| GTECH Successfully Launches the Company’s
Enterprise Series™ (ES) Interactive Solution with New Zealand Lotteries
Commission PROVIDENCE, Rhode
Island (July 02, 2008) - Lottomatica
S.p.A.’s wholly-owned subsidiary, GTECH Global Services Corporation, announced
that it has successfully launched its Enterprise Series™ (ES) interactive
solution for New Zealand Lotteries Commission (NZ
Lotteries), allowing the sale of select online lottery games to players via
the Internet.
“Interactive
systems extend lottery play beyond retailer constraints of time and place,
allowing access to a large and growing market of players who value mobility,
and also the convenience of purchasing lottery tickets through ‘new
media’ channels such as the Internet,” said GTECH President and
CEO Jaymin B. Patel. “ES Interactive provides NZ Lotteries with a
safe, reliable way to add new lottery players through more readily available
personal gaming.” ES Interactive is a
multi-channel solution designed for growth and is easily customized to suit
local play preferences. GTECH, working together with NZ Lotteries,
integrated ES Interactive into the Lottery’s existing ES platform over a
period of eight months. “Working with NZ
Lotteries, listening to their needs, and understanding what their players want,
we were able to quickly provide a solution that gives NZ Lotteries another
sales channel to extend traditional online lottery games to a new audience of
mobile players,” said Mr. Patel. About
GTECH GTECH is a leading gaming technology and
services company. With 5,900 people in over 50 countries, GTECH provides
innovative technology, creative content, and superior service delivery to
effectively manage and grow today’s evolving gaming markets. GTECH
is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lottomatica, one of the world’s largest
commercial lottery operators and a market leader in the Italian gaming
industry. For more information about the Company, please visit GTECH’s
website at www.gtech.com.
CONTACT: Robert K. Vincent, Public Affairs, GTECH
Corporation, 401-392-7452. 
INTRALOT Acquires William Hill Codere
Italia ATHENS, Greece (July 2,
2008) -- INTRALOT S.A. announces that,
through its subsidiary INTRALOT Italia spa, has acquired 100 percent of the
Italian Joint Venture company, William Hill Codere Italia Srl. (WHCI), thus
further strengthening its position in the Italian betting market. The gross
consideration agreed is €5.5 million.
Through this acquisition,
INTRALOT Italia enriches its current portfolio with 55 additional licences for
horseracing and sports betting points of sale that WHCI was awarded following a
competitive process in 2006. It is reminded that following the same process,
INTRALOT acquired 33% of the total licenses for the large exclusive sports
betting points of sale that were finally granted, or a total of 416 licenses
and 164 additional licenses for non-exclusive points of sale. Additionally, the
company will migrate the current internet operations of WHCI.
In a very short period of time, INTRALOT Italia has
managed to rise to the top three companies that currently operate in the highly
competitive Italian betting market, while its market share is posting the most
impressive increase in the market. Moreover, the
company boosts its presence in the horseracing betting market, since 20 of the
WHCI licences are dedicated to horseracing. In addition, through the new
licenses, INTRALOT Italia will expand its network to the Northern part of the
country. INTRALOT S.A. CEO,
Mr. Constantinos Antonopoulos,
commented: “INTRALOT optimizes and consolidates its position in the
Italian market through this significant acquisition. The fact that we have
managed to gain an impressive market share in such limited time inspires a
clear vision; to continue our successful course to the top, offering more
exciting gaming experiences to the Italian community.”
About INTRALOT (www.intralot.com) INTRALOT, a public listed company, is the leading supplier of
integrated gaming and transaction processing systems, innovative game content
and sports betting management, to state-licensed gaming organizations
worldwide. It’s broad portfolio of products & services, its know-how
of Lottery, Betting & Video Lottery operations and its leading-edge
technology, give INTRALOT a competitive advantage which contributes directly to
customers’ efficiency, profitability and growth. With presence in 45
countries, with approximately 4.400 people and revenues of €835,5 m. for
2007, INTRALOT has established its presence on all 5 continents.
For more information please CONTACT: Ms Persa Kartsoli,
Head of Corporate Affairs, Phone: +30-210 6156000, Fax: +30-210 6106800, email:
kartsoli@intralot.com.
FremantleMedia Enterprises Extends Partnership
with MDI Entertainment New
Agreement Expands On Existing Deal To Include ‘Password’ Game
Show Franchise ALPHARETTA, Georgia, USA (June
30, 2008) -- FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME), the brand extension arm of
FremantleMedia, has extended its agreement with MDI Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Scientific Games Corporation (NASDAQ:
SGMS), to include the PASSWORD game show franchise for use on lottery
tickets.
The agreement, which builds
upon FME’s existing partnership with MDI that already includes other
FremantleMedia game show brands such as THE PRICE IS RIGHT, FAMILY FEUD and
TEMPTATION, will now include both the classic PASSWORD game show as well as
MILLION DOLLAR PASSWORD the current primetime version on CBS. Hosted by
Regis Philbin, MILLION DOLLAR PASSWORD has placed first in its time period
since its premiere June 1st, averaging 9.46 million viewers.
“’Password’ has been a classic
television game show staple for years,” said Steve Saferin, MDI
president. “MDI and our lottery partners have seen strong results with
game show branded instant tickets and we’re confident that players all
over the country will relate to this new addition to our portfolio.”
PASSWORD first aired on CBS from 1961 to 1967 with
Allen Ludden hosting both the daytime and primetime versions. More than 1,500
episodes were produced in that time frame. In 1971, ABC revived the show for a
daytime slot, which ran for several years. NBC ran “Password
Plus” from 1979 through 1982 and in 1984, host Bert Convy took to the
airwaves with “Super Password.” About Scientific Games Scientific Games Corporation is the leading integrated
supplier of instant tickets, systems and services to lotteries worldwide, a
leading supplier of server based gaming machines and systems, Amusement and
Skill with Prize betting terminals, interactive sports betting terminals and
systems, and wagering systems and services to pari-mutuel operators. It is also
a licensed pari-mutuel gaming operator in Connecticut, Maine and the
Netherlands and is a leading supplier of prepaid phone cards to telephone
companies. Scientific Games' customers are in the United States and more than
60 other countries. For more information about Scientific Games, please visit
our web site at www.scientificgames.com
About FremantleMedia Enterprises &
FremantleMedia FremantleMedia Enterprises is the
brand extension arm of FremantleMedia, offering a one-stop-shop for all
Licensing, Distribution and Home Entertainment. It is a division of
FremantleMedia, one of the largest international creators and producers of
entertainment brands in the world with leading prime time drama, serial drama,
entertainment and factual entertainment programming in over 40 countries
worldwide. FremantleMedia is a subsidiary of RTL Group, Europe's largest
television and radio broadcast company, which is 90% owned by Bertelsmann AG,
an integrated media and entertainment company that commands leading positions
in the world's media markets. For further information, visit
http://www.fremantlemedia.com.
CONTACT: Max Montgomery, 770-664-3807.
Florida Lottery
Joins Powerball® Powerball
Drawings Will Move To Florida In 2009 TALLAHASSEE,
Florida, USA (July 2, 2008) – The Florida
Lottery announced today that it will join the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) and add
Powerball® to its portfolio of games
starting in January 2009. Florida will become the 30th state to join the
multi-state lottery game, which is currently offered in 29 states, the District
of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Though the Florida Lottery
offers one of the strongest lotto games in the nation, it is the only state
lottery that does not currently participate in a multi-state lottery
game. Powerball sales in Florida are expected to raise millions of
additional dollars for education and increase commissions to the Lottery’s
13,500 retailers, the majority of which are small, independently-owned
businesses. The authority to join a multi-state game is expressly granted in
the Florida Public Education Lottery Act. “I
applaud the Florida Lottery for continuing its mission of maximizing sales for
the state’s education system – benefiting Florida students in all
grade levels,” said Governor Charlie Crist. “Joining
Powerball will help ensure that the promise made to Floridians 22 years ago
continues to be fulfilled.” MUSL is a
non-profit, government-benefit association owned and operated by its 31 member
lotteries, each offering one or more of the games administered by MUSL.
The association operates at the direction of the Board of Directors, which is
comprised of the lottery directors for each of the member lotteries. To
coincide with the introduction of Powerball in Florida, the MUSL Board of
Directors has approved moving the game drawings to a yet-to-be-determined
location in the state. Powerball drawings are held twice weekly and
broadcast to nearly 100 TV stations nationwide live at 10:59 p.m., Eastern
Time, currently from West Des Moines, Iowa. “A
key to any business’ success is making a habit of being responsive to its
customers. Florida Lottery players and retailers have been asking for
Powerball for many years,” said Florida Lottery Secretary
Leo DiBenigno. “While
some players like to spend a dollar for a Scratch-Off ticket, others would
rather take a chance on a mega jackpot – and it doesn’t get any
bigger than Powerball! In addition, the fact that each year millions of
tourists visit Florida from states that currently have a multi-state game could
give Powerball an extra advantage in our state. Now they’ll be able
to buy their tickets here.”
Celebrating its 20th
anniversary this year, the Florida Lottery has placed greater emphasis on
strengthening its product offerings through enhancements to some of its core
games and a comprehensive game launch schedule. This year, the Florida
Lottery introduced its first $30 Scratch-Off game, offering players more than
$600 million in prizes, as well as the highest payout and best odds of any
Florida Lottery Scratch-Off game. Last month, the agency added a daily
midday drawing to CASH 3TM and PLAY 4TM. Consistent
with the statutory requirement that the Florida Lottery function as much as
possible as an entrepreneurial business enterprise, the agency's success is
dependent on the effective implementation of a business model that focuses on
offering the best product mix to maximize profits and transfers to the
Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) in a responsive and responsible
manner. Florida voters, by a two-to-one margin,
approved a constitutional amendment in 1986 authorizing the state to operate a
lottery for the purpose of generating significant additional moneys for
education. Since the Lottery’s inception, the agency has contributed
more than $18 billion to the EETF. Today, Floridians continue to show
their support by purchasing in excess of $4 billion in Lottery products per
year. For more information regarding the Florida Lottery, its games and
its contributions to education, visit www.flalottery.com.
CONTACT: Jacqueline Barreiros, (850) 487-7727.
Nationals’ Fans Find New Reasons to
'Scratch' WASHINGTON, D.C. (June
26, 2008) -- The D.C. Lottery’s fictional
baseball team, "The D.C. Scratchers," came to life last night at
Nationals Park. The team has had the starring role in a station domination ad
campaign at the Navy Yard Metro Station. The unique creation combines the
partnership of the D.C. Lottery’s Scratcher ticket and the Washington
Nationals Baseball team by delivering an entertaining and playful visual
message for Metro Riders and Baseball fans to enjoy.
In an effort to promote the
D.C. Lottery’s $2 Washington Nationals D.C. Scratcher, nine
Scratcher’s baseball team members suited up and ascended upon Nationals
Park in time for the Washington Nationals to take on the LA Angels.
In addition, this is the first time D.C. and
Virginia Lotteries have teamed together
to produce and promote an exciting Lottery product that is available in the
District of Columbia. The lotteries worked with licensing partner
MDI, as well as Major League Baseball, to
bring sports-enthusiast players this first-time ticket offering.
The Scratchers ad campaign in the Navy Yard Metro Station
will only be posted through June 30, but the Washington Nationals Scratcher
ticket will be available until quantities are sold out.
More than $10,000 in unclaimed prizes remains available,
including a $5,000 top prize. The D.C. Lottery will hold a second chance
drawing on August 6, 2008 where eligible non-winning ticket holders could claim
Washington Nationals home game tickets, team merchandise and choice seating at
Nationals Park. For more information and where to
play, visit www.dclottery.com.
D.C. Lottery and Charitable Games Control
Board Since 1982, the D.C. Lottery has
awarded more than $2.3 billion in prizes to its winners and more than $1.3
billion has been transferred to the District of Columbia’s General Fund.
Through its charitable gaming and licensing activities, the D.C. Lottery
demonstrates its dedication to support the fund- raising efforts of area
nonprofit organizations. SOURCE: D.C. Lottery.
CONTACT: Angela Copeland of D.C. Lottery, +1-202-645-8950, Email:
Angela.Copeland@dc.gov.
Microlog Wins Contract From Virginia Lottery for
System Upgrade GERMANTOWN,
Maryland (July 1, 2008) - Microlog Corporation (PINKSHEETS: MLOG), a
Germantown, Maryland-based technology leader in Integrated Voice Response (IVR)
and Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) solutions for the Government,
Healthcare and lotteries, has been awarded a contract from the
Virginia Lottery.
This award includes upgrades
to the current Microlog IVR system hardware, software and operating systems.
Reporting, monitoring, and redundancy within the upgraded system will also be
enhanced. For the first time, it includes the addition of Spanish as a second
language within the architecture. The upgrades, expected to be operational
before the end of the 2008 calendar year will bring Lottery players an even
more customer friendly experience. Microlog has been the chosen vendor for the
Virginia Lottery since 1998. "Microlog has been
with the Virginia Lottery since shortly after the lottery's inception,"
stated Richard E. Meccarielli, President and CEO, Microlog Corporation.
"Over the last ten years we have worked with them to provide numerous
changes and enhancements to meet their growing needs and look forward to our
continued working relationship." Since 1999, all
Virginia Lottery profits have been designated solely to K-12 public school
education in the Commonwealth. In that time, the Lottery has turned over more
than $3.4 billion for Virginia's public schools, currently representing about 7
percent of annual state funding for public education in Virginia. In 19 years,
the Lottery has awarded more than $10 billion in prizes to players and more
than $1 billion in retailer commissions. About
Microlog Microlog Corporation designs, implements
and services patented software applications that enhance the productivity of
the customer contact center experience, as well as providing consultation on a
variety of system integration options. The company's services encompass the
migration of e-commerce into the traditional call center environment by Web
enablement. Microlog's award winning products support this Web enablement, as
well as supporting all inbound and outbound media, telephone, e-mail, fax, and
Web for contact centers. For further information
about Microlog's products and solutions, please contact: Janet Turner, VP of
Sales, 301.540.5514. Mexico’s
National Lottery Rolls Out the First Mobile State Lottery Network in the
Americas ‘Play Melate
Lottery’ in Mexico and ‘Help the Needy’ from your Cell Phone
Melate Movil SAN DIEGO, California (July 1,
2008) -- Pronosticos para la Asistencia
Publica, the public lottery organization of the Federal Government that
provides significant resources for public assistance while operating and
distributing the leading lottery games nationwide in Mexico, has successfully
rolled out the first mobile state lottery network in the Americas. This
innovative development was made after considering the increasing popularity of
mobile devices in Mexico and the technologies available to create new channels
for interactive distribution of lottery games. Pronosticos para la Asistencia Publica along with Digital
Orchid, the leading operator and developer of wireless content and distribution
services for regulated lottery games, reached an agreement to launch an
innovated system that allows people to play the lottery in Mexico from the
comfort of their homes. The service is available
nationwide for the popular Melate lottery game and is called Melate
Movil. Melate Movil is the first totally wireless state lottery sales
channel in the Americas that allows people to participate in games and draws
through mobile devices.
The Melate Movil lottery
service was initially made available to all subscribers of Telcel, the leading
mobile phone operator in Mexico, starting April 15, 2008. With the purchase of
a Melate Movil prepaid card, which are available at retail locations nationwide
at a cost of sixty or one hundred pesos, players will be able to fund their
Melate Movil accounts. The account will be generated
once the player enters the Melate Movil system from their cell phone’s
browser. This procedure prevents fraud when participating in the draw. The
players’ accounts will not have minimum or maximum balance amounts since
their balance will be determined by the players themselves based on the number
of times they want to play and the number of cards they choose to purchase.
By logging into their accounts, players will be able
to play Melate con Revancha from a Telcel cell phone, without incurring any
browser charges. They just have to decide which version they want to play;
Classic Melate or Melatico Quick Pick Just as easy and simple as it is to play,
knowing if one is a winner is even simpler. The lottery system will let the
players know when the draw is over as well as provide them with the draw
results and prize amounts. The player then has the choice to either credit the
prize to their account or to collect the prize money from an authorized
Pronosticos para la Asistencia Publica payment center or authorized retail
agent that is responsible for the prize payments for each of the draws. Telcel is not responsible for the payment of prizes;
Pronosticos para la Asistencia Publica will be entirely responsible for the
prize payouts. With guaranteed prizes of a
minimum of 40 million pesos and jackpots that have surpassed 400 million pesos,
Melate con Revancha is without a doubt the most popular state lottery game in
Mexico. So play with Mexico, and help the public
assistance organization by participating in the Melate con Revancha lottery
from your Melate Movil cell phone ... Do you see yourself as a millionaire on
your cell phone yet? SOURCE: Digital Orchid. CONTACT:
Digital Orchid, 858-847-9900.
JAXX AG Sailing
Under New Colours ALTENHOLZ,
Germany (July 1, 2008) -- It is now official: the change of name from
FLUXX AG to JAXX AG has been entered on the
Commercial Register. As from today the gaming specialist, established just
under ten years ago in Altenholz, near Kiel, is sailing under new colours.
While still operating under
its old name of FLUXX AG, the company's shareholders had approved the change of
name by a large majority at the Shareholders' Meeting in May. They thus
accepted the Management Board's proposal to strengthen the link with JAXX
products and services by adopting a new name for the company.
Germany's first lottery agency on the internet opened in
1998 at www.jaxx.de. Today, the JAXX brand
has come to epitomise a serious, dependable and secure player in the gaming
market. Over one million customers now use its state-licensed gaming products
on the German website JAXX.de. Customers of the drugstore chain Schlecker are
able to buy lottery tickets via the JAXX Lottery Service at over 10,000
branches throughout Germany. The extensive product range of the international
online portal JAXX.com, which is operated by the British subsidiary JAXX UK
Ltd., is aimed at experienced gamers outside Germany. The new logo of JAXX AG can be found at
www.jaxx.ag. The
shares of JAXX AG are listed in the Regulated Market (Prime Standard) of the
Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Deutsche Börse). SOURCE: JAXX AG.
Independent
Lottery Research Adds Analysis of Impact of Rising Gas Prices on Lottery Sales
to Research Camp Program CHICAGO,
Illinois, USA (June 27, 2008) -- Independent Lottery Research, the leading
research company for the lottery industry, will hold its third annual Research
Camp, Signs of the Times, in Chicago July 21-22. ILR has just added an analysis
of three years of National Poll data on the effect of gasoline prices on
lottery play among Joes and Jacks.
“We will be in the
field next week with a series of questions that we have been tracking for the
last three years on the effect of higher gas prices on the sale of lottery
tickets. With three years of data, we felt that attendees would like to learn
more about why higher energy costs are affecting ticket sales for all
games,” said Margaret Mueller, a Director of Independent Lottery
Research and author of ILR’s popular research columns in NASPL’s
Lottery Insights Magazine. ILR will present findings
from the last two years and new data that are currently being measured as
prices per gallon continue to surge each week and the national average has
topped $4 a gallon. Matthew Smith, President of Leo J.
Shapiro & Associates, the research partner of ILR thinks, “we are
seeing the effect of higher energy costs on our national research on a range of
consumer products, it is especially interesting to track from the fall of 2005
when we asked about $2 gas to present when I just paid $4.55 a gallon in
Chicago. Joe is hurting…and Jack is not far behind.”
Research Camp attracts lottery Directors, staff, vendors,
advertising agencies, and legislative personnel. This year’s conference
will also address other three-year tracking issues, a new method of determining
what scratch/instant games will sell best, the effect of new technologies on
lottery sales. The event will also include presentation on the politics and
potential of Internet lottery sales and a unique view on lottery privatization
by Illinois State Senator John Cullerton. Senator
Cullerton has successfully introduced and passed a bill to allow the test of
Internet lottery sales in Illinois. View the complete
schedule and more Research Camp details at: www.ilresearch.com/camp
To attend Research Camp or to get details on the program
contact: Brooke Hendricks, Phone: 312.546.5925 x6, Email:
brookeh@ilresearch.com.
Connecticut Lottery Corporation Announce Record
Fiscal Year; Exceeds Expected General Fund Transfer
NEW BRITAIN, Connecticut (July 2, 2008) --
The Connecticut Lottery Corporation has
announced that $283.0 million was transferred to the state’s General Fund
for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2008. According to Anne M. Noble,
President and CEO of the CT Lottery, the profit returned to the state was
achieved through record sales of approximately $998.5 million (unaudited).
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The fiscal 2008
contribution to the General Fund was approximately $4.5 million above the
budgeted amount of $278.5 million. CT Lottery
profits support services and programs statewide, including education, public
health and safety, conservation, Medicaid, judicial services, and more.
“The CT Lottery consistently makes a significant
fiscal contribution to the state of Connecticut, and we are pleased that our
General Fund transfers this year exceeded anticipated results.
“We appreciate the efforts of our more than
2,700 authorized retailers to promote the lottery as well as the dedication of
the Lottery’s staff,” said Noble. “Looking ahead, we will continue to monitor economic
trends and shift business plans as needed to create efficiencies and ensure
variety and excitement in our product mix to maximize payments to the
state. As we expand, a commitment to responsible play and integrity will
remain paramount.” In comparison to fiscal
2007 actual results, the CT Lottery achieved a $41.5 million, or 4.3 percent
increase in sales and a $4.0 million, or 1.4 percent, increase in General Fund
transfers. Scratch ticket sales accounted for the
largest segment gain, with an increase of $24.0 million above fiscal 2007.
CONTACT: Diane Patterson, Communications Director,
860-713-2701, Fax: (860) 713-2695, Web:
www.ctlottery.org. 
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