| Lottery Plans Conversion to GTECH; Sales
Interruption Beginning AT 12:01 AM Sunday
WEST VIRGINIA, USA (June 25, 2009) - In order to complete
conversion with GTECH, the
West Virginia Lottery’s new gaming
system vendor, lottery sales will be stopped at 12:01 AM Sunday, June 28 and
resume at noon, according to Lottery Director
John Musgrave.
Musgrave said retailers
have been provided with new and improved equipment that will make purchases
both faster and easier. “The very fact that these terminals are user
friendly and infinitely quicker, spells good business for overall lottery sales
in the coming year.” As part of the system
enhancement, Musgrave said all traditional-game lottery retailers will have the
capability to sell both instant and online tickets, which include scratch-off
games, as well as Powerball®, Hot Lotto®, Cash25, Daily3 and Daily4.
In addition to the new lottery terminals, he said
high-performing retail locations have received stand-alone Player Activated
Terminals ("Pay & Play"), which provide customers an opportunity to
purchase and check winning tickets without the assistance of a retailer; many
of the Lottery's KENO locations have received Ticket Scan machines ("Ticket
v"), allowing players to check their own tickets for winners on West Virginia
Lottery online games. Musgrave said the new terminals
offer retailers a user-friendly approach with features such as touch-screen
technology and flat-panel screens for customers, who will be able to view their
transactions, as well as lottery notices about jackpots, products, and
promotions. The new terminals will also provide retailers with accounting
features that enhance security in monitoring and tracking tickets.
Additionally, Musgrave said satellite communication will
be used to improve transaction speeds, as it has been proven more reliable than
traditional phone lines.
Musgrave commended the
efforts of lottery staff, as well as lottery retailers and GTECH employees, who
he said have spent thousands of hours to make the conversion seamless.
“It has represented an undertaking of unimaginable proportions, but one
that we believe will provide a smooth transition for the playing public. We do
ask for their patience, however, as retailers continue to learn the new
system.” Musgrave said more than 4,000
clerks and managers from 1,521 lottery retail outlets were trained on how to
operate new terminals within just three weeks by the Lottery's marketing staff
and GTECH professional trainers. “Remarkably, retailer attendance was
better than 99 percent . . . we were grateful for their attendance, which
speaks to the dedication and professionalism of the Lottery’s retailer
network, as well as their enthusiasm over the new system.”
In addition to GTECH building out their offices in
Charleston, Musgrave said behind-the-scenes activity has included the
installation of new equipment at all retail locations six weeks prior to
conversion, transferring lottery warehouse inventory to a new location,
implementing new internal procedures to merge the Lottery and GTECH systems,
and training lottery staff on how to use a new graphical interface provided by
GTECH. SOURCE: West Virginia Lottery.
Vermont Says Yes To INTRALOT
INTRALOT’S 10th Lottery Contract in the
U.S. ATHENS, Greece (June 24, 2009) --
INTRALOT Inc., INTRALOT’s subsidiary
in the US, is making an impact in the US Lottery market. The
Vermont Lottery has selected INTRALOT to
operate their Online and Instant games management. This is INTRALOT’s 10th
US Lottery contract in a relatively short timeframe, which is proof of
company’s continued growth.
The six (6) year contract
with an option for two (2) additional two-year renewals will begin in July 1st
2010 and will also include INTRALOT managing the Vermont Lottery’s
associated gaming products, retailer network, and support services.
Vermont will receive an upgraded Lottery system and
equipment thanks to INTRALOT’s state-of-the-art telecommunications system
that will connect its cutting-edge terminals in 700 POS throughout the State to
INTRALOT’s LOTOSTM O/S Central System, enabling secure and reliable
transactions. Since the sale of the first ticket in
February 1978, the Vermont Lottery has produced more than $1.5 billion in
overall sales, allowing the Lottery to significantly contribute to various
state causes. Since the Lottery’s inception, $941 million has been
returned to players in the form of prizes. More than $86 million has been
invested into Vermont’s local communities and to local Lottery agents in
the form of commissions and over $410 million has gone to the State of Vermont
Education Fund. The Vermont Lottery is committed to contributing all proceeds
to the Education Fund, while strongly emphasizing the importance of responsible
gaming. The Director of the Vermont Lottery,
Mr. Alan Yandow, stated: “We
look forward to a strong, mutually beneficial partnership with INTRALOT. In the
coming years, change in the lottery industry will move very fast, and we
anticipate our working relationship with Intralot will assist us in making
those changes, and increase our contribution to the Vermont Education
Fund.”
INTRALOT S.A. CEO,
Mr. Constantinos Antonopoulos,
commented: “We are proud to be selected by the Vermont Lottery as the
preferred bidder to run the Lottery for the next decade. Only a few weeks after
our agreement with the New Hampshire Lottery, and a few months after our two
latest contracts in Louisiana and Ohio, INTRALOT ratifies its commitment to
expand dynamically in the US market. INTRALOT will offer the Vermont Lottery
advanced and fully integrated services that will support the Lottery towards
its goal to increase its contribution to the general welfare of the citizens of
Vermont. We are really looking forward to a fruitful cooperation.”
INTRALOT Inc. President & CEO, Mr. Tom Little, added:
“We are excited about the opportunity to work with Vermont and will
build a strong partnership that will make an impact on the state and its
citizens. I am also very proud of the commitment within the INTRALOT family.
Our team understands the importance of working hard to provide services that
ultimately help improve Lotteries. Vermont will benefit from the dedication and
hard work that is exemplified within our company each and every
day.” 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. Its 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 more
than 50 countries, with 5,000 people and revenues of $1.53 billion (€1.1
billion) for 2008, 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.
B.C. Lottery
Corporation Launches "GameSense" Responsible Gambling
Program BCLC Asks Players
to 'Use Their Gamesense' BURNABY,
British Columbia, Canada (June 24, 2009) -- Television viewers in British
Columbia soon will begin to see a unique series of ads asking them to 'use
their GameSense'. The name refers to
BCLC's innovative new responsible gambling
program, designed to assist players with making informed choices about
gaming.
"GameSense is really
about balancing the fun element of play and individual choice with the need to
exercise a sense of control and stay within one's boundaries when participating
in games of chance," said Michael Graydon, BCLC President & CEO.
"These ads represent the first ever responsible
gambling television messages to appear in BC, and we're extremely proud they
have been deemed important enough to have received Public Service Announcement
status from the Television Bureau of Canada." In
addition to the PSA's, the GameSense makes use of both online and offline
resource material, GameSense information centres and committed knowledgeable
staff within gaming facilities. GameSense also
provides the opportunity to further promote provincially funded resources,
including the problem gambling helpline and free counselling services when they
are required. "The introduction of the GameSense
innovation will make essential problem gambling prevention information much
more friendly, appealing and accessible," said Jon Kelly, Responsible
Gambling Council CEO. "It reflects BCLC's ongoing
commitment to provide gaming entertainment in a socially responsible manner in
communities around this province." BCLC is a
provincial Crown Corporation that offers socially responsible gaming
entertainment while generating income that benefits all British Columbians.
Last year more than 6,850 community and charitable organizations received
community gaming grants. BCLC is an Official Supporter of the Vancouver 2010
Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. For further
information please CONTACT: BCLC, Trevor Miller, Communications Officer,
Office: 604-247-3013 or Cell: 604-341-0752, Email:
tmiller@bclc.com or visit
www.GameSense.com.
SOURCE: British Columbia
Lottery Corporation.
New
Playstations, Scratchcard Dispenser Fascia Kits and External Signage to Boost
Excitement In-Store Latest initiative from Camelot underlines ongoing
commitment to retailers to help them boost sales and returns to the Good
Causes
WATFORD, UK (June 25, 2009)
-- National Lottery operator
Camelot is to introduce new-look
Playstations, Scratchcard dispenser fascias and external signage across its
network of over 27,500 National Lottery retail outlets. The £16.5 million
investment to refresh its permanent point-of-sale material underlines
Camelot’s commitment to retailers and forms a key part of the
company’s plans to offer National Lottery players and retailers an even
better service – and to deliver the next stage of National Lottery sales
growth and returns to the Good Causes. News of this
latest retailer-friendly innovation follows hot on the heels of Camelot
unveiling its best sales performance in a decade. At the same time, the
operator successfully completed the largest – and fastest – lottery
upgrade of its kind in the world in preparation for the start of the third
National Lottery Licence.
This huge task saw Camelot
completely replace its entire network of National Lottery terminals,
introducing new touch-screen models, cutting-edge media screens and printers
– connecting an expanded retail estate of over 27,500 outlets to an
upgraded gaming system via a new communications network.
As part of the new point-of-sale rollout, which begins at
the end of June, Camelot is introducing a brand new National Lottery
Playstation, designed following extensive research to address the needs of
players and retailers. The result is a Playstation that will boost excitement
in-store and, with its branded ‘globe’ and eye-catching looks, be a
signpost for The National Lottery. Offering a host of
additional benefits and features for retailers, the new-look,
colour-co-ordinated model will be easier to merchandise as it holds more play
slips and has a feature game area to promote new games. The two play pads will
give more ‘how to play’ information, while the two pens have
longer-lasting ink and stronger chains. The new unit also features an
easier-to-use tabbed point-of-sale mechanic, a spacious storage drum for extra
play slips and a more accessible bin. Despite all of
these enhancements, the new Playstation has the same footprint as the old model
and its shape has been specially designed to allow two units to sit comfortably
side-by-side – giving retailers the option of increasing their play
areas. The new Playstations also feature bolder
branding – as well as The National Lottery ‘globe’, they
are ‘lottery blue’ as Camelot’s research showed that the
colour has a natural association with The National Lottery and is something
that customers look for when locating the Playstation in-store.
Camelot is also providing
its retail partners with a ‘refresh’ kit for all of its
Scratchcard dispensers to forge an even stronger link between Scratchcards and
The National Lottery. Tying in with National Lottery colours, the kits consist
of new blue and silver covers for the frame and cassettes, which fit easily
over any type of dispenser. Each dispenser will also feature a circular,
National Lottery-branded point-of-sale disc to reinforce consumer understanding
that Scratchcards are part of The National Lottery family of games.
To further ensure a more consistent brand image at every
point of the shopper’s journey, Camelot is also refreshing existing
external wall and pavement signage on a like-for-like basis to raise awareness
of all the places National Lottery games can be played.
Announcing the rollout programme, Duncan Malyon, Sales
Director at Camelot, said: “The introduction of new Playstations,
Scratchcard dispenser ‘refresh’ kits and replacement external signage
underlines our commitment to support our retail partners to help them continue
to make the most of selling National Lottery products.
“We’ve listened to what our players and
retailers wanted, and have come up with a piece of kit designed with these
needs in mind. The new equipment is definitely easier to merchandise and
maintain, is simple for players to use and doesn’t take up any more
valuable space than the previous models. It’s also flexible in its design
so will fit easily into any type of store. “Our retailers have played a pivotal role in helping
to raise over £23 billion for the Good Causes to date. We want to build
on this amazing achievement by building an even better and brighter National
Lottery – for players and retailers alike. The new Playstation, refreshed
Scratchcard dispensers and replacement signage will allow us to do just that
– and help our retail partners to add further value to their businesses by
boosting their lottery sales, and help us to deliver even more money for the
Good Causes.” For further information, please
CONTACT: Rob Dwight, Senior Media Relations Manager: 020 7632 5748 or Lisa
Hancox, Corporate PR Manager: 020 7632 5716, Camelot Press Office: 020 7632
5711.
Tipos News
Playing via SMS BRATISLAVA, Slovak
republic (June 25, 2009) -- TIPOS, National
Lottery company, a.s., in cooperation with the mobile operator T-Mobile
Slovensko, a.s. has prepared for its customers and players a new service, to be
available since 22nd June 2009, - the possibility to play lotteries also
through text messages (SMS). The services relates to number lotteries LOTO,
additional game JOKER, LOTO 5 z 35, EUROMILIÓNY and KENO 10.
Not only that you can
wager, but also verification, payment and payout of possible prize directly to
the winner’s account are carried out easily through the SMS. The player
will be also informed through SMS whether his/her guess was a winning one, as
well as about possible amount of prize and further information how to collect
it. Except for their mobile phone, customers do not
need any special applications to play through SMS; they do not have to go to
outlets or to pay by bankcard and the like. The new
service is very transparent and easy to use. All the customers of the mobile
operator, whether with fixed payment tariff or prepaid credit, who are older
than 18 years of age can enjoy the service. This novelty saves time since
players can play their favourite number games anytime and anywhere.
Playing games through SMS is fully in compliance with
principles and limits of responsible gaming; only players older than 18 years
of age can play. As said by the Chairman of the Board
of Directors and General Director of the company TIPOS Peter Kapusta:
“I believe that this technological innovation, in addition to the
existing distribution channels such as playing in outlets and by means of
Internet, will facilitate and dulcify playing of number lotteries for the
existing customers and will secure acquisition of new players.”
For further details: Jaromir Liptak, Department of
strategy and relations to exchequer TIPOS, national
lottery company, a.s., Email: liptak@tipos.sk SOURCE: TIPOS, national lottery company, a.s. via EL.
Successful
Contest with the Participation of Polla
SANTIAGO, Chile (June 2009) -- In a simple but touching
event, the Council for the Defense of Children (CODENI, for its Spanish), a
beneficiary company of Polla Chilena de Beneficencia, selected the best works
of art of the “Drawing Contest 2009,” which was one of the
main activities held to celebrate its 75th anniversary.
One of the qualifying
judges of the contest was the President of Polla Chilena de
Beneficencia’Board, Veronica Montellano, who answered of the invitation
call made by the General Manager of CODENI, Edmundo Ruiz, stating that there is
nothing quite as pleasant as contributing with the activities of a social
institution. Other judges were Juan Mayor, a professor from the faculty of arts
from the Catholic University and former student of Ciudad del Niño. (He
was a resident student of the foundation). Winners
were selected out more than 300 participants, and were divided into three
categories, each with its own award, plus a distinction, which were distributed
as follows: The first prize which corresponds to the
14 to 20 years old category, (a TV with flat screen) was contributed by Polla
Chilena, as part of its commitment to collaboration and philanthropy to the
noble activities of its eleven beneficiaries. Among
the winning drawings, Veronica Montellano highlighted the equity of gender and
the variety in styles, which guaranteed the representativeness of the 3,500
foundation beneficiaries; children and the youth under a treat situation or
under an real violation of their Rights, as well as the youth who have legal
problems. The celebration of its diamond anniversary
coincides with those of Polla Chilena. It is closed with an activity in
which the former beneficiaries of the foundation will take part with musical
activities and will share with their peers. SOURCE:
Polla Chilena de Beneficiencia S.A.
The Florida
Lottery Celebrates Pink Flamingo Day With Special Offers For
Players TALLAHASSEE, Florida (June
19, 2009) -- For the second year in a row, the Florida Lottery will celebrate National Pink
Flamingo Day with special offers and surprises at Lottery district offices
statewide.
On Monday, June 22, from
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. players are encouraged to visit any Lottery district
office and wish Lottery staff a "Happy Pink Flamingo Day." Players who
purchase a Firecracker MILLIONAIRE RAFFLE™ ticket at the district office
will receive a pair of pink flamingo yard ornaments (while supplies last),
those who present any five non-winning Florida Lottery tickets to a district
office on this date will receive a free t-shirt. To find a Florida Lottery
district office near you, visit the About Us section of the Florida Lottery Web
site at www.flalottery.com.
This year's Firecracker MILLIONAIRE RAFFLE offers the best
odds ever to win $1 million. The game offers seven top prizes of $1 million,
nine prizes of $50,000, 11 prizes of $5,000, and 1,000 prizes of $500. Tickets
went on sale May 15, and with tickets limited to only 750,000 statewide, the
game is expected to sell out. Each ticket features a unique number that will be
automatically entered into the random computerized drawing to be held on July
4, 2009. 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. 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 contributions to education, visit
www.flalottery.com.
SOURCE: Florida Lottery.
CONTACT: Connie Barnes (850)
487-7727.
Million-2-1
Launches Legendary Rainbow Riches® On Mobile
MANCHESTER, England (June 14, 2009) - Million-2-1, the
UK's leading provider of interactive mobile phone services and an IGT-UK Group
subsidiary announces the release of the legendary Rainbow Riches® Pots of
Gold™ to its mobile platform. Rainbow Riches® joins other leading
Barcrest Group game titles that have been ported for mobile, including Ooh Aah
Dracula R.I.Peater, Elvis Top 20 and Hi-5.
Rainbow Riches® Pots of
Gold™ is a 5-reel, multi-line slot game with three exciting bonus rounds.
The 'Pots of Gold'™ bonus features three progressive jackpots (Bronze,
Silver and Gold) which increases every time the reels are spun. Additional
bonuses include a 'Pick Me' feature and the legendary 'Road to Riches' bonus
trail. As with all Barcrest Group games on the
Million-2-1 platform Rainbow Riches® Pots of Gold™ will be available
with a number of stakes and players will have the opportunity of competing in a
unique tournament mode, battling to get to the top of the leader board to win
prizes. Rainbow Riches® is the UK's best known
land-based slot title and has significant presence through bingo halls,
motorway service areas, AGC's and betting shops. Million-2-1 is confident that
fans of the land-based version will not be disappointed.
Chris Sheffield, Director and General Manager of Remote
Gaming at IGT-UK Group said, "The launch of Barcrest Group's most popular
land-based slot game onto the mobile platform signifies a massive step forward
in our mobile strategy. The mobile version uses exactly the same maths and game
logic as that in the land-based game making the players experience second to
none." Million-2-1 will continue to expand its
range of top quality mobile content, with Rainbow Riches® being joined by
Cleopatra® and a suite of table games in the coming months.
SOURCE: Million-2-1, an IGT Company.
Missouri Lottery Releases Fiscal Year
Total Lottery Transfers
$259 Million to Education; Proceeds Raised Surpass $3.5 Billion
JEFFERSON, Missouri (June 18, 2009) -
The Missouri Lottery sent its final
monthly transfer of fiscal year 2009 to public education today, bringing the
total transferred in FY09 to $259 million and the total proceeds generated to
date to more than $3.5 billion. Today’s monthly transfer of
$20,885,991 is based on Lottery ticket sales in May. The fiscal year
transfer was less than 1 percent short of the Lottery’s goal of $260
million.
“We are obviously
disappointed that we did not meet our goal,” said
Larry Jansen, executive director of the
Missouri Lottery. “However, I am very proud of the effort made by
our staff, our suppliers and our retailers in this difficult economy, and in
spite of the fact that we have such limited resources to promote our products,
I am pleased we were able to achieve at the level we did.
“The bright spot in this month’s transfer is
that we surpassed the $3.5 billion mark in proceeds raised for the state,
including public education,” Jansen said. Jansen noted that one reason proceeds were lower in FY09 is
due to fewer high Powerball jackpots. During FY08, one jackpot reached
$300 million, another jackpot was $275 million and two other jackpots exceeded
$100 million. But in FY09, $222 million was the highest the jackpot ever
got. “Combine less exciting jackpots with a
flagging economy, and it made for a lackluster year of sales,” said
Jansen. “We worked very hard to keep sales and interest high
during these challenging times. When you consider the significant sales
decreases that other businesses have experienced this past year, I think we did
very well.”
Proceeds from Missouri
Lottery ticket sales in fiscal year 2009 were used for a variety of public
education programs including: the Foundation Program, the A+ Schools
Program, Special Education Excess Costs, the Virtual Schools program, the
Classroom Trust Fund and funding for several public higher education locations.
For a complete list of programs funded in FY09, visit the Lottery’s Web
site at molottery.com. From the start of the Lottery
in January 1986 through fiscal year 2009, the Lottery has transferred more than
$3.5 billion to the state and public education. Each
year, the proceeds are allocated by the governor and the state’s General
Assembly during the annual appropriation process. These funds represent
approximately 4 percent of the annual funding required for Missouri’s
public education system. For each dollar spent on the
Lottery, more than 96 cents goes back to the citizens of the state in one form
or another. Approximately 63.4 cents is returned to players as prizes,
26.7cents goes to the state’s public education programs, 6.1 cents pays
for retailers’ commissions, incentives and bonuses, and 3.8 cents is used
for administrative costs. SOURCE: Missouri
Lottery. Lottery Unveils Video Tribute to Peace
Officers SACRAMENTO, California
(June 17, 2009) - The California
Lottery® is pleased to announce that a video explaining its innovative
partnership with the California Peace Officers’ Memorial Foundation is
available for viewing on the Lottery’s Web site. The Lottery has joined forces with the foundation to create a
new Scratchers® ticket. The ticket, named “In the Line of Duty,”
pays tribute to peace officers. “We are
pleased to team up with the foundation to support the families left behind by
peace officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our state,”
Lottery Director Joan Borucki said. “Customers can help support the
work of the foundation by buying the ticket.”
Part of the proceeds from
the Scratchers ticket, up to $300,000, will go to support the foundation. That
payment is a licensing fee that will not interfere with the amount of money
that the Lottery pays out to education. “This
is immensely important for the foundation and for our surviving
families,” said Mark Nichols, president of the California Peace
Officers’ Memorial Foundation, which provides aid and scholarships to the
surviving family members of peace officers who died in the line of duty.
State Sen. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, also applauded the
partnership: “When you buy this Scratchers ticket you get a shot at
winning a Lottery prize and at the same time part of the proceeds go to the
families served by the foundation.” To view
the video, go to www.calottery.com.
About The California Lottery®
More than 95 cents of every Lottery dollar is returned to
the community in the form of contributions to education, prizes and retail
commissions. The California Lottery contributes at least 34 cents of every
dollar that players spend on Lottery products to public education and returns
more than 50 percent of sales to players in the form of prizes. Since its
inception in 1985, the Lottery has contributed nearly $21 billion to California
schools out of total sales of more than $56 billion. Retailers benefit too,
earning $3.6 billion in compensation since 1985. SOURCE: California Lottery.
New Online
Lottery Gaming Channel Partner Site With TV3 - Irelands Only Independent
Commercial Television Station DUBLIN, Ireland (June 22, 2009) --
New Media Lottery Services, Inc. (OTC
Bulletin Board: NWMD) ("NMLS"), the lottery content and systems provider
announced a new 2 year channel partnership agreement with TV3, Ireland's
independent commercial television station for its client lottery site,
RehabBingo.com. The
channel partnership deal is comprised of an integrated lottery/bingo presence
on the award winning TV3.ie web site as well as television advertising and
promotion. This marks the second in a number of channel partner deals for
RehabBingo.com across the Irish market to solidify its status as Ireland's
leading online lottery and gaming site.
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The site will allow TV3.ie
users and TV3 viewers access to RehabBingo.com's online gaming products with
exclusive lottery games and promotions. The RehabBingo.com site has enjoyed
tremendous success to date. Commenting on the launch
NMLS CEO John Carson said, "TV3 is a progressive consumer brand in the Irish
media landscape. This channel partnership combines the strength of the TV3
brand with RehabBingo.com, Ireland's leading online lottery and gaming site.
This is the second white label channel partner that has committed to developing
and expanding RehabBingo.com in Ireland through a two year agreement. This
investment by NMLS will allow for further digital lottery game developments for
both Ireland and across European markets." Commenting on the launch TV3's Pat Kiely (Commercial
Director) said, "TV3 is committed to the development of its award winning
web site TV3.ie. By providing relevant content and developing strong brand
partners such as RehabBingo.com the website enhances and extends its television
presence. It allows cross platform promotion to deliver its audience a complete
entertainment package. The channel partnership provides TV3.ie with a new and
dynamic revenue model beyond traditional online advertising and allows it more
interaction with site users through lottery promotions and
competitions." About New Media Lottery
Services, Inc. (www.nmlsinc.com) New Media Lottery Services, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: NWMD)
supplies lotteries with a white label lottery system, games and management
support to develop new income streams from digital lottery product
distribution, including the internet, mobile telephony, interactive television
and digital vending. NMLS secures long-term contracts with lottery clients and
shares in the net win from these partners. SOURCE: New
Media Lottery Services, Inc. ENQUIRIES: John Carson, New Media Lottery
Services, (1) 540 437 1688.
Lottery Meets
Return to Education Goal Before End of Year!
Transfer Brings Fiscal Year Total to $385.5
Million RALEIGH, North Carolina (June 23,
2009) – Today, the North Carolina
Education Lottery (NCEL) met its goal for the year with a transfer to the
state and there is still more to come! The NCEL transferred over $78 million
for sales in April, May and part of June. This transfer brings the tally for
the fiscal year to $385.5 million, including the FY08 carryover of $3.5
million, and the overall tally from launch to over $1.1 billion. The NCEL will
close out this fiscal year with another transfer by the end of June that will
cover additional proceeds from June sales.
“We are incredibly
proud to have met this goal earlier than anticipated and that we can contribute
to the state revenue during such tough economic times,” said Tom
Shaheen, NCEL executive director. “The NCEL and all its employees
continue striving to maximize sales and raise as much money as we possibly can
for North Carolina. We especially appreciate the support of players and lottery
retailers throughout the state who help us with that mission.”
The NCEL made the electronic transfer to the Office of
State Budget and Management (OSBM) this morning. The
Lottery Act designates that 50 percent of proceeds is to be split between
pre-kindergarten programs for at-risk four year olds and class size reduction
in the early grades; 40 percent to school construction; and 10 percent to
college scholarships. For detailed information on where the money has gone so
far, the NCEL’s 2007-08 beneficiary brochure is available online at
nc-educationlottery.org. The brochure includes county-by-county totals for each
of the four programs. The data is through June 30, 2008 and does not include
today’s transfer. A brochure with data for the 2008-2009 Fiscal Year will
be available after the close of the fiscal year. Since
inception (March 30, 2006) through May 31, 2009, the NCEL has surpassed $3.3
billion total gross sales. Over 95 cents of every dollar is returned to North
Carolina in the form of beneficiary programs, prizes and retailer
commissions. CONTACT: Alice Garland, Phone: (919)
301-3602. 
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