| INTRALOT Makes Children’s Wishes Come
True 24 children from the
Charitable Organization “Huancayo” will visit the capital city
of Peru LIMA, Peru (February 25, 2009) --
INTRALOT de Peru, a subsidiary of INTRALOT
S.A. and operator of the first online lottery of the country “La
Tinka”, will fulfill the wish of 24 children from the juvenile shelter
“Domingo Savio” by offering 3 full days of entertainment in
Peru’s Capital city, Lima. With the cooperation of the Charitable
Organization “Huancayo”, which sponsors the shelter, INTRALOT
de Peru will offer its young guests a unique experience.
The children, accompanied
by their 8 foster mothers and INTRALOT’s executives, will have the
opportunity to visit the most important cultural monuments of Lima and Callao,
such as the Parque de la Leyendas Zoo and the Real Felipe Fortress. The journey
will also include an excursion to the historical center of Colonial Lima and
the “Parque de la Reserva” with its numerous amazing fountains;
Congress among others. INTRALOT de Peru, aiming to
enhance the children’s cultural education and amusement, will undertake
all the travelling and accommodation costs. This journey is part of the Welfare
Program of INTRALOT de Peru, which aims to support Charitable Organizations,
such as “Huancayo” and “Jaén”, through
the sales of “La Tinka” and “Rapitinkas”,
undertaking initiatives that enhance the quality of life of those in need.
About INTRALOT INTRALOT, a public listed company, is the
leading supplier of integrated gaming and transaction processing systems,
innovative game content and sports betting management, to state-licensed gaming
organizations worldwide. Its broad portfolio of products & services, its
know-how of Lottery, Betting & Video Lottery operations and its
leading-edge technology, give INTRALOT a competitive advantage which
contributes directly to customers’ efficiency, profitability and growth.
With presence in 50 countries, with 5,000 people and revenues of €835.5 m.
for 2007, INTRALOT has established its presence on all 5 continents.
SOURCE: INTRALOT de Peru.
Proposed
Changes to Finnish Lotteries Act Raise European Commission Concerns Even
Further BRUSSELS, Belgium
(February 12, 2009) -- The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA)
welcomes the European Commission’s decision to issue formal Comments (1)
against the proposed changes to the Finnish lotteries act. These changes, if
implemented, would increase the extent of the breach of EU law that is already
the subject of an EC infringement procedure.
The European Commission has
already objected to the existing Finnish gaming legislation back in March 2007
when it issued a “Reasoned Opinion” the last procedural stage
before a referral to the European Court of Justice. The new draft
provisions introduce even further restrictions on indirect marketing of
gambling services for operators without a Finnish license, as well as fines and
prison sentences of up to two years for both media and online gaming companies
operating or marketing such activities. These additional restrictions are,
however, not aimed at enhancing consumer protection in a consistent and
systematic manner as they will not apply to the Finnish government’s own
gambling activities which will still be allowed to conduct extensive and
aggressive marketing campaigns. RAY (the
Finnish Slot Machine Association) has even announced its intention to launch an
internet poker site later this year. According to
Sigrid Ligné, EGBA Secretary General: “This shows all too
clearly that the Finnish authorities have for the past two years - during which
the Commission has been delaying Finland’s referral to the ECJ - enhanced
their protectionist legislation rather than removed it."
She concludes that: “The rights of EU licensed
gaming and betting operators as well as those of Finnish newspapers and media
have been ignored for too long and the situation is only deteriorating. The
Commission’s patience has clearly not paid off. We now call on the
Guardian of the Treaty to defend our rights and to bring Finland to the
ECJ.” The Finnish changes to the
lotteries act were notified to Commissioner Verheugen’s services and
Member States under Directive 98/34/EC in November 2008. The notification
procedure is aimed at preventing Member States from creating new barriers to
the internal market freedoms by giving the opportunity to the Commission and
Member States to evaluate the content of a draft law before it is
adopted. (1) Comments issued by the
European Commission in the context of the notification procedure mean that it
considers that the text submitted raises issues or requires further details for
clarified interpretation. Click
here for further information on the Commission notification procedure.
For further information or comment please CONTACT: Sigrid
Ligné: +32 (0) 2 256 7527, Email: egba@egba.eu About
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) The EGBA is an association of leading European gaming and
betting operators Bet-at-home.com, bwin, Digibet, Expekt, Interwetten,
PartyGaming and Unibet. EGBA is a Brussels-based
non-profit association. It promotes the right of private gaming and betting
operators that are regulated and licensed in one Member State to a fair market
access throughout the European Union. Online gaming and betting is a fast
growing market, but will remain for the next decades a negligible part of the
overall European gaming market in which the traditional land based offer
is expected to grow from € 85 Billion GGR in 2008 to € 93 Billion GGR
in 2012, thus keeping the lion’s share with 88,1% of the market.
Source: H2 Gambling Capital, January 2009.
SOURCE: The European Gaming and Betting Association
(EGBA).
The Belgian
National Lottery Has Renewed Its Partnership With License2Win, With Its Highly
Successful Valentine’s Day “Love is…”
scratchcard PARIS, France
(February 23, 2009) - license2win, a
French company and subsidiary of LudWin
Group founded in 2008, is the first company in Europe to offer gaming
licences for European lotteries. Licensing is an
effective, measurable communication tool that enables companies to maximise the
profile of an event, capitalise on existing business to increase sales, etc. It
enables brands to target specific audiences with precision and to generate new
income through the brand's strong image. Furthermore, for infrequent or
seasonal events, scratchcards are an ideal way to support and maximise brand
visibility.
The “Love
is…” scratchcards, licensed to the Belgian National Lottery by licese2win, were
launched for Valentine’s Day and enjoyed great success among the Belgian
public. The volume of sales exceeded all expectations. More than 800,000
“Love is…” cards were sold in just four weeks! In light of this
extraordinary success, the Belgian National Lottery has decided to renew its
partnership with license2win and offer these scratchcards for sale all year
round. Furthermore, the wide choice of “Love
is…” visuals means that the cards can be adapted to suit seasonal
needs or events in local markets. According to Vincent Hotyat, Strategy and
Product Development Director and also CEO of SLE-Euromillions: “The
Love is… licence has been by far the most successful in our market for the
last four years. By comparison, the Indiana Jones game had sold 300,000 cards
by the end of its first four weeks. The Love is...game has sold 160% more
tickets than our previous licensed game.” About License2win (http://www.license2win.com)
License2win is a French
company, created in 2008, that operates in the cash prize games market. It was
created as a joint venture between Guillaume Baudry and LudWin Group, and is
the first company in Europe to offer gaming licences specifically tailored to
this market. Its customers primarily include European National Lotteries.
Contact details: license2win - Guillaume Baudry –
Managing Director T: +33 1 40 06 41 42 – Email:
info@license2win.com.
About LudWin Group LudWin
Group was founded in 2007 by Yves Hémard and Christophe Caye. It is a
French company that specialises in providing advice and support to game
operators, as well as selling products and services associated with cash prize
games. LudWin Group has dedicated, skilled teams of
multi-disciplinary staff, a range of subsidiaries and a network of experts.
This enables the company to offer solutions that are tailored to its customers'
needs and that are appropriate for the economic and structural context of a
rapidly-expanding market, both in France and worldwide.
For more information about LudWin Group, please visit:
www.ludwingroup.com.
CONTACT: Agence VILLAGE RP, Rachel Bornais -
01.40.22.60.95, email: r.bornais@village-rp.com or Samia
Debeine Bounoua – 01 40 22 61 90 – Email:
s.debeine-bounoua@village-rp.com.
North Carolina Education Lottery Surpasses $3
Billion in Sales RALEIGH, North
Carolina (February 26, 2009) -- Sometime today sales for the
North Carolina Education Lottery will
surpass $3 billion since the lottery first began selling tickets on March 30,
2006.
| Advertisement |
 |
This watershed sales amount
was hit in two years and eleven months. Only four other state lotteries that we
are aware of have accomplished this sales record in their first three years of
operations: Florida,
California, Texas and Georgia. “Hitting this sales record in under three years is a
testimony to the people of North Carolina who have supported the education
lottery. It is also a testimony to the staff of the lottery and the lottery
retailers across the state who have been dedicated to making as much money for
education in North Carolina as possible,” said
Tom Shaheen, executive director.
Lottery sales have grown steadily since inception. The
lottery will add a Carolina Pick 4 game this spring, which will round out the
complement of games and signal a transition from start-up to mature lottery.
From it’s inception through December 31, 2008 the lottery has raised over
$918 million for education. The next major milestone for the lottery will be to
cross $1 billion for education which should occur in the very near future.
SOURCE: N. C. Education Lottery. CONTACT: Alice Garland,
Phone: (919) 301-3602. Total Texas
Lottery® Transfers To The Foundation School Fund Top $11
Billion AUSTIN, Texas (February
20, 2009) – With February’s deposit of $75.1 million,
Texas Lottery® transfers to the
Foundation School Fund (FSF) now total more than $11 billion
since 1997.
“This milestone is
a testament to the hard work of Texas Lottery staff and retailers,”
said Texas Lottery Commission Deputy Executive Director Gary Grief.
“Their steadfast focus on customer service and integrity makes Texas
public education the big winner.” Overall,
95% of the Texas Lottery’s $3.67 billion in sales was returned to the
state and players in the form of prizes, contributions to the FSF, retailer
bonuses and commissions, and other state programs. In
FY 2008, more than $983 million was contributed to the FSF. Other lottery
revenue, such as unclaimed prizes, was returned to the state as part of the
General Revenue Fund. Since the first ticket was sold
in 1992, the Texas Lottery Commission has transferred more than $16 billion in
revenue to the state. From 1992 to 1997, proceeds were allocated to the General
Revenue Fund. Since a change in law in 1997, all net revenue has been
transferred to the FSF to support education in the state.
Players have claimed more than $30 billion since startup,
and Texas Lottery retailers have received bonuses and commissions exceeding
$2.6 billion. For more information about the Texas
Lottery, please visit the official Texas Lottery Commission Web site at
http://www.txlottery.org.
SOURCE: Texas Lottery. CONTACT: Media Relations,
512-344-5131. Association of
Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) Announce Seven New Members Join
Organization LAS VEGAS, Nevada
(February 23, 2009) -- The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM)
announced today that its Board of Directors has approved the membership
applications of seven new companies, bringing the trade group comprised of the
world's leading gaming suppliers to a total of 73 members.
The new AGEM members are:
- Astro Corp., based in Taipei,
Taiwan, is a leading manufacturer of gaming machines featuring unique game
concepts, animated special effects and 3-D graphics.
- Digital Display Group, based in
Edina, Minn., is a division of Alpha Video & Audio and provides digital
signage solutions and software that links to progressives and casino management
systems.
- Euro Games Technology (EGT),
based in Sofia, Bulgaria, is a leading manufacturer of games, gaming machines,
jackpot systems and multi-player solutions.
- Gaming Support, based in
Rotterdam, The Netherlands with operations in Las Vegas, supplies digital
signage, jackpot controllers and gaming management systems.
- KGM Gaming, based in
Philadelphia, supplies and distributes gaming machines and a wide variety of
other products and services in Pennsylvania and the Northeast.
- Lewis & Roca, a law firm with
offices in Las Vegas, Reno, Phoenix, Tucson and Albuquerque, specializes in
issues impacting the gaming industry and equipment manufacturers.
- Tournament One, based in Las
Vegas, focuses on supplying equipment manufacturers with state-of-the-art
digital media and game content development with an emphasis on custom mystery
events.
AGEM is an international trade association
representing manufacturers and suppliers of electronic gaming devices, systems,
table games, key components and support products and services for the gaming
industry. AGEM works to further the interests of gaming equipment suppliers
throughout the world. Through political action, trade show partnerships,
information dissemination and good corporate citizenship, the members of AGEM
work together to create benefits for every company within the organization.
Together, AGEM has assisted regulatory commissions and participated in the
legislative process to solve problems and create a business environment where
AGEM members can prosper while providing a strong level of support to education
and responsible gaming initiatives. For more information, visit
www.AGEM.org. The current AGEM membership roster, 73
strong, is a who's who of the supplier segment of the global gaming industry:
CONTACT: Tom Jingoli, President, +1-702-616-1400,
tjingoli@kgiexecutive.com or
Marcus Prater, Executive Director, +1-702-812-6932,
AGEM.org@cox.net, both of Association of
Gaming Equipment Manufacturers.
Lottery
Operator Announces Lotto Price Increase
SOUTH AFRICA (February 23 2009) -- For the first time,
since the launch of the National Lottery nine
years ago, the price of a LOTTO and a LOTTO Plus entry will increase.
“The price increase
which will come into effect on 26 March 2009 entails that a LOTTO entry will go
up from R2.50 to R3.50 and the costs of a LOTTO Plus entry will increase from
R1.00 to R1.50. This price will have a positive direct impact on prizes won and
the rand value of Gidani’s contribution to good causes,” said
Thembi Tulwana, spokesperson for Gidani,
operator of the National Lottery. She further
explained that this mean that the LOTTO jackpots and other prizes will be
larger while the 34% Gidani given to the National Lottery Distribution Trust
Fund will translate into a significantly higher amount of money.
When Gidani took over the operation of the National
Lottery from the previous operator a commitment was made to keep the touch and
feel of the National Lottery unchanged. This meant keeping the games that
people had become familiar with, LOTTO, LOTTO Plus, Wina Manje and SportStake
the same. “For the benefit and convenience of our players the price was
also deliberately kept exactly as it was since the introduction of the Lottery
in 2000.” Tulwana points out. “Based
on the annual average CPI percentage changes from 2000 to 2008 a LOTTO entry
today should be retailing at R4.22,” expands Tulwana. In addition,
inflation has also impacted on the value of the contributions made to Good
Causes, even though Gidani has endeavored to mitigate the impact by increasing
the percentage paid to good causes to 34% compared to the average of 22% by the
previous operator.
This increase is a
precursor to a number of exciting announcements to be made in the coming weeks
as the renewal of the National Lottery unfolds. “At the end of last
year we repeated our commitment made when we started that under Gidani National
Lottery participants had exciting days ahead of them.” announced
Tulwana. Tulwana also said that the value of the
Jackpots has also been negatively affected and that LOTTO and LOTTO Plus
players were aware that the value of Jackpots has not kept in line with
inflation. Actually the value of money has reduced by 70% between 2000 and
2008. She argues, “Applying the average annual
CPI percentage changes between 2000 and 2008 to a R2 million Jackpot of year
2000 on a R2,50 LOTTO entry when the products were launched, the value of that
Jackpot would be worth R600 000 today. This means that the value of money has
reduced by 70% between 2000 and 2008”. Players are reminded that nothing has changed in the method
of playing LOTTO and LOTTO Plus except R1 extra for LOTTO and 50 cents for
LOTTO Plus. A whole new, marvelous Lottery experience beckons.
SOURCE: Gidani – The National Lottery.
Lottery Kicks
Off 20th Anniversary Celebration with Commemorative
Ticket BOISE, Idaho (February 23,
2009) -- The Idaho Lottery is marking 20
years of success this morning with the debut of their special edition,
commemorative 20th Anniversary Have a 200 Grand Time ticket, a new
Scratch™ game that features a top prize of $200,000. Today’s
announcement starts a five month long campaign to celebrate the Idaho
Lottery’s twentieth year of operations.
“The success of the
Lottery over the past two decades has been truly remarkable,” stated
Jeff Anderson, Idaho Lottery
Director. “To be approaching one-half of a billion dollars in returned
dividends to the public schools and permanent buildings of Idaho in just twenty
years has certainly exceeded the expectations of those who created the Lottery
back in 1989.” The Idaho Lottery sold their
first $1 Scratch™ ticket, Idaho Match 3, to Idaho billionaire J.R. Simplot
during a ceremony on the steps of the Idaho State Capitol on July 19,
1989. Since that time, the Idaho Lottery has generated nearly $1.8
billion in revenue through an extensive network of 900 retail locations
statewide. Over the twenty years since, the
Idaho Lottery has awarded more than $1 billion in player prizes, paid over $100
million in retailer commissions, and returned over $402.3 million in dividends
to the Idaho Public School Building account and the Idaho State Permanent
Building Fund. “For the campaign, our 20th
Anniversary game is all about the 20’s” described Anderson.
“In addition to the two top prizes worth $200,000 each, this game
features a lot of $20 and $200 prizes, plus twenty, $2,000 prizes.
It’s really a thank you to our players, our retail partners, and our
beneficiaries.” For a limited print run of
only 300,000 tickets, the new $20, 20th Anniversary Have a 200 Grand Time
Scratch™ game goes on sale today and carries two top prizes of
$200,000. The game, printed on shiny, holographic paper, has over $4.6
million in prizes.
To further enhance this
year’s celebration, beginning on March 20, 2009, and the 20th of each
month thereafter until the Lottery’s celebration date on July 20, 2009,
the Lottery will be awarding one lucky player with a prize of $2,000. Players
wishing to enter these limited drawings can enter one non-winning 20th
Anniversary Have a 200 Grand Time ticket through Lottery’s website at
www.idaholottery.com or via the Lottery’s tele-entry system at
208-334-4656. When the game officially ends, the Lottery will then hold a
second chance draw for all the entries and award one lucky player $50,000.
“To all our players and all our retail partners,
thank you. I hope all of Idaho will take a moment to join us in celebrating
twenty great years of entertainment from your Idaho Lottery,” added
Anderson. “And please, when you play, please do so
responsibly.” ABOUT THE IDAHO
LOTTERY The Idaho Lottery responsibly provides a
variety of entertaining games featuring Powerball, Scratch™ tickets, and
PullTabs with a high degree of integrity to maximize the dividend for Idaho
public schools and buildings. Since it’s inception in 1989, the Idaho
Lottery has sold more than $1.7 billion in sales, awarded over $1 billion in
prizes to players, returned more than $100 million in retail commissions, and
distributed more than $402 million in Lottery dividends to state public schools
and buildings. To learn more, please visit www.idaholottery.com.
SOURCE: Idaho Lottery. CONTACT: David Workman, (208)
334-2600. Florida Lottery
Launches $1 Billion Scratch-Off Game
BILLION DOLLAR BLOCKBUSTER Hits Stores February
24
TALLAHASSEE, Florida
(February 23, 2009) -- The Florida
Lottery’s newest $20 Scratch-Off game, BILLION DOLLAR BLOCKBUSTER,
will offer an unprecedented $1 billion in prizes, including 10 instant-win top
prizes of $10 million, and has the highest cash payout of any game in the
Lottery’s 21-year history. “Florida’s worldwide reputation as the #1
lottery in terms of $20 ticket sales will continue with BILLION DOLLAR
BLOCKBUSTER,” said Florida Lottery Secretary
Leo DiBenigno. “In
addition to benefiting our students and schools, players are going to be the
big winners with this historic ticket.” Besides the $10 million top prizes, BILLION DOLLAR
BLOCKBUSTER offers 120 prizes of $1 million, more than 51,000 prizes from
$1,000 to $20,000, and more than 21.9 million prizes from $20 to $500. The
game’s overall odds of winning are 1-in-2.98.
| Number of Prizes
|
Prize
Amounts |
Odds
|
| 10 |
$10,000,000* |
1:6,552,000.00 |
| 120 |
$1,000,000* |
1:546,000.00 |
| 273 |
$20,000 |
1:240,000.00 |
| 1,638 |
$10,000 |
1:40,000.00 |
| 1,092 |
$5,000 |
1:60,000.00 |
| 48,048 |
$1,000 |
1:1,363.64 |
| 120,120 |
$500 |
1:545.45 |
| 2,194,920 |
$100 |
1:29.85 |
| 1,310,400 |
$50 |
1:50.00 |
| 1,310,400 |
$40 |
1:50.00 |
| 2,620,800 |
$30 |
1:25.00 |
| 6,552,000 |
$25 |
1:10.00 |
| 7,862,400 |
$20 |
1:8.33 |
| Totals: 22,022,221
|
$1,092,508,000 |
1:2.98 |
* Paid in 20 annual installments
About the Florida
Lottery Since 1988, the Florida Lottery has
contributed more than $19 billion to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund,
benefiting our students and schools, as well as funding more than one million
Bright Futures Scholarships. By a two-to-one margin, Florida voters in 1986
approved a constitutional amendment authorizing the state to operate a Lottery
for the purpose of generating significant additional moneys for education.
CONTACT: Connie Barnes, (850) 487-7727.
Michigan
Lottery Launches New Raffle Game LANSING, Michigan (February 25, 2009) -- The
Michigan Lottery's newest Raffle game,
Lucky 7s! A limited number of $10 tickets, only 1,000,000, will be sold at all
Lottery terminals across Michigan beginning March 2, 2009. Each ticket
sold will contain a unique seven-digit number from 0000001 to 1000000.
In a single drawing scheduled for on or after May 4,
2009, 19,820 Lucky 7s tickets will be randomly selected to win the following
great prizes:
| Prize
|
Odds
of Winning |
| 2 grand prizes of
$700,000 each |
1:500,000 |
| 18 prizes of $70,000
each |
1:55,556 |
| 1,800 prizes of $700
each |
1:556
|
| 18,000 prizes of $70
each |
1:56
|
|
Overall: 1:50 |
Odds are just 1 in 50 of winning a prize in the Michigan
Lottery's largest Raffle giveaway ever!
- Tickets are $10 each and can be
purchased 7 days a week at any online or Club Keno retailer
- Tickets will be printed in
numerical order as issued
- No additional tickets will be
available for purchase when all 1,000,000 tickets are sold
- Tickets will be easy picks only;
players cannot pick their own numbers
- Tickets cannot be cancelled and
multi-draw wagers are not available
- Ticket sales will end no later
than 1:59 a.m. on the day of the drawing
- There will be only one drawing on
or after May 4, 2009
- Player must match their numbers
in exact order to those drawn by the Lottery
- Players must have their original
Lucky 7s Raffle ticket to claim their prize
- Prizes must be claimed within one
year of draw date
- Winning numbers will be posted on
Lottery's Web site at www.michigan.gov/lottery after the drawing
- $700 prizes may be claimed at any
Michigan Lottery office or licensed claim center
- $700,000 and $70,000 prize
winners must call the Lottery's Public Relations Division at (517) 373-1237 to
schedule an appointment to claim their prize
SOURCES: Michigan Lottery.
|
