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LOTTERY
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| Vol. 31 No. 9 -- Monday May 30, 2005 |
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GTECH Signs Two-Year Contract Extension With Customer in Denmark WEST GREENWICH, Rhode Island, USA (May 26, 2005) -- GTECH Holdings Corporation (NYSE: GTK) today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, GTECH Corporation, signed a two-year contract extension with Dansk Tipstjeneste A/S, the operator of the National Lottery in Denmark. Under the terms of the contract extension, GTECH will continue to provide Dansk Tipstjeneste with software support and terminal maintenance and repair through August 31, 2007. "We have had a long and cooperative relationship with Dansk Tipstjeneste for more than 15 years, and we appreciate the opportunity to continue contributing to their success," said GTECH President and CEO W. Bruce Turner. With annual sales exceeding $1.3 billion in 2004, Dansk Tipstjeneste raises funds to support health, education, youth, and sports.
GTECH has provided online lottery equipment and services to Dansk Tipstjeneste since 1989. The Company expects to generate revenues of approximately $10 million over the two-year contract extension. GTECH, a leading global information technology company with over $1 billion in revenues and 5,300 people in over 50 countries, provides software, networks, and professional services that power high-performance, transaction processing solutions. The Company’s core market is the lottery industry, with a growing presence in commercial gaming technology and financial services transaction processing. For more information about the Company, please visit GTECH’s website at http://www.gtech.com. SOURCE: GTECH Holdings Corporation. Sazka, a.s.
Accepts Responsible Gaming Strategy Supported by International Lottery
Associations PRAGUE, Czech Republic (May 20, 2005) -- SAZKA, a.s., the largest lottery operator in the Czech Republic, has accepted a new responsible gaming strategy: "Strategy in the Area of Support Extended to Responsible Gaming and Ethical Principles in the Gaming and Lottery Industries". The strategy is based on the contemporary trends and recommendations supported by international lottery associations, primarily the World Lottery Association (WLA)and the European Lotteries (EL).
The strategy concerns the non-playing public, the problem-free, risk and problem players. In addition to legislation measures it comprises promotional, marketing and other activities as well as informing the general public and communication with various target groups. It interconnects legislative regulation and principles of ethical self-regulation and responsibility of subjects active in the betting, lottery and gaming industries. In implementation of the Strategy SAZKA, a.s., will rely on co-operation of public institutions, regulatory bodies and the expert public. In formulating the Strategy SAZKA, a.s., relied on the fact that the betting industry is a legitimate business segment existing and developing in regulated environment. It offers the customer a socially responsible entertainment creating funds for good causes in various areas. In conformity with the new Strategy SAZKA, a.s., will focus 'inter-alia' on utilisation of various communication channels to present the principles of responsible gaming in the media, between the players/bettors, operators of gaming outlets, business partners and employees of the company. SAZKA, a.s., will regularly analyse and evaluate the implementation and results of the Strategy. SAZKA, a.s., is the biggest national operator of lotteries and ranks among the biggest companies active in the field of odds betting. In 2004 SAZKA, a.s., launched a new product – a central lottery system with interactive video lottery terminals (VLTs). Its trade name is "STARPORT". SOURCE: SAZKA, a.s. (http://www.sazka.cz) media release.
WLA Report on China's First International Lottery Expo
BASEL, Switzerland (May 22, 2005) -- World Lottery Association (WLA) President Reidar Nordby, Jr. was invited to speak at China International Lottery Technology & Equipment Expo in Beijing in April 2005 – the first international lottery technology and equipment exhibition ever held in China. Authorized by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce, the event was supported by the China Welfare Lottery Issuance and Management Center, one of China's two state-controlled lottery organizations. It was sponsored by the Lottery Committee, China Association of Social Work, and managed by China Gloria (Beijing) Lottery Entertainment & Culture Co. Organized around the theme of "New Market, Hi-technology," the event was designed to focus attention on opportunities for expanding the lottery market, exchanging lottery technology, exploring future opportunities and promoting international communication for the benefit of Chinese society. It sought to narrow the gap between the Chinese and international lottery industries and accelerate the all-round development of the Chinese lottery industry by exhibiting new products and technologies from inside and outside the country.
The event included a theme seminar and conference program as well as a trade exhibition, and attracted lottery operators and suppliers of lottery technology and equipment from more than 20 countries and regions. The provincial lottery Centers of Guangdong, Hei Longjiang and Chongqing set up specialized booths to demonstrate local playing methods and advanced technology equipment. The conference program included discussions of lottery operations and management, technology innovation and lottery security, scientific research, software and hardware supply as well as printing. The theme seminar focused on the lottery's role in meeting the needs of the elderly, handicapped people and orphaned children, and, more generally, in supporting government in social welfare. In his opening address, Liu Cheng Hui, Secretary General of the China Welfare Lottery Issuing & Administration Center, welcomed delegates to the event and offered a brief overview of the state-controlled lottery sector in China. "With the rapid development of the China Welfare Lottery," he said, "we attach great importance to international exchange and cooperation. We particularly appreciate the help and strong support we receive from the World Lottery Association and the Asia Pacific Lottery Association." Henry Chan, Chairman of the Asia Pacific Lottery Association and Executive Director of Hong Kong's HKJC Lotteries Ltd. explained how technology could expand lottery operations in an "operatorless, ticketless virtual space." He presented the Hong Kong Jockey Club's vision of socially responsible gaming and outlined his organization's extensive responsible gambling measures and policies. WLA President Reidar Nordby, Jr., was a guest at China Expo along with WLA Secretary General Yvonne Schnyder. "China is a huge and flourishing lottery market," Nordby said. "This event has been an excellent opportunity for lottery professionals from around the world to understand the background and current status of the Chinese lottery market, and to better address the challenges posed by burgeoning demand. The international lottery community is delighted to share its experience with Chinese lotteries in their efforts to support social welfare while striking a balance between rapid growth and social responsibility." SOURCE: World Lottery Association (WLA).
Lottomatica Unit
Chosen as Technology Provider to Dematerialise Stamp Duties ROME, Italy (May 20, 2005) - Lottomatica announces that its subsidiary Lottomatica Italia Servizi has been selected as the technological provider of the new plan to dematerialise stamp duties starting in June. Under this major project, the new marks purchased and printed "to measure" in the tobacconist’s will replace the "old" revenue stamps for all purposes. To purchase a stamp duty, you need only tell the clerk the amount required to receive an adhesive sticker printed by a special terminal. The new system was designed in compliance with Article 7, paragraph 2, of Legislative Decree No. 7/2005, converted by Law No. 43/2005, under which stamp duties and government concession taxes - where such fees are paid through stamps - may be paid using the special marks, issued electronically by authorized Revenues Office dealers. The project was conceived by the Tax Authorities, Poligrafico dello Stato S.p.A., Fit-Federazione Italiana Tabaccai and Assotabaccai. The two trade associations have selected Lottomatica Italia Servizi as the technological service provider.
The new revenue stamp will improve the level of service to citizens, tobacconists and the public administration. For the citizen, the main advantage is the ability to purchase "tailor-made" revenue stamps, printed directly by the tobacconist’s. The tobacconist benefits from the annulment of theft and inventory management risk and, more importantly, by eliminating the need for advance payments. The public administration, finally, gains because the new electronic format will help avoid revenue stamp evasion, save on costs incurred in managing the "traditional" stamps and improve monitoring of weekly reporting flow through the Revenues Office, by identifying the dealer and the point of sale. Moreover, the new sticker will also replace the old method used to pay unified taxes related to legal proceedings. In particular, it is important to point out the higher security characteristics of the new "revenue stamp" issue system. The stamp has specific tear points that prevent it from being removed from the document without tearing the paper and the data related to each sticker issued are transmitted to the Revenues Offices, through the IT service manager, making it possible to identify possible counterfeiting. The authenticity, transparency of the transactions, and control of the issuer’s business by the ministry is possible by recording every transaction connected with issue of revenue stamps on the security module of the printer which is designed to function even in the event of power failures. Every authorized point of sale located across the country will be equipped with:
SOURCE: Lottomatica media release. Michigan Lottery Launches Match Game™, Pollard Banknote’s Newest Licensed Game YPSILANTI, Michigan (May 20, 2005) – The Michigan Lottery has become the first Lottery to launch Pollard Banknote’s newest licensed property, Match Game™. The unique play format of the game is a natural tie-in to the Match Game™ television show. Match Game™ was launched on March 21st and is currently available for the suggested retail price of $3.00. Match Game™ first aired on CBS in 1973 and has been running in syndication since. It is currently the highest-rated daily re-run on the Game Show Network, which airs the program three times daily. The game show format easily adapts to a lottery ticket, giving players a unique gaming experience. In a three-year deal announced earlier this year, property owner FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide, Americas granted Pollard Banknote the exclusive rights to market Match Game™ to lotteries throughout the United States by leveraging the classic game show’s title, logo, artwork and game format into their games, promotions, events and advertising. SOURCE: Pollard Banknote Limited edited media release. WATFORD, United Kingdom (May 23, 2005) -- Camelot Group plc announced today that National Lottery sales in the year to 31 March 2005 rose by more than £150 million, to £4,766.1 million, over three times the £40 million increase seen in the previous year. Returns to the Good Causes were up nearly £60 million, or 4.6 per cent, from £1,289.3 million in 2003/4, to £1,349.1 million in 2004/5. Those figures mean that, in total, National Lottery players helped to raise a further £1.5 billion for Good Causes this financial year (£1.3 billion in sales, £0.2 billion in investment returns) bringing the total raised since its launch in 1994, to over £16.5 billion, benefiting over 190,000 individual projects.
The news comes as Camelot, one of the world's most cost efficient lottery operators, announced its intention to bid for the next lottery licence commencing in 2009 [see separate release below]. Today's results are the latest evidence that Camelot's strategy for growth, designed to buck the international trend of declining lottery sales, is working. The strategy, revealed in May 2003, was focused on two main themes:
Total sales for the financial year to 31 March 2005 grew to £4,766.1 million, up 3.3 per cent from the figure of £4,614.6 million the previous year. Annual sales were also up for each quarter compared to the same quarter the previous year, across both Lotto and non-Lotto games, and by distribution channel. Across the year, ticket sales for non-Lotto games continued to see double-digit growth, up 10.9 per cent year on year at £1,540.8 million. These games now represent 32.3 per cent of the portfolio of National Lottery games, up from 30.1 per cent the previous year. Year-on-year sales of the main Lotto game remained rock solid at £3,225.3 million. Sales were also up across each channel of distribution. At £4,654.7 million, retail sales remain by far the largest channel and rose by £69.7 million or 1.5 per cent year on year. The new distribution channels which Camelot has developed in the last two years are also beginning to drive substantial incremental sales. Sales from postal and online subscriptions rose 38 per cent to £23.9 million. Separately, interactive sales for national-lottery.co.uk, the Sky interactive service and Play by Text on mobile phones were £87.5 million, up over 600 per cent from £12.3 million in 2003/4. Current sales via interactive channels are already above £2 million a week and rising, making the UK National Lottery the largest interactive lottery in the world. As of 31 March 2005 the number of registered interactive players was 964,769, with the one millionth player registered in mid-April. The 2004/05 fiscal year also saw the number of winning National Lottery tickets rise by more than 27 million to 257 million, an increase of around 12 per cent on last year's total of 229 million. Other key highlights in 2004/5 were: Game Portfolio: Camelot launched 42 new scratchcards in FY2004/05, including new games based on popular themes such as Pac Man, board games such as Scrabble and TV favourites such as I'm a celebrity, get me out of here! In October, the UK, France and Spain welcomed six new member countries into the EuroMillions game - Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria and Portugal, making it the biggest lottery game in the *world. Interactive Channels: Camelot launched Lotto on Sky Active in April 2004. This was followed by the launch of EuroMillions on the internet and Sky Active in July 2004. The launch of Play by Text in October 2004 enables players, once they've registered, to buy a ticket for Lotto, EuroMillions, Thunderball and Daily Play just by sending a text message from their mobile phone Improved Retail Access: At 26,264, Camelot now has the highest ever number of trading draw ticket terminals, an increase of 874 on last year's total of 25,390. Camelot also installed around 20,000 new scratchcard dispensers to improve product visibility in-store Communications: September 2004 saw the launch of the new Lady Luck advertising campaign. In the first two months of the campaign alone we can directly attribute additional sales of at least £10 million to the Lady Luck adverts. 10th Birthday: The 10th Birthday of The National Lottery and first ever National Lottery Day in November 2004 was an opportunity to thank players for raising over £16 billion for Good Causes. Camelot worked closely with lottery distributors and the National Lottery Promotions Unit (NLPU) to organise 800 events at lottery-funded venues across the UK.
Camelot also announces today the new initiatives, which will drive its strategy in FY2005/6, further improving player convenience and enhancing the portfolio of National Lottery games. These include: Rollout of National Lottery Fast Pay™: Currently piloting in 10 Tesco stores, this year will see the nationwide rollout of National Lottery Fast Pay, enabling players to buy their tickets at supermarket checkouts. Camelot is currently in discussions with a number of other retailers about implementing National Lottery Fast Pay services. Game Portfolio Development: Camelot is developing its popular Lotto HotPicks game to offer a wider range of selections and **prize tiers. For the first time giving players the chance to win by picking and matching just one number - as well as an option offering a bigger prize for picking and matching five numbers in the main Lotto draw. Camelot will also be launching a wider range of iconic themed scratchcards, after the successful launch of the Scrabble and Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith games. Communications: Camelot will be developing its Lady Luck campaign with 11 further advertisements in the next year. Over the course of the next year Camelot will also be refreshing the look and feel of The National Lottery and its games instore. Dianne Thompson, Chief Executive of Camelot, said: "I am very pleased to report that our strategy for growth continues to deliver, with ticket sales up by more than £150 million, over three times last year's rate of growth. That sustained growth has helped to deliver a 4.6 per cent increase in returns to the Good Causes. "Players have raised millions more for Good Causes through interactive channels and, today, we have more than a million registered players online. Our strategy for the coming year will continue to focus on innovation by further developing our portfolio of games and extending the reach of The National Lottery through new channels of distribution." *By total population eligible to play SOURCE: Camelot media release. Gaming Standards Association Opens Its Standards; GSA Standards Now Available Free to the Industry! LAS VEGAS, Nevada, USA (May 23, 2005) – In a sweeping move that makes industry standardization a reality, the Gaming Standards Association (GSA) today announced its protocol standards are immediately available to the industry for free on its public website at www.gamingstandards.com. GSA Board Chairman Lyle Bell and Senior Vice President Information Technology for Seminole Gaming said, "This is truly a banner day for our organization and for the gaming industry. We have worked for more than six years on these protocols, and they are surpassing all expectations. The GSA Board of Directors has taken the next logical step in GSA’s evolution, which is to make them open, so that manufacturers and operators around the world can reap the benefits they bring."
Bob Luciano, Chief Technical Officer for Bally Gaming and Systems said, "Following the successful implementation of the S2S standard in several jurisdictions, we are committed to the BOB protocol and its widespread implementation throughout our platforms and systems. We will be operating BOB in several of our system/game product offerings currently in development at Bally. As the open standard, networked based gaming protocol, BOB enables the diverse set of gaming features we will provide to operators and patrons. We look forward to demonstrating this technology at G2E this fall." Moti Vyas, GSA Board Member and Chief Information Officer for Viejas Enterprises said, "GSA has had more than 75 member companies that have supported and contributed to the development of our standards. The result is a cross-pollination of ideas which leads to protocols much richer than can be achieved by one company alone. The open standards will attract entrepreneurs from non-gaming industries to participate, innovate and contribute to the growth of gaming industry. Also, casino operators will benefit immensely by virtue of seamless integration and freedom provided by GSA’s open standards." GSA President Peter DeRaedt said, "The decision to open up all our standards to the world will stimulate innovation and grow the industry at large. GSA’s BOB standard protocol launched in early 2004 already incorporates download, remote configuration and video lottery support. It provides functionality that all operators currently enjoy on their casino floor. Opening these standards will forever remove the choking effects that proprietary protocols have over the gaming industry. GSA standards offer operators freedom of choice." GSA member companies will continue to enhance and expand the existing protocols to benefit the industry. Draft standards will only be available to members, which will give them the opportunity to provide input and direction, as a benefit of membership. Early in 2005, GSA deemed this the "Year of Adoption" and is fulfilling on its promise. The organization has already released the revolutionary BOB, S2S and GDS protocols and supporting toolkits to wide acclaim, and now it is delivering its standards to the industry worldwide. SOURCE: Gaming Standards Association edited media release
distributed by Steinbeck Communications. New Lottery Game Offers Weekly Draws to Win $1,000 a Week for Life! TORONTO, Ontario, Canada (May 24, 2005) - What would you do with an extra $1,000 a week for the rest of your life? Ontario lottery players now have a chance to answer that question every Thursday with PAYDAY, a new weekly lottery draw game launched today by Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLGC). PAYDAY is a $2 game with an annuity top prize paying $1,000 a week for life. Other prizes of up to $50,000 are also available. The odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 1.35 million, while the odds of winning any prize are 1 in 6.1.
"PAYDAY offers a top prize that can enhance the rest of your life with weekly payments of $1,000. It's like having an extra income, and as we say in our ad campaign, who wouldn't love an extra pay day?" said OLGC's Senior Vice- President, Lotteries, George Sweny. "With weekly draws each Thursday, a traditional pay day for many, some Ontarians will soon be discovering how much fun an extra pay day can be!" There are many ways to win by playing PAYDAY. For $2 per play, consumers select a set of four numbers from a field of 1 to 77 either by selection slip or by Quick Pick. Fourteen additional sets of four numbers are then automatically system generated for a total of fifteen sets of 4 numbers, which are printed on your ticket in various prize categories:
Tickets for the first PAYDAY draw are now on sale. Weekly PAYDAY draws begin Thursday, June 2, 2005. Consumers have until 9:00 p.m. on the night of the draw to purchase their PAYDAY tickets. The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLGC) is a provincial agency which is responsible for province-wide lottery games, commercial and charitable casinos, and operates and manages slot machine facilities at horse racing tracks. It is a provincial offence, punishable by fines, to sell OLGC lottery tickets to anyone under 18 years of age. SOURCE: Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (www.OLGC.ca0 media release. Norsk Tipping Launches Program for Responsible Gaming Article By: Bjørn Takle, Press Spokesman Norsk Tippings AS HAMAR, Norway (April 26, 2005) -- One of Norsk Tippings major initiatives in 2004 was to prepare and activate a program for responsible gaming. The program is created by a work group of 10 people from different departments in the organisation, under the supervision of Thomas Nilsson. Nilsson is one of the leading experts on problem gambling, associated with the Gaming Institute (Spelinstitutet) in Sweden. The Responisble gaming program was initiated by Norsk Tippings management in June 2004, and implemented on August 1st.
The program commits Norsk Tipping to the following groups:
Amongst both our employees and the store owners the purpose is to extend awareness around problem areas connected to money games and providing a basic understanding of compulsive gambling. Since 2004 all new employees are being educated in the area of problem gambling, and in the fall 2004 we inserted a basic knowledge module on problem gambling into our retailer training program. We expect the entire organisation to maintain a continuous focus on the subject. The sales group has received extended training, and several key personnel have participated at conferences and courses within the area, both nationally and internationally. We have confronted our players and committed ourselves through the program to be open about the chances of winning and the random principles of chance in our games. In 2004 we also changed the back of all coupons so that the chances of winning are clearly shown. This has been done on all new printings of coupons from September 1, 2004. At the same time we added the logo of the Helpline to provide accessible information on compulsive gambling to our customers. In our TV broadcasts we emphasise the realities regarding the chances of winning, and do not build up myths or unrealistic pictures of the chances for winning a big prize. As of January 1 2004, we also introduced an 18-year age limit on the game Oddsen, because Oddsen potentially is that of our games which involves the greatest risk of abnormal gaming behaviour. Norsk Tippings gaming machines notifies players of the principles of chance and the risk of becoming a compulsive gambler, and also inform them of the Helpline, which we partly finances. We have developed a separate section on our website with facts about problem gambling, and provide information on help resources at our home page.
Norsk Tipping cooperates with several groups within the particular field of problem gambling. In order to succeed with our ambitions, we need to build solid relations based on openness and honesty with both research communities and volunteer organisations, so that we can learn more about various perspectives and views on the subject, and receive constructive criticism of our initiatives. We want to actively share and obtain information from various operations and organisations. We are frequently in contact with PTS, a support organization composed of the relatives of problem gamblers; Blue Cross Norway, which assists communities with dependency problems; Østnorsk kompetansesenter, which also assists those afflicted with dependencies; the SNSUS, the Nordic Foundation for Counteracting Problem Gambling; the Helpline; and the Norwegian Gaming Board. We have participated, and will continue to participate, in several therapy- and self-help groups, and received essential advice and feedback. Norsk Tipping have also taken part in each and all of the conferences and seminars on the topic in the Nordic area, and also at international conferences, financially supported conferences, and, invited Norwegian specialists to Norsk Tipping for a lecture by a professor on compulsive gambling from Australia. We will continue our work in Norway, and hopefully get to share our knowledge and experience with our colleges around the world. SOURCE: Bjørn Takle, Press Spokesman Norsk Tippings AS. Tlf: +47 62 51 40 00, Fax: +47 62 51 40 96.
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