• Privatising the Turkish Lottery Milli Piyango, A Never Ending Story?. Full Story
• Elementary School Receives New Computer Lab Courtesy GTECH Corporation. Full Story
• Chile, the Seat for the WLA’s World Meet and the XII Congress of CIBELAE. Full Story
• Midwest Millions, A Great Chance to Win. Full Story
• 9-9-9 a Lucky Number Sequence for Arizona Lottery Players. Full Story
• Iconic New Zealand Brand ‘Instant Kiwi’ Turns 20. Full Story
• Veikkaus Reports It Will Soon Have One Million Registered Customers. Full Story
• Hoosier Lottery Announces New $100,000 Colts Cash Scratch-off!. Full Story
• The European Court of Justice Confirmed EU Countries’ Right to Ban the Activities of Cross-Border Internet Betting Operators - SAZKA, a.s. Full Story
• Colorado Lottery and Denver Broncos Kick-Off New Broncos-Themed Scratch Game. Full Story
• Kansas, Iowa Lottery Begin Third Edition of Popular 'Midwest Millions' Game. Full Story
• The Super 7 Goes Out in Style. Full Story

Privatising the Turkish Lottery Milli Piyango – A Never Ending Story?

There is increasing pressure to make a decision because Milli Piyango’s old lottery terminals/machines are due for replacement

Article Provided By: Media & Entertainment Consulting Network (MECN)

LONDON, United Kingdom (September 17, 2009) -- The privatisation of the Turkish state lottery Milli Piyango is still pending because of concerns that due to the current harsh economic climate the price will ultimately be too low. Currently, the Turkish government and politicians are discussing whether to continue with the privatisation as planned or to postpone it to a later date. The key issue stirring up the debate is the upcoming necessary replacement of Milli Piyango’s old lottery terminals/machines – an investment that Milli Piyango claims cannot be postponed any longer.

The pressure increases – a good time for a review and analysis of Milli Piyango’s privatisation process so far

As the political and operative business pressure increases it is a good time to review and analyse the privatisation process and tender in more detail. Originally, it had been planned that the entire privatisation process would be concluded by the beginning of 2009. The due diligence process was planned for February 2009 with the final bids to be handed in by the end of February 2009.

According to Turkey’s Privatisation Administration (OIB), in February 2009 five firms and consortia applied in the pre-qualification phase. All of them, according to the OIB, met the criteria for participation in the privatisation tender for the Turkish national lottery; they were the Dogan Holding – Lottomatica consortium, Intralot, OPAP, Austrian Lotteries, and Sans Oyunlari Yatirim Holding.

The sticking point is the valuation of the deal – was the starting price too high?

By the end of March, another delay was announced, and finally in May the Turkish government temporarily postponed the tender. According to the OIB, the reason for the cancellation is that the two final bidders – two consortiums each led by Turkcell and OPAP - did not meet the minimum price for the 10-year license of ca. USD 1.6 billion set by the tender commission.

According to OPAP, the minimum price fixed was “excessive and unrealistic”. The bidding process was also criticised by OPAP, which stated that it had expected a different tender procedure to take place in two rounds with closed bids. The Turkish press even went a step beyond that and called the tender a “comedy” and “fiasco.”

MECN estimates the total value of the 10-year contract to be ca. US$0.9-1.0 billion.

According to the license agreement, the winning bidder would get 17% of annual sales (after deduction of sales tax) for the period of 10 years and would have to pay all related operating expenses (excluding prize payouts but including retailer commissions).

Based on this allocation/split of sales (see more details in MECN’s lottery privatisation report) among licensee, players, and state after the privatisation MECN estimates the total value of the 10-year contract to be ca. USD 0.9-1.0 billion if the following conditions are met:

• The annual sales growth rate for the next 10 years will be higher than the current 2003-2008 growth rate of about 11% and will reach an estimated 16%.
• The licensee will be able to decrease the retailer commissions from currently 10%-11% to about 8% (both % based on sales figures less sales tax).
• The new operator has to cover other operating and administrative costs (marketing, personnel, communication, IT, …). We assume that a best-practice cost ratio of 5.5% of sales (minus sales tax) can be achieved - the average cost ratio among all global lotteries is about 8%-9% (source: MECN lottery benchmarking report).
• Our model neglects the revenue the licensee makes from keeping 20% of interest and other income sources.
• The discount interest rate incl. risk premium will amount to 4.5%.

A final valuation needs more detailed analysis of business figures (e.g., operating expenses, profit,) and key aspects of the final contract. Nevertheless, based on the information we have, we consider the minimum price demanded by the Turkish government to be indeed too high.

New tender, new luck – and maybe another tender process

The Turkish government now seems to focus on a new tender for its lottery. According to the OIB, the lottery tender will be renewed at the end of 2009, but tender conditions and contract details could be subject to change. For OPAP, for instance, participating in a new tender depends on the condition of meeting “the right price”.

MECN’s new lottery privatisation report

The above article is based in large parts on MECN’s updated report “Privatisation of state-controlled gambling operators - 2nd edition.” The report includes the most recent developments and information as well as answers to the most relevant questions associated with the privatisation of state gambling operations. More information under http://www.privatisation.mecn.net

SOURCE: MECN GmbH.

Trapnell Elementary School Receives New Computer Lab Courtesy Of GTECH Printing Corporation (GPC) And GTECH Corporation

GPC, and Parent Company GTECH, Donate $15,000 in Educational Technology to Local School through the Company’s After School Advantage Program

PLANT CITY, Florida (September 10, 2009) – GTECH Printing Corporation, in collaboration with its parent company GTECH Corporation, unveiled a new $15,000 computer learning lab through the Company’s After School Advantage program at Trapnell Elementary School, during an official ribbon-cutting ceremony held in Plant City, Florida, earlier today.  Today’s event is part of a nationwide program GTECH has implemented to serve at-risk youth in communities where the Company has offices nationwide.

Representatives from GTECH joined Florida State Representative Richard Glorioso, as well as representatives of the Florida Lottery and Trapnell Elementary School, in commemorating the new lab which will benefit children enrolled in the Hillsborough County school district, grades K - 5.

“GTECH’s After School Advantage program is designed to help close the digital divide and open the door of opportunity with the latest technology for children who otherwise may not have access to computers.  After School Advantage aims to increase children’s interest and proficiency in computers in a safe, fun learning environment, while providing them with the necessary tools to help them become more competitive in school and in the future job market,” said GTECH Printing Corporation President, Ross Dalton.  “We are thrilled to have reached so many children through this program.”

The state-of-the-art computer lab, which was built by GPC and GTECH employees, is fully equipped with 10 Dell flat-panel computers, a digital printer, and suite of educational software, accompanied by renovations to the room, which included new desks and chairs, a fresh coat of paint, and inspirational posters.  In addition, the lab is equipped with Internet access, word processing capabilities, and standardized test practice software.

“As many have heard the words, ‘It takes a village to raise a child,’ we have been so fortunate to have businesses such as GTECH as part of our extended family contributing to the educational success of our students,” said Trapnell Elementary School Principal, Rhonda Pulling.

“The Florida Lottery is proud to partner with GTECH in making yet another computer lab a reality through the After School Advantage program,” said Florida Lottery Secretary, Leo DiBenigno.  “GTECH’s commitment to education initiatives in our state supports the Lottery’s mission of enhancing public education by improving learning opportunities for students in our schools.”

The After School Advantage program allows GTECH to apply its technological experience, as the world’s leading online lottery technology services provider, to assist in the education of our nation’s youth.  For each After School Advantage program, GTECH donates an average of $15,000 in state-of-the-art computers, online technology, software, and volunteer hours.

Since GTECH launched the After School Advantage Program on April 14, 1999, the Company has installed 130 computer centers in 23 states and Canada: Florida, Tennessee, Texas, Oregon, Georgia, California, Kentucky, Ohio, Arizona, New Jersey, Michigan, Washington, Kansas, Wisconsin, New York, Colorado, Missouri, Louisiana, Illinois, New Mexico, Virginia, Idaho, Rhode Island, Washington, DC, and Moncton (Canada).

GTECH Printing Corporation, with facilities in Lakeland and Plant City, is the fastest-growing, instant-game manufacturing company in the industry and is currently servicing more than 35 customers worldwide, including the Florida Lottery. GTECH Corporation is the online lottery technology and services provider to the Florida Lottery.

CONTACT: Elena Chiaradio, 401-392-7705 (office), 401-215-0614 (cell).

Chile, the Seat for the WLA’s World Meet and the XII Congress of CIBELAE

Chile, A Whole Country At One Click Of Distance

SANTIAGO, Chile (August 2009) -- From October 26th to October 29th, Santiago will be holding the WLA’s World Meet and the XII Congress of CIBELAE. By registering in the website www.wla2009.com not only you will be able to live a great experience as to your work field, but also to make a marvelous journey. And in this regard, the president of Polla Chilena de Beneficencia, Veronica Montellano, gave us details about what the visitor will found when arriving at Santiago Chile.

The concept of tourism is changing. We understand that those people currently travelling around the world are searching for closing businesses or developing their own professional activities while sightseeing at the same time, by spending time to get to know places other than those of their origin country.

The XXIth Century is synonym of globalization. In spite of the economic crisis in the worldwide financial system, the trading of products and services among nations and compnaies has changed its rhythm but not stopped.  The phenomenon of internet and instant communication still continues being a mark in our lives. We are closer one another and although we are thousand of kilometres far away physically, communicating ourselves in an efficient way allow us to sense this close sensation our grandparents did not know.

Chile is a far away country. No doubt in that! It is located in the far end of Latin America. Is it far from Europe, Asia, and North America? Yes it is, at 14 or 18 hours of travelling by plane. But this is not an issue for the tourist attending any meeting related to his profession or discipline and making tourism. Jetlag is soon recovered with some hours of resting. What is really important for the 2009 tourist is the fact that the place he is travelling to is attractive, different and safe. Lastly, what is attractive is that the journey is useful to acquire new knowledge and to interchange experiences with those we meet and at the same time to have a controlled adventure.

WHAT WE WILL LEARN

The Local Orgnizational Committee (COL, for its Spanish) is completing the last details of the technical program the participants will find at the World Meet of WLA and at the XII Congress of CIBELAE, which will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel of Santiago, Chile. Nevertheless, we can advance some of its contents and activities, (see box with Technical Schedule).

What we want to achieve: transparency, Corporate Social Responsibility (RSC), warrantee, entertainment.

These words not only inspire the program of the meeting but also they are the framework of the mission of the World lotteries of WLA and CIBELAE. This could not be in another way, Veronica Montellano, President of Polla Chilena de Beneficencia, the host entity of the meeting: “we are talking about institutions that in 2008 represented sales for a total of US$227,3 billions dollars”, according to the publication of Almanaque Le Fleur.

In any part of the world, lotteries are important entities for generating income and they are mostly state-owned institutions or institutions under concession by the government. In this way, governments have control over exploitation of games of chance, and; thus, they avoid their surrounding harmful effects and they can limit exploitation by protecting the weakest lotteries. “Our companies”, –Veronica Montellano states– “are the guarantee of reliability and professionalism. They are subjected to the transparency required for governmental institutions or for those entities governed by laws and at the same time they become a means to avoid the expansion of illegal games”.

As readers well know, most of the lotteries are established as instruments for developing governmental social policies, whose aim is favouring the most vulnerable population (charity). Thus, they become an important means for collecting money resources for the Treasury, the municipalities and the institutions of public interest.  If lotteries did not have this charitable character, many institutions that help communities in our countries could definitely not work. Thus, the issue of RSC is essential when designing the technical programs for our encounters, as well as the activities we permanently develop.

“In the case of Chile, for example” –Montellano indicates– the beneficiaries of Polla are the Chilean Treasury and twelve institutions; some of them are private and help the community. Each of them receives from our institution a percentage of the sales. This percentage and the quality of the beneficiary are determined by a law which is enforced and approved by both Chambers of the National Congress”.

WE WILL KNOW THE STATE OF THE ART TECHNOLOGY

One of the aspirations of the executives travelling to international meetings is keeping pace with the technological advance, and with all those issues related to improving the services rendered to the clients.

Lotteries suppliers have historically invested on research and development in order to create teams and solutions that could meet the increasing needs of lottery industry worldwide. They are also the ones that disseminate and advice lotteries about the trends of the international market. As this is an industry with few clients (one or two lotteries per country, except for the federal sates such as USA, Brazil, Argentina and Germany, for example, in which there is only one lottery per state), suppliers are also few and specialized in the service type they offer. “In the case of Polla”, –the president states– “we apply an international business model based on the supplier participation in the lottery sales, which implies being ‘strategic partners’ by making profit of the mutual advantages of development and growth of lottery”.

The WLA-CIBELAE World Meet 2009 in Santiago - Chile will be the occasion for all the members to keep update as to technological advances and the suppliers.  They will certainly use their best efforts to show the advances achieved by their own companies.

WHAT WE WILL VISIT

The people participating in the WLA World Meet and the XII Meet of CIBELAE in Santiago - Chile could know other innovative and authentically cultural regions of the country. They are places in the earth where we can still look at the marvelous things of the creation such as glaciers, mountains and Patagonia fiords; alerce trees; deep rivers; beautiful volcanoes and lakes, as well as altiplanic small towns within arid deserts.

The local organization committee has defined three places in Chile for the assistants to visit at he meeting. They are: San Pedro de Atacama, Isla de Pascua and Torres del Paine in Patagonia. Visit web www.wla2009.com,  and choose the program you like the most. With just one click of your mouse you could live this unforgettable experience.

“We assure you” –Veronica Montellano states– “that there will be kind and warm people waiting for you”.

SOURCE: Polla Chilena de Beneficencia.

Midwest Millions – A Great Chance to Win

TOPEKA, Kansas (September 9, 2009) - Two Kansas Lottery players each won $500,000 prizes last year in the Midwest Millions instant scratch game, and that should encourage other players to try their luck this year!

Sales for the third version of Midwest Millions start this weekend at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson. Visitors to the Kansas Lottery building will get first shot at the $10 game. Midwest Millions tickets are also being shipped to Lottery retailers throughout the state.

Midwest Millions is the nation’s only instant-scratch game sold jointly by two states, Kansas and Iowa. The game offers instant prizes ranging from $10 to $50,000. Players have a 1 in 2.84 chance of winning a prize each time they purchase a ticket.

Besides the chance to win prizes instantly, players can enter their non-winning Midwest Millions tickets into a pair of second-chance drawings for a chance to win as much as $500,000. One $500,000 prize and five $10,000 prizes will be awarded at each of two drawings.

“Kansas had both of the $500,000 winners last year,” said Kansas Lottery Executive Director Ed Van Petten. “Sandy Vines of Wichita and Adam Sorell of Shawnee were both terrific winners. We hope our Kansas players are as lucky this time around.”

The Midwest Millions second-chance drawings will be held January 15, 2010, in Kansas; and April 16, 2010, in Iowa. Players in both states will be competing for prizes. Tickets entered in the first drawing will not be eligible for the second drawing.

CONTACT: Sally Lunsford (785) 296-5708, sally.lunsford@kslottery.net

SOURCE: Kansas Lottery.

9-9-9 a Lucky Number Sequence for Arizona Lottery Players

Other Popular Picks Tied To ‘Lucky’ Days, Anniversaries

PHOENIX, Arizona (September 11, 2009) - More than 2,000 players of the Arizona Lottery’s Pick 3 chose the “lucky” number sequence of 9-9-9 for the drawing on Wednesday, Sept. 9, the first time since August 2008 (8/08/08) that a single number marked the day, month and year.

“We had more wagers on 9-9-9 on Wednesday night than any other number combination in Pick 3 history,” said Jeff Hatch-Miller, executive director of the Arizona Lottery, adding that the most popular number sequence most nights is 7-7-7, which usually gets 200 or 300 plays.

In comparison, 9-9-9 was selected by Pick 3 players on Wednesday more than 2,100 times over. A similar sequence, 9-0-9, was picked 444 times. There were 37,214 Pick 3 tickets purchased for Wednesday’s drawing, a 12 percent increase over most Wednesdays.

In addition to lucky days, many players choose birthdays, anniversaries and other special numbers as their own personal lucky sequence, said Hatch-Miller. In July, Scottsdale resident Lloyd Kaufman won $1.7 million in The Pick by choosing numbers that meant something to him; three were chosen to honor a recently departed friend who always chose those numbers playing Keno, and the remaining numbers were his wife’s Keno numbers.

Pick 3 is a $1 daily draw game with prizes between $25 and $500.

Drawings for Pick 3 are broadcast Monday through Saturday during the 10 p.m. news on Channel 15 (ABC) in Phoenix, Channel 13 (CBS) in Tucson and in Spanish on Univision Arizona.     

Players can check their numbers by logging onto arizonalottery.com or by calling the winning numbers hotlines at 480-829-PICK in Phoenix and 1-800-499-3798 in all other Arizona areas.

You must be at least 21 to purchase or redeem tickets. The Arizona Lottery reminds everyone to please play responsibly.

SOURCE: Arizona Lottery.

Iconic New Zealand Brand ‘Instant Kiwi’ Turns 20

New Zealand (September 13, 2009) -- NZ Lotteries’ instant scratch ticket brand, ‘Instant Kiwi’, turns 20 this month, and we’re celebrating the birthday by announcing the luckiest Instant Kiwi regions and stores in New Zealand, says NZ Lotteries’ Chief Executive Todd McLeay.

“We’ve crunched the numbers to find out which region in New Zealand has the most Instant Kiwi Top Prize winners (per head of population), and we’re pleased to announce that Southland District has came up trumps,” says Mr McLeay.

“In second place was the New Plymouth, South Taranaki, Wanganui and Rangitikei Districts and in third place was the Napier, Central Hawkes Bay and Gisborne region,” says Mr McLeay.

“Over the past twenty years, Instant Kiwi has become a Kiwi icon, and we are delighted that we can share our birthday celebrations with all of New Zealand,” says NZ Lotteries’ Chief Executive Todd McLeay.

“In order to celebrate our birthday, we have designed two special tickets, a collector’s edition Kiwi Treasures $1 ticket, and a gold foil $3 Crossword.  We are also bringing back one of New Zealand’s most favourite TV adverts – the bungy jumping fisherman.

“Whilst this commercial last screened in the early 1990s, it is consistently talked about as a great piece of Kiwi advertising – so we are bringing it back this month, but with a special twist!  With the wonders of technology we have now included a cameo from ‘Mexican Doug’, who is a very popular star of our current Instant Kiwi campaign.

“Since Instant Kiwi was launched in September 1989, New Zealanders have won over one billion in prizes and there have been more than 303 million winners. Instant Kiwi’s total sales from September 1989 to September 2009 are over $2.3 billion.

“In total over this time, Instant Kiwi and other NZ Lotteries’ products, such as Lotto, have contributed more than $2.7 billion back to the community through the NZ Lottery Grants Board,” says Mr. McLeay.

Instant Kiwi has had some iconic tickets over the past two decades that have reflected major events in New Zealand’s history – ranging from the Commonwealth and Olympic Games, to the Whitbread Round the World yacht races, Rugby World Cups and even the opening of Te Papa Museum in Wellington. (Refer to ticket timeline attached).

There are now 12 tickets in the Instant Kiwi product range, ranging from $1 to $10 in price and offering top prizes from $10,000 up to $500,000.

The store that has sold the most Instant Kiwi Top Prizes over the last 20 years is Hornby Mall Lotto in Christchurch. With 43 top prizes sold, Hornby Mall Lotto edges out another Christchurch local store, Countdown Eastgate Lotto into second place.  The third luckiest Instant Kiwi store in New Zealand is Bayfair Lotto in Mount Maunganui.

Background

The first Instant Kiwi was launched on 14 September 1989.  The new scratch product replaced the Golden Kiwi lottery, which had declined in favour with the New Zealand public.  The launch of Instant Kiwi was a huge hit with customers, with three months of stock selling out in just two and a half weeks, generating sales of $26.1 million.

Top Stores Nationwide for Most Top Prize Instant Kiwi

(winning tickets sold)

Top Regions Nationwide for Most Top Prize Instant Kiwi

(per capita approx)

Instant Kiwi Facts

• 73% of people aged 18 and over have tried Instant Kiwi at some point
• 55% of all IK players are female (45% are male)
• 42% are over 50 years (58% are under 50)
• 50% of players are with someone else (partner/friends) when they play Instant Kiwi
• 52% of players buy their Instant Kiwi tickets at the supermarket
• Instant Kiwi is NZ Lotteries’ only age restricted game and purchasers must be aged 18 or older

• Crosswords are by far the most favourite Instant Kiwi game. 37% of all Instant Kiwi players say that this is their favourite game
• Combined $3 and $5 crossword sales account for an average 36% of total IK sales
• Numbers games are the second most loved Instant Kiwi games
• On average, $1 million is won on Instant Kiwi prizes each week
• NZ Lotteries sells, on average, 910,000 tickets per week and approx 47 million tickets a year
• Recent NZ Lotteries’ research shows that Instant Kiwi players have a positive outlook on life, are more optimistic and spontaneous
• The current advertising campaign’s ‘Get a Perm’ phrase was named the most memorable Kiwi one-liner – ahead of Bugger!
• Many Instant Kiwi purchases are spontaneous buys - when players say they are feeling happy, lucky or when they feel like they deserve a treat
• Most Instant Kiwi players like to create an occasion to scratch their ticket to heighten the pleasure and savour the moment.

For more information CONTACT: Karen Jones, NZ Lotteries, 04 802 7020 or 021 391 414.

SOURCE: NZ Lotteries.

Veikkaus Reports It Will Soon Have One Million Registered Customers

VANTAA, Finland (September 9, 2009) -- During the second quarter of the year, the number of registered Veikkaus customers increased by a total of 47,110 people. At the end of June, we had around one million registered customers (942,260).

During the liveliest week of the second quarter of the year (week 25) registered gaming represented up to 38.7% of Veikkaus’ total game sales.

The favourable development can be attributed to a strong investment in customer relations, efficient use of the customer database, special advertisement campaign of Veikkaus Card in June, and the withdrawal of the Winnings to Bank Account slips.

SOURCE: Veikkaus eNews.
CONTACT: Veikkaus Oy Communications, Tel: +35820 750 750, Fax: +35820 750 7145.

Hoosier Lottery Announces New $100,000 Colts Cash Scratch-off!

INDIANAPOLIS, USA (September 10, 20090 - The Hoosier Lottery and the Indianapolis Colts are proud to announce a winning partnership. The two organizations have teamed up to create $100,000 Colts Cash, the first-ever Colts branded Hoosier Lottery scratch-off game. The game launches today at approximately 4,000 Hoosier Lottery retailers across the state.

Tickets cost just $5 and offer cash prizes up to $100,000 and chances to instantly win 2010 season tickets! There is also a 2nd Chance promotion that offers players shots at “Ultimate Colts Experiences” including a Colts Away Game Trip package, a 2010 Division Quest and a 2010 Colts Opening Game Suite package. Logon to www.hoosierlottery.com for specific game and 2nd Chance details.

"We couldn’t be more excited about our winning partnership with the Colts,” said Executive Director Kathryn A. Densborn. “We are thrilled to offer Colts fans an exciting new way to be a part of the Indianapolis Colts team while fulfilling our mission to benefit the citizens of Indiana. Get in the game today!”

• Colts Cash is expected to generate $12 million in sales (if all of the 2.4 million tickets sell)
• Colts Cash is expected to generate more than $2.73 million in profit for the state of Indiana (if all of the 2.4 million tickets sell).

$100,000 Colts Cash Ticket features:

• 7 top prizes of $100,000
• 15 sets of 2010 Colts season tickets for two
• Overall odds: 1:3.99
• Top prize odds: 1:342,857.14
• Season ticket odds: 1:160,000
• Colts Cash offers players a combined $8.3 million in prizes.

2nd Chance Promotion Details:

• Enter non-winning $100,000 Colts Cash tickets online through hoosierlottery.com
• Each ticket is one entry and can only be entered once
• Valid entries are eligible for all three drawings – depending upon when entered
• Non-drawn tickets will roll to next 2nd Chance drawing, if applicable
• Winners must present original ticket to claim prize

Three drawings will be conducted for "Ultimate Colts Experience" Prize Packages:

• 1st drawing, Nov. 4, 2009 - Colts Away Game: Four winners of a prize package for four to the Jacksonville vs. Colts, December 16-18, 2009. Includes airfare, spending cash and hotel accommodations for two nights, four tickets to the game and four Colts Pro Shop $200 gift certificates.
• 2nd drawing, Dec. 30, 2009 - 2010 Colts Division Quest: Four winners of a prize package for two to a Colts Division Quest to Nashville, TN, Houston, TX and Jacksonville, FL (dates TBD). Includes airfare, spending money and hotel accommodations for two nights at each of the three locations, two tickets to each game and two Colts Pro Shop $200 gift certificates.
• 3rd drawing, March 31, 2010 - Suite Package: One winner of a prize package for a suite experience for them and up to 28 guests to the 2010 Colts season opening game (date TBD). Includes food.

For additional details about the ticket or the 2nd Chance drawings, logon to www.hoosierlottery.com.

Since 1989, the Hoosier Lottery has turned over more than $3.4 billion to the state of Indiana to, among other things, significantly reduce Hoosiers' motor vehicle excise taxes and fund retired firefighters', police officers' and teachers' pension plans.

SOURCE: Hoosier Lottery.

The European Court of Justice Confirmed EU Countries’ Right to Ban the Activities of Cross-Border Internet Betting Operators - SAZKA, a.s

PRAQUE, Czech Republic (September 9, 2009) -- Yesterday, the European Court of Justice, based in Luxembourg, which is the highest court in Community law, issued its much awaited ruling that allowed national governments to ban gambling offered to their citizens via the Internet by operators established in other EU Member States.

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 The Court stated that such a ban was not in contravention of Article 49, on the freedom to provide services, of the Treaty establishing the European Community.

 According to the judgement, the Member States are free to set the objectives of their policy on gambling and to take restrictive measures against operators established in another EU Member State if they are justified by the protection of public order, public security and public health.

 The Court confirmed that the betting and lottery legislation including Internet games had not been harmonised at the EU level, and the fact that operators such as bwin are established, licensed and registered in another Member State could not be regarded “as amounting to a sufficient assurance that national consumers will be protected against the risks of fraud and crime”.

 European Lotteries (EL), an association of which SAZKA, a.s., is also a member, welcomed the judgement. “The ruling by the highest European Court explicitly states,” Friedrich Stickler, EL President, notes “that governments can prohibit commercial online gambling operators such as bwin from offering games of chance via the internet to their citizens, even when these operators are based and licensed in another EU Member State.”

 “This is a significant milestone and a reference ruling in the interpretation of Community law,” said Dr. Aleš Hušák, Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Manager, SAZKA, a.s. “The judgement disproves the statements from operators based in countries such as Malta and Gibraltar that they are entitled to operate without restrictions in all EU countries. Member States have thus been provided with a legal framework to take appropriate steps against illegal foreign operators, and this is also important for the protection against compulsive gambling and irresponsible gaming.”

 The case had been brought to the European Court of Justice by the Criminal Court of Porto, where Bwin International Ltd. and Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional challenged the Portuguese legislation, which, in their opinion, was in contravention of the principles of freedom to provide services, freedom of establishment and the free movement of payments.

 In this context, the Court has determined whether Member States may introduce the exclusive right system for bets and lotteries operated via the Internet and prohibit the activities of operators registered in other EU countries.

CONTACT:  Dr. Zdeněk Zikmund. Press Spokesperson, SAZKA, a.s.

Colorado Lottery and Denver Broncos Kick-Off New Broncos-Themed Scratch Game

$100,000 Top Prize and 50 Pairs of Season Tickets Up For Grabs

DENVER, Colorado (September 14, 2009) – The Colorado Lottery is teaming up with the Denver Broncos to launch a new Broncos-themed Scratch game today, providing football fans a new way to win.  The new game – the first NFL- licensed ticket offered by the Colorado Lottery – was announced at a press conference at the Paul D. Bowlen Memorial Broncos Centre.

The $5 ticket, available in stores starting today, provides players the chance to win up to $100,000 instantly and includes a drawing for season tickets. The odds of winning any prize in the game are one in 3.9.

The partnership with the Broncos will give the Lottery a chance to introduce new players to its games, while raising valuable dollars to fund such important recreational resources as parks, trails and open space statewide.

“We’re excited about partnering with the Denver Broncos to offer our players and their fans a chance to win some truly unique prizes,” said Colorado Lottery Director Jack Boehm. “The Broncos have such great brand recognition and have such a long history in Colorado, it make sense to leverage those attributes to benefit the great causes the Lottery supports.”

The new Broncos game also includes a second-chance drawing, allowing players to register non-winning tickets online to win one of the following exciting prizes:

• 50 pairs of season tickets for the 2010 Denver Broncos season.
• The chance to watch the Broncos take on the Oakland Raiders December 20th in a luxury suite at Invesco Field at Mile High.
• Tickets for two to an away game during the 2010 season, including airfare, hotel, a $300 meal allowance and $1,000 in spending money.

“Our partnership with the Colorado Lottery is a unique way for us to connect with our fans and the entire state of Colorado,” Broncos President/Chief Executive Officer Pat Bowlen said. “The Broncos-themed ticket allows fans to show their support for the football team as well as for numerous local recreational areas, including several used for youth football, that receive funding from the Lottery.”

Added Bowlen: “The Broncos are thrilled to begin their association with the Colorado Lottery, and it is one of the many ways this franchise is celebrating its 50th season being a part of this community.”

To play the game, consumers will scratch off Broncos football helmets, hoping the numbers hidden behind those symbols will match one of the winning numbers hidden underneath the team’s logo.

“With less than two million tickets being produced, this game could quickly become a collector’s item,” said Boehm.

The Broncos are one of 16 NFL franchises that have formed partnerships with a lottery since league owners voted to overturn rules prohibiting such affiliations on May 19. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said that lottery proceeds could generate funds for “many important public purposes.”

Established in 1983, The Colorado Lottery has returned more than $2 billion to the state since its founding. Proceeds from the Lottery’s games—Powerball, Cash 5, Lotto and Scratch—stay in Colorado to improve the quality of life in the state. Through Great Outdoors Colorado, the Conservation Trust Fund and Colorado State Parks, the Lottery has provided funding for new trails, acres of precious open space and wildlife protection.

Celebrating their 50th year in 2009, the Denver Broncos have won two Super Bowls and are tied for third in NFL history with six Super Bowl appearances. Since the 1970 NFL merger, the franchise ranks second in the league in home wins (211), fourth in overall victories (364) and fifth in winning seasons (24).

CONTACT:  Erika Gonzalez, Colorado Lottery, Phone: 303.759.6872, Cell: 303.945.9724, Email: erika.gonzalez@lottery.state.co.us or Jim Saccomano, Denver Broncos, Phone: 303.649.0572, Email: jim.saccomano@broncos.nfl.net.

Kansas, Iowa Lottery Begin Third Edition of Popular 'Midwest Millions' Game

Joint Instant-Scratch Game Has Successful Record, Begins 2009 Sales This Week

DES MOINES, Iowa – The popularity of the nation's first instant-scratch game sold jointly in two states has led the Kansas and Iowa lotteries to release a third version of "Midwest Millions."

Tickets in this year's version of Midwest Millions have a retro-postcard design and feature different scenes of outdoor activities and attractions in both Iowa and Kansas. Players in both states will again buy tickets in this year's game and compete for prizes as part of one big pool.

"Lottery players have shown they appreciate this new generation of lottery product," Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich said as Midwest Millions began sales Monday. "By working together, we've been able to produce a game that offers a high percentage of prizes overall and a significant $500,000 top prize in its second-chance drawings."

The idea behind the game is to apply to another product line the "Powerball concept" that has enabled states to join together in lotto games and offer bigger prizes and more chances to win than they would have been able to achieve on their own.

Tickets in Midwest Millions cost $10 and the game offers instant prizes ranging from $10 to $50,000. There also will be two second-chance drawings that each will offer a top prize of $500,000 along with five prizes of $10,000. The overall odds of winning in the game are some of the best the lotteries have offered: 1 in 2.84.

The two states are tied after Midwest Millions' first two years: Iowa Lottery players won both $500,000 prizes in the 2007 version of the game, while Kansas Lottery players won the $500,000 prizes in the game's second round.

Kansas Lottery Executive Director Ed Van Petten found inspiration for Midwest Millions in the successful track record that lotteries outside the United States have built by joining together to offer scratch games with millions of dollars in prizes.

"Midwest Millions has joined the list of multi-jurisdictional games that have achieved success by offering players better chances to win and larger top prizes by pooling resources," Van Petten said. "We look forward to improving upon our earlier successes with this year's game."

Instant-scratch games are a staple of the modern lottery industry, with multiple games for sale at one time and players annually buying billions of dollars worth of latex-covered tickets that they scratch off to determine whether they've won a prize. But until Midwest Millions, instant-scratch games had been an individual product for each U.S. lottery.

Statewide sales in this year's version of Midwest Millions began Monday in both states. The game's first drawing will be Jan. 15 in Kansas, with the second drawing April 16 in Iowa. Entries in the second-chance drawings will be determined as a percentage of sales (e.g. if one state sells 60 percent of the tickets in the game, it will get 60 percent of the entries in the second-chance drawing).

Rich said he's looking forward to the latest results.

"Midwest Millions has given us the opportunity to present a new twist on lottery games," he said. "Our players have definitely found it intriguing and fun to play."

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SOURCE: Iowa Lottery press release.

The Super 7 Goes Out in Style, Distributing $21 Million in Its Last Draw

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MONTRÉAL, Quebec, Canada (September 14, 2009) – The 798th and final draw of the Super 7 lottery will be of great interest to customers since the $21 million jackpot will be entirely paid out in the September 18 draw.

That means that, should no one win in the 7/7 category, the entire jackpot will be distributed to the winner(s) of the 6/7+B category. In turn, if no one wins in the 6/7+B category, the jackpot will be divided among the winners of the 6/7 category.

Launched in June 1994, this Canada-wide lottery has produced many winners over the past 15 years. The highest prize awarded to a Quebec customer was $30 million paid out to a Lanaudière resident in 2006. That same year, a group from the Montérégie also shared $27 million.

As of September 19, the Super 7 will be replaced by Lotto Max, a weekly lottery with Friday draws. As the result of an extensive study on the expectations of Canadians, the Lotto Max formula will offer larger jackpots and produce more millionaires.

So, it's time to say goodbye to Super 7 and hello to Lotto Max!

For Information CONTACT: Jean-Pierre Roy, Media Relations, 514 499-5151,

SOURCE: Loto Quebec.