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GTECH Announces
Patented Process for In-Store Instant-Ticket Inventory and
Management PROVIDENCE, Rhode
Island (November 14, 2007) – GTECH
Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Lottomatica S.p.A., announced that it
is introducing a patented inventory control process to provide retailers with a
quick and easy way to manage instant lottery ticket inventory, automate the
tracking of sales during individual store shift changes, and maintain
historical data on instant tickets.
The process utilizes a
specialized GTECH Enterprise Series™ (ES) application combined with a bar
code reader attached to the lottery terminal. Retailers will be able to track
inventory by game, pack and ticket level by scanning the barcode on the next
ticket to be sold at shift changes and/or at the end-of-day to provide fast and
accurate inventory of sold tickets and cash drawer reconciliation. The process
automatically records ticket numbers, determines the quantity of tickets sold
from each previously-activated pack, and calculates the total value of tickets
sold during that shift. “This technology
provides retailers with a simple solution to help manage the operational
challenges presented by extensive instant ticket inventory control and
addresses the real world issue of shrinkage,” says Connie Laverty
O’Connor, Chief Marketing Officer at GTECH. Retail storeowners and managers currently expend much time
and effort to manually reconcile sales between shifts for dozens of instant
ticket game offerings. GTECH’s new process will dramatically reduce labor
time and errors associated with the manual shift change and end-of-day
processes currently used in most stores. This application also helps retailers
virtually eliminate in-store ticket shrinkage by maintaining an updated,
granular ticket level inventory for all games and packs. Reports can be run for
each shift-change, at the end-of-day, and on a weekly basis to show sales and
inventory by either game or price point. Reports can be printed from the
store’s lottery terminal.
The application was
recently demonstrated at both World Meet 2007 in Louisville, Kentucky and the
National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show 2007 in Atlanta,
Georgia. For more information, please contact James Breindel at (401)
392-7626. About GTECH GTECH is a leading gaming technology and services company,
providing innovative technology, creative content, and superior service
delivery. Lottomatica is one of the world’s largest commercial lottery
operators and a market leader in the Italian gaming industry.
GTECH and Lottomatica together create a fully integrated
lottery operator and gaming technology solutions provider – a combined
company with worldwide scale, considerable financial strength, and
industry-leading customer solutions. Lottomatica is
majority owned by De Agostini, which belongs to a century-old publishing,
media, and financial services group. Lottomatica is publicly traded on the
Italian Stock Exchange (LTO), and in 2006, had more than €1.7 billion in
revenues and 5,900 employees in over 45 countries when combined with GTECH.
CONTACT: Robert K. Vincent, Public Affairs, GTECH
Corporation 401-392-7452.
It’s Show
Time! California Lottery Looks to Put a New Spin on an Old
Favorite SACRAMENTO, California
(November 12, 2007) -- The California
Lottery is inviting qualified companies specializing in television
production to create and produce its brand new lottery game show. The
California Lottery will premiere the new game show fall 2008.
“We are looking to update America’s longest
running lottery game show,” said California Lottery Director
Joan Borucki. “This will be a
great opportunity to make television history and give Californians an exciting
new way to win from the California Lottery!” The California Lottery’s “Big Spin®” show
has been around for 22 years and all game shows need change! The new game show
should be fun, suspenseful, and exciting to the viewer. The California Lottery
puts its game show production contract to bid every 4 to 6 years. With the
current contract set to expire at the end of this fiscal year, the California
Lottery recently released information requesting proposals for a new lottery
game show. The new game show contract is anticipated to be worth about $10
million over the life of the contract. Projected
Timeline: This timeline may change at the Lottery’s discretion.
| Action |
Due
Date |
| Written Intent to Bid (Written
notifications ensure that interested parties receive any amendments or updates,
regarding the solicitation.) |
November 19, 2007 |
| Written Questions (Written
questions ensure that interested parties receive a definite response.) |
November 19, 2007 |
| Bid Responses |
January 4, 2008 |
| Lottery Commission Approval of
Award |
Summer 2008 |
Click
here to view a copy of the game show Request for Proposal document.
“The Big
Spin®” Show Facts The California
Lottery’s “The Big Spin®” show has aired since 1985. The
current show is produced as a thirty-minute time slot in Hollywood, California
and broadcast in ten media markets throughout the state. From 1985 to 1998
“The Big Spin®” Show was produced in Sacramento. Over its 22-year
history, “The Big Spin®” show has featured at least five
different sets, a multitude of games and various ways to become a contestant.
- Lottery players have won nearly a
billion dollars on “The Big Spin®” show making it, we believe,
the highest paying game show in television history.
- In all, 14,599 contestants have
won $896 million in prize money since the show first aired in 1985.
- Since its debut October 1985, 404
contestants on “The Big Spin®” show have won prizes totaling over
one million dollars. “The Big Spin®” show produced 54
millionaires by the end of its first fiscal year.
- Since “The Big
Spin®” show was introduced there have been six celebrity
hostsChuck Woolery, Geoff Edwards, Larry Anderson, Jack Gallagher,
Maiquel Alejo, and Pat Finn.
- “The Big Spin®”
show is the longest running Lottery game show in the country, airing
continuously since 1985.
- The “big wheel” has 100
spokes representing prizes ranging from $20,000 to $1 million. Eight spokes on
“The Big Spin®” prize wheel are valued at $100,000. Four spokes
on the wheel are worth $1 million and there are also spaces marked
“Triple”. Any ball landing on “Triple” gives the winner the
next prize value spun times three, for a potential maximum prize of $3 million.
- When it debuted, “The Big
Spin®” show was carried on ten major California television stations,
the Spanish independent television network, and many English and Spanish radio
stations.
Over 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 more than
$19.6 billion to California schools out of total sales of more than $53.25
billion. Retailers win too, earning $3.4 billion in compensation since
1985. For additional information on the California
State Lottery, access www.calottery.com SOURCE: California State Lottery. The Sopranos™ is the Gaming Industry’s
Next Big “Hit” Mandalay Bay, Silverton, Las Vegas Hilton, Luxor aLas
Vegas, Club Fortune First Casinos to Welcome The Sopranos™ to Their
Family; Games Going Live Today LAS VEGAS,
Nevada (November 9, 2007) – It’s the gaming industry’s next big
“hit.” Aristocrat
Technologies proudly announces a new “family” of stepper
titles, The Sopranos™. One of television’s most watched and beloved
series, “The Sopranos” joins Aristocrat Technologies’ family of
proven performers with a new game that will provide the ultimate player
experience.
The Sopranos is
Aristocrat’s new 3-level mystery-style linked progressive featuring new
games based on the hit television series. This exciting product line is being
launched on Aristocrat’s all-new MAVStepper cabinet. The cabinet includes
enhanced reel speeds, superior lighting and an LCD top box, all in the familiar
footprint of the MAV500 cabinet. Engaging LCD graphics and signage branded with
The Sopranos completes this fully integrated package. “We are in a unique position because our shows have a
lot of life to them,” said James Costos, VP Licensing and Retail for
HBO, “Through our product extension and partnerships with companies
like Aristocrat Technologies, we are satisfying both those consumers who are
already fans of the show, and those who are experiencing it for the first time
in a new way.” “Aristocrat is
very excited to be partnering with HBO to bring the popular TV show The
Sopranos to the gaming industry” said Tim Parrott, President of
Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. “We are confident that the recognition of
The Sopranos brand, coupled with Aristocrat’s superior game play, will
provide the ultimate game play experience.” The first casinos to join The Sopranos
“family” are Mandalay Bay, Silverton, Club Fortune, Las Vegas
Hilton, and Luxor Las Vegas, where players can get in on the action today. Next
in line are the Monte Carlo (November 14), Las Vegas Club (November 20), Palms
(November 26), Orleans (November 28). Players at
each of these casinos will be constantly entertained by The Sopranos clips,
music, animations, and character images and graphics sequences. Excitement is
increased with three mystery-style jackpot levels and bonus features. Home Box
Office, Inc. is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner
Inc., providing two 24-hour pay television services – HBO and
Cinemax – to over 40 million U.S. subscribers.
The services offer the most
popular subscription video on demand products, HBO On Demand and Cinemax On
Demand, as well as multiplex channels and HD feeds. Internationally,
HBO’s branded television networks along with the subscription video on
demand products HBO On Demand and HBO Mobile, bring HBO services to over 50
countries. HBO programming is sold into over 150 countries worldwide.
© 2007 Home Box Office, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The
Sopranos and HBO are trademarks of Home Box Office, Inc.
About Aristocrat Technologies Inc.
Aristocrat Technologies Inc. is a subsidiary of
Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL),
a leading global provider of gaming solutions that consistently outperform the
competition. The Company is licensed by over two hundred regulators and its
products and services are available in over ninety countries around the world.
Aristocrat offers a diverse range of products and services including electronic
gaming machines, interactive video terminal systems, electronic tables, and
casino management systems. For further information visit the company’s
website at www.aristocratgaming.com.
CONTACT: Paul Speirs, Steinbeck Communications, P
(702) 413-4278, F (702) 233-3492, Email: paulspeirs@cox.net
Scientific Games Awarded New Jersey Account
Wagering Contract Revenue
Estimated at $1 Million Per Year NEW YORK,
USA (November 7, 2007) -- Scientific
Games (Nasdaq: SGMS) announced it has been awarded the contract to provide
an internet wagering platform and an interactive voice response ("IVR")
telephone wagering system for New Jersey Account Wagering LLC. The three year
contract was awarded through a competitive procurement, is expected to generate
approximately $1 million in revenue per year, and includes the option to extend
for an additional year.
| Advertisement |
 |
New Jersey Account Wagering
("NJAW"), a partnership between the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority
("NJSEA") and Pennwood Racing LLC, is the exclusive provider of telephone and
internet account wagering services to residents of New Jersey.
Scientific Games will provide the hardware, software,
telecommunications, support and other services necessary to sustain licensed
internet and telephone account wagering to New Jersey residents of majority age
under the supervision of the New Jersey Gaming Authority. The Company will
operate the NJAW telephone account wagering system from its Quantum™ Data
Center East (QDC) and its Trackplay™ wagering platform will be integrated
into the New Jersey Account Wagering website, www.4njbets.com. The Trackplay™ white
label interactive wagering platform provides complete wagering functionality,
handicapping information, streaming video, race replays, and account funding
services and has been in operation in both the US and abroad since 2001 for
customers including Churchill Downs Inc., Fair Grounds and Tote Ireland.
"As the sole provider of totalisator wagering systems
to all racetracks and off-track betting facilities in New Jersey, we are
delighted to now extend this highly valued relationship to the interactive
arena with this contract," said Lorne Weil, Chairman and CEO of Scientific
Games. "We believe the patrons of New Jersey Account Wagering will respond
well to the improved look and enhanced functionality offered by our
Trackplay(TM) wagering website and will benefit from the consistency and high
availability offered by our account wagering systems."
"As the exclusive provider of account wagering services
in our state, NJAW systems must be proven, stable and able to withstand the
peaks in wagering that accompany major wagering events, such as the recent
Breeders' Cup event hosted at Monmouth Park," said Dennis Dowd, Senior Vice
President for Racing of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority.
"Our experience with
Scientific Games over the years has instilled in us a high level of confidence
in their people, products and services and we have no doubt that our patrons
will find the new Internet and telephone wagering platforms to be stable,
user-friendly and feature-rich." About
Scientific Games Scientific Games Corporation is
the leading integrated supplier of instant tickets, systems and services to
lotteries worldwide, a leading supplier of fixed odds betting terminals 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.
SOURCE: Scientific Games Corporation. CONTACT: Investor
Relations of Scientific Games Corporation, +1-212-754-2233.
Kentucky Lottery Receives ISO/IEC 27001:2005
Certification RESTON, Virginia,
USA (November 6, 2007) -- The Kentucky
Lottery Corporation (KLC) has become the first lottery in North America to
receive the World Lottery Association (WLA)
Security Control Standard certification along with ISO/IEC 27001:2005
certification from BSI Management Systems, an information security management
systems certification body.
ISO/IEC 27001: 2005
establishes the requirements for an internationally recognized information
security management system (ISMS). This standard was originally developed by
British Standards, as ISO 17799-1:2000, and later adopted by the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO). Companies can gain certification
to ISO/IEC 27001:2005. To do so companies must implement an information
security management system by identifying information security risks and
implementing appropriate controls to manage those risks. The effectiveness of
this system is then monitored on an on-going basis, along with a continual
review to the risks. The WLA certification process, of which the ISO/IEC
27001:2005 certification is a part, requires an extensive examination of
security controls already in place at the KLC. The certification reinforces to
customers through an independent third-party that the KLC operates an effective
ISMS in accordance with the requirements of the standard.
“It’s imperative that an organization such as
ours develops and maintains a visible and documented security environment to
retain the trust and support of players and other stakeholders,” said
KLC President and CEO Arch Gleason.
Gleason also serves as president of the WLA. “Through obtaining this
certification, players can have a very high level of confidence in the
management of our security systems to make sure our games are operated with the
utmost integrity.” BSI performed on-site
assessments, examined KLC’s documented procedures, and audited its overall
operations. To determine continued compliance with ISO/IEC 27001:2005, BSI will
periodically conduct routine audits of KLC’s ISMS and related
operations.
The WLA certification
process is led by the KLC’s Senior Vice President of Internal Audit &
Information Security Gale Vessels and Senior Vice President of Security Bill
Hickerson. This rigorous audit examines security policies, organizational
security, personnel security, physical and environmental security, systems and
network security, access controls, systems development and maintenance, and
plans for business continuity in the event of a disaster.
“By earning ISO/IEC 27001:2005 certification, KLC
is further demonstrating its commitment to information security,” said
Gary Pearsons, President of BSI Management Systems America. “To be the
first lottery in North America to attain this is a real achievement. By
formalizing their management system and using ISO/IEC 27001:2005 as an extra
set of eyes, the KLC will be able to improve security and continually assure
customers that they are doing everything they can. The company’s employees
are committed and use well organized processes—ISO/IEC 27001:2005
certification can only serve to improve an already top-of-the-line
business.” About BSI Management
Systems BSI is the world’s leading management
systems certification body. Founded in 1901, BSI has
certified more than 60,000 locations in nearly 90 countries. Many ‘Global
500’ companies have chosen BSI as their preferred ISO 9001:2000, ISO/TS
16949:2002, ISO 14001:2004 or ISO/IEC 27001:2005 certification body. BSI’s
certification experience covers virtually every industrial and commercial
sector (i.e. automotive, aerospace, chemical and allied processes, IT/software,
and service). BSI Management Systems America, Inc. is headquartered in Reston,
Virginia, with offices in Toronto, Canada, and Mexico City, Mexico to serve the
North American market. BSI is truly a pioneering organization.
About The Kentucky Lottery Voters in Kentucky approved a constitutional amendment to
create a state lottery in 1988. Sales started in 1989, and since inception,
more than $2.6 billion in proceeds have been returned to the state. All
proceeds now fund college grant, scholarship and literacy programs in the
Commonwealth, with 708,000 grants and scholarships worth $817,000,000 provided
to Kentucky’s brightest and most deserving students since 1999. In its 17
years of operation, the KLC has sold more than $10 billion in tickets and has
paid more than $6 billion in player prizes. SOURCE:
BSI Management Systems.
CONTACT: John DiMaria, Email:
john.dimaria@bsi-global.com,
Direct: 703 622 3149. Kansas Lottery
Surpasses $1 Billion Mark in Profits for the State
TOPEKA, Kansas, USA (November 9, 2007) -- At ceremonies
Friday in Topeka, Kansas Lottery Director
Ed Van Petten said sales revenue
transferred to the state treasury on Thursday pushed the game’s all-time
profits over the $1 billion mark.
The lottery sold its first
game ticket on Nov. 12, 1987. Two decades later,
combined sales of all lottery products have surpassed $3.2 billion. Of that
sum, players won back $1.7 billion, or 52.8 percent. Retailers got $180.5
million in commissions, and the state treasury banked $1.004 billion.
Over the years the state’s total cost to produce,
manage and advertise the games has averaged about 13.3 percent of sales. Last
year the figure was down to 9.8 percent. “We’re getting leaner,” said Van
Petten, who has been director since 2000. “We’ve done a little
better every year.” The Kansas Lottery has
been an industry innovator. In recent years it was the first to offer online
poker (Kansas Hold ’Em), the first interactive Web-based game (eScratch)
and the first multistate scratcher game (Midwest Millions, with Iowa). It was
the second, after Iowa, to offer an electronic game card (Super 7’s).
SOURCE: The Kansas City Star. 
PA Lottery’s Millionaire Raffle Returns to
Award More Than $6.4 Million in Prizes
Limited Number of Tickets Go on Sale Friday, Nov.
9 MIDDLETOWN, Pennsylvania (November 6,
2007) -- Tickets for the Pennsylvania
Lottery’s largest-ever Millionaire Raffle go on sale Nov. 9. The
raffle-style game will offer 8,000 cash prizes worth more than $6.4 million
when winners are drawn at 7 p.m. on Dec. 29. “Awarding 8,000
prizes makes the upcoming game the largest Millionaire Raffle to
date,” said Lottery Executive Director
Ed Trees. “The fifth installment
of this popular raffle game again features the best odds ever offered by the
Pennsylvania Lottery for winning a million dollars.”
Tickets will be available until 5 p.m. on Dec. 29, or
until sold out, which ever comes first. Only 625,000 tickets will be sold. When
the last raffle ticket is issued, the game will close and no additional tickets
will be available for purchase.
Because Millionaire Raffle
tickets are scheduled to be sold over a seven-week period, Trees urged players
to sign the backs of their tickets and keep them in a safe place until the Dec.
29 drawing. Tickets for four previous Millionaire Raffles sold out before the
drawing. Each of the game’s $20 tickets offers a 1-in-125,000 chance
of winning $1 million. The new Millionaire Raffle drawing will award five top
prizes of $1 million; five $100,000 cash prizes; 200 prizes of $1,000 cash; and
7,790 prizes of $100 cash. A total of 8,000 prizes worth $6,479,000 will be
awarded. Each raffle ticket will contain a unique,
eight-digit number issued sequentially across the commonwealth from the
Lottery’s central computer, starting with number 00000001. The last raffle
ticket issued for the game will contain the raffle ticket number 00625000. The
eight-digit number printed on the ticket must match the eight-digit raffle
number combination selected in the drawing—in the exact sequence in which
it was selected -- to be considered a winning ticket. The winning raffle ticket numbers will be randomly selected
at 7 p.m. on Dec. 29 when the Lottery’s live drawing show will
televise the selection of the five, $1 million, top-prize raffle ticket numbers
and the five, $100,000, second-prize raffle ticket numbers. The remaining 7,990
winning ticket numbers will also be selected, but will not be televised live
due to time constraints. A complete list of all 8,000
winning raffle ticket numbers will be available the following day at
http://www.palottery.com and at Lottery
retailers. Odds of winning a $100,000 prize are 1-in-125,000; odds of
winning a $1,000 prize are 1-in-3,125; and the odds of winning $100 are
1-in-80. The overall odds of winning any prize are 1-in-78.
To date, one $100,000 prize remains unclaimed from the
Dec. 30, 2006, Millionaire Raffle drawing. Tickets for that raffle expire Dec.
31, 2007. About the Pennsylvania Lottery:
The Pennsylvania Lottery remains the only state
lottery that designates all its proceeds to programs that benefit older
residents. Since its inception 36 years ago, the Pennsylvania Lottery has
contributed more than $17.4 billion to programs that include property tax and
rent rebates; free and reduced-fare transit; the low-cost prescription drug
programs PACE and PACENET; long-term care services; and the 52 Area Agencies on
Aging, including 650 full- and part-time senior centers throughout the state.
For more information on the Pennsylvania Lottery,
visit http://www.palottery.com.
SOURCE: Pennsylvania Lottery.
CONTACT: Stephanie
Weyant, Revenue Press Office, (717) 787-6960. Pollard Banknote Awarded Pull Tab Ticket Contract
By Rhode Island Lottery COUNCIL
BLUFFS, IA (November 12, 2007) -- Pollard
Banknote is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a three-year
contract to supply pull tab tickets to the Rhode
Island Lottery. The agreement includes three possible one-year
extensions. Pollard Banknote has been printing pull
tab tickets for the Rhode Island Lottery at the company’s American Games
facility in Council Bluffs, Iowa since 2004. “We
are very pleased to continue growing our relationship with the Rhode Island
Lottery,” said Steven Fingold, Vice President, Sales, American Games (a
subsidiary of Pollard Banknote). “We look forward to printing many more
successful games and providing services that can help the Lottery expand its
pull tab product line into new markets.”
In fiscal 2006, the Rhode
Island Lottery produced $1.7 billion in sales and returned $323 million to the
State’s General Fund. Since 1974, the Rhode Island Lottery has transferred
more than $2.9 billion to the State’s General Fund, which supports almost
every aspect of life in the State, from education and health care to public
safety and the environment. About Pollard Banknote
Limited Partnership Pollard Banknote Limited
Partnership (“Pollard Banknote”) is one of the world’s leading
full-service lottery vendors and is a major supplier to North America’s
charitable gaming industry. The firm manufactures
instant tickets and provides related programming, design, and marketing
support. As well, Pollard Banknote manufactures ticket vending machines, pull
tab tickets and bingo paper, and supplies lottery management services
(including warehousing and distribution). Established
in 1907, the firm is owned by the Pollard family and the Pollard Banknote
Income Fund and currently serves more than 45 lotteries worldwide, including
some of the largest and most respected lotteries in the United States, Canada,
Europe, Asia, and Central and South America. About
Pollard Banknote Income Fund Pollard Banknote
Income Fund (TSX: PBL.UN) is an unincorporated, open-end trust which owns 26.7%
of Pollard Holdings Limited Partnership, which in turn owns Pollard Banknote
Limited Partnership. For further information: Gordon
Pollard, (gpollard@pbl.ca); or John
Pollard, (jpollard@pbl.ca); Co-Chief
Executive Officers, Phone: (204) 474-2323, Web site:
www.pollardbanknote.com
Aristocrat to
Showcase More “Power Behind The Performance” At
G2E New Platform, New
Cabinet, New Games to Debut LAS VEGAS, Nevada
(November 9, 2007) – Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. will leave a permanent
mark on the gaming industry at this year’s show showcasing a comprehensive
display of gaming solutions. Opening the
tradeshow will be actors James Gandolfini and Steve Schirripa from the hit
HBO™ television series The Sopranos™. Gandolfini and Schirripa are
two of G2E’s guests of honor and are scheduled to cut the ribbon to
officially kick off G2E 2007 on November 13 at 11:15 a.m.
“This year we will
be showing the casino floor of the future providing operators a complete gaming
floor solution,” said Aristocrat President Tim Parrott. “Our new
games and game concepts on display this year demonstrate our commitment to
providing casino operators with high-performing games that entertain players,
systems that enhance operations and complete solutions for the
future.” In addition to an impressive array
of new games and concepts, Aristocrat will unveil its new GENeration platform
– GEN7™, showcased in their new modern, environmentally responsibly
designed Viridian™ cabinet. “What we
have on display demonstrates a migration path from the current proprietary form
of gaming to what many believe to be the future of gaming in downloadable,
server-based and ethernet floor applications” said Sean Evans, Senior
Vice President Games and System Sales. “Our new GEN7 platform will
support new and innovative GEN7 games, proven performing MKVI™ games, as
well as being designed as ‘future ready’ for Server-Based
gaming,” he concluded.” Aristocrat’s diverse product line-up, ranging from
electronic gaming machines and tables to back of house casino management
systems provides operators a complete gaming solution. Leading the way is
Aristocrat’s new 5-reel stepper, mystery-style linked progressive jackpot
product, The Sopranos™, based on the hit HBO™ television series.
Engaging The Sopranos graphics feature in top box LCDs and branded signage
completes this fully integrated package to create the ultimate player
experience. Players will be constantly entertained by The Sopranos clips,
music, animations, character images and graphics sequences.
Other innovative and award winning products on display are
two of Aristocrat’s successful Hyperlink™ products, Jackpot
Deluxe™ and Bank Buster™, as well as the complete range of Double
Standalone Progressives including Outback Jack®, Cashman Tonight™ and
Aristocrat’s new bonus bank and double standalone progressive, Banana
King™. Also showing are a range of new and innovative product categories
including Power Pay®, Xtra Reel Power™, Xtreme Mystery™, and
Aristocrat’s first ever multi-game multi-denom product package,
Player’s World™. Aristocrat will be
demonstrating the power of Server Centric Gaming with major initiatives ranging
from Downloadable solutions to thin client Server-Based Gaming.
Aristocrat’s downloadable solution, DL Technology™ utilizes G2S
standards for game distribution solutions through the ATI/Bally Joint Venture
product, the Download and Configuration Manager. This initiative combines
the field proven solutions from both companies to provide a powerful floor
management system.
ACE Interactive™
technologies demonstrate the power of true thin client Server-Based Gaming.
This truly unique, open architecture, massively scalable total game management
system will highlight the future possibilities for the Class III gaming market
at G2E. Aristocrat Technologies Inc. Systems
Division will be showcasing a suite of advanced technologies under the
OASIS™ 360 brand. OASIS 360 provides casino operators with the
latest technologies in casino management systems, business intelligence and
patron-centric promotions. OASIS SpeedMedia promotions utilizing the
Sentinel III in-game displays will be unveiled, the direct result of a true
Ethernet solution found in the latest OASIS release 11.6. The business
intelligence tool WAGER™ will be officially launched at the Aristocrat
booth allowing spectators to view the power of a 360 degree view of operations,
along with unparalleled marketing promotions and hosting technology.
To complete the show, Aristocrat will also be showcasing
its multi-terminal electronic table solutions with Interblock’s
electro-mechanical roulette and video blackjack and baccarat along with
PokerTek’s multi-station video poker product – PokerPro®.
Some of new Aristocrat video slot themes include:
- Multi-Line™ – Kenyan
Gold™, Turtle Treasure™, Let’s Go Fishin’™ and Spring
Festival™
- Reel Power™ - Dream
Time™, Shaman’s Magic™ as well as Buffalo™ and
Timberwolf™ both new Xtra Reel Power™ titles
- 50/100 Line – 50
Dragons™, Tigress™, Miss Kitty™ and Heart of Vegas™
- Standalone and Double Standalone
Progressives – Lucky Fortune™ and the Magician™ as well as the
full range of Double Standalone Progressives including Outback Jack™ and
Cashman Tonight™
- Power Pay™ - Double
Happiness™, Tahiti Magic™, Reelin’ n Boppin’™ and Choy
Sun Returns™.
- Hyperlink™ - Jackpot
Deluxe™, the brand new innovative Bank Buster™ theme combining a
four-level progressive with six bonus features, as well as a multi-game version
of Cash Express.
- Xtreme Mystery™ -
Prosperity™ and Golden Pyramids™
Some of new Aristocrat
stepper-reel themes include:
- 3 and 5 Line – Big Red™
and Wild Cougar™
- Multi-Line™ - Geisha™,
Sun & Moon™ and Liberty 7’s™
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Aristocrat Technologies Inc.
is a subsidiary of Aristocrat Leisure
Limited (ASX: ALL), a leading global provider of gaming solutions that
consistently outperform the competition. The Company is licensed by over two
hundred regulatory jurisdictions and its products and services are available in
over ninety countries around the world. Aristocrat offers a diverse range of
products and services including electronic gaming machines, interactive video
terminal systems, electronic tables, and casino management systems. For further
information, visit the website at www.aristocratgaming.com.
Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium television
programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., providing two 24-hour pay
television services – HBO and Cinemax – to over 40
million U.S. subscribers. The services offer the most popular
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well as multiplex channels and HD feeds. Internationally, HBO’s
branded television networks along with the subscription video on demand
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© 2007 Home Box Office, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The
Sopranos and HBO are trademarks of Home Box Office, Inc.
CONTACT: Paul Speirs, Steinbeck Communications, P
(702) 413-4278, F (702) 233-3492, Email: paulspeirs@cox.net
"Deal Or No Deal" Is Fast Seller For Iowa
Lottery Popularity of Hit
Television Show Translates To Lottery Scratch Tickets
DES MOINES, Iowa, USA (November 9, 2007) -- The popularity
of the “Deal or No Deal” television game show has translated into
top-selling lottery games in Iowa. The Iowa Lottery
has sold two versions of instant-scratch games based on the theme of the hit TV
show. The lottery's first “Deal or No Deal” scratch game was released
in mid-July and that $3 game sold out. The lottery then introduced its current
version of Deal or No Deal, a $5 scratch game, on Oct. 8 and it has been one of
the five top-selling scratch games in Iowa in the weeks since.
“Our Deal or No
Deal scratch tickets have kept much of the look and play style of the TV game
show and we think that is one of the big appeals,” said lottery vice
president Mary Neubauer. “And, our current game offers players the
chance to travel to Hollywood to compete on the game show, which we know is a
big draw.” The American version of the TV
game show is hosted by Howie Mandel and airs Friday nights on NBC. Each night,
a contestant is presented with 26 sealed briefcases that contain amounts
ranging from 1 cent up to $1 million. The contestant chooses one of the
briefcases to keep until the end of the game if he or she chooses. The risk
element comes in when the player has to then eliminate the remaining 25 cases,
which are opened and the amount of cash inside revealed. A mysterious entity
known only as “The Banker” tries to tempt the player to accept an
offer of cash in exchange for what might be contained in the briefcase the
contestant has chosen. A version of the TV game show
has aired in more than 35 countries. The Iowa
Lottery's Deal or No Deal scratch game offers instant prizes ranging from $5 to
$50,000. Players scratch each of the 19 “briefcases” in the play area
on the front of each ticket to reveal either a dollar amount or a “No
Deal” symbol underneath each case. They then scratch only the
corresponding dollar amounts or symbols in the “prize table” on the
ticket to eliminate that amount or symbol. The one remaining unmatched box in
the prize table determines what that ticket wins. Players who don't win an instant prize can enter their
nonwinning tickets in second-chance drawings for one of three trips to
Hollywood or a $1 million grand prize. Players can enter the second-chance
drawings by visiting the Iowa Lottery's Web site at www.ialottery.com and
filling out an electronic entry form there.
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Entries in the
second-chance drawings will be accepted through midnight on Sunday, Aug. 24.
Entries received by Feb. 24 will be eligible for a drawing on Feb. 26 to
determine the three Iowa Lottery players who each will win a trip for four to
Hollywood valued at more than $13,500. Once there, each of those players will
win a cash amount from $5,000 to $25,000 or they'll have the opportunity to
compete in a “Deal or No Deal” show and win up to $1 million!
All entries that did not win a trip in that initial
drawing and all other entries received by Aug. 24 will be eligible for a second
Iowa Lottery drawing on Aug. 26 that will determine three semifinalists for a
$1 million grand prize. The drawing for that prize will be held Sept. 17 in
Alpharetta, Ga., and the winner will be chosen from all semifinalists selected
by Iowa and the other lotteries that are participating in the Deal or No Deal
promotion. Game rules and other details are available
on the Iowa Lottery Web site. The Deal or No Deal game is licensed to the
lottery by MDI Entertainment, a division of New York-based Scientific Games
Corp. Since its start in 1985, the Iowa Lottery has
raised more than $1 billion for the state programs that benefit all Iowans
while awarding more than $2 billion in prizes to its players. Through the
years, lottery funds have been used for a variety of initiatives, including
projects to create new recreation areas, support research at Iowa's public
universities, develop new products and techniques for agriculture, and promote
tourism in Iowa. Iowa Lottery profits currently are
deposited in the state general fund, where they are used to pay for a variety
of programs. Some of the programs that receive money from the general fund
include education, natural resources, health and family services and public
safety. SOURCE: Iowa Lottery. Tipp24 AG Unveils New British Lottery
Offering LONDON, United Kingdom
(November 13th, 2007) - Tipp24 AG, the
European market leader in the online lottery industry, today announced the
launch of its UK offering, www.mylotto24.co.uk, following the
successful opening of its London office earlier this year. MyLotto24 Ltd
has unveiled www.mylotto24.co.uk, giving British punters the only opportunity
to win prizes equal to the Italian “SuperEnalotto”, the Spanish
“EuroMillones” and the German
“Gluecksspirale/Wheel of fortune” lottery jackpots.
The jackpots regularly
reach levels in excess of €50 million per draw, and occasionally more than
€150 million, both dwarfing the average UK national lottery jackpot of
approximately £3.5/€5 million. As a result, it expects to
produce the UK’s biggest ever jackpot winner, surpassing the £35.4
EuroMillions jackpot won by a British woman earlier this year. MyLotto24 will
also offer punters significantly better odds on all bets placed on the
lotteries, than currently available from other UK betting operators.
MyLotto24 established its London office in February 2007
and MyLotto24 offers bets on the outcome of European lotteries under a UK
gambling license and is a UK limited company. FSE listed Tipp24 AG
currently has more than 60% market share in Germany, and also operates in Spain
and Italy, handling 2.0 million customers across its network.
Tipp 24 AG has also begun setting up an international data
centre in London. Compared with the previous locations in Hamburg, the UK
facility offers far better connections to the major international Internet
nodes. All Tipp24 AG group websites are to be operated from London in the
future. MyLotto24 currently employs 12 full time
members of staff, which is expected to grow to twenty by the end of 2008.
The group has over 152 full time employees worldwide. Carsten Frien, Managing Director of MyLotto24, says:
“The United Kingdom is a natural place for Tipp24 AG to extend its global
reach. By giving British punters the chance to win jackpots far
surpassing the current national lottery, we expect www.mylotto24.co.uk to be
extremely popular. In any industry choice is important, and we feel our
presence in the UK market, giving British players the chance to choose from
lotteries across Europe, will create just that.”
MyLotto24 punters place a
bet on the outcome of a specific lottery. The more numbers they predict,
the higher the odds they receive. Winners are notified of any wins
immediately by text or e-mail, and prizes are credited automatically to the
player’s personal account. MyLotto24 also offers punters a syndicate
game option, where they can play as part of a ‘community’, if punters
choose this option, groups of up to 25 players are grouped together
automatically, so they don’t have to organise players among friends,
family or work colleagues, they are simply automatically entered into a group
of fellow players. Across all of its territories,
Tipp24 AG uses proprietary, high-performance software guaranteeing trouble-free
play, even during major jackpot periods with heavy visitor traffic. All
systems are state-of-the-art, entirely safe, scalable, highly reliable and
specifically structured for the expected future growth in UK customer
demand. Tipp24 AG also takes the issue of
responsible gambling very seriously and offers a range of measures on
www.mylotto24.co.uk to support its new British customers, ensuring they are
gambling responsibly. From weekly spending limits, to self exclusion and
full access to their account history, customers are able to monitor their use
very accurately. Parental controls and age verification systems are also
available to prevent underage gambling. Tipp24 AG is
also actively looking for acquisition opportunities in the online gambling and
online gaming sectors. For further information,
please contact: Rich Rust, +44 (0)20 7612 1162, Email:
richrust@themediafoundry.com,
Alex Hankinson, +44 (0)20 7612 1160, Email:
alexburr@themediafoundry.com
or Sally Whatley, +44 (0)20 7612 1159, Email:
sallywhatley@themediafoundry.com.
SOURCE: Tipp24 AG Press Release: MyLotto24.co.uk.
Motivations for Lottery Playing Differ Between Men
and Women First
Comprehensive NLC Research Into Women Lottery Players Shows Women Play the
Lottery to Enhance Rather Than Change Their Lives
LONDON, UK (November 9, 2007) -- Research published today
by the National Lottery Commission
highlights the differences between male and female attitudes to the Lottery and
their motivations for playing. While both genders may
dream of winning the jackpot, women are less likely than men to see it as the
start of a complete transformation, with many of them expressing a desire to
enhance their current lifestyle rather than embark on a new life.
The findings are based on a survey of over 4000 UK adults
conducted by Simpson Carpenter (2006), and a more detailed study of 500 London
women conducted by Dr Emma Casey (2007). The Simpson Carpenter research
confirms that whilst just under half of both men and women play primarily to
win the jackpot, there is a gender split when it comes to their aspirations for
spending the money. Men were more likely to want to embark on a new life, with
21% expressing the desire to be millionaires or to never work again, compared
to 13% of women. Women longed for modest enhancements to their existing
lifestyles, and were more likely to cite going on holiday or paying off the
mortgage as reasons for playing. Anne Wright, Chair
of the National Lottery Commission said:
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“The research
confirms the importance of the National Lottery in people’s everyday
lives, and gives a fascinating insight into how differently men and women view
the Lottery. It is our responsibility at the National Lottery Commission to
ensure that players are protected, so we’re very encouraged that these
findings reveal such strong support of the Lottery from players.”
Donna Dawson, psychologist stated: “There is a
huge thought process behind purchasing a Lottery ticket. This is a socially
acceptable form of gambling that is frequently discussed amongst women and
offers them the chance to dream. Most women view a potential Lottery win
as an opportunity to help their families or to address financial worries, and
consequently to alleviate guilt and anxiety.” The research also highlights the social function fulfilled by
the National Lottery – 62% of women
regularly chat to their friends and family about what they’d do if they
won the Lottery. By contrast, men are much less likely to gossip about
the Lottery, with only 53% regularly dreaming aloud about their chances of
winning (Simpson Carpenter). Dr Emma Casey’s
research, which concentrates exclusively on women, offers fascinating insights
into the way women play the National Lottery, revealing a sensible, careful and
rational approach that enables them to make Lottery play part of the household
budgeting. Whilst women recognise that the National Lottery is a form of
gambling, they do not see it as harmful or addictive. Women also feel better about spending money on Lottery
tickets when they know good causes will benefit, with 60% stating that
“Knowing that the money raised by the Lottery goes to good causes helps
me feel better about the money I spend” (compared to 54% of men).
Click
here to download both research reports: SOURCE:
National Lottery Commission.
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