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| Vol. 33 No. 8-- Monday November 21, 2005 |
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GTECH Signs Five-Year Contract Extension with Supreme Ventures in Jamaica WEST GREENWICH, Rhode Island, USA (November 15, 2005) -- GTECH Holdings Corporation (NYSE: GTK) today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, GTECH Corporation, has signed a five-year contract extension with Supreme Ventures Limited to continue providing online lottery products and services in Jamaica through January 11, 2016. “Since 2001, Supreme Ventures has had great success with their online lottery games, and we look forward to using this opportunity to build a closer regional strategic partnership with them in this part of the world,” said GTECH President and CEO W. Bruce Turner.
Under the terms of the five-year extension, GTECH will continue providing lottery products and services under an integrated services arrangement, including operation and maintenance of the central system; maintenance of the terminals and communications network; marketing support; hotline management; and field service. In addition to its online lottery contract with Supreme Ventures, GTECH also provides video lottery products and services, as well as commercial (non-lottery) services in Jamaica. With respect to the five-year extension with Supreme Ventures, GTECH expects to generate over $80 million in lottery revenue over the extension period. GTECH is a leading gaming technology and services company. With more than $1.25 billion in annual revenues and 5,300 people in over 50 countries, GTECH provides integrated technology, creative content, and business services to effectively manage and grow today’s evolving gaming markets. In targeted emerging economies, GTECH also leverages its operational presence and infrastructure to supply commercial transaction processing services. For more information about the Company, please visit GTECH’s website at http://www.gtech.com. SOURCE: GTECH Holdings Corporation media
release. EssNet and Comset Services Introduce SMS for the Hero Card in Pakistan STOCKHOLM, Sweden (November 15, 2005) -- EssNet today announced that the company will expand the ELOS system that was supplied to Comset Services International earlier this year to also include an SMS solution to enable the participation in the ‘Hero Card’ draw via mobile phones. The Hero Card is a pick 6 out of 49 collector’s scheme currently sold via a network of 2,000 terminals, connected online to the ELOS system.
Pakistan has a population of 150 million, with 10 million mobile phone subscribers today. Industry forecasts estimate that the country will have 50 million subscribers within the next 3 to 5 years. The Hero Card, a project of the Pakistan Sports Trust, was launched in the beginning of 2005. A draw is performed once a week live on TV and those who have picked 3 to 6 of the drawn numbers win prizes. Following the Islamic Banking model, the Hero Card was developed by Comset Services International to keep its ‘play and win’ concept legal and acceptable in Pakistan and other Islamic countries. Frank Rose, CEO of Comset Services International, said "The revenue from the Hero Card is used by a national sports body for the development of sports and culture. We are now expanding the services to include SMS to help raise large funds for Pakistan."
"We are very pleased that we can further develop this fruitful partnership with Comset, allowing us to support them with a new technical solution", said Hans Vigmostad, EssNet President & CEO. About EssNet (www.essnet.se) EssNet, one of the leading technical suppliers in the gaming industry, provides a full suite of products, including Interactive Video Terminal (IVT) systems. Deliveries comprise complete turnkey systems with a variety of terminals and also integrated solutions for Internet and mobile telephones. EssNet has a global presence and installations all over the world. SOURCE: EssNet media release. Tennessee Lottery to Add Midday Drawings, Announces New Retailer Incentives NASHVILLE, Tennessee, USA (November 14, 2005) -- Tennessee Lottery retailers will receive an incentive for paying prizes to players who win in Cash 3 and Cash 4 as part of exciting additions to the games beginning Sunday.
In addition to the cashing incentive, the Lottery is adding midday drawings for both of the numbers-pick games, giving players more chances to play and win. “The additions we’re making to Cash 3 and Cash 4 will not only benefit retailers and players, but also the students and families of Tennessee,” said Rebecca Paul, CEO and President of the Tennessee Lottery. “Increasing sales for these two games is just another way to maximize revenues for education.” These changes to the two games are designed to increase excitement and give players more chances to play and win. Details include:
Winning numbers will be shown on the Lottery’s partner stations throughout the state following the midday drawings, and will also be available by calling 1-877-7 TN-PLAY or in the Metro Nashville area, 615-254-4WIN. Numbers are also available by visiting www.tnlottery.com. Playing Cash 3 and Cash 4 is easy and there are a variety of ways to win. Winning numbers are announced as balls are drawn from three separate machines. Each machine contains 10 balls numbered 0-9. In Cash 3, players select a three-digit number from 000-999 and also can select one of seven different ways to play and win. In Cash 4, players select a four-digit number from 0000-9999 and also can select one of 13 different ways to play and win. Ticket prices range from .50 cents to $1, depending on how a player chooses to play. Odds vary depending on how a player chooses to play. SOURCE: Tennessee Lottery media
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NEW ZEALAND (November 14, 2005) -- The New Zealand Lotteries Commission (NZ Lotteries) and Telecom today announced they have signed a four-year contract to have Telecom replace the NZ Lotteries’ current data communications network with an Internet Protocol (IP) network, linking its more than 800 lottery retail outlets. The system will service NZ Lotteries’ retail network and provide the Commission with greater flexibility, said NZ Lotteries Chief Executive, Trevor Hall. “The new IP system is a complete transformation of our network infrastructure; it will be the backbone, extending from our data centre out to the lottery terminals in stores across the country,” said Mr Hall. “Being IP–based, it will be a much more flexible and manageable system.”
Telecom’s Gen-i will play a key role in delivering and managing the IP network. Gen-i will manage and provide security, monitoring and reporting services for the network and the new NZ Lotteries data centre. “With lottery retailers in every corner of New Zealand, providing a solution for such a large network is no simple feat,” said Mark O’Donnell, General Manager, Telecom Business Solutions. “But Telecom and Gen-i are bringing to this project years of experience in implementing and supporting large-scale network initiatives across wide geographic areas. We are very excited to be a part of such a ground-breaking next- generation business deployment.” “We are confident we can deliver an IP network to meet NZ Lotteries current and future requirements,” he said. Telecom provides NZ Lotteries current network and has done so since the lottery began in 1987. About NZ Lotteries NZ Lotteries is a Crown entity. It was established in 1987 and operates under the Gambling Act 2003. Its primary goal is to continue to generate improved earnings to maximise the contribution made to numerous New Zealand communities and organisations. The New Zealand Lotteries Commission (NZ Lotteries) is New Zealand’s only gaming provider with a pure community benefit funding model. SOURCE: Telecom New Zealand Press Release.
ALPHARETTA, Georgia, USA (November 16, 2005) – The famous gap-toothed mascot Alfred E. Neuman has something new to smile about! MDI Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Scientific Games Corporation (NASDAQ: SGMS), announced today that through an exclusive agreement with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, on behalf of MAD Magazine, they have been awarded the license to produce lottery games based on MAD and its irreverent cast of characters. Lotteries will now be able to offer players new games that feature the freckle-faced Alfred E. Neuman plus the trouble-making Spy vs. Spy characters, MAD's signature masters of espionage who have kept readers and viewers entertained for generations.
"For half a century, MAD Magazine has been poking fun at popular culture, politics, movies, television, celebrities and every day life. And today, it continues to be the longest-running humor magazine in the country,” said Steve Saferin, MDI president. “Lottery players like a choice of whimsical games that enhance the fun of playing and nothing tops that category like MAD!" The agreement between MDI and Warner Bros. Consumer Products also gives lotteries the rights to offer merchandise featuring the title MAD, the likeness of Alfred E. Neuman and the Spy vs. Spy characters for promotional opportunities, incentives and second-chance drawings. Renegade comic book publisher, the late Bill Gaines, deciding that America needed a good laugh, launched the humor magazine MAD. Appealing to a young-adult audience, MAD now enjoys worldwide readership in nine translations and adaptations. Its brand equity stretches into television, movies, publishing, the internet, advertising and extensive merchandising. “MAD’s two million monthly readership is proof that MAD continues as a vital source of humor,” Saferin said. “Like MAD, the lottery is all about entertainment and we at MDI welcome this partnership with MAD Magazine and Warner Bros. Consumer Products on behalf of one of its most appealing and recognizable brands.”
About Scientific Games Scientific Games Corporation (www.scientificgames.com) is the leading integrated supplier of instant tickets, systems and services to lotteries, and the 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. MDI Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Scientific Games Corporation, is the worldwide leader in licensed lottery games and promotions. About Warner Bros. Consumer Products Warner Bros. Consumer Products, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world. MAD Magazine is America’s longest-running humor publication. Founded by Bill Gaines in 1952, MAD has inspired generations of fans by parodying politicians, movies, television and modern life. Whether in print, on television, film or on the web at madmag.com, MAD remains one of the favorite American icons. MAD Magazine is part of DC Comics, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. MAD MAGAZINE and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © E. C. Publications, Inc. SOURCE: MDI Entertainment media release.
Kicker Offers Chance to Kick Up Club Keno Winnings! LANSING, Michigan, USA (November 15, 2005) -- Club Keno players can kick up their winnings by as many as 10 times if they select the Kicker option, the Michigan Lottery’s latest prize winning opportunity. Immediately before each Club Keno drawing, a wheel spin on the Club Keno monitor will select a Kicker number of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10. Players can select the Kicker box on their play slip and pay $1 for each dollar originally wagered. Wins on regular Club Keno drawings will be multiplied by the Kicker number, allowing players the chance to win up to 10 times their original prize amount.
Kicker begins on November 20 in all 2,000 locations selling Club Keno. “Club Keno has been the Michigan Lottery’s fastest growing game. Players who are looking for a new twist to Club Keno will have the chance to win more money!” said Lottery Commissioner Gary Peters. Club Keno offers 37 different ways to play and win and with Kicker, up to a $20 million top prize. Players can wager $1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $10 or $20 per drawing and tickets can be purchased for up to 20 drawings at a time. Players win Club Keno by matching some or all of the numbers they have selected to the numbers drawn. The more numbers matched, the more the player wins. Started in October of 2003, Club Keno is offered to players at bars and restaurants. Drawings are every five minutes, seven days a week, from 6:05 a.m. to 1:45 a.m. and are broadcast live on closed-circuit television monitors in each Club Keno location. Michigan is the sixth state to offer a Kicker option to its live Keno drawings. For additional information, please visit the Lottery’s Web site at www.michigan.gov/lottery. SOURCE: Michigan Lottery media
release. Lottery Commission Names New Director NORTH CAROLINA, USA (November 17, 2005) – Thomas N. Shaheen was announced as the first Executive Director for the North Carolina Education Lottery on November 17, 2005. Shaheen was previously the Chief Executive Officer of the New Mexico Lottery Authority. During his tenure in New Mexico, total lottery revenues increased 40 percent and the return to education increased 55 percent.
Before arriving in North Carolina, he spent 18 years with some of the most successful lotteries in the U.S.: Florida, Texas, Georgia and New Mexico. He began as a Sales Representative with the Florida Lottery and was eventually promoted to District Manager. From there he joined the Texas Lottery as Field Service Supervisor and later became the Marketing Operations Assistant Manager. In 1993, he was hired by the Georgia Lottery Corporation as Vice President of Sales. During his tenure he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, then Executive Vice President. On March 20, 2000, he was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the New Mexico Lottery Authority where he served before being appointed to his most recent position in North Carolina. In 2005, Shaheen served as the President of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL). He previously served as Chairman of the NASPL Standards Initiative Committee. He is currently Vice-Chairman of Powerball and Secretary of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). Including his time in the lottery industry, Shaheen has more than 25 years of management experience. He is a 1975 graduate of Wayne State University with a degree in Business Administration. SOURCE: North Carolina Lottery Commission media release. New Online Lottery Launched in Guatemala GUATEMALA CITY, República de Guatemala (November 16, 2005) -- The G Gaming Group of Guatemala City, an affiliated company of Gigante S.A. of Colombia launched its new online lottery when sales began on Tuesday, November 15th.
The first drawing of the Pick3 game PISTO3 was conducted on TV channel 7 at 8:30 P.M. and the winning number 317 was drawn with GEM™ drawing machines purchased from SmartPlay International, Inc. of New Jersey, USA. All drawings will be audited by representatives of the Confederation of Sport and an official notary who will certify the results. G Gaming operates under contract with Intergames S.A. of Guatemala. Intergames holds a 10-year license with the Conferderacion de Deportiva Autonoma de Guatemala (CONFEDE) for operation of lotteries. G Gaming opened the lottery in 15 district offices representing the lottery in the major cities of Guatemala. A celebration of the launch was held at the headquarters office of G Gaming including officials of the related companies and government. The participants viewed the multi-media launch advertising spots and viewed the drawing via the broadcast on Channel 7. For more information contact: Santiago Gomez Fernandez, President, Tel. 00.502.2383.9595 or sgomez@ggamingg.com. Website: www.ggamingg.com. Veikkaus Launch A New Customer Magazine VEIKKAUS, Finland (November 17, 2005) -- Veikkaus launched its first customer magazine in November. The magazine is targeted principally at our active customers, most of whom are players registered in our internet gaming service. In the beginning, the circulation of the magazine will be around 150,000 - 200,000 copies. The name of the magazine is simply and succinctly X, i.e. the cross you make on your entry form whilst participating in a game. The Finnish media have shown considerable interest in gaming and Veikkaus. Journalists have familiarized themselves with this especially demanding topic to a praiseworthy degree. Thus, Veikkaus' customer magazine need not take over the role of the mass media in gaming matters. It is neither aimed at, nor capable of doing so.
X is a magazine for Veikkaus' customers, as its name indicates. Its objective is to strengthen our customer relations by offering information on Veikkaus as a company, our products, and our total offerings. Since our customers represent the "entire population", and they may base their purchase decisions on very different grounds, the contents of the magazine are more versatile than those of most other customer magazines. As a customer magazine published by a state lottery, X foregrounds corporate social responsibility. Reliability, responsibility and security are indispensable prerequisites for gaming. Gaming is closely regulated all over the world for reasons of control and restriction. The monopoly system constitutes by far the most effective means to achieve these goals. Gaming is associated with experiences, entertainment, and dreams, as well as knowledge and skills. These are some of the themes we also wish to address on the pages of X. PS. Naturally, the magazine is only published in Finnish. However, should you wish to take a closer look at the first issue, you can order it for free by sending email to: asiakaslehti@veikkaus.fi SOURCE: Veikkaus' eNews distributed by
Veikkaus Communications.
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