State Lottery Sets $1.5 Billion Sales Record

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, USA (June 26, 2006) -- The West Virginia Lottery expects a record $1.5 billion in sales by the end of the fiscal year June 30, according to Lottery Director John Musgrave.

In a report to the Lottery Commission today in Charleston, Musgrave said that while audits would not be completed until late July, it is clear the Lottery will have an increase in sales for 20 consecutive years.

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At $616 million, the state's net profit from lottery sales is expected to set a new record, according to Musgrave. He said that figure represents an increase of 9 percent over last fiscal year, noting that the Lottery will have transferred $407 million to state programs for education, senior citizens, parks, tourism and economic development by the end of June. Net profits earned above estimates will be transferred in July toward the Lottery's budget for FY 2006/07.

"Traditional" lottery retailers, those who sell instant scratch off games and online games such as Powerball, stand to earn $15 million in commissions and bonuses for the year, while the state's four licensed racetracks and other related entities will receive $510 million. Limited Video Lottery retailers and operators are expected to earn approximately $195 million in commissions.

According to Musgrave, video lottery sales will set a new record of $1.3 billion, with sales at the racetracks generating $943 million and Limited Video Lottery, operated in taverns and other adult establishments, contributing nearly $361 million. Video Lottery sales will represent 86 percent of the Lottery's $1.5 billion sales figure.

Musgrave said that in generating $218 million, the Lottery's traditional games set a 20-year record, including $120 million from the Lottery’s instant "scratch off" games.

SOURCE: West Virginia Lottery

“Win-For-Life” Instant Ticket Marks Ten Year Anniversary
Popular Game Closing in on 200th Grand Prize Winner

TRENTON, New Jersey, USA (June 23, 2006) – Ten years have gone by, but New Jersey's Win For Life instant ticket game is just as popular now, maybe even more so, as it was when it made its debut in 1996, said New Jersey Lottery Executive Director Michellene Davis.

“Win-For-Life is one of our core games," said Director Davis, “When it made its debut ten years ago, we hoped it would generate a strong following, with ten years of experience and this one-of-a-kind instant game closing in on the 200 mark for winners of $1,000 a week for life, I think it's safe to say that Win For Life has truly found a following in New Jersey!”

Director Davis also noted that, over the past ten years, Win-For-Life has generated nearly $440 million in sales, over $281 million in prizes for thousands of lucky players, and approximately $119 million in State contributions for education and institutions.

The instant ticket Win For Life features three separate game plays. In the first two games, the player scratches off the play area to reveal two rows of game play. In each game, if the player matches his number with the number on the ticket, the player wins the prize for that row.

In the third game the player scratches off the play area to reveal six prize symbols. If three of the six prize symbols match, the player wins that prize amount. If the player reveals three life symbols, the player wins $1,000 a week for life.

The newest edition of the Win For Life instant ticket recently made its debut in the 6,100 New Jersey Lottery retailers across the State. The game has a bold, new look but the same opportunities to receive $1,000 a week for life. For more information about the Win For Life Instant Game, please visit: http://www.njlottery.net.

“It seems like every other week someone is walking through our door to claim their $1,000 a week for life,” concluded Executive Director Davis, “Win For Life has helped make planning for college, taking vacations, and taking care of your family a little easier for the nearly 200 persons who have claimed their grand prizes thus far. It's a winning tradition that looks likely to continue far into the future!”

SOURCE: New Jersey Lottery.
CONTACT: Mary Ann Rivell, Public Information Officer, Office: 609-599-5875, Fax: 609-599-5829.

MDI Adds “Deal or No Deal” to Portfolio of Licenses; Game Show Has Become Huge Hit in the U.S.

ALPHARETTA, Georgia, USA (June 23, 2006) -- It’s the question that has over 100 million viewers asking….”Deal or No Deal?”

With 26 chrome cases, 26 gorgeous models, one hilarious bald host, one mysterious banker and a million dollars up for grabs, the TV smash “Deal or No Deal” has taken the country by storm, consistently ranking #1 for its time period in adults 18-49 and total viewers. And Lotteries can offer this hot property to their players now that the rights to the game show have been acquired exclusively by MDI Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Scientific Games Corporation (NASDAQ: SGMS).

“No one expected ‘Deal or No Deal’ to dominate the ratings like it has demonstrated,” said Steve Saferin, MDI president. “And being an entertaining game of luck, it’s the perfect fit for lotteries to include in their instant ticket line up.”

In “Deal or No Deal” players simply pick one of the cases, which contain between a penny and $1 million, and that becomes their case. Then they randomly pick among the remaining cases opening them one by one revealing the prize level he/she can’t win. The goal is to eliminate all but the highest numbers and walk off with $1 million. As the amounts are eliminated, an unseen “banker” calls the show’s host Howie Mandel and offers the contestant an amount he or she can exchange for their case.

Similar to the television show, a “Deal or No Deal” lottery ticket can offer an elimination-style game play, cash prizes and possibly trips to view a taping of the show. “Deal or No Deal” joins other MDI licenses “American Idol,” “The Apprentice” and “Wheel of Fortune” which have already proven popular with players.

“Deal or No Deal,” developed by the production company Endemol International, has been shown in over 40 countries. It aired in the United States through June, and will return in September for a second season.

“After just one season, ‘Deal or No Deal’ has established itself as one of the top-rated game shows on the air today,” said Lisa Higgins, Senior Vice President of Production at Endemol USA. “It’s a game of luck and it’s all about winning money making it a natural fit for the lottery category. We are sure a ‘Deal or No Deal’ lottery ticket will appeal to both current lottery players and our ever-growing audience as well.” 

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.

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

Sports and Arts in Perfect Harmony

Article by: Ilkka Juva, Communications Director, Veikkaus Oy

VEIKKAUS, Finland (June 27, 2006) -- Veikkaus' history is part of the history of Finnish sports.

In the beginning, the bulk of our proceeds were allocated to sports. In the 1950s, arts, youth work, and science were introduced as new beneficiaries of Veikkaus funds. Of course, the sports activists of the time were not especially happy with the change.

The Ministry of Education allocated EUR 185 million of Veikkaus funds to arts and libraries last year - half a million euros a day. The amount represents over half of the funds distributed to arts by the Ministry of Education. In other words, Veikkaus proceeds are vital for arts.

Veikkaus' connection with arts is not as well-known as our connection with sports. This is why we work in close marketing cooperation with arts. Our strong presence can be seen, for example, in the summer of Finnish cultural happenings, which has already been launched successfully this year. However, it is probably true that sports activists are generally better aware of the importance of Veikkaus' games than artists and arts consumers. One of the core objectives of the marketing cooperation is therefore that we can communicate the importance of our operations to the arts circles, as well.

A long time has passed since Veikkaus' proceeds were based on sports games exclusively; instead, most of our income comes from games independent of sports, such as Lotto, Keno, Joker and instant tickets. Our funds are distributed in accordance with the Funds Distribution Act, which was laid down in 2001. The principles of distribution are generally accepted.

In fact, it seems that the dispute over the distribution of the funds between sports and the other beneficiaries does not exist anymore. Instead, the beneficiaries share a common concern that the social preconditions for gaming activities should be retained. The exclusive right system is the only real way of guaranteeing responsible gaming and ensuring that our beneficiaries can continue to pursue their activities.

SOURCE: Veikkaus' eNews distributed by Veikkaus Communications.
CONTACT: Ilkka Juva, Communications Director, Veikkaus Oy.

Atlantic Lottery Hosts Lottery Officials from Around North America

MONCTON, N.B. Canada (June 23, 2006) -- The Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC) played host to lottery directors from across the continent as the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) held its Annual Spring Meeting in St. Andrews, N.B. this week.

The three-day event allowed lottery Presidents and CEOs to share their experiences and discuss common issues. Discussions centered on creating common standards for working with a retail industry that has seen dramatic change over the past decade and continues to evolve to meet customer needs. While independent retailers continue to be the foundation of the lottery business, consumers are increasingly shopping in larger chain stores.

“Lotteries from around North America find themselves working with larger chains that conduct business in various jurisdictions. These retail businesses are looking for common approaches for getting lottery to market, and this provides us with an opportunity to come up with common practices for the industry,” says Gerry Aubin, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Lottery and President of NASPL’s Executive Committee.

For Michelle Carinci, President and CEO of the Atlantic Lottery Corporation, the meeting was not only an opportunity to host her colleagues from around the North America, but also a chance to talk about the seven Responsible Gaming Principles which were discussed by members of the World Lottery Association (WLA) during recent meetings held in Halifax.

“Further to the WLA meetings in May, NASPL members discussed the seven WLA principles and their implementation. Similar discussions are also taking place between lottery organizations in other parts of the world,” said Carinci, who is the founding chair and vice-chair of WLA’s Corporate Social Responsibility sub-committee.

NASPL was founded in 1971. Evolving from an informal exchange of information among three pioneering lottery directors, the organization has now grown into an active association representing 52 lottery organizations.

NASPL members are meeting in Atlantic Canada for the third time. Previous meetings were held in 1995 and in 1999.

Atlantic Lottery turns 30 this year. All in all, it’s been a “Win-Win” for Atlantic Canada. It’s been a win for players for literally 4.5 billion reasons: that’s the amount ALC has awarded in prizes to winners over the past three decades. It’s also been a win for Atlantic Canada because, over the past 30 years, every penny of ALC’s profit - 4.7 billion dollars since 1976 - has been returned to the region through Atlantic Canada’s four provincial governments.

SOURCE: Atlantic Lottery Corporation.
For further information CONTACT: Robert Bourgeois, Corporate Social Responsiblity & Communications, 1-800-561-3942, (506) 867-5825.

Lottery Game Offers a Day With One of the Most Famous Canadians

RICHMOND, British Columbia, Canada (June 23, 2006) - Today, British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) announced an exciting new addition to SportsFunder suite of lottery products: the $5 SportsFunder Instant Win ticket featuring hockey legend Wayne Gretzky. SportsFunder Lottery games are a unique line of products directly benefiting amateur sports in B.C.

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"Sport is important to everybody... it doesn't matter if you're an athlete, a coach, a parent or a fan," said Wayne Gretzky. "I'm proud to play a part in supporting the dreams of amateur athletes all across B.C., through the success of SportsFunder."

This newest edition of the SportsFunder Instant Win ticket features more than $2.1 million in cash and prizes, including top cash prizes of $99,000. And, for the first time ever offered on an Instant Win ticket, players can win a Great Day with Gretzky which includes an opportunity to plan some memorable moments and spend a day with Wayne Gretzky that will be treasured forever by the winner. Winners will also receive signed Wayne Gretzky memorabilia and will be able to bring a friend or family member to enjoy the experience.

"Wayne Gretzky's support of SportsFunder offers lottery players a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Jim Lightbody, BCLC's Vice-President of Lottery Gaming. "SportsFunder has given us the platform to offer new and exciting experiential prizes while supporting a great cause... amateur sports in B.C."

Proceeds from SportsFunder Lottery games will be distributed by the provincial government to directly support:

1. Sport BC's KidSportTM program providing sport registration grants to financially disadvantaged children;
2. Game Plan/Team BC, providing support for high-performance B.C. athletes;
3. financial assistance for coaching development; and
4. travel assistance for B.C. athletes to access training facilities and sporting competitions.

SportsFunder was developed in celebration of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. BCLC's partnership with the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) provides BCLC with sponsorship rights for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and also includes rights to the Canadian Olympic Team for Torino 2006, Beijing 2008, Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Games.

SportsFunder Lottery games are available wherever lottery products are sold in British Columbia. In addition to Instant Win tickets, there is also a province-wide 50/50 game with draws every 30 minutes, Pull Tab tickets and SportsFunder Interactives available exclusively through PlayNow on www.bclc.com.

SOURCE: British Columbia Lottery Corporation.
CONTACT: Tamara Ibbott, (604) 247-3004 or Cell: (604) 992-3470.

Pollard Banknote and New Jersey Lottery Launch First Rawlings® Licensed Game

WINNIPEG, MB, Canada (June 28, 2006) -- With the baseball season in full swing, Pollard Banknote Limited Partnership (“Pollard Banknote”) and the New Jersey Lottery are fielding a winner with Cash Catcher, a Rawlings® licensed game.  “The Rawlings® brand is the ideal teammate to help launch a baseball-themed game like Cash Catcher,” said Sina Aiello, Director, Licensed Products, Pollard Banknote. “Rawlings® is one of the most enduring brands in sports and a leading manufacturer of quality sporting equipment. We know that many sports enthusiasts are also fans of instant games, so the fit is as good as a Rawlings® glove.”

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“The brand’s associations with other sports will also give a boost to many more sports-themed games - basketball, football, golf, for example - launched at varying times of the year.”

The New Jersey Lottery is the first lottery to carry a Rawlings®-themed game. Launched in April, Cash Catcher offers players the chance to win up to $30,000. Once the instant game has been played, consumers may also mail in their non-winning tickets or register online for a chance to win a Rawlings® merchandise prize pack.

The Lottery has enjoyed strong sales and seen an enthusiastic response from players to Cash Catcher’s second-chance draw, proof that prize packs consisting of such desirable merchandise as Rawlings® baseball bats and gloves, ball caps, and sweatshirts hold great appeal for New Jersey players.  Established in 1887, Rawlings® is a leader in professional-grade, competitive sports equipment and team sports apparel for baseball, basketball, and football. In the U.S. alone, Rawlings® boasts over 6,000 active retailers and benefits from brand exposure valued at over $100 million annually in advertising and promotional campaigns. Since 1957, the company’s Gold Glove Award has been a standard for excellence in fielding at each position in baseball.

Pollard Banknote offers a turnkey solution for licensed games, including ticket design and manufacturing, prize structure consultation, merchandise selection and fulfillment, publicity and promotional opportunities, and second chance draw process management (including all customer service, Internet marketing, and post-game analysis).

About Pollard Banknote (www.pollardbanknote.com)

Pollard Banknote is one of the world’s leading full-service lottery vendors and is a major supplier to North America’s charitable gaming industry.  The firm manufactures instant tickets and provides related programming, design, and marketing support. As well, Pollard Banknote manufactures ticket vending machines, pull tab tickets and bingo paper, and supplies lottery management services (including warehousing and distribution). Established in 1907, the firm is owned by the Pollard family and the Pollard Banknote Income Fund and currently serves more than 45 lotteries worldwide, including some of the largest and most respected lotteries in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Central and South America.

About Pollard Banknote Income Fund
Pollard Banknote Income Fund (TSX: PBL.UN) is an unincorporated, open-end trust which owns 26.7% of Pollard Holdings Limited Partnership, which in turn owns Pollard Banknote Limited Partnership.

SOURCE: Pollard Banknote media release. For further information please
CONTACT: Gordon Pollard (gpollard@pbl.ca) or John Pollard (jpollard@pbl.ca), Co-Chief Executive Officers, Phone: (204) 474-2323.

Pennsylvania Lottery's Second Millionaire Raffle Game an Early Sell-out
All 625,000 Millionaire Raffle Tickets Sold in Five Weeks

MIDDLETOWN, Pennsylvania, USA (June 26, 2006) -- Tickets for the Pennsylvania Lottery's Fourth of July Millionaire Raffle game have sold out in five weeks.

Sales of Millionaire Raffle tickets began on May 23, and were to continue for six weeks until 5 p.m. on July 4, or until the tickets ran out. The last remaining Millionaire Raffle ticket was sold on Monday, June 26 at 4:35 p.m.

"We're thrilled by the overwhelming response to the Lottery's second Millionaire Raffle game," said Lottery Executive Director Ed Mahlman. "The Lottery will create five new millionaires on Independence Day."

Millionaire Raffle features 760 cash prizes totaling $6.25 million. The game will award five $1 million top prizes, five $100,000 second prizes and 750 third-tier prizes of $1,000.

The Raffle drawing will be held during the Lottery's live, 7 p.m. drawing show on Independence Day, July 4. The top 10 ticket numbers will be broadcast live as they are drawn; the 750 third-prize tickets will be posted at Lottery retailer locations and published on the Lottery Web site at http://www.palottery.com/ later that evening.

Mahlman reminded Millionaire Raffle players to sign the backs of their tickets and keep them in a safe place until the July 4 drawing.

The eight- digit raffle number printed on Millionaire Raffle tickets must match the eight-digit raffle ticket number combination selected in the drawing - in the exact sequence in which it was selected - to be considered a winning ticket. All winning tickets will be selected by a Random Number Generator - or Automated Drawing Machine - certified by Gaming Laboratories International, the world's premier gaming products and systems testing company.

Mahlman also noted that the success of the second Millionaire Raffle has already created thousands of winners throughout Pennsylvania.

"Millionaire Raffle ticket sales generated more than $5.3 million for programs that benefit older Pennsylvanians," said Mahlman.

The Lottery's first-ever Raffle game held on New Year's Eve, Dec. 31, 2005, was also an early sell-out; the 500,000 tickets offered for that drawing sold in less than two weeks.

For more information on the Pennsylvania Lottery, visit http://www.palottery.com/.

SOURCE: Pennsylvania Lottery.
CONTACT: Steve Kniley, Revenue Press Office, +1-717-787-6960.

Lottery, Cultural Affairs Officials Invite Players to Enjoy 'Great Places'
New Scratch Game Highlights First Three 'Great Places' Communities

DES MOINES, Iowa (June 26, 2006) -- A new Iowa Lottery instant-scratch game highlights three Iowa places that are working to build stronger communities as part of a new state program.

The lottery has teamed with the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs to offer the “Iowa Great Places” scratch game. The $1 game offers a top prize of $1,846 - signifying the year Iowa gained statehood - and tickets in the game bear images of Sioux City, Coon Rapids and Clinton.

In January, Gov. Tom Vilsack signed agreements with leaders from those three communities, designating them as Iowa's three pilot Great Places and creating work plans to develop their vision.

Cultural Affairs officials oversee the Great Places program, which pairs the resources of state government with local leadership to build stronger communities.

“Our instant-scratch game, being released during the heart of summer travel season, gives Iowans a peek at the attractions that already exist in our state's Great Places,” said Iowa Lottery CEO Dr. Ed Stanek. “Our lottery tickets can help spread the word about the expanded projects on the way and encourage support of those communities.”

More than 1,000 Iowans attended Great Places forums across the state in May and June 2005. By the July 1, 2005, application deadline, 146 places from 94 counties had submitted initial Great Places proposals. Seventy-four communities ultimately took the next step of submitting offers to the Great Places Citizen Advisory Board. Proposals from Sioux City, Coon Rapids and Clinton ultimately were chosen to receive the first Great Places designations.

Highlights of Clinton's Great Places plan include developing a community exercise area; creating a boardwalk with restaurants, entertainment and carnival rides; and expanding the walking and hiking trails in nearby Eagle Point Park.

The Coon Rapids plan calls for enhancing the nearby Whiterock Conservancy by reworking trails, creating interpretative signs, developing campgrounds, reviewing road safety and building a new paved parking lot. The plan includes the development of fishing ponds and an osprey project.

The Sioux City plan focuses on creating recreational trails and signs highlighting attractions in the downtown area and preserving the historic significance of the existing Sioux City stockyards while also transforming the area for recreational use. The plan also calls for creation of a Sioux City School of Architecture to capitalize on the community's unique terra cotta “brand.”

Tickets in the Iowa Great Places scratch game go on sale Monday and will be available at lottery retailers statewide by Friday. The Great Places ticket highlighting Sioux City features three different scenes from the community, including the historic Fourth Street market area. The Coon Rapids ticket features scenes of the area's gorgeous natural attractions. Clinton's ticket includes an image of the bald eagles that nest in the area along the Mississippi River.

“Great Places” players try to match any of “their numbers” to the “winning number” on each ticket to win the prize shown for that number. A player who finds a state of Iowa symbol automatically wins a prize.

Over the years, the Iowa Lottery has released other instant-scratch games in support of important state initiatives, including:

The $1 “Famous Iowans” game that featured on its tickets caricatures of Buffalo Bill Cody, Donna Reed, Dan Gable and others. The game was released in 2000 in support of the State Historical Society.

The $1 “Iowa - Come Be Our Guest” game that featured six scenes from destinations in the state including the Amana Colonies and the Bridges of Madison County. The game was released in 2001 in support of the Iowa Division of Tourism.

The $1 “Beetle Bailey” game that featured artwork from the long-running comic strip. The game was released in 2002 in support of the Iowa Commission of Veterans Affairs.

Since the Iowa Lottery's inception in 1985, nearly $2 billion has been awarded in prizes and more than $1 billion has been raised for state programs.

SOURCE: Iowa Lottery.

Governor Confirms Interim Lottery President

LOUISIANA (June 27, 2006) -- Rose J. Hudson was confirmed today by Governor Kathleen Blanco, as the fourth president of the Louisiana Lottery Corporation. Last Wednesday, the Lottery's board of directors unanimously appointed Hudson to the position. 

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Hudson has been serving as interim president since March 16 after the former president, Randy Davis, resigned to pursue an opportunity in the private sector.

Hudson holds a masters degree in public administration and a Senior Professional in Human Resources designation. She has served as senior vice president at the Lottery for the last six years, directing the corporation's human resources and legislative affairs functions.

Prior to her tenure at the Lottery, Hudson served as assistant superintendent at the Louisiana Department of Education and as undersecretary of the Louisiana Department of Social Services.

An active member of the community, Hudson has held many leadership positions on civic boards, including Friends of Louisiana Public Broadcasting. She was recently named to the board of the Association of Junior Leagues International.

SOURCE: Louisiana Lottery Corporation.

Lottery Commission Names New Director

AUSTIN, Texas, USA (June 28, 2006) - Texas Lottery Commissioners today named Anthony J. Sadberry executive director of the Texas Lottery®. Sadberry had been serving as acting director since his appointment in January.

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“Mr. Sadberry brings a long and distinguished record of public service to his new job, as well as an intimate knowledge of how this agency works,” said Texas Lottery Commission Chairman C. Tom Clowe, Jr. “During his tenure as a commissioner, his keen insights provided all of us with serious and steady guidance, and I expect no less from him now that he will be at the helm of the agency. I’m extremely pleased that he has accepted the job.”

Mr. Sadberry, a former assistant Attorney General of Texas, was a member of the Houston office of the New York law firm, Epstein, Becker and Green, P.C. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and obtained a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D. C.

He was appointed to the Texas Lottery Commission by Governor Ann Richards in November 1993. He was commission chairman from October 1994 to May 1995. He served for seven years on the three-member board, resigning in December 2000.

Mr. Sadberry begins his duties immediately at a salary of $114, 996.

SOURCE: Texas Lottery Commission media release.
CONTACT:  Media Relations, 512-344-5131.

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