same message to the South, where we are fully committed to assisting in the Gulf’s recovery,” said JCM VP of Gaming Solutions Tom Nieman. On display will be the wide range of products the alliance jointly represents, including the award-winning Universal Bill Acceptor (UBA™), Trident™ Table Safe System, the Epic® 950 printer, and Tovis monitors. The UBA is the next generation bill validator, utilizing magnetic and optical sensors and is completed by its forward/backward-compatible, high-impact Plastic Cash Box. The Trident Table Safe System is a complete table management system that tracks assets from the table to the pit to the soft count room, and to the back office.
The Epic 950 has a 2-color printing that turns ordinary slot vouchers into eye-grabbing marketing media. Its TicketBurst™ technology ensures the ticket is completely printed and detached before presenting it. Tovis offers a wide array of best performance LCD monitors including standard 15”, 17”, 19” and wide format 23”, 26”, 32”, 40”, 42”, 46”, 55”. Also, Tovis provides monitors with customized design and configuration to meet the customer’s need exactly. About the Alliance
Companies SOURCE: Steinbeck
Communications.
Georgia Lottery Raises Record Amount for Education ATLANTA, Georgia, USA (April 17, 2006) -- The Georgia Lottery Corporation today announced its educational proceeds reached a record-breaking high for the third quarter of fiscal year 2006, which spanned from January 1, 2006 to March 31, 2006. The Georgia Lottery will transfer its fiscal year 2006 third quarter profits to the State Treasury's Lottery for Education Account in the amount of $225,921,000, bringing the total raised for educational programs in Georgia to more than $8.2 BILLION since the lottery's inception in 1993. "We have experienced a tremendous amount of success this fiscal year, which is great news for the citizens of Georgia, including the families who have benefited or who will benefit from the HOPE Scholarship and the Prekindergarten Program," said Georgia Lottery President and CEO Margaret DeFrancisco. "It has been a phenomenal effort by Georgia Lottery employees and retailers along with the support of our players. We remain focused and committed to our mission of maximizing dollars for the educational programs we fund."
Georgia Lottery transfers to the Lottery for Education Account for the first three quarters of fiscal year 2006 will total more than $622 million – over $22.7 million more than last year's record benchmark – making the first nine months of fiscal year 2006 the most successful start in Georgia Lottery history. Fiscal year 2006 third quarter sales also soared to a record amount of $885,148,031. The transfer and sales amounts are an all-time record for any quarter in Georgia Lottery history. Sales for online and instant games remain strong across the board. Instant games have performed particularly well, led by the popular game $300 Million Gold Rush and its corresponding promotion, Rush to Win. Since its first year, the Georgia Lottery Corporation has returned over $8.2 billion to the state of Georgia for education. All Georgia Lottery profits go to pay for specific educational programs including Georgia's HOPE Scholarship Program and Georgia's Prekindergarten Program. More than 900,000 students have received HOPE Scholarships, and more than 700,000 4-year-olds have attended the statewide, voluntary prekindergarten program. For more information, please visit the Media Center on the Georgia Lottery Web site at: www.galottery.com SOURCE: Georgia Lottery Corporation.
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