• ATRONIC: A New Era of Gaming Solutions. Full Story
• ACE Interactive’s TruServ™ and Indago™ VLTs on Display at ENADA. Full Story
• OPAP S.A. -- Consolidated Financial Results For The Three and Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2008. Full Story
• Maryland Lottery Goes Mobile with Acuity Mobile-Powered Initiative. Full Story
• Arizona Lottery Launches Four-Number Drawing Game. Full Story
• Arkansans Win With Approval of Scholarship Lottery Bills. Full Story
• Louisiana Lottery Reports More Than $8.3 Million in Winning Draw-Style Tickets & More Than $7.9 Million Claimed from Scratch-Off Tickets during February. Full Story
• Georgia Lottery Teams Up With Bass Pro Shops® to 'Pitch' Outdoor Buddy Challenge. Full Story
• La Française des Jeux Launches OXO, A New Draw Based Tic-Tac-Toe Game. Full Story
• Colorado Lottery Reviewing Partnership With Mega Millions. Full Story

ATRONIC: A New Era of Gaming Solutions

GREENWICH, Rhode Island (March 16, 2009) -- Whether you prefer newer TV shows like Deal or No Deal™ and Stargate SG-1™, or classics such as The Three Stooges™, ATRONIC, a division of GTECH’s Gaming Solutions, is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality entertainment to players with an ever-expanding portfolio of more than 200 games designed to support its state-of-the-art slot machines.

With 228 worldwide gaming licenses and more than 15 years of gaming industry experience, ATRONIC has established itself as a formitable industry competitor with an extensive global reach and a broad vision for the future of machine gaming. ATRONIC is well-prepared to meet the market’s demand for a wider variety of game content, player interactivity, and entertainment options, as recently shown at the Entertainment Industry trade show in September and the South American Gaming Suppliers Expo (SAGSE) in October. In addition, ATRONIC will showcase its latest inventions, along with SPIELO’s (also a GTECH company) commercial gaming products, at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas, Nevada, in November. According to Sylvia Dietz, ATRONIC Executive Director, Global Marketing, G2E will set the stage for the debut of many original products, including:

• Stargate SG-1: Based on the popular movie and TV show, this linked video slot version is packed with bonuses, incorporates the impressive and interactive gate, and is presented in a unique merchandising package. 
• Deal or No Deal Join N´ Play: This latest addition to ATRONIC´s Community Bonus Series is presented on the new dual-screen e² SLANT cabinet.  Players will be captivated by the merchandising package that puts them on the stage of the popular TV show.

“Deal or No Deal – Join N´Play will be complemented by other favorites in the Deal or No Deal range of products, including Deal or No Deal – The Experience, and Deal or No Deal – Mega Deal,” said Dietz.

• prodiGi Vu™ – Designed to meet the demands of both players and casino operators, this terminal supports a library of exciting and innovative games all in one of the industry’s slimmest cabinets.
• Passion Deluxe™ – The new Super Top 5 reel is the next phase in the ATRONIC stepper series. Featuring five full-sized reels backlit by intense LED technology, the Passion Deluxe incorporates multiple video screens into the classic stepper. The three-reel version includes a fourth LCD display reel featuring multiplier symbols and bonus game triggers. The Passion Slots series is available with licensed and unlicensed titles.
• The brand-new, dual-screen e² SLANT – The e²™ Upright and the Harmony™ Slant Top and Upright cabinet all showcase a variety of new core games. 
• TITAN™ machine – The first fully functional, oversized video gaming machine has received several upgrades including a move to the Hi(!)bility™ platform. Standing at 6.5 feet high and more than 3 feet wide, this attention-grabbing product now offers a new range of exciting games and enhanced features.
• Tree of Riches™ Community Bonus SeriesTM game – ATRONIC shows that money does indeed grow on trees with this exciting new game. To experience the fun of shared wins, players at upcoming conferences can sing along with the birds as they interact with this visually rich game.

Other featured games include:

• Three Stooges – This game capitalizes on the slapstick hijinks of the memorable trio by using their foibles and random wild behavior. Larry, Moe, and Curly determine wild wins and are featured in a retro bonus.
• Jewelly™ – Jewelly is a feature that is added to a set of games and works independent of the games. Jewelly uses the Bonus Bank concept consisting of seven bonus features that are triggered randomly on games that have side wagers in play. The charismatic star of the featured bonus rounds takes players through a variety of scenes offering the chance to win big!
• Dragonboat™ – With the success of the slot tournament concept, Tournamania™, ATRONIC is proud to launch this new, Asian-themed,tournament game featuring exciting graphics and a storyline based on the traditional Chinese Dragon Boat races.

To complement this comprehensive product portfolio and further demonstrate its position as a leading cashless solutions provider, ATRONIC´s Systems Division showcases the highly successful chip cash™ smart card solution, as well as the sophisticated GALAXIS™ software modules. On the tables side, the newly launched, state-of-the-art DisplayMaster™ display livens up the atmosphere around table pits by providing game information and history as well as the ability to run multimedia shows and ticker messages.

Content and game design are key to ATRONIC’s success –150 employees around the world work as part of a global network of game design teams. To find out more information about ATRONIC, visit www.atronic.com. For more information on SPIELO and its products, visit www.gtech.com.

ACE Interactive’s TruServ™ and Indago™ VLTs on Display at ENADA

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (March 17, 2009) – During the ENADA Gaming show in Rimini, 18th 21st March, ACE Interactive, a fully owned subsidiary of Aristocrat Leisure Ltd., will demonstrate TruServ™ on innovative Indago™ Video Lottery Terminals. The solution can be visited at leading Italian gaming operator COGETECH’s stand (Hall a7 booth 113).

TruServ™, ACE Interactive’s Solution for true Server Based Gaming, will be demonstrated on ACE Interactive’s innovative Indago™ VLT terminals. The TruServ System will showcase a range of ACE and Aristocrat games as well as games from third party providers like JvH, LED Gaming and Radsoft.

In October 2008, COGETECH and ACE Interactive jointly announced their intention to work together in order to offer server based Video Lottery Gaming in Italy under the pending Comma 6B gaming legislation.

The legislation for Comma 6B machines (or VLTs) is currently undergoing examination by AAMS (the Italian Regulator). Its introduction is anticipated for 20092010.

Comma 6B machines will supply Server Based Gaming services and will therefore reduce many of the currently existing limitations with regards to issues such as central monitoring, proper taxation, money laundering and underage gaming.

With a population of 60 million, the Italian gaming market is one of the top three gaming markets in Europe and represents a significant growth potential for both organisations.

Media enquiries to Camilla Eklund; Tel: +46 (0)739415821, Fax: +46 (0)86424714, Email: Camilla.Eklund@aceinteractive.net

ABOUT COGETECH

Cogetech S.p.A. was founded in July 2004. With offices located in Milan and Rome, Cogetech operates through a capillary commercial network within Italy. The products which Cogetech operates are: Plug&Win™, a core activity, which supplies a great number of services relating to network connection and technical equipment for entertainment machines (www.cogetech.it); MisterToto™ and BetSolutions™, providing stateoftheart betting services to customers (www.mistertoto.it); and PowerPoker, which delivers the best Italian poker circuit and platform to online poker players (www.powerpoker.it).

ABOUT ACE Interactive

ACE Interactive was founded in 2003 to develop and market the next generation of video gaming systems. Located in Stockholm, Sweden, London, UK and Las Vegas, USA, ACE Interactive’s TruServ™ solution provides for true server-based gaming for operators who demand flexibility, content, security and social responsibility. In May 2006 ACE Interactive was acquired by Aristocrat. For further information, visit the company’s website at www.aceinteractive.net.

ABOUT Aristocrat

Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL) is a leading global provider of gaming solutions that consistently outperforms 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.

OPAP S.A. -- Consolidated Financial Results For The Three and Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2008

• 12-month Revenues up 9.0% to €5,519.6m (2007: €5,065.8m)
• 12-month EBITDA up 22.9% to €1,056.7m (2007 adjusted: €860.0m)
• 12-month Net Profit up 19.6% to €728.5m (2007 adjusted: €608.9m)
• Earnings per share up 27.5% to €2.28 (2007: €1.79)
• Total 2008 Gross Dividend up 26.4% to €2.20 per share (2007: €1.74)

ATHENS, Greece (March 16, 2009) – OPAP (OPAr.AT), the leading gaming operator in Greece, announces its consolidated financial results for the three- and twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2008, prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards.

OVERVIEW

* For comparability purposes, the amount of €50.0m (equally allocated to the Q3 and Q4 2007 results), which corresponds to the financial aid provided to the victims of the forest fires in Greece, has been excluded.

** The tax charge corresponding to the above financial aid, has been deducted from the adjusted net profit of the period.

OPAP’s revenues for 2008 increased by 9.0% and reached €5,519.6m compared to €5,065.8m in 2007, primarily due to KINO’s continuing strong performance. Revenues for Q4 2008 grew by 1.4% to €1,542.4m compared to € 1,521.9m for the same period in 2007.

EBITDA reached €1,056.7m in the 12M 2008 period from €810.0m in 2007, up 30.5%. The comparable increase, excluding the one-off charge of €50m recorded in 2007, amounts to 22.9%, while the EBITDA margin reached 19.1% from 17.0% in 2007. During the last quarter, EBITDA stood at €259.9m, down 4.1%, from the adjusted EBITDA of €270.9m in Q4 2007.

The increase in the year’s EBITDA and EBITDA margin primarily reflects the reduced operating expenses related to Stihima and the decrease in administrative and distribution expenses.

On a comparable basis, net profit for 2008 increased by 19.6% to €728.5m from €608.9m in 2007, while for Q4 2008 net profit decreased by 7.2% to €178.9m from €192.8m for the corresponding period in 2007.

Commenting on the full-year 2008 results, Mr. Christos Hadjiemmanuil, OPAP’s Chairman & CEO, noted:

“Although in 2008 we operated in a challenging and difficult economic environment, we managed to deliver an impressing improvement of our business results. Furthermore, we are particularly pleased with the significant progress achieved on our main priorities: rejuvenation of our games portfolio, progress in the revamping of our agent network and our internal reorganization. For 2009, despite the deteriorating economic conditions, we will focus on maintaining our strong profitability at high levels and support our initiatives to expand outside our core concession.”

He also added the following:

“Please note that fourth quarter results have been burdened due to firstly, the company’s decision to include in an actually conservative manner, provisions for lawsuits and legal risks and secondly, the signing of term contracts with sport leagues which provide large exposure for OPAP. Also, in Q4 2008, despite STIHIMA payout being at the same level with Q4 2007, sales reduction is primarily attributed to the low number of sports events available during December 2008 compared to December 2007.

Finally, despite the actual increased profitability of all our subsidiaries, the accounts seem to appear lower profitability figures due to the fact that the mother company withheld in 2008 amounts which were previously paid to OPAP Services S.A., in order to renovate the agent network. It is noted that such renovation is already underway in our agent network in Cyprus and the relative cost is covered from the already reserved amounts.”

Click Here to download FINANCIAL INFORMATION 2008

Click here to download ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT 2008

SOURCE: OPAP.

Maryland Lottery Goes Mobile with Acuity Mobile-Powered Initiative

Subscribers Receive Text-Message Alerts Through Acuity's Intelligent Mobile Platform

GREENBELT, Maryland (March 17, 2009) -- Acuity Mobile, Inc., a leading provider of intelligent mobile marketing solutions, today announced it has been selected to power a complete mobile marketing initiative for the Maryland Lottery. The Maryland Lottery Mobile program offers subscribers announcements on new games, promotions and jackpots.

Classified Ad

"Mobile devices are becoming increasingly popular and powerful," said Maryland Lottery Director Buddy Roogow. "With so many Maryland Lottery players on the go, it makes perfect sense to partner with a company like Acuity to deliver the most up-to-date Lottery news and information."

Maryland Lottery Mobile is an opt-in text messaging (SMS) program. Subscribers are alerted to new games and promotions, updates to specific Lottery games, jackpot announcements and more. Users can register for Maryland Lottery Mobile on mdlottery.com or by texting PLAY to short-code 635688 (MDLOTT).

"We're excited to help the Maryland Lottery reach their customers with timely information in the exciting mobile medium," said Alan Sultan, president of Acuity Mobile. "We look forward to helping the Maryland Lottery build momentum in the mobile channel and expanding the reach of their brand and games."

About Acuity Mobile

Acuity Mobile is a leading provider of mobile marketing content delivery solutions. Acuity Mobile's Embedded Mobile Advertising Platform (eMAP) is a patented technology that enables Spot Relevance(TM) -- the ability to deliver targeted marketing content to the right person, at the right time, in the right location. eMAP technology is used by carriers, advertisers and content owners to ensure that relevant content (ads, offers, traffic, weather, etc.) is delivered directly to mobile users based on their interests, time of day and geographic location. The technology behind eMAP was first developed in 2000 and patent protected since 2003. Acuity Mobile harnesses the power of mobility to improve content delivery for marketers and their consumers. For more information, please visit www.acuitymobile.com.

SOURCE: Acuity Mobile, Inc.

Arizona Lottery Launches Four-Number Drawing Game

New game offers best odds of winning $10,000

ARIZONA, USA (March 13, 2009) -- A new Arizona Lottery game launching Sunday, March 29, will allow all grand prize winners to keep the entire $10,000 jackpot to themselves no matter how many players choose the same winning number combination. In other words, each CA$H4 player who chooses the four winning numbers will take home a $10,000 prize.

In other traditional drawing games, the top prize is divided among players if more than one chooses the same winning combination.

It’s easy to play this new $2 drawing game. Players simply choose four numbers from a 26-number matrix. Players whose tickets include two of the four winning numbers will win $2. Three winning numbers garners a $25 prize, and the $10,000 prize goes to winners hitting all four numbers.

Drawings for CA$H4 will be held six days a week, Monday through Saturday. Tickets can be purchased at retailers where Lottery products are sold.

“Top prizes that don’t have to be shared — that’s a great idea for a Lottery game,” said Jeff Hatch-Miller, executive director of the Arizona Lottery. “More winners, a top prize that doesn’t have to be shared, all for $2 — wow! We believe CA$H4 will quickly catch on and join our other popular drawing games.”

CA$H4 drawings will broadcast Monday through Saturday during the 10 p.m. news on Channel 15 (ABC) in Phoenix, Channel 13 (CBS) in Tucson and Univision 33 in Spanish.

Players can check their numbers by logging onto www.arizonalottery.com or by calling the winning numbers hotlines at 480-829-PICK in Phoenix, 520-325-9141 in Tucson, 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.

Arkansans Win With Approval of Scholarship Lottery Bills

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

STATE OF ARKANSAS

OFFICE OF THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Statement on House and Senate Approval of Lottery Bills

LITTLE ROCK (March 18, 2009) -- We are pleased to see the Scholarship Lottery move one step closer to reality today with the approval of companion bills in the state Senate and state House of Representatives.

This victory for all Arkansans has been three years in the making and could not have been achieved without the hard work and unwavering support of countless individuals and organizations.

We hope all Arkansans appreciate the boundless philanthropy of John and Patti Bailey of Little Rock. Buoyed by their generosity, HOPE for Arkansas led a successful signature-petition campaign last spring and summer resulting in overwhelming voter approval of a constitutional amendment.

Special thanks as well to Ted and Sharon Bailey, Warren Stephens, John Tyson, John White, Alan Hughes, the Arkansas State AFL-CIO, the Arkansas Oil Marketers Association, the UALR Board of Visitors and so many others who worked so hard to provide higher education opportunities for all Arkansans.

We applaud the legislators who worked to draft legislation that should provide universally available scholarships to all Arkansans who work hard and play by the rules. We are thrilled for the Arkansas students and families who will benefit from these new scholarships. Over time, we are confident that the lottery scholarships will dramatically expand jobs and raise incomes in Arkansas.

SOURCE: Press release issued by the office of the Lieutenant Governor.

Louisiana Lottery Reports More Than $8.3 Million in Winning Draw-Style Tickets & More Than $7.9 Million Claimed from Scratch-Off Tickets during February

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (March 17, 2009) -- Taking a family trip to Disney World, purchasing a brand new truck, and buying a big screen TV are just some of the things that February winners of the Louisiana Lottery scratch-off games said they would do with the more than $7.9 million claimed last month. During February, the Louisiana Lottery also reported more than $8.3 million in winning tickets for its draw-style games.

February's winning draw-style tickets included one "match-5" Powerball prize of $200,000, nine Powerball prizes of $10,000 each, and 197  "match-5" Lotto prizes averaging $1,781 each. Pick 3 prizes totaled $1,625,210 and Pick 4 prizes totaled $1,174,800.

Easy 5 prizes totaled $461,032 with an additional $247,606 in ezmatch prizes. For an additional $1, players can add ezmatch to their Easy 5 ticket for the chance to win up to $250 instantly.  In total, draw-style game winnings were $8,346,901 for last month.

"Over 33,000 Power Play purchasers won a bonus total of $508,141 in addition to their regular Powerball prize," Lottery President Rose Hudson said.  For an additional $1, the Power Play option offers Powerball ticket purchasers the chance to multiply any nonjackpot-related prize up to five times depending upon the Power Play multiplier number randomly selected during the drawing.

Lottery draw-style game players have 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim any winnings.

"We encourage players to sign the back of their tickets immediately after purchasing and to check them promptly after the drawing. Even if a ticket does not win the jackpot, it could have won another prize," Hudson added.

In addition to $7,901,205 in scratch-off cash prizes paid during February, players also claimed $1,524,926 worth of free tickets. Scratch-off players have 90 days from the official game closure date to redeem a winning ticket. According to Lottery policy, scratch-off games are closed when all top prizes are claimed.

While actual game performance and the amount of prizes claimed will vary from month to month, the Lottery allocates at least 50 percent of sales to fund prizes. At least 35 percent of sales is transferred to the state treasury for the Minimum Foundation Program that funds public education in Louisiana. Retailers are paid at least 5 percent in commission, and the Lottery retains less than 10 percent of sales to operate.

A list of current scratch-off games, prizes remaining and claim deadlines, as well as winning numbers and large unclaimed prizes for the Lottery's draw-style games, can be found on our Web site.

Hudson reminded ticket purchasers to play responsibly, encouraging anyone who has a gambling problem, or friends and family of anyone with a gambling problem, to call toll-free 1-877-770-7867 for help.  Ticket purchasers must be at least 21 years of age.

SOURCE: Louisiana Lottery.

Georgia Lottery Teams Up With Bass Pro Shops® to 'Pitch' Outdoor Buddy Challenge

ATLANTA, Georgia (March 03, 2009) – The Georgia Lottery has teamed up with Bass Pro Shops® to launch the Outdoor Buddy Challenge. Lottery players have an opportunity to "tackle" the great outdoors for a chance to "reel in" great fun and great prizes, including a grand prize of $10,000 in Bass Pro Shops® gift cards.

The Outdoor Buddy Challenge will feature four outdoor adventure contests: air rifle, archery, bait casting and tent pitching. Teams of four can register at www.outdoorbuddychallenge.com from March 3 until 5 p.m., March 24. The event will be held April 4 at the Discover Mills Bass Pro Shops®, 5900 Sugarloaf Parkway in Lawrenceville.

The first 100 teams of four to register will be eligible to compete in the Outdoor Buddy Challenge. All teams will compete for Bass Pro Shops® and Georgia Lottery prizes.

The Outdoor Buddy Challenge is held in conjunction with the upcoming Georgia Lottery instant game Bass Pro Shops® $250,000 Cash Adventure. Game tickets go on sale statewide March 17.

Visit www.outdoorbuddychallenge.com for additional details and to register for the Outdoor Buddy Challenge. The number of participants is limited, so grab your buddies and register your team today.

Headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, Bass Pro Shops, also an international catalog and internet retailer, currently has 54 retail locations in 26 states and Canada visited by over 100 million people per year. In addition, Bass Pro Shops, also provides products and services for thousands of independent dealers world wide through its subsidiary company, American Rod & Gun. Bass Pro Shops gift cards can be purchased at over 132,000 retail outlets across America. For more information regarding Bass Pro Shops store locations, products or special events, please visit www.basspro.com.

Since its first year, the Georgia Lottery Corporation has returned more than $10.5 billion to the state of Georgia for education. All Georgia Lottery profits go to pay for specific educational programs including Georgia's HOPE Scholarship Program and Georgia's Pre-K Program. More than 1.1 million students have received HOPE, and more than 940,000 4-year-olds have attended the statewide, voluntary prekindergarten program.

For more information, please visit the Media Center on the Georgia Lottery Web site at:

www.galottery.com

La Française des Jeux Launches OXO, A New Draw Based Tic-Tac-Toe Game

FRANCE (March 19, 2009) -- On March 16, La Française des Jeux launched OXO, an exciting new tic-tac-toe style game, fun and easy to play. OXO provides daily draws and gives players a chance to win rolling jackpots which start at €500,000 and grow until someone wins as well as an additional chance to win up to €500,000 instantly.

How to play:

• Players choose 1 of 6 numbers from each of the 9 squares or ask the retailer for one or more OXO Quick Pick game(s). There are 4 games on each playslip.
• Players select how much they want to play per draw: €2, €4, €6, €10 by marking the appropriate box.
• Player may play in advance from 2 up to 7 consecutive draws. To do so, they indicate the number of draws they wish to play in the corresponding box.
• For an additional €1 or €2, players can also participate to Joker+, the 7-digit add-on game.

Players receive, then, a ticket with their game(s), i.e. their numbers played as well as a unique board with 9 numbers, i.e. an ‘instant draw’ printed at the bottom of the ticket.

Once purchased, OXO tickets can not be cancelled.

How to win:

Players must produce one or more “lines” either vertically, horizontally or diagonally or match the central square. The more lines they match, the more they win.

The new game offers everyday 2 chances of winning with a double draw:

• he instant draw: players match their numbers to the ‘instant draw’ numbers to find one or more vertical, horizontal or diagonal rows or the central square number to know instantly if they have won from €2 to €500,000.
• the evening draw: players match their numbers to those drawn on the Internet site. If the numbers they match form one or more lines (vertical, horizontal or diagonal) or if they find the central square number, they win a prize (same prizes as for the instant draw). If they match all the numbers, they win the top prize, i.e. the rolling jackpot that starts at €500,000.

Players can cumulate their winnings of both draws (see prize structure below).

Evening draws:

The jackpot starts at €500,000 and rollovers with €50,000 at each draw until it is won. The jackpot is capped at €4,5 million corresponding to 80 draws, if there is no jackpot winner, the amount is rolled down and shared amongst the second prize level winners.

OXO drawings are held every evening at approximately 8:30 PM exclusively on the Internet website: www.oxo.fr. Results are available via both the Internet and the POS.

Players can not claim their prize(s) the same day they played. Winnings are paid the day after the draw.

The advertising campaign with features the tagline ‘You can win now and later and later and now’ focuses on two ermines, one representing the excitement related to the immediate draw, the other one symbolizing the patience in awaiting the evening draw.

Prize structure

*Jackpot prize is pari-mutuel. The amount is shared between the winners of the 1st prize level, proportionally to their stake amount.

Fore more information, please contact: Antonia Dadoun – La Française des Jeux. Email: adadoun@lfdj.com

Colorado Lottery Reviewing Partnership With Mega Millions

DENVER, Colorado (March 18, 2009) – The Colorado Lottery, along with other members of the Multi State Lottery Association (MUSL), is reviewing the option of selling tickets for the jackpot game Mega Millions. Started in 1996 as the Big Game, Mega Millions has a starting jackpot of $12 million and other prizes ranging from $2 to $250,000. The game would supplement, rather than replace Powerball (operated through MUSL), the mega jackpot game currently offered in Colorado.

“In these tough economic times, lotteries nationwide have to be focused on finding ways to continue supporting the beneficiaries who depend on us,” said Colorado Lottery Director Jack Boehm. “If adding a new game can drive sales and increase revenue for the state’s parks, trails, recreation centers and open space projects, then we have to be diligent about exploring that option.”

The lotteries that sell either Powerball or Mega Millions are evaluating the legal, marketing, security systems and financial issues involved in cross-selling both games. Each game is drawn on a different night; funds the jackpot a bit differently; and has a different process of estimating and guaranteeing the jackpots.  In addition, any agreement to sell Mega Millions in Colorado would require authorization by the Lottery Commission, which approves all games offered by the Colorado Lottery.

While there is no specific deadline for deciding whether to cross-sell, the lotteries reviewing the possibility of offering both games would like to move as quickly as practicable.  As many as 42 states could offer both games, if an agreement is reached.

The Colorado Lottery has offered Powerball since 2001. In January, the game was re-tooled to increase the starting jackpot from $15 million to $20 million and improve the average jackpot to roughly $141 million from $95.5 million.  A group of Nebraska meatpacking plant workers won the largest jackpot on record - $365 million – in 2006. Colorado claimed its first Powerball jackpot winners in October 2007, when SEEP Financial Group won $20 million. The odds of winning any prize in Powerball are one in 36. The odds of winning any prize in Mega Millions are one in 40.

Proceeds from Powerball and the Colorado Lottery’s other games – Lotto, Cash 5 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 more than $2 billion in funding since 1983 to build new trails, preserve open space, construct recreation centers and protect wildlife habitat.

CONTACT: Erika Gonzalez, Phone: 303.759.6872, Cell: 303.945.9724. Email: erika.gonzalez@lottery.state.co.us

SOURCE: Colorado Lottery.