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| Vol. 36 No. 1 -- Monday July 10, 2006 |
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GTECH Signs Two-Year Contract Extension with the Minnesota State Lottery WEST GREENWICH, Rhode Island, USA (June 29, 2006) -- GTECH Holdings Corporation (NYSE: GTK) today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, GTECH Corporation, signed a two-year contract extension with the Minnesota State Lottery to commence on February 9, 2011. The contract extension retains all of GTECH’s service offerings and the fixed rate under the current contract. GTECH expects to generate revenues of approximately $20 million to $22 million over the two-year extension term.
“This contract extension is evidence of the Minnesota State Lottery’s continued confidence in GTECH’s ability to provide comprehensive services,” said GTECH President and CEO W. Bruce Turner. “Since becoming the online lottery provider in 2003, online sales have grown year-over-year, reaching $163 million in calendar 2005. We are excited to continue this partnership and grateful for the recognition of our efforts in Minnesota.” Under the terms of the contract extension, GTECH will continue to provide the Minnesota State Lottery with a variety of ongoing services, including the operation and maintenance of the online gaming system, lottery terminals, instant ticket vending machines, and communications network; and field service support. GTECH will also provide the Lottery with additional self-service solutions, LED displays, and Aladdin® magnetic stripe cards in support of future Aladdin gaming applications. GTECH is a leading gaming technology and services company. With more than $1.3 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. INTRALOT Signs New Contract in Malaysia… Advancing Its Expansion in the Asian Market ATHENS, Greece (July 5, 2006) -- Following an international tender, INTRALOT has signed a contract with “Magnum Corporation Berhad,” the established gaming company in Malaysia. The contract has an initial term of eight (8) years as from the start of the commercial operation of the system with option of further extensions of its term. The contract value is estimated in the amount of US$15.5 million. The project includes the procurement, installation and support of an advanced, integrated lottery system comprised of up to 2,200 CORONIS terminals, the core operating system “LOTOS”, including the game software and a state-of-the-art leased line telecommunications infrastructure. INTRALOT will also provide additional functionality to the system such as customer promotion programme. The implementation of the project will begin immediately and the full implementation to INTRALOT’s platform is estimated to commence in mid 2007. INTRALOT S.A. CEO, Mr. Constantinos Antonopoulos commented: “We are very pleased to have signed this new contract with Magnum. We are proud to have been chosen over most leading companies in the industry because “Magnum Corporation Berhad” is internationally recognized as a pioneer in using new technologies in the gaming industry.
INTRALOT has again demonstrated its capacity to provide an advanced gaming solution to our clients. The award of this contract illustrates the state of the art solutions that INTRALOT is able to offer our global clients. This project comes from a country which is economically and technologically advanced within Asia and constitutes one more step in our expansion into the broad Asian market.” About INTRALOT (www.intralot.com) SOURCE: INTRALOT media release. Four Months To Go Before WLA2006 Descends On Us!
It is getting more exciting by the day as preparations warm
up. Registrations are streaming in steadily and many Chairmen, Board
members, Presidents and Chief Executive Officers from lotteries around the
world have signed up. Over 90% of the Trade Show space has been sold
and we expect our exhibitors to showcase an impressive range of technologies,
innovative games and software solutions to make WLA2006 Trade Show a truly
unforgettable experience.
Professor Tommy Koh, Singapore’s
Ambassador-at-Large will share his experience of Negotiating across
Cultures: East and West and resolving disputes across diverse cultures and
regions. Koh’s 20-year diplomatic career includes chairmanship of two
World Trade Organization dispute panels as well as two major United Nations
conferences on the Law of the Sea and the environment and development. Graham Winter, three-times Chief Psychologist of the Australian Olympic team will challenge us to free organizations from ‘silo thinking’ and unleash the power of cohesive team dynamics and Think “One Team”- Strategies to Cultivate High Performance Culture. Winter is the celebrated author of “High Performance Leadership” and “Think One Team” and his training programs have helped many top business leaders and teams achieve success on the world stage. Many enriching Parallel Sessions are also in the pipeline addressing issues ranging from financial and reputation risk management to responsible gaming and security standards. For the first time, in the history of the Convention, we will take you outdoors on lecture-tours.
There will also be plenty of opportunities to meet old friends and make new ones:
Your partner will not have a dull moment! They can take in the sights and sounds of our traditionally Chinese, Malay and Indian enclaves during the Contrasting Cultures tour. escape to Sentosa, our Isle of Peace, shop till they drop at over 100 shops in the Raffles City Complex and, if they still have energy to spare, join a wide selection of optional tours. We look forward to welcoming you at WLA2006. Register NOW! Remember you must register by 30 september to secure the contracted hotel rates. NEW YORK, USA (July 5, 2006) -- Scientific Games has been awarded a one-year extension of its instant ticket contract with the Massachusetts Lottery. The extension will run from August 2006 through August 2007 and is valued at approximately $12.5 million. As the Lottery's primary instant ticket vendor, Scientific Games supplied approximately 95 percent of the over $3 billion of instant tickets Massachusetts sold in Fiscal Year 2006. The terms of the contract provide for two more option years, through August 2009, at the Lottery's discretion. "We are pleased to retain Scientific Games as our primary instant ticket vendor," said Tim Cahill, State Treasurer of Massachusetts. "Our successful partnership has been a tremendous benefit to the 351 cities and towns of the Commonwealth."
"We are delighted with this vote of confidence from the Massachusetts Lottery, which by any measure is one of the most successful in the world," said Lorne Weil, Chairman and CEO of Scientific Games. "This has been an exciting summer for the Mass. Lottery, particularly with the successful introduction of the Red Sox Instant Ticket. We look forward to working with Scientific Games to put forth new and exciting games in the coming year," said Joseph C. Sullivan, Executive Director of the Massachusetts State Lottery. The Massachusetts Lottery produced $4.5 billion in gross revenue in Fiscal Year 2005. A record $936 million was returned to the Commonwealth to support critical municipal services such as fire, police and schools in the state's 351 cities and towns. Less than two percent of revenues went toward administrative expenses, making Massachusetts the most efficient lottery in the United States. About Scientific
Games SOURCE: Scientific Games media
release. SAN ANTONIO, Texas, USA (June 30, 2006) -- US Lotteries – The Colorado Lottery and the Montana Lottery will launch Oberthur Gaming Technologies’ (“OGT”) SUDOKU™ game in the next two months. Each Lottery has chosen to use OGT’s patented two-pass imaging marking system and patent-pending play action. The tickets include an extended-play instant game, plus a SUDOKU™ Challenge game that puts the player’s skills to the test by inviting the player to complete the grid manually on the ticket back for fun.
SUDOKU has become a major phenomenon, appearing in more than 140 major and local newspapers in 40 countries worldwide. For many of these publications, SUDOKU has become just as popular as the daily crossword puzzle, and is often run along its side. The ever-growing popularity of SUDOKU has been taken to a new level with countless SUDOKU books, and many PC, PDA-downloadable and online versions of the puzzle. In addition, media coverage on SUDOKU has been widespread. Sky One, the British Sky Broadcasting's flagship entertainment channel in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, has created the first SUDOKU gameshow. OGT has a pending trademark application for SUDOKU™ for lottery tickets and services. The company has a patent application pending that covers play actions for number or icon puzzle type games that resemble SUDOKU games in connection with lottery tickets, allowing OGT to sell and produce SUDOKU™ instant games for Lotteries around the world. SOURCE:
Lyse Trudel, Communications Officer, Oberthur Gaming Technologies, (+1-514)
254-3600, ext. 101. Ross Dalton Rejoins GTECH as Senior Vice President, Printed Products and Licensed Content Markets WEST GREENWICH, Rhode Island, USA (June 29, 2006) -- GTECH Holdings Corporation (NYSE: GTK) today announced that Ross Dalton has rejoined GTECH as Senior Vice President, Printed Products and Licensed Content Markets, reporting to GTECH President and CEO W. Bruce Turner.
“Ross is a respected industry veteran and is known for his leadership skills and vast lottery expertise,” said GTECH President and CEO W. Bruce Turner. “His return provides GTECH with a proven leader who will help the Company build a presence in the printed products market. “Our goal is to evolve GTECH into a preferred provider of strategic gaming content in the gaming industry,” continued Mr. Turner. “Ross gives us the background and the vision to make this goal a reality.” In this new role, Ross will define and direct the Company’s strategic activities in the printed products, printed product content, and other non-traditional gaming markets. He will also manage GTECH’s acquisition strategies surrounding the utilization of licensed properties across the Company’s business portfolio. In addition, Ross will oversee GTECH’s IGI Europrint subsidiary and help align its content development, sales, and marketing functions to leverage additional opportunities for GTECH’s current and future customers worldwide. He will also integrate key actions across major areas within the organization to build the GTECH brand in the printed products market. Ross began his GTECH career in 1990 and held roles of increasing responsibility. As Regional Vice President, Western U.S. Operations in 2004, he was responsible for sales and operations activities for 14 customer jurisdictions and in more than 10 emerging markets. He managed a staff of more than 1,000 data center and field service employees, and was responsible for the sale and deployment of several new products. Ross also held leadership positions in various functions within the Company, including sales/government relations and marketing services.
Prior to joining GTECH, Ross led the marketing communications efforts for the Kansas Lottery as the Communications Manager. Most recently, Ross was a principle owner of Orchard Solutions Group of Atlanta, Georgia, and Austin, Texas, where he provided targeted leadership development programs to organizations, enabling them to better manage their most capable employees. Ross holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Kansas. GTECH is a leading gaming technology and services company. With more than $1.3 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. Scientific Games to Supply Sports Betting System for
Norway NEW YORK, USA (June 30, 2006) -- Scientific Games (Nasdaq: SGMS) has been awarded a contract to replace the legacy sports betting system of Norway's state-owned Norsk Tipping. The contract, tendered through a competitive public procurement process, is valued at approximately $8.4 million over five years. The new sports betting engine will work in parallel with Norsk Tipping's legacy MasterLink System, conform to WLA (World Lottery Association) standards, and add the ability to handle bets from agent terminals. Norsk Tipping sought a system that would be compatible with its current sports games operations and scalable enough to meet the demands of its Statement of Direction and Development Road Map for new games and features. Scientific Games will manage the transition, including installation, testing and final delivery of the solution from its offices in Stockholm and Vienna.
"We see sports betting as a source of growth for lotteries worldwide and have developed the tools to enable them to bring these kinds of games online efficiently, without the need to replace legacy systems, and to add new games and services on demand" said Lorne Weil, Chairman and CEO of Scientific Games. "We look forward to working with Norsk Tipping and to assist them in setting a sports betting standard for the world." "To better serve our customers, we want a more flexible sports betting system, offering both speedier turnaround and the power to offer new game formats," said Reidar Nordby Jr., President and CEO of Norsk Tipping. "Scientific Games was able to give us that with their new Sports Betting System, connecting to our new state-of-the-art integration platform." Norsk Tipping is Norway's leading gaming company, wholly-owned by the Norwegian state, with revenues of $1.4 billion in 2005. The company's main objectives are to provide the Norwegian people with responsible games and entertainment and at the same time ensure a secure and long-term profit for the beneficiary organizations, divided equally between the sports and culture sectors. The company operates the games of chance, Lotto, Viking Lotto and Joker; the games of skill Tipping and Oddsen; and the scratch game Flax. In addition, the company operates the TV game, Extra, on behalf of the Norwegian Foundation for Health and Rehabilitation. About Scientific
Games SOURCE: Scientific Games Corporation media
release. Lottery Dynamics Completes Multi-Million Dollar Financing IRVING, Texas, USA (June 30, 2006) -- Lottery Dynamics LLC and its sister company, Integrated Group Assets, Inc., has completed a multi-million dollar financing for the companies in the form of a senior secured loan, which closed on June 19th. The additional resources will enable Lottery Dynamics to aggressively pursue its business objectives of delivering proprietary, revenue-enhancing new programs to lotteries worldwide.
“We are excited about the progress we have made in the past year and the expression of confidence in our future prospects that this financing represents,” said Stephan Egli, Chairman and President of Lottery Dynamics. Currently, Lottery Dynamics’ Lotto Gold+™ program has been licensed to the Ukrainian National Lottery and the province of Misiones in Argentina. Lotto Gold+™ offers lottery players a choice, for the first time in lotto history, of multi-priced tickets as well as higher guaranteed starting jackpots. In the two licensed programs underway, lottery revenues are up an average of 40 percent. The company is presently in discussion with a number of other lotteries regarding the licensure of proprietary revenue-enhancing products. Lottery Dynamics LLC, based in Irving, Texas, is a company with a mission to re-energize lotto and other lottery games with proprietary programs highlighting player choice, player value and player excitement. The company’s programs can be designed to work with any matrix and any currency around the world and are projected to build lottery sales by 40-50 percent over current levels with no additional cost to the lottery. For further information, go to www.lotterydynamics.com SOURCE: Lottery Dynamics LLC. Lottomatica Launches Instant Lotto Game; New Gaming Formula Additional to Lotto ROME, Italy (July 7, 2006) -- Today Lottomatica S.p.A. announced the launch of Instant Lotto, a new optional gaming formula additional to Lotto as provided for by 2005 Budget Law. Specifically, the instant game gives everyone the chance to participate in an instant, dedicated drawing (5 numbers from 1 to 90), while at the same time playing for the Lotto’s usual bet, through the same bet (numbers and draws). The five numbers drawn are printed on the receipt voucher and players can immediately check the numbers they played.
It’s a fast, “accessible,” easily understandable game: all players have to do is check a box to participate in the customized drawing and quickly find out if they’ve won. Winning is instant, plus there is the opportunity to get a double chance at winning while playing just once. The player selects the cost of the game and it is possible to pay a minimum of Euro 0.50 to a maximum amount that coincides with the amount paid for the traditional game. It should be stressed that the instant drawing system is extremely reliable and safe, it is automated and based on security criteria certified by a validating commission composed of Lottomatica, AAMS and independent experts. An ad hoc campaign has been studied to launch the instant game through the main media. SOURCE: Lottomatica S.p.A. media release. Betting on Games Offered by Veikkaus Benefits Finnish Football VEIKKAUS, Finland (June 27, 2006) -- The world's most widely viewed event, FIFA World Cup, attracts football fans both on the living room couches and in sports cafés to enjoy the excitement of the matches. Supporting a team is an essential part of viewing sports. Even though your own favourite were not always in the game, you can spice up each event with extra feeling and excitement by placing just a small stake. Veikkaus World Cup advertisement campaign is also based on supporting: we have chosen Togo as our favourite.
Who do you support? We could well compare Togo's situation in football with that of Finland: the nation of just five million people has made its way to the World Cup for the first time. We hope to see Finland in the same situation next time, after four years. Veikkaus aims to attract more people to try betting. The more customers playing with small stakes we have, the more we can pay out prizes and gather money to our beneficiaries, such as Finnish football. Every small stake placed on a Veikkaus game benefits Finnish sports both at the amateur and top levels: of each euro spent on our games, seven cents are used to benefit sports. SOURCE: Veikkaus' eNews distributed by Veikkaus Communications. Lottery Players Asked to Name the UK’s Modern Day Pirates UNITED KINGDOM (July 2, 2006) -- Speed cameras and estate agents have been named as the biggest modern day pirates, according to research from national-lottery.co.uk to discover who the public thought was doing the most looting nationally. In the survey – conducted to celebrate the launch of the brand new Instant Win Game ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’ at national-lottery.co.uk – these new types of buccaneers sailed in way ahead of those who are usually perceived as being the bad guys. Traditionally viewed as ‘pirates’, traffic wardens were in fact beaten to third place in this ‘rogues’ gallery’ by utility companies, who are now among what are seemingly the top ranking raiders on people’s bank accounts. In the national-lottery.co.uk poll, there was good news for the professions that have always been seen to be the most untrustworthy.
Car dealers and tradesmen – like builders, plumbers and electricians – appear to have shaken off their alleged ‘cowboy’ and ‘Arthur Daley’ images to gain a measure of trust with the UK public. A spokesperson for national-lottery.co.uk said: “Far from the romantic idea of charming, eccentric swashbucklers sailing the seven seas, it looks like today’s pirates inspire dread in much the same way as the deadly cutthroats of old. In fact, if these survey results are anything to go by, it looks like people in the UK would like to see the Jolly Roger flying above every speed camera by the roadside!” While the new Instant Win Game, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,’ allows you open money bags and search treasure chests to win a pirate’s fortune, it seems that people’s most treasured possessions still have a much higher sentimental – rather than material – value. Asked to name the items they consider most precious to them, supposedly essential, must-have items like MP3 players, game consoles and giant TVs are taking more of a back seat, with the UK public naming photos, keepsakes of past events and letters as their modern day gold and jewels. The Instant Win Game, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,’ at national-lottery.co.uk costs £2 a go and offers players three chances to win a range of instant cash prizes up to a pirate’s ransom jackpot of £88,888.
The game, which is themed upon and uses imagery from Walt Disney’s blockbusting summer movie, is the first ever online Instant Win Game licensed from a film to be exclusively produced for national-lottery.co.uk. Walt Disney’s ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’ is released in cinemas across the UK on July 6. The survey of over 2,500 people named the country’s modern day pirates as:
For further information, please contact Simon Horne, Publicity Manager: 020 7632 5738 Camelot Press Office: 020 7632 5711 CLEVELAND, Ohio, USA (July 5, 2006) -- On June 30, the Ohio Lottery wrapped up Fiscal Year 2006, securing total fiscal year transfers of $646.3 million. This year’s transfers exceeded the Lottery’s profit transfer commitment to the Office of Budget and Management, by $8.4 million.
“Transfers to the Lottery Profits Education Fund exceed projections again,” says Director Tom Hayes. “I am grateful for the support of our players. Our task is to maximize profits for education by offering fair, equitable and interesting games to our players, and we continually strive to meet that goal.” Initial estimates indicate total sales of approximately $2.219 billion. On-line game sales were approximately $937 million, or 43 percent of sales; instant ticket sales were $1.272 billion, or 57 percent of sales. Audited figures will be released when available. Since 1974, the Ohio Lottery has transferred more than $14.5 billion in support of primary and secondary education. SOURCE: Ohio Lottery
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