• Camelot Chief Executive Named in New Years Honours List, Receives CBE on Her Birthday. Full Story
• Governor Appoints Businessman to Lottery Commission. Full Story
• Lottery Announces New Game and Details of Retailer Bonus Program.
  Full Story
• Pacific Lottery Completes Purchase of IBM Central System Server Technology for Vietnam Lottery Program. Full Story
• JCM American and Transact Sign Final Agreement; Companies Officially Combine Sales Efforts. Full Story
• Aristocrat Names Global General Manager, Marketing. Full Story
• SAZKA Launches New, Updated On-line System for Lottery and Non-Lottery Services. Full Story
• Lotto South to be Retired, New Game Offers The Prize Of A Lifetime! Full Story
• Celebrity Poker Showdown Joins MDI Portfolio of Lottery Licenses; Hit Bravo Television Series is a Sure Bet for Lotteries. Full Story

Camelot Chief Executive Receives CBE on Her Birthday

LONDON, United Kingdom (January 1, 2006) -- Dianne Thompson, Chief Executive of Camelot, operator of The National Lottery, has been awarded a CBE in the New Year’s honours list. Ms Thompson, who celebrates her 55th Birthday on December 31st, was given the award for services to Business. Dianne joined Camelot in February 1997 as Commercial Operations Director and was the first woman Executive Director to join the Camelot Board. She took over as Chief Executive after Camelot was awarded the second licence in December 2000. As Chief Executive, Dianne has developed and driven Camelot’s strategy for growth which has delivered the longest period of growth in the history of The National Lottery.

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Camelot employs 900 people and its players raise more than £23 million a week for the Good Causes Dianne was named Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year in 2000 and was voted 2001 Marketer of the Year by the Marketing Society. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Fellow of the Marketing Society, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and a Companion of the Institute of Management. Dianne is also a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Marketors. Dianne is a Council Member of ISBA and the Press Complaints Commission, and is a member of the CBI President’s Committee. She chairs the ChildLine Foundation fund-raising committee.

Commenting on the award, Dianne Thompson, said: “I am very honoured to accept this award, which I do on behalf of everyone at Camelot, together with the charities and professional bodies I represent. “It’s also the most terrific birthday present.” Sir Peter Middleton, Chairman of Camelot said: “Everyone at Camelot will join me in congratulating Dianne on this richly-deserved award and thank her for the tireless energy and enthusiasm she brings to this unique business.” Dianne lives in Buckinghamshire but originally is from Yorkshire. Her interests include theatre, cinema, music and entertaining. Dianne is spending the Christmas holidays with her daughter Jo and her father, who is 80.

For further information, please contact Robert Byrne, Media Relations Manager: 07968 939 344 or Camelot Press Office: 020 7632 5711

SOURCE: Camelot.

Governor Appoints Businessman to Lottery Commission

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, USA (December 23, 2005) -- Governor Joe Manchin has appointed Morgantown businessman David McCormick, Jr., to serve on the West Virginia Lottery Commission as a representative of the 1st Congressional District, according to Secretary of the State Department of Revenue and Lottery Director John C. Musgrave.

McCormick’s appointment was filed with the Secretary of State’s Office on December 5. Once approved by the Senate, McCormick will take his place as the Lottery Commission’s marketing expert and fill the vacancy created by former commissioner Jim Cookman. McCormick’s appointment term extends to June 30, 2007 with eligibility of successive appointment.

A native of Logan, the 37-year-old McCormick earned a Bachelors of Science degree in marketing at WVU in 1991. He then completed the Masters of Business Administration Essentials Program at West Virginia University’s College of Business and Economics.

McCormick is currently the Division Manager of The Chapman Printing Company and Capitol Business Interiors in Morgantown. He resides in the Cheat Lake community of Mariner Village.

“The members of the State Lottery Commission and I are privileged to have David McCormick, Jr. join our ranks,” Musgrave said. “His academic accomplishments and his expertise in the field of marketing will be a tremendous asset to the Lottery.”

By law, seven members of the State Lottery Commission serve as the gubernatorial oversight body of the Lottery, a division of the State Revenue Department. The membership must be comprised of one lawyer, one certified public accountant, one computer expert, one law enforcement officer and one marketing expert. The two remaining members serve as representatives of the public at large.

SOURCE: West Virginia Lottery.

Lottery Announces New Game and Details of Retailer Bonus Program

NORTH DAKOTA, USA (December 29, 2005) -- Since the first tickets were sold on March 25, 2004, the North Dakota Lottery has recorded sales of $34.9 million.

According to Lottery Director Chuck Keller from July 1 to Dec. 26 of this year, sales were approximately $9.9 million, which is down $152,000 from that same time period last year.

Lottery ticket sales in the first 15 months of the lottery totalled $25.3 million, which was more than double the original projection of $11 million.  

The lottery is estimated to bring in $36 million in sales in the 2005-07 biennium, which began July 1 and ends June 30, 2007.

The Lottery is also launching a new game on February 2.

The new game, 2X2, requires people to pick two red numbers and two white numbers between 1 and 26. The grand prize for matching all four numbers is $20,000, the prize for matching three is $100, matching two numbers lands a $3 prize and matching one number wins a free ticket.

People also can buy lottery tickets without leaving the house.

Starting in November, the Lottery Division began selling lottery subscriptions, which allows people to use the same numbers for 26, 52 or 104 drawings and pay up front.

"We feel that subscriptions will be a very effective marketing tool for the lottery," Keller said.

Players must fill out subscription applications, which are available at all 400 lottery retail locations and on the lottery's Web site. A player's numbers will be entered into each Wednesday and Saturday draw of the subscription period for the game.

From Nov. 1 to Dec. 26, the lottery division sold 297 subscriptions worth $25,116.

Officials have also announced a new incentive program for the state’s 400 Lottery retailers. The Lottery is introducing the “Retailer Bonus Program” on January 1,

2006. Retailers will be able to earn bonuses of up to $100,000 for every winning ticket they sell with a prize value of $5,000 or more.

“Lottery retailers have worked hard to promote the games and meet sales goals. Since Powerball was launched in March 2004, the Lottery and its network of retailers sold over $35 million worth of lottery tickets,” said Keller.

Since Powerball was launched, Lottery retailers have received a five percent commission on every ticket sold. To date, the lottery’s retailers have received commissions totaling about $1.75 million. Lottery retailers in other states receive a commission on each ticket sold but most state lotteries also reward retailers with bonuses for selling large winning tickets.

“Our retailers are now selling three games and a fourth game - 2by2 - will be launched on February 2 next year. The new Retailer Bonus Program recognizes and rewards retailers’ efforts in promoting and selling the Lottery’s games,” said Keller.

The retailer bonus will be paid for all four games - Powerball, Hot Lotto, Wild Card 2,

and 2by2. As each game has different prize levels, the amount of bonus awarded for selling a winning ticket depends on the game and value of the prize. Under the program, retailers will receive bonuses ranging from $250 for selling a winning Wild Card 2 ticket with a prize value of $5,000 to $50,000 for selling a winning Powerball jackpot ticket.

Retailers will earn an additional bonus if a large winning Powerball ticket has the “Power Play” option.

Lottery sales are projected to be $36 million for the 2005-2007 biennium.

SOURCE: North Dakota Lottery and the Bismarck Tribune.
CONTACT: Chuck Keller (701) 328-1574.

Pacific Lottery Completes Purchase of IBM Central System Server Technology for Vietnam Lottery Program

CALGARY, ALBERTA, Canada (Dec. 23, 2005) - Pacific Lottery Corporation (TSX VENTURE:LUK) (the "Corporation") announced today that it has completed the purchase of the IBM Central System Server Technology (the "Central System") for the operation of the Ho Chi Minh City Lottery program (the "Lottery"). Prior to purchase, the Central System underwent rigorous testing by the Corporation's technical staff and achieved, or exceeded, all required tolerances and quality assurances for the proper operation of a jurisdiction wide, real time online lottery operation.

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The Central System, using Pacific Lottery Corporation proprietary software, will control the Lottery system network and provide secure real time communication directly with the individual retail terminals. The proprietary terminals will be integrated into a continuous uninterrupted network utilizing the selected IBM hardware cluster configuration. In addition to its extremely strong computing power, the state-of-the-art architecture of this Central System makes it easy to scale up or expand the system in the future when needed. The system configuration also guarantees zero down time during operation.

The Corporation will be delivering the Central System to Vietnam in the next few weeks and subsequently will assist the client in the installation of the Central System in the customized computer room environment. The Corporation will continue industry standard ongoing testing of the Central System as network integration proceeds.

In regards to implementation timing of the Lottery, delivery of the retail lottery terminals is now the most significant factor in determining the commencement date of lottery ticket sales in Ho Chi Minh City. As previously news released, a prototype terminal has been built and is currently undergoing development stage testing, prior to final production. The testing phase is made up of many stages, including firmware testing in conjunction with internal communications testing between subcomponent parts and external communications with the Central System. Within the internal communications structure, the individual components use "software drivers" to enable functionality. Several prototype terminal components required upgrading, resulting in the need to update their corresponding drivers, which in turn also required some software updates for the Central System. All of these matters are standard operating procedure for the introduction of new technology into a production environment and the Corporation fully expects that these matters will be completed successfully in the next few weeks. Shortly thereafter, the Corporation is advised that terminal production will be completed rapidly and delivery for installation in the retailer network should occur forthwith.

In other developments, the Corporation recently completed the purchase of some auxiliary software, which is required for the efficient operation of The Central System, in a closed loop, online, real time environment. This purchase follows rigorous testing of various software options required to assist in the delivery of the Lottery system.

The Corporation has also completed some pre-marketing related activities, including several designs of the Lottery logo and accompanying Lottery marketing symbols. This completes the initial stages of the development of the main marketing themes required before formal materials are produced for retailer and general public marketing dissemination activities.

The delivery of the Central System, accompanying software and customised Lottery games, in conjunction with the forthcoming provision of dedicated Lottery transaction terminals will enable the Corporation to fulfil its obligations under its agreement with the authorised Vietnamese Government Lottery authority.

About Pacific Lottery Corporation:
Pacific Lottery Corporation is engaged in the provision of online lottery technology and related professional services for delivery to a growing audience of international customers. Today, The Corporation is engaged in the installation of its online lottery contract in support of the establishment of the Ho Chi Minh City Lottery program and leads the technical support activities for the on-line lottery system run by the Construction Lottery of the Capital-Hanoi in Vietnam.

SOURCE: Pacific Lottery Corporation (www.pacificlottery.ca).
CONTACT: David Aftergood, (403) 266-8900, (403) 266-8909 (FAX), Email: info@pacificlottery.ca.

JCM American and Transact Sign Final Agreement; Companies Officially Combine Sales Efforts

LAS VEGAS, Nevada, USA (January 3, 2006) –  Finalizing what many analysts and journalists considered to be the biggest news of this year’s Global Gaming Expo, JCM American Corporation and TransAct Technologies Incorporated (Nasdaq: TACT), today announced they have signed a final agreement, bringing together the sales efforts of the leading bill acceptor and printer brands.

JCM is 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) is a leading producer of transaction-based printers for customers worldwide.

The final agreement creates an incredibly convenient environment for customers. Under the agreement, JCM’s sales force will offer TransAct’s gaming thermal printers in North and South America and Macau in combination with JCM’s many bill acceptor and currency handling products.

JCM President Aki Isoi said, “We are very pleased to have finalized this agreement with TransAct, a company that we see as being as innovative and dedicated to the industry as we are. This agreement creates an environment that is above all, convenient for our customers. By combining our sales team efforts, we have created the most convenient, customer-focused team imaginable – a value-driven, one-stop shop for the best currency handling, printing and monitor products anywhere.”

TransAct Technologies Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Bart C. Shuldman, said, “This is an exciting time for TransAct and for our customers. The agreement allows us to utilize JCM’s extensive sales organization, leveraging established relationships on each side of the deal. We can now move forward with our goal of accelerating market penetration and increasing our potential opportunities, and doing so in an extremely cost effective manner.”

About JCM
JCM® American Corporation is the industry leader in currency handling systems and provides products, software and services to the gaming, vending, banking, amusement, and petroleum industries. Since 1995, its products have validated an estimated $2.2 trillion in currency for the gaming industry alone. From its international headquarters in Osaka, Japan, and subsidiaries in Düsseldorf, Hong Kong, London, Sydney and its U.S. headquarters in Las Vegas, JCM’s progressive spirit continually sets worldwide industry standards with innovative products such as the World Bill Acceptor (WBA®), Universal Bill Acceptor (UBA™), Trident™ Table Safe System and Intelligent Cash Box (ICB®). For more information, visit www.jcm-american.com.

About TransAct Technologies Incorporated
TransAct (Nasdaq: TACT) designs, develops, manufactures and markets transaction-based printers under the ithaca® and Epic® names. In addition, the Company markets related consumables, spare parts and service. The Company’s printers are used worldwide to provide receipts, tickets, coupons, register journals and other documents. TransAct focuses on two core markets: point-of-sale (POS) and banking, and gaming and lottery. TransAct sells its products to original equipment manufacturers, value-added resellers and selected distributors, as well as directly to end-users. The Company’s product distribution spans across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean Islands and the South Pacific. For further information, visit TransAct’s web site located at www.transact-tech.com.

CONTACTS: For JCM, Paul Speirs, Steinbeck Communications, (702) 413-4278, Email: paulspeirs@cox.net. For TransAct: Steven DeMartino, Chief Financial Officer, 203-269-1198 Ext. 6059 or David Pasquale, 646-536-7006, or Denise Roche, 646-536-7008, both with The Ruth Group.

Aristocrat Names Global General Manager, Marketing

LAS VEGAS, Nevada, USA (January 4, 2006) -- Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. today announced that Kent Young has been promoted to Global General Manager of Marketing, effective February 1, 2006, to oversee the Company’s global marketing strategy and direction.

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For the past three years Young has served as Vice President, Marketing for Aristocrat’s Americas business.  In this position he helped lead the Company’s successful penetration of the North American market, playing an important role in shaping a successful marketing strategy, building a comprehensive games portfolio, and positioning and communicating a strong company image.

Before being named Vice President of Marketing, Young held a number of positions with Aristocrat including Vice President of Research and Development; Director of Marketing; and Marketing Manager.  He also served two years as a Sales Executive in the New South Wales market in Australia.

Earlier in his career Young served as General Manager of Southport Leagues Club. Ltd.  He also held various management and sales positions in the Australian hotel and club industry.

Young earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree in strategic management from James Cook University, QLD where he was awarded the Queensland Consulting University Prize.

SOURCE Aristocrat Technologies, Inc.( http://www.aristocratgaming.com).
CONTACT: Laura Olson, Phone 702 270 1475, Fax 702 270 1585, Email: lolson@aristocrat-inc.com.

SAZKA Launches New, Updated On-line System for Lottery and Non-Lottery Services
PRAGUE, Czech Republic (January 5 2006) -- The joint-company SAZKA put into operation a new on-line system for lottery and non-lottery activities. The modernisation covers both the central system, through which SAZKA renders its services, and gradual exchange of more than 7,000 on-line terminals.
“The new system and the terminals rank us among the world’s best technologically equipped lottery companies,“ said JUDr. Aleš Hušák, Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Manager of SAZKA, a.s. "We will be able to offer new lottery products as well as a number of innovations in the non-lottery area. The latter area includes mainly commercial and financial services, such as sale of goods by means of a sale module, loyalty programmes for betters and procurers or payment of post remittances and invoices.“

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In the field of software, network and communication services SAZKA, a.s., cooperates with GTECH Corporation, a company which is present in more than 50 countries and creates annual sales exceeding US$1.25 billion. In the Czech Republic, the company is represented by GTECH Czech Republic, a joint venture of SAZKA, a.s., and GTECH Corporation. Based on the contract of October 2003, GTECH Corporation’s billion-strong investment in the Czech Republic represents one of the largest investments of the United States in this country, and was achieved without support of the state.
Developed by GTECH Corporation, the central Enterprise Series system represents a new industrial standard in the area of pools, lotteries and non-lottery activities. The system uses an open architecture, which makes it possible to feature modern, more attractive products, and meets the strictest safety, reliability and operational requirements. Altura terminals represent a new generation of devices equipped with ergonomic touch screens, barcode sensors and more efficient printers, etc.. Additional terminals will be installed in the course of 2006 and the remaining part in 2007. Concurrently with their installation SAZKA, a.s., organises training programmes for more than 15,000 terminal attendants at individual points of sale.
The technology of wager processing has undergone in SAZKA, a.s., nearly fifty years of evolution. The originally manual processing used at the time of the company’s establishment in 1956, was substituted in 1967 by single-purpose sorters and in 1983 by computer-controlled devices. In March 1993, SAZKA, a.s., initiated a transition towards the complete on-line operation based on the Eurogols system and Spectra II terminals. The traditional betting and lottery activities were later complemented by certain non-lottery activities, including above all cell phone credit recharging (in 2002) and ticketing (in 2004).
SOURCE: SAZKA, a.s. media release.
CONTACT: PhDr. Zdeněk Zikmund, Public Relations Officer, SAZKA, a.s.

Lotto South to be Retired, New Game Offers The Prize Of A Lifetime!
RICHMOND, Virginia, USA (January 5, 2006) -- How would you like to know that every week for the rest of your life you can rely on a steady stream of income? Top prize winners in the Virginia Lottery’s newest multi-state game Win-For-Life will receive just that: $1,000 per week for the rest of their lives.
 “We wanted to find a game that could match Mega Millions for excitement, but also offer better odds of winning,” said Interim Executive Director Donna M. VanCleave. “We think players will really enjoy a chance to win $1,000 per week for the rest of their lives.”

Win-For-Life replaces Lotto South, which the Lottery is retiring after a successful four and half year run. As with Lotto South, Virginia is partnering with Kentucky and Georgia in this new game. This three-state partnership allows the lotteries to fund the attractive “for life” prize.
Players in the Win-For-Life game try to match six numbers correctly, from 1 to 42. They can select their own numbers or allow the computer to randomly select six numbers. The odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 5.2 million. The odds of winning any prize are 1 in 21. Those other prizes range from $2 to $52,000. Drawings are held Wednesday and Saturday nights.
If this sounds familiar, there’s a twist: the “Free Ball.” The Free Ball is a seventh number that is drawn from the remaining numbers after the first six are drawn. It helps determine the amount of lower-level prizes. Here is a rundown of all Win-For-Life prizes:

Match 6 of the first 6 numbers to win $1,000 per week for life.
Match 5 of the first 6 plus the Free Ball to win $52,000.
Match 5 of the first 6 to win $600.
Match 4 of the first 6 plus the Free Ball to win $200.
Match 4 of the first 6 to win $30.
Match 3 of the first 6 plus the Free Ball to win $30.
Match 3 of the first 6 to win $2.
Match 2 of the first 6 plus the Free Ball to win $2.

Win-For-Life tickets go on sale at most Virginia Lottery retailers February 26 with the first drawing held on Wednesday, March 1. Tickets for advance play can be purchased February 12. Win For Life joins the Virginia Lottery’s successful portfolio of products that includes Mega Millions, Cash 5, Pick 4, Pick 3 and Scratchers.
All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 public school education in the Commonwealth. In fiscal year 2005, the Lottery turned over more than $423 million for education.
SOURCE: Virginia Lottery media release.

Celebrity Poker Showdown Joins MDI Portfolio of Lottery Licenses; Hit Bravo Television Series is a Sure Bet for Lotteries

ALPHARETTA, Georgia, USA (January 5, 2006) - MDI Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Scientific Games Corporation (NASDAQ: SGMS), has acquired a lottery license for Celebrity Poker Showdown, the hit television series that pits five celebrities against each other to win cash for the charities of their choice, through an agreement with Universal Studios Consumer Products Group.

"Lotteries are always telling us they want to reach the young-adult market. In today's world of poker tournaments, Celebrity Poker Showdown is ‘hands down’ the leader when it comes to that audience," said Steve Saferin, MDI president. "Millions of people tune in every week to watch their favorite celebrities joke around and try to knock each other out of the game."

Top prizes include trips to a live taping of the show in Las Vegas and merchandise packs, consisting of poker chip sets, folding game tables, playing cards and Celebrity Poker Showdown apparel, are available for lotteries to use in second chance drawings.

"The popularity of poker and televised poker tournaments continues to sweep the country and Celebrity Poker Showdown is the perfect addition to MDI's poker-style play line up," said Beth Goss, executive vice president, Universal Studios Consumer Products Group. "Celebrity Poker Showdown, coupled with MDI's patented Hold 'Em Poker play style, makes this lottery game even hotter."

In addition to signing the new licensing deal with Celebrity Poker Showdown, MDI also has agreements with the World Series of Poker® and the World Poker Tour™.

About Celebrity Poker Showdown
Celebrity Poker Showdown is hosted by comedian/actor Dave Foley.  Celebrity Poker Showdown is produced by Picture This Television in association with Bravo. Marcia Mule, Bryan Scott and Lisa M. Tucker are executive producers along with Andrew Hill Newman and Joshua Malina ("The West Wing").
Bravo is the cable network that plugs people into arts, entertainment and pop culture with original programming, acclaimed off-network dramas, comedy and music specials, movies and by showing a whole different side of celebrities. Currently available in more than 79 million homes, Bravo is known for breaking exciting new personalities, shaking up the way we look at style, media, fame and Hollywood, pulling back the curtain on the creative process and making influential and inventive original programming. Its critically acclaimed and award-winning original programming includes "Inside the Actors Studio," "Project Runway," "Celebrity Poker Showdown," and "Blow Out" as well as the 2004 Emmy winner for Outstanding Reality Program, "Queer Eye." The network's latest hits include "Being Bobby Brown" and "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List."
Bravo is a program service of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBC Universal one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Bravo has been a NBC Cable Network since December 2002 and was the first television service dedicated to film and the performing arts when it launched in December 1980.For more information visit www.bravotv.com.

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 Universal Studios Consumer Products Group
Universal Studios Consumer Products Group is responsible for global licensing and retail strategies as well as building brand recognition of the extensive catalogue of NBC Universal properties. Universal Studios Consumer Products Group is a unit of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.
Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi Universal.

SOURCE: MDI Entertainment.
CONTACT: Jeff Schweig, Phone: 678-297-5212.

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