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WLA 2006 Convention and Trade Show Update
East meets West
The two-yearly WLA Convention and
Trade Show will be hosted by Singapore
Pools at the world-famous Raffles City Convention Centre in November –
a chance for gaming professionals from East and West to compare notes and weigh
up options for the future. Register now at the official WLA 2006 website.
Visit the official Convention website at
www.wla2006.com
Registration for WLA
2006 Convention is open now, REGISTER
TODAY
Texas Lottery Sets New Sales Record, Generates More Than $1 Billion
For Texas Education
AUSTIN, Texas, USA (September 20,
2006) - The Texas Lottery Commission today
reported reaching the highest level of total sales in its 14-year history.
Un-audited sales totaled more than $3.774 billion for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006
(September 1, 2005, thru August 31, 2006), and resulted in cash transfers of
more than $1.029 billion to the Foundation School Fund, which supports public
education in Texas.
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“I believe this year’s
record sales are a direct result of the exemplary teamwork of our talented
staff, which continues to work closely with the more than 16,000 retailers who
play such an integral role in helping the Texas Lottery fulfill its mission of
supporting Texas education,” said Texas Lottery Commission Executive
Director Anthony J. Sadberry.
“I think this is an accomplishment we can all be proud of, but of
course, what’s most impressive about our unprecedented sales is that they
generated more than $1 billion for the Foundation School Fund for the third
consecutive year.”
Sales for all Texas Lottery®
products were up 3.1 percent over FY 2005. Players claimed prizes in excess of
$2.3 billion, and Texas Lottery retailers earned more than $191 million in
commissions and bonuses.
The sales of Texas Lottery instant
tickets totaled more than $2.8 billion, a 5.8 percent increase over last
year’s $2.7 billion, and accounted for 75.8 percent of total FY 2006
sales.
Lotto Texas® totaled more than
$241 million in sales, down from $306.7 million in FY 2005. The lottery’s
flag-ship game accounted for 6.4 percent of total sales. There were seven
jackpot-winning Lotto Texas tickets sold, and players claimed more than $118
million in cash prizes, including jackpot winnings.
The multistate
Mega Millions® game accounted for
$191.8 million of FY 2006 sales, an 8.1 percent increase over FY 2005 sales.
Texas' own Megaplier® feature, which allows players the chance to double,
triple or quadruple a non-jackpot prize, accounted for more than $46 million in
FY 2006 sales, a 16 percent increase over last year.
The Pick 3® game showed yet
another rise in player participation over previous years, with more than $295
million in total sales, an increase of 3.7 percent from last year, marking the
12th consecutive year of growth for this game. Cash Five® accounted for
more than $90 million in sales, a 12.1 percent decrease, and Texas Two
Step® sales totaled more than $47 million, a 5.1 percent increase.
“While the past fiscal
year was successful in terms of total sales and transfers, we will continue to
look at some additional features on existing games and possible new game ideas
for this next fiscal year,” said Sadberry.
For more information about the Texas
Lottery, please visit the official Texas Lottery Commission Web site at
http://www.txlottery.org
SOURCE: Texas Lottery Texas Lottery
Commission Press Release.
CONTACT: Media Relations,
512-344-5131.
INTRALOT Supports The Scientific Research On Gambling And
Wagering
ATHENS, Greece (September 26, 2006)
-- INTRALOT, recognizing the socially
sensitive issues related to the gaming sector and promoting the notion of
responsible wagering, supports the recently established Hohenheim University
Research Center on Gambling in Stuttgart which conducts research on the various
economic and social aspects of betting games and their impact on player
behavior, habits and lifestyle.
The Gambling Research Center was
established in December 2004 and several institutes and chairs take part in its
work so that the subject areas as regulatory and consumer policy, consumer
behavior, public and private law, finance and tax, applied mathematics,
statistics and econometrics, communication and marketing sciences, theories of
gaming are covered. The research centre is the only gambling research centre in
Germany. While the gambling research centres in other countries of the world
are focusing on either the psychological or the legal aspects of gambling, the
Gambling Research Centre at the University of Hohenheim is the only research
centre with a multidisciplinary approach as covered by the different
disciplines of the 15 professors being a member of the research centre.
INTRALOT’s CEO, Mr.
Constantinos Antonopoulos said: “INTRALOT closely associates the growth
and development of its business operations with the promotion of the concept of
Corporate Social Responsibility. In this context it’s an honour for
INTRALOT to contribute, as a member of the gaming industry and through its
annual sponsorship, in the promotion of this new research centre and its
undergoing project. We hope that their efforts and findings will foster our
sector’s and furthermore the society’s healthy growth”.
Prof. Dr. Tilman Becker, Director of
the Gambling Research Centre at the University of Hohenheim comments: "We
gratefully acknowledge the support of INTRALOT to our work. We regard our
centre as a kind of hub, linking all research from different disciplines on the
topic in Germany together and transferring the results to the gambling sector,
in particular to our sponsors. Furthermore the nearly daily inquiries and
requests for interviews by journalists shows us that there is a great need of
the public for independent information on gambling issues. INTRALOT
demonstrates a great social responsibility by supporting an independent
academic institution providing the public with information on gambling
issues."
About INTRALOT (www.intralot.com)
INTRALOT, a public company listed on
the ASE, is a leading supplier of integrated gaming and transaction processing
systems, innovative game content and value added services to state-licensed
gaming organizations worldwide. Its broad portfolio of products & services,
its know-how of Lottery, Betting & Video Lottery operations, its experience
in sports games and its leading-edge technology give INTRALOT a competitive
advantage, which contributes directly to customers’ efficiency,
profitability and growth. INTRALOT’s footprint straddles five continents
with 37 subsidiaries, 8 business offices, 3,000 people and revenues of €
523 million for 2005 and €700(Ε) for 2006.
For more information CONTACT:
Ms Evi Ioannidou, Communications Director, Phone: +30-210-6156000 – Fax:
+30-210 6106800, email: ioannidou@intralot.com -
SAZKA, a.s., the Oldest and the Biggest Lottery Company in the Czech
Republic, Celebrates its 50th Anniversary
CZECH REPUBLIC (September 15, 2006)
-- Joint-stock company SAZKA, a.s. (SAZKA)
which started activities on 15 September 1956, is celebrating its 50th
anniversary. Over the half a century the company has transferred more than CZK
25 billion to good causes, particularly in sports and physical education, and
paid out in excess of CZK 65 billion in prizes.
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SAZKA’s share of the total
sales of the betting and lottery industry was approximately 8% in 2005 while
its share of the industry’s transfers to good causes exceeded 55% for the
same period. In 1995-2005 alone, SAZKA transferred more than CZK 10 billion to
good causes. As the recipients of the funds are the company shareholders, SAZKA
regularly spends much higher amounts of money to good causes than stipulated by
law.
The amount that the company
transferred to good causes in 2001-2005 exceeded that stipulated by law for the
same period by more than CZK 2.1 billion. In 2005, for instance, it transferred
almost CZK 1.290 billion to good causes, i.e. approximately CZK 580 million
more than the compulsorily transferred proportion of its proceeds. Throughout
its existence, SAZKA has been the largest non-governmental provider of funds to
good causes in the Czech Republic.
SAZKA continuously extends the
portfolio of its betting games and lotteries. In addition to number lotteries
(Sportka – 1957, Šance – 1992, Šťastných 10
– 1994, Šance milion – 1995, Keno – 2002,
Euromilióny – 2003), it operates betting game Sazka (1956), scratch
tickets (1989), odds betting (1996) and the central lottery system with
interactive video lottery terminals, the StarPort gaming system (2004).
Successful non-lottery activities
were added to the usual portfolio of lottery activities after 2002. The
non-lottery activities, operated through more than 7,000 SAZKA terminals,
include topping up pay-as-you-go mobile phones (2002), sales of tickets for
sports, cultural and other events (2003), the sales module (2006) and payments
by paying-in slips, invoice and insurance premium payments (2006).
While Sazka sales in 1957 were CZK
652 million, the company generated total revenues exceeding CZK 9.340 billion
in 2005. SAZKA saw the most dynamic growth after 1995, when its revenues,
profits and transfers to good causes more than tripled. SAZKA’s betting
and lottery sales for 2005 reached CZK 7.253 billion, the earnings after tax
were almost CZK 1.555 billion and the transfers to good causes were
approximately CZK 1.290 billion.
The only SAZKA shareholders are
civil associations engaged in sports and physical education (Czech Physical
Training Association, Czech Sokol Organisation, Czech Association – Sports
for All, Autoclub of the Czech Republic, Association of Sports Unions of the
Czech Republic, Czech Olympic Committee, Czech Shooting Federation, Association
of Physical Training Unions and Clubs of the Czech Republic, Orel). The funds
that SAZKA generates are used particularly for financing sports and physical
education at the elementary, junior and regional level, as well as
constructions and reconstructions of numerous sports facilities – e.g. the
Swimming Stadium in Podolí, the Sports Hall in Holešovice and the
Strahov Stadium in the past, and recently the multi-purpose SAZKA ARENA.
SAZKA is a member of the most
important international associations in the lottery industry, the World Lottery
Association (WLA) and European Lotteries (EL).
SOURCE: PhDr. Zdeněk Zikmund,
SAZKA, a.s. Press Spokesperson.
“Deal or No Deal” Sets Lottery-Industry
Record; Monday’s Season Premier, NBC, Sweep Nightly
Ratings
ALPHARETTA, Georgia, USA (September
22, 2006) -- A record has been set within the Lottery industry now that two
additional lotteries are planning to run a “Deal or No Deal”
instant game this season. Since “Deal or No Deal” became
available to the Lottery category three months ago, a total of 15 lotteries
have committed to running the game -- an industry first!
“Deal or No Deal”
is offered to lotteries exclusively through MDI
Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Scientific Games Corporation (NASDAQ:
SGMS). MDI announced its agreement with the show’s production company,
Endemol International, on June 23.
Since that date, 15 lotteries are
either already selling the game, have the game in production or are planning to
launch the game at the end of the calendar year. There are even more lotteries
that are including “Deal or No Deal” in focus group testing
for a possible 2007 launch.
“This is a
milestone,” said Steve Saferin, MDI president. “And it’s
proof that lotteries are taking advantage of this opportunity to jump on the
hottest craze in pop culture right now. It’s a smart move on their
part.”
Florida, New Mexico, Tennessee,
Texas and Washington launched “Deal or No Deal” just this
month. In Florida, after the first 16 days on sale, “Deal or No Deal”
sales are at $5.2 million, up almost $1.2 million or 26 percent over average
sales for the previous two $5 games.
"Deal or No Deal is going
gangbusters so far," said Walter Gaddy, Florida Lottery instant product
manager. "This is definitely a game popular with Florida Lottery players and
we anticipate this game will remain strong."
The TV smash “Deal or No
Deal” was last season’s surprise hit, consistently ranking #1 for
its time period in adults 18-49 and total viewers. To date, the show has been
produced in over 40 countries. The top prize won in the first season was
$464,000.
However, in the third episode of
this week’s season premier, in which the show has taken the grand prize
from $1 million all the way to $6 million, one contestant far surpassed that
number with a $701,000 win.
As a result of “Deal or No
Deal’s” popularity, NBC won the first night of the 2006-07 television
season in adults 18-49. The network took a first-place 5.0 rating, 13 share in
adults 18-49 and 15 million viewers overall for Monday night.
About Scientific
Games
Scientific Games Corporation is the
leading integrated supplier of instant tickets, systems and services to
lotteries, a leading supplier of fixed odds betting terminals and systems,
interactive sports betting terminals and systems, and wagering systems and
services to pari-mutuel operators. It is also a licensed pari-mutuel gaming
operator in Connecticut and the Netherlands and is a leading supplier of
prepaid phone cards to telephone companies. Scientific Games' customers are in
the United States and more than 60 other countries. For more information about
Scientific Games, please visit our web site at
http://www.scientificgames.com.
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.
$1.5 Million Boost for Amateur Sports in B.C. from Ground-Breaking
New Lottery
VANCOUVER, British Columbia
(September 21, 2006) - Since its introduction, British Columbia Lottery Corporation's (BCLC's)
suite of SportsFunder lottery games has generated $1.5 million for amateur
sports in B.C., Jim Lightbody, Vice-President of Lottery Gaming, announced
today.
"SportsFunder lottery games were
developed as a way for people in B.C. to support amateur sports in the province
while playing fun, exciting lottery games," said Lightbody. "As a coach
of minor sports, I know that this new funding is really needed and will help a
lot of kids in our province."
This is the first installment of
what is expected to be a $20 million SportsFunder contribution to amateur sport
over the next six years. The first cheque was delivered by BCLC employees to
Stan Hagen, Minister of Tourism, Sport and the Arts, and then presented to
representatives of the amateur sport community.
"The SportsFunder initiative is a
huge boost to amateur sport in this province," said Sandra Stevenson, President
and CEO of Sport BC. "B.C. athletes will benefit, B.C. coaches benefit, and
this new money will mean some 2,000 British Columbia children from
disadvantaged families will now be able to participate in sport. Not only will
it have an immediate impact, but it helps set the stage for future sporting
success while furthering our efforts to make B.C. the healthiest province in
the country."
The $1.5 million delivered today to
Minister Hagen will be channelled into four critical areas:
- KidSport™, which is Sport
BC's charitable foundation providing financial assistance to cover sport
registration fees for low-income families;
- Team BC for athlete development
and training;
- Youth Sport Travel Assistance to
assist team travel to provincial tournaments and championships; and
- Coach Development and Leadership
Training, in particular for outlying regions, Aboriginal coaches and coaches
for athletes with disabilities.
"It's great that people from
across the province are supporting amateur sports in their communities by
participating in SportsFunder lottery games," said Kelly Stefanyshyn, Olympic
swimmer and amateur sport ambassador. "It means more young kids will have a
shot at reaching their goals and dreams - be it reaching the podium at their
local community level or perhaps even the Olympics."
SportsFunder lottery games are
available from lottery retailers throughout B.C. Lottery products are only for
sale to adults 19 years of age and older.
BCLC is a provincial Crown
Corporation reporting to the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General
through a Board of Directors. Its mission is to offer responsible gaming
entertainment, generating income for the public good.
CONTACT INFORMATION: BCLC, Kim Van
Bruggen, Cell: (250) 888-1822 or BCLC, Owen Gormley, Cell: (604) 220-2915 or
BCLC Roberta Kjelson (250) 828-5638
SOURCE: British Columbia Lottery
Corporation (www.bclc.com).
Lottery Dynamics to Introduce Breakthrough Game at
NASPL
IRVING, Texas (September 25, 2006)
– Lottery Dynamics is going
for Lottery history with the official launch of its latest proprietary on-line
game concept at NASPL 2006 in Chicago, Oct. 11-13. The new game, Lotto
Platinum+™, will be a brand new experience for lottery players with its 27
ways to win instantly, the fun of Bingo and Keno, plus the coveted millionaire
prizes of Lotto.
Lotto Platinum+™ sets a new
standard for on-line games, combining some of the best features of Lotto with a
variety of breakthrough elements:
- Starting jackpots ranging from
$1M-to-$5M.
- Unique new ticket concept that
offers two match-up games in one.
- Unprecedented play value.
- Great overall odds of one in
five.
- Players will know on-the-spot
what they have won.
Unlike all other traditional on-line
games, players will receive tickets containing all numbers in the game. Every
number drawn will appear somewhere on the player’s ticket. In virtually
all other on-line games, a vast majority of players are eliminated after the
first number is drawn.
“Lotto Platinum+™ has
all the ingredients that have proven to be successful in bringing games to
market,” said Michael Frick, Vice President Marketing-North America
for Lottery Dynamics. “On top of that, it adds many unique marketing
drivers and fills an enormous void in the lottery market for games that offer
players a chance to win millionaire prizes everyday, yet still has overall odds
that are unheard of in jackpot games offering a starting top prize of $5
million,” he noted.
Prior to joining Lottery Dynamics,
Frick served for five years as a senior executive with two of the largest and
most successful lotteries in the United States, the Pennsylvania Lottery and
the Florida Lottery. His industry experience was invaluable in the development
of Lotto Platinum+™.
Frick added, “I helped
develop this game to meet the demanding new realities of our industry. Players
want to win millionaire prizes, they want to win more often, they like to know
instantly if they just won, and a significant segment of players are willing to
bet more for the opportunity to improve their prizes. Lotto Platinum+™
meets all those criteria while, most importantly, allowing lotteries to
increase sales in their highest-margin product category. Lotteries no longer
have to trade-off their profit margins to increase sales.”
Lottery Dynamics created Lotto
Platinum+™ with a 50-55 percent guaranteed payout cap to help lotteries
meet the increasing needs of their respective states to fund good causes such
as education.
For more information, go to
www.lotterydynamics.com.
About Lottery Dynamics
LLC
Lottery Dynamics LLC, based in
Irving, TX, is a company with a mission to re-energize lotto and other lottery
games with a suite of proprietary programs highlighting player choice, player
value and player excitement. The company’s programs work with any matrix
and any currency around the world and are designed to build lottery profits by
40-100 percent over current levels. The company is a WLA Platinum Sponsor.
CONTACT: Karen Lazarovic, VP
Corporate Communications, Email:
klazarovic@lotterydynamics.com
SOURCE: Lottery Dynamics
LLC.
Camelot TV Launches First Dedicated “National Lottery HQ”
Studio
LONDON, United Kingdom (September
21, 2006) -- All National Lottery draws
are to come from a dedicated 'National Lottery HQ' TV studio for the
first time, thanks to groundbreaking new partnerships announced by
Camelot.
The lottery operator has joined
forces with Endemol UK, the UK’s top independent TV production house, and
Arqiva, the UK’s leading provider of broadcast transmission services, to
produce dedicated draw coverage from a purpose-built studio.
Lottery draws will continue to be
screened by the BBC, as Camelot continues its highly successful partnership
with the broadcaster. But there will now be a consistent look across all
programmes and platforms, including the mid-week and Saturday night programmes
on BBC1, and the new Daily Play draw results service on bbc.co.uk broadband
services.
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The first draws from the new
National Lottery HQ will be seen as part of the special BBC ONE programming for
National Lottery Day on September 23.
Featuring revamped and revitalised
graphics, lighting and set design, the new-style coverage will be titled The
National Lottery Draws and produced by Initial (part of Endemol UK). It will
work both as a standalone item and sit within other programme formats –
including the new BBC ONE show 1 vs 100, beginning on September 30, which is
also being produced by Initial.
Martyn Fox, Camelot Head of
Broadcast, commented: “This exciting new development gives Camelot, as
the lottery operator, greater involvement than ever before in the presentation
and look of the draws on screen. It’s fantastic to have respected partners
like Endemol and Arqiva on board as we introduce an original new look for the
lottery across TV, on the internet and new platforms such as mobile
phones.”
Barrie Woolston, Commercial
Director, Arqiva Satellite Media Solutions, added: “We’re
delighted to be providing the National Lottery with its first permanent home.
We’ve worked closely with Camelot to tailor the studio space and
facilities to their exact, and unique, requirements. A high-profile programme
like the National Lottery demands an extra level of resilience and security in
its studio space and we’re confident that our dedicated facilities will
provide the perfect environment for the Camelot and Endemol team.”
Set design for The Lottery Draws is
by Simon Kimmel, with lighting design by Tom Kinane. The series producer for
Endemol is John Ireland, with Jules Fuller executive producing and the first
programme on September 23 will be directed by Ian Hamilton. Graphics are by
Liquid.
SOURCE: Camelot media release and
4RFV.
Pollard Banknote’s Miami Vice Game Launched in British Columbia
and Kansas
WINNIPEG, Canada (September 21,
2006) -- Pollard Banknote Limited Partnership (“Pollard Banknote”) is
pleased to announce that the British Columbia
Lottery Corporation (“BCLC”) and the
Kansas Lottery have both recently
introduced Miami Vice-themed instant tickets into their respective markets.
Available only from Pollard Banknote, thanks to its licensing arrangement with
Universal Studios Consumer Products Group, this nostalgic yet still-popular
brand presents lotteries in the U.S. and Canada with excellent opportunities to
wow their customers by capitalizing on the classic, trend-setting 1980s
television series starring Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas.
“Miami Vice remains one of
the most popular and influential television shows of its era,” said
Sina Aiello, Director, Licensed Products. “The clothes, the cars, the
characters, and Miami’s climate and culture all coalesced into a show that
captivated audiences during its small-screen reign from 1984 to 1990. Add to
that the various positive Miami Vice associations lingering in the memories of
multitudes of fans, and it’s easy to see why the brand is so adaptable to
the lottery industry.”
The $2 Miami Vice tickets on sale
within these jurisdictions offer players the prospect of winning big cash and
exciting prizes. The BCLC’s contribution boasts a top prize of $25,000,
features two separate chances to win via the popular “Match 3”
format, and gives players the chance to win Miami Vice prize packs by
scratching a third “Bonus” play window. It also comes complete
with a trivia component highlighting some of the show’s landmark
achievements. The Kansas ticket, a stylized nighttime shot of the two stars set
against the Miami skyline, has a “Key Number Match” game format with
a top prize of $10,000, and also has a bonus feature where players need only
reveal a dollar value and they will win the amount shown.
Despite the differing
interpretations, these two tickets instantly recall the show’s suave,
slick, and occasionally surreal elements that left an indelible impression on
television audiences everywhere. Even today, an extensive licensing program
continues to weave the Miami Vice brand into North America’s social and
cultural fabric, as evidenced by widely available apparel, gaming, and wireless
products based on the hit series. Pollard Banknote’s clients stand to reap
the rewards of leveraging this firmly entrenched brand and its escalating
equity.
“Entertainment-based
licensed properties with a retro-chic flavor continue to be a major attraction
at the retail level,” said Aiello. “Given the enduring
popularity of Miami Vice, these tickets were designed to invite an immediate
and visceral response from even the most casual lottery player. We’re
confident the ticket sales are going to be bolstered by the major motion
picture Miami Vice, appealing to a new generation of fans.”
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 Miami
Vice
One of the most visually stunning
and stylized T.V. shows of the 1980s, Miami Vice not only rocked our
pre-conceived notions of just how far a police drama could go, but changed the
face of television forever.
Set against the post-modern
pastel-coloured cityscape of Miami’s sun-baked beach houses, sultry
nightlife and pop-culture decadence, this ground-breaking series followed James
“Sonny” Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs, two of Miami’s finest, as
they cruised the seedy streets of the Florida underworld with an arresting
attitude all their own. Fueled by exotic locales and a host of art
deco-inspired architecture, Miami Vice defined a decade with its trend-setting
tropical-chic fashion styles and a heart-thumping soundtrack as hot as the
Miami sun.
About Universal Studios
Consumer Products Group
Universal Studios Consumer Products
Group (USCPG) 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 and 20% owned by Vivendi Universal.
About Pollard
Banknote
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.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Gordon
Pollard (gpollard@pbl.ca) or John Pollard (jpollard@pbl.ca) Co-Chief Executive Officers,
Phone: (204) 474-2323
SOURCE: Pollard Banknote (www.pollardbanknote.com).
Joint-Stock Company SAZKA Presents New Royal Game, a Complement
to the Lucky 10 Number Lottery
CZECH REPUBLIC (September 13, 2006)
-- Since Friday, 15 September 2006, the Royal Game
(“Královská hra”) has been available as a complement to
the number lottery Lucky 10 (“Šťastných 10”). A
Royal Game winner is the player who matches the Royal Number, i.e. the first
number drawn. In this case, the player can win a higher prize in all tiers and
even a prize in the tiers that do not otherwise offer any winnings.
Winnings in the number lottery Lucky
10 depend on the quantity of selected numbers, quantity of matching numbers and
the stake. In the Royal Game, the first number drawn is also decisive. If a
Royal Game player selects a number that is subsequently drawn as the Royal
Number in the primary game, the player wins a higher prize.
The Royal Game price equals to the
amount of the stake in the Lucky 10 number lottery, which, contingent on
player’s decision, is CZK 10-200. If the player chooses the primary stake
of CZK 10, the Royal Game price is also CZK 10. If the player chooses the
primary stake of CZK 100, the Royal Game price is also CZK 100, etc.
For instance, a player who decides
for a stake of CZK 10 and matches all the ten numbers drawn could win CZK
2,000,000 until now. If, in this case, the player raises the stake by an
additional CZK 10 for the Royal Game, the prize – if all the ten numbers
including the Royal number match – will be CZK 5,000,000. With the same
stake for the primary game, the prize for six matching numbers will be CZK 100
but, with the Royal Game involved and the Royal Number matching, the prize will
jump to CZK 350. If the player matches only three numbers, no prize is paid out
at the moment. Nevertheless, if the player matches three numbers, plays the
Royal Game and matches also the Royal Number, the winning will be CZK 20, i.e.
the amount of the original stake.
Number lottery Lucky 10 has been
played since 1994. Its sales, which exceeded CZK 1.1 billion last year, make it
the second most popular number lottery in the Czech Republic.
SOURCE: PhDr. Zdeněk Zikmund,
SAZKA, a.s. Press Spokesperson.
Oregon Lottery’s Orange County Choppers™ Promotional Summer
Bike Tour A Big Hit With Players
SAN ANTONIO, Texas, USA (September
27, 2006) -- The Oregon Lottery® and
Oberthur Gaming Technologies
(“OGT”) partnered to promote OGT’s Orange County
Chopper™ (“OCC™”) instant ticket with a three-month
promotional summer bike tour. The Lottery offered three custom OCC™ bikes
– two bikes were integrated as an instant win feature on the ticket, and
the third is an autographed, custom designed bike designated as the grand prize
for the second chance drawing.
As part of its marketing support,
OGT coordinated with the Oregon Lottery® to tour the second chance drawing
bike at events across the state for three months. The custom bike that was
toured is featured on Oregon’s OCC™ Scratch-itSM ticket. The Lottery
allowed players to have their pictures taken with the bike, so the Lottery
created a backdrop with an oversize version of the Scratch-itSM ticket, and
full size stand-ups of the OCC™ stars, the Teutuls.
Since the start of the 31-event bike
tour promotion, the Lottery has seen high participation in the second chance
drawing. “It is amazing the kind of crowd we have attracted with the
OCC™ Bike, and we’re thrilled with the success,” said Jamie
Davis, Promotions Coordinator of the Oregon Lottery®. “We have had
a great response at every event - from a vast array of consumers.”
OCC™ is made up of three
principal stars, Paul Teutul Sr. and his sons, Paul Jr. and Mikey, who appear
weekly on The Discovery Channel’s top rated television show, American
Chopper. OCC™ is recognized for creating custom motorcycles, vastly
gaining fans and admirers worldwide. OCC™ is currently holding their own
OCC™ in America Tour and has brought crowds of up to 40,000 fans at its
events.
About Oberthur Gaming
Technologies (www.oberthurgt.com)
With more than 35 years of
lottery-specific expertise and over a century's experience in the security
printing industry, Oberthur Gaming Technologies is the world’s leader in
the printing of innovative instant lottery tickets. Comprehensive services
include strategic game planning and innovative conceptual design with
OGT’s Dream Team™, Cyber Games™ (interactive games) as well as
state-of-the-art Global Operations and Lottery Distribution System (GOLDS). OGT
currently supplies a full range of high quality products and services to 100
clients in some 50 countries. The company has production units or sales offices
in Montreal, Canada; San Antonio, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania in the U.S.; Paris, France; and Sydney, Australia.
About Orange County
Choppers™
Headquartered in Montgomery, N.Y.,
Orange County Choppers is regarded as one of the world’s premier builders
of custom motorcycles. The OCC brand has become one of the most recognizable
brands in the world and has produced a wide array of merchandise such as
t-shirts, hats, diecasts, assorted novelty items, and more. Orange County
Choppers is featured weekly on the Discovery Channel program, “American
Chopper” and continues to be the network’s number one rated
show. For more information, visit www.orangecountychoppers.com
Source: Lyse Trudel, Communications
Officer, Oberthur Gaming Technologies, (+1-514) 254-3600, ext. 101, Email:
lyse.trudel@mtl.oberthurgt.com.
For information: Vicki Smith, Sales Support Specialist, Liz Johnson, New
Business Coordinator, Oberthur Gaming Technologies, (+1-210) 509-9999 ext. 236,
(+1-210) 509-9999 ext. 119
For Orange County Choppers:
Michele Paolella, Director of Public Relations, (+1-845) 457-1992 ext. 1006,
Email: michele@orangecountychoppers.com.
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