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LOTTERY
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| Vol. 32 No. 13-- Monday September 26 , 2005 |
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NZ Lotteries New-Look Website Goes Live NEW ZEALAND (September 19, 2005) -- New Zealand Lotteries Commission (NZ Lotteries) launches its new-look website, bringing fresh information to players in a more user friendly format today, says NZ Lotteries Chief Executive Trevor Hall. "We are committed to providing a reliable site that is simple to navigate for our players. The new design does this and aligns our website with the NZ Lotteries corporate identity that was introduced last year." NZ Lotteries new site (www.nzlotteries.co.nz) went live at 11pm on Sunday, 18 August, after a few months of design work with web development partner Terabyte. "Some of the site's new features are a winners' stories page and the ability for players to email in with their winning anecdotes and appear on the site themselves," Mr Hall says.
NZ Lotteries games, Lotto, Strike, Powerball, Instant Kiwi and Keno, each have their own dedicated section with a look and feel reflecting each particular game's brand. The new site also features a newsroom section and image gallery for news media to use. "Responsible play information and the contact details for help organisations are available on the website, showing our commitment to responsible service delivery," Mr Hall says. "The recent problem with the Keno results page has been resolved, and now our players can find up-to-date results for our games online consistently." Another improvement to the site is more information on the community winners who receive funding from NZ Lotteries profits. During the past year $120 million was allocated by the Lottery Grants Board and other statutory bodies such as the NZ Film Commission, Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) and Creative NZ, to community groups. Since NZ Lotteries website was first launched in 2002 the number of website visits per month has increased dramatically. In October 2002, there were 1514 visits. During August 2005 there were 129,068 visits to the site. About NZ Lotteries: About Terabyte Interactive:
Terabyte is a full service digital agency providing clients such as HSBC Global, Newscorp, Auckland Museum and Te Papa with a broad range of digital and multimedia products and services. Terabyte has pioneered Dynamic Web™ technology, a platform for its interactive, multimedia edutainment developments. The technology is a first of its kind with numerous applications across a wide range of sectors and industries. Terabyte has won Netguide's prestigious Best Web Development Company twice, in 1999 and 2002, and has consistently featured as a finalist Website: www.terabyte.co.nz SOURCE: New Zealand Lotteries Commission Press Release. NEW YORK, USA (September 16, 2005) -- Scientific Games Corporation (NASDAQ: SGMS) announced the Kansas Lottery will become the second in the nation to offer its players the advanced Electronic Game Card, now that the Kansas Lottery Commission has approved the award-winning game. Kansas expects to launch the yet-to-be-named game in November. “We are extremely thrilled that the Kansas Lottery has decided to include this pioneering product in its already impressive line up,” said Steve Saferin, President of SG Ventures. “Innovative games like this truly do attract new demographics and offer a fresh option to lottery players.” Scientific Games markets and promotes the electronic game card (EGC) to the global lottery market under a joint venture arrangement with Electronic Game Card, Inc. The EGC is a pocket sized digital lottery ticket. Each card, about the size of a driver’s license, is battery powered and loaded with eight random plays. In the case of the EGC, an electronic play replaces the traditional scratch play of a paper ticket. LCD screens on the front of the card display the symbols in a particular play and show whether it has won a prize.
The Iowa Lottery test-marketed the game last fall with impressive results. In May, it became the first state to offer the game, called Quarter Play, and it remains on sale there. Kansas Lottery Director Ed Van Petten said they had previously reviewed the product and liked it, but decided to see how it sold in Iowa and how it was received by retailers before offering it to Kansas players. “The Kansas Lottery is always looking for innovative and entertaining games for our players, and Scientific Games has certainly provided both with this product,” Van Petten said. “We are glad to be bringing the future of lottery to Kansas citizens.” In July, the Public Gaming Research Institute, PGRI, named the EGC as a 2005 Lottery Product of the Year during its conference in Las Vegas. The PGRI award recognizes the importance of new products to the growth and continuing success of worldwide lotteries. About Electronic Game
Card About Scientific Games
SOURCE: Scientific Games Corporation media
release. JCM and TransAct Sign Letter of Intent, Companies Combine Sales Efforts LAS VEGAS, Nevada, USA (September 15, 2005) -- Creating an even more convenient environment for their customers, JCM American Corporation, the industry leader in currency handling systems, including providing products, software and services to the gaming, vending, banking, amusement, and petroleum industries, and TransAct Technologies Incorporated (Nasdaq: TACT), a leading producer of transaction-based printers for customers worldwide, today announced a letter of intent which will bring together the sales efforts of the two leading bill acceptor and printer brands. Under the letter of intent, JCM’s sales force will begin offering TransAct’s gaming thermal printers in North and South America in combination with JCM’s many bill acceptor and currency handling products. In addition, the companies will also work together to offer world-class service and support for TransAct printers by utilizing the network of sales and service centers that JCM already has in place. Under the agreement, JCM will phase out its TSP-02 printer. The companies each had successful exclusive product placement at Wynn Las Vegas, where the gaming floor was equipped solely with JCM’s UBA and Intelligent Plastic Cash Box products and TransAct’s Epic 950 printer. The companies are already planning on sharing booth space at upcoming industry trade shows, beginning with SAGSE in Buenos Aires this November and at G2E 2006. Tom Nieman, Vice President of Gaming Solutions for JCM, said, “This is an exciting agreement for everyone involved. The Epic 950 has gained widespread acceptance in the marketplace and we are happy to be associated with the TransAct brand. This agreement allows us to leverage each other’s relationships to create the most value and convenience for our customers. Most importantly, it allows each company to bring their customers the very best products on the market today, and it does this in a one-stop shopping experience.” Bart C. Shuldman, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of TransAct Technologies, said, “This deal is compelling for TransAct and our customers. JCM is the market leader in bill acceptors, has built an expansive organization to support its business with offices in every major jurisdiction, has dedicated sales professionals and a full support infrastructure. By utilizing both sales organizations, TransAct will be able to leverage the relationships and vast network JCM has already established with the ones we have in place. The complementary nature of our product lines makes it logical for us to work together like this because a manufacturer or casino operator purchasing one product will need the other. Our goal is to accelerate our market penetration, while also increasing our potential opportunities in an extremely cost effective manner.”
About JCM About TransAct Technologies
Incorporated SOURCE: JCM American Corporation media
release distributed by Steinbeck Communications.
Dansk Tipsjeneste Takes Delivery of Six New Instant Games From Betware REYKJAVÍK, Iceland (September 20, 2004) -- Betware has promptly delivered six new Instant Scratch Games to the Danish Lottery, Dansk Tipsjeneste. These six games, launched to the public on September 13, 2005 are:
The customer may choose a "demo mode" of all these games to familiarize himself with how to play them.
Betware and Dansk Tipsjeneste have been working together since 2001, where Betware’s platform has made it possible for Dansk Tipstjeneste to offer the games that are sold at retailers also to be sold on the Internet. The games sold on the Internet are: sports action games, lotto games, keno and joker and now, the instant scratch games. "The Betware Gaming Platform is powerful and flexible. The easy integration of secure instant games into our Platform is more proof of its flexibility," says Stefan Hrafnkelsson, Betware’s CEO and Managing Director. "We have worked with Betware for many years and have full confidence in their solution. The games were easily integrated into the Betware Gaming Platform currently used by us," says Jorgen Falsvig, Director of IT at Dansk Tipsjeneste. He also added that, "The instant games were delivered, like all other projects Betware has provided before, complete and in time." Within this project Betware has also successfully installed and included a new instant bet generation and audit system for these games. The system, called Trusted Play™ will be used to generate the bet outcomes for instant games offered by Dansk Tipstjeneste. The Trusted Play™ system, developed by Szrek2Solutions based in the USA, will be used by Dansk Tipsjeneste to verify the integrity of the instant game outcomes produced as well as satisfy remote audit requirements of the Danish Gaming Board. Walter Szrek, who was at the Betware Headquarters in Iceland, while Trusted Play™ was being integrated into the Betware Gaming Platform for Dansk Tipsjeneste says, "I am very impressed by the quality of the Betware product and professionalism of their team. It was a very smooth and fast project to integrate our betting system with their internet platform." Since Betware’s Gaming Platform is flexible and can adjust and accommodate most random generation and auditability systems, it was quick and simple to connect Trusted Play™ to its platform. Both solutions are constantly evaluated and tested for security. About Betware Betware is a software and service company that specializes in providing gaming solutions to lotteries operating in fully regulated jurisdictions. Betware solutions have been in operation since 1996. SOURCE: Betware (http://www.betware.com) media release.
Scientific Games Announce Appointment to Its Board of Directors NEW YORK, USA (September 19, 2005) -- Scientific Games Corporation (NASDAQ:SGMS) announced today the appointment of Gerald J. Ford to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Company, effective September 14, 2005. Mr. Ford’s appointment fills the vacancy on the Board created by the retirement of Colin J. O’Brien, which was effective on September 9, 2005. Mr. Ford will also serve on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board and the Compliance Committee of the Board. Mr. Ford has been a financial institutions entrepreneur and private investor involved in numerous mergers acquisitions of private and public sector financial institutions over the past 30 years.
Mr. Ford served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Golden State Bancorp Inc. from September 1998 until its merger with Citigroup Inc. in November 2002. Mr. Ford is Chairman and principal shareholder of First Acceptance Corporation, a retailer, servicer and underwriter of non-standard personal automobile insurance. Mr. Ford serves as Chairman of the Board and principal shareholder of Triad Financial Corporation, a privately held auto insurance company, headquartered in Huntington Beach, California. He also serves as a director of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Inc., McMoRan Exploration co. and Affordable Residential Communities, Inc. He is also Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Southern Methodist University, a trustee of Southwestern Medical Foundation and a member of the Board of Overseers of Weill Medical College and Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University. Mr. Ford is also the owner of Diamond A Racing Corp., a thoroughbred breeding and racing operation located in Kentucky and California. About Scientific Games Scientific Games Corporation is a leading integrated supplier of instant tickets, systems and services to lotteries, and a leading supplier of wagering systems and services to pari-mutuel operators. It is also a licensed pari-mutuel gaming operator in Connecticut 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 media release. Contact: Investor Relations 212-754-2233. A new contract between Atlantic Lottery Corporation and Oberthur Gaming Technologies MONTREAL, Quebec, Canada (September 20, 2005) -- Oberthur Gaming Technologies (“OGT”) is pleased to announce that Atlantic Lottery Corporation (“ALC”) has awarded to OGT a five-year contract for the production of the majority of the volume of its instant lottery tickets. This contract includes the possibility of a two-year extension, for a total of seven years. The ALC, for whom OGT has been the primary vendor since 1976 without interruption, has founded its decision on the outstanding quality of OGT’s products as well as on 30 years of excellent relationship between both organizations. “We are very pleased to have the opportunity to pursue our durable partnership with OGT,” said Carmen McAffee, Vice President, Retail Gaming Channel of Atlantic Lottery Corporation. “We have always been extremely satisfied with OGT’s high quality standards. Their spirit of innovation has been a great component to help us achieve our corporate goal, which is to generate sustainable financial growth to Atlantic Canada’s economy and to provide funds for essential provincial programs and services.”
“At OGT, we are all delighted with such wonderful news!” said Garry W. King, Vice-President, Sales and Marketing of OGT-Canada. “This major contract acknowledges our leadership position in the lottery industry and we are looking forward to continue developing new, exciting game concepts with ALC that will be a source of innovation for lotteries both here in Canada and around the world’’. About Oberthur Gaming Technologies (www.oberthurgt.com) With more than 35 years of lottery-specific expertise and over a century's experience in the security printing industry, Oberthur Gaming Technologies is the world’s leader in the printing of innovative instant lottery tickets. Comprehensive services include strategic game planning and innovative conceptual design with OGT’s Dream Team™, mobile gaming, Cyber Games™ as well as state-of-the-art Global Operations and Lottery Distribution System (GOLDS). OGT currently supplies a full range of high quality and innovative products and services to 100 clients in some 50 countries. The company has production units and offices in Montreal, Canada; San Antonio, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the U.S.; Paris, France; Vienna, Austria; and Sydney, Australia. SOURCE: Lyse Trudel, Communications
Officer, Oberthur Gaming Technologies, (+1-514) 254-3600, ext. 101, Email:
lyse.trudel@mtl.oberthurgt.com.
La Française des Jeux Launches 7Extra FRANCE (September 21, 2005) -- Available since September 15, La Française des Jeux offers a real innovation in its instant games range with a brand new concept: 7 Extra. 
7Extra is the first La Française des Jeux instant game offering a €10 price point. 7Extra is the umbrella brand as the theme and the contents will be renewed each year. The 2005 edition is based on money theme (dollar, cash, ingot, banknote, gold…) and mixes different sized games and different ways to play. 7Extra is presented in a sealed pack and contains a strip with 7 different new scratch games as well as 1 bonus game. Tickets can be separated from the strip to claim prizes independently, but cannot be sold separately. Then, the game can be played and shared with friends. An attractive prize structure With 7Extra, players can multiply their chances of winning (7 games + bonus game) and cumulate several winnings. It offers:
SOURCE: La Française des Jeux media
release. Texas Lottery® Returns More Than $1 Billion to The State For Second Consecutive Year AUSTIN, Texas, USA (September 16, 2005) - The Texas Lottery® announced today the amount transferred to the Foundation School Fund for Fiscal Year 2005, ending August 31, totaled $1.016 billion. It is a 1.3 percent increase over the last fiscal year, which totaled more than $1.003 billion. It also marks the second consecutive year the lottery has transferred more than $1 billion back to the state for public education.
"Not since the early-to-mid starting years of the Texas Lottery have we seen a continued increase in sales and transfers to the state," said Gary Grief, acting executive director of the Texas Lottery Commission. "Thanks to our players and retailers, fiscal year 2005 makes the fourth consecutive year we have increased our support of public education in Texas." Sales for all Texas Lottery products, totaling $3,662,462,838, were up 5 percent over FY 04, which totaled $3,487,924,569. Players won prizes in excess of $2.2 billion, and more than 16,000 lottery retailers earned more than $186 million in commissions and bonuses. Instant tickets accounted for $2.7 billion, or 73.9 percent, of total sales, with $1.8 billion paid out to players in prize monies. Lotto Texas®, the flag-ship Texas Lottery on-line game, registered $306.7 million in sales. That amount is down 35.8 percent from FY 04, when total sales were $477.8 million. There were five jackpot-winning tickets sold, and players claimed more than $150.1 million in cash prizes, including jackpot winnings. "Looking ahead, we are considering changes to the Lottery's mix of games, including Lotto Texas," Grief said. "We are evaluating measures to help stem the current trend of declining sales in some Texas Lottery games that could hinder our total return to the state at the end of this fiscal year."
The multistate Mega Millions™ game accounted for $177.4 million for FY 05 sales, a 6.5 percent decrease over FY 04. Texas' own Megaplier feature, which allows players the chance to double, triple or quadruple a non-grand/jackpot prize, accounted for more than $40 million in FY 05 sales, an 11.6 percent decrease from last year. The Pick 3® game showed yet another rise in player participation over previous years, with nearly $285 million in total sales, an increase of 2.8 percent from last year. Cash Five® accounted for $102.6 million in sales, a 16.1 percent decrease, and Texas Two Step® sales totaled more than $45 million, an 8.3 percent decrease. "While the agency is proud of these results, we recognize that this rate of growth is likely to be unsustainable and that future results may be flat or possibly decrease, in large part due to the maturity of the Texas Lottery and to increased competition from other gambling activities, legal and illegal, in Texas and surrounding states," said Grief. For more information about the Texas Lottery, please visit the official Texas Lottery Commission Web site at http://www.txlottery.org. SOURCE: Texas Lottery Commission Press
Release. Betware Successfully Integrates to the Scientic Games Central System for the Icelandic Lotteries REYKJAVÍK, Iceland (September 20, 2005) -- Betware integrated its secure gaming solution to the Scientific Games central system bought by Icelandic lottery companies Islenskar Getraunir and Islensk Getspa on 4 July 2005. The Betware solution was already running on the Lotteries’ old system provided by GTech and the change from the old system to the new Scientic Games one was quick and easy for Betware.
“Betware provided its first solution to the Icelandic Lotteries when they were running their gaming sites on the Gtech system. It was a smooth and simple transition for us to meet their needs and move between two central systems”, says Stefan Hrafnkelsson, CEO and Managing Director of Betware. The previous system was installed in 1994, therefore a switch to a new, up-to-date system was inevitable. As Betware has previously incorporated its solution into newer gaming systems, for other clients like Dansk Tipsjeneste and British Columbia Lottery Corporation, the project was simple and done without difficulty. All Betware games are built on top of the Betware Gaming Platform, a flexible tool which allows for changes and additions to games, according to client requirements. “We have worked for many years with Betware and were confident of the ease with which they would integrate their solution to the new central system. It was all done quickly and effeciently and with minimal cost”. Islenskar Getraunir was the first state lottery in the world to go on the Internet as early as 1996, to which Betware supplied its solution. It has since been servicing the Lotteries for the last 9 years, with constant improvements and changes to its solution. About Betware (www.betware.com) About Islenskar Getraunir and
Islensk Getspa (www.lotto.is) &
(www.1x2.is) SOURCE: Betware (http://www.betware.com) media release.
Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. Contributes C$250,000 to Harrah's Employee Recovery Fund LAS VEGAS, Nevada, USA (September 22, 2005) -- In the largest donation by a third party to date, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLGC) has donated C$250,000 (US$211,700) to the Harrah's Employee Recovery Fund, Harrah's Entertainment, Inc.
The OLGC, a crown agency of the Government of the Canadian province of Ontario, made the donation as part of a C$1 million (US$855,000) contribution to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in the United States. The OLGC is the owner of Casino Windsor, which is operated by Harrah's. "The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation's donation to the Harrah's Employee Recovery Fund is greatly appreciated," said Tim Wilmott, Harrah's chief operating officer and chairman of the Harrah's Foundation, which oversees the Employee Recovery Fund. "The OLGC's contribution to the recovery fund will certainly help Harrah's employees in their time of great need." The Harrah's Employee Recovery Fund was seeded with a $1 million allocation by the Harrah's Foundation. To date, $2.18 million has been contributed to the fund, including nearly $500,000 from Harrah's employees. SOURCE: Harrah's Entertainment, Inc.
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